The Democratic Engagement Fund

Who can apply

We welcome applications from civil society organisations with experience of, or demonstrable capacity to deliver, community based, politically neutral projects in England. Civil Society Organisations must be:

a.      a non-governmental, non-profit entity such as a charity, voluntary group, social enterprise, co-operative, or faith group that works independently from the state and market.

b.      based in the UK. The project can only take place in England and is encouraged to be undertaken at a local level rather than nationally. We are particularly interested in applications that reach places with historically lower levels of democratic engagement.

Eligible organisations include:

·       an organisation registered as a charity with the Charity Commission

·       a company limited by guarantee registered with Companies House, that is established for charitable, benevolent or philanthropic purposes.

·       Charitable Incorporated Organisations (CIO) registered with The Charity Commission 

·       Community Interest Companies (CIC) registered with Companies House 

·       Community Benefit Societies (CBS) or Co-operative societies registered with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)

·       an unincorporated community group or organisation, or an unincorporated association that is:

-       established for charitable, benevolent or philanthropic purposes

-       has a governing body with at least 3 members

-       has an inclusive membership policy

-       has a governing document

-       can provide accounts for the last two financial years

-       has its own UK business bank account

Partnership and consortium bids are welcome. One organisation must act as the lead, accountable body and will be responsible for managing the grant and ensuring funds are used appropriately. Please note local authorities cannot apply directly although they may support a CSO to deliver a project (for example, by providing venues, data insights)

Eligibility Criteria

1. Civil Society Organisation:  

   a.    Must be a non-governmental, non-profit entity representing community interests (e.g. charities, voluntary groups, social enterprises)

   b.    Must be based in the UK.

   c.     Project must be carried out in England

   d.    Applicants must have an annual turnover of at least £50,000 and no more than £1 million.

   e.    The organisation must have been operational for 2 years minimum

   f.      Copies of financial accounts must be provided for the last 2 years.

   g.    Applicants must confirm that neither their organisation nor its senior leadership/trustees have unspent convictions for electoral offences or other relevant unspent offences that could reasonably call into question the organisation’s ability to deliver an impartial, lawful and trustworthy project

   h.    Commitment to evaluate and provide monitoring data.

2. Political Impartiality:   

   a.    Must operate independently of political parties and avoid any activity that promotes or endorses a political agenda.

   b.    Organisations must not use grant funding for lobbying, campaigning for elected office, or influencing legislation.

3. Accessible Communications: Must commit to providing information in accessible formats (plain language, alternative formats, digital accessibility). Where appropriate British Sign Language (BSL) and Easy Read versions - along with plain English and digital accessibility (with regards for WCAG - Web Content Accessibility Guidelines).

4. Legal and Financial Standing: Must be legally constituted and able to demonstrate governance and financial controls.

5. Projects must align with programme objectives: Please see the prospectus linked in the Additional Information section.

6. Projects must target one of the following groups:  

• Young people (aged 5-25 years)

• Ethnic minority communities

• Frequent movers

• People experiencing homelessness

• Individuals from lower socio-economic backgrounds

• People with a disability

Objective

Explanation

Build a Robust Evidence Base on ‘What Works’

Strengthen the evidence base on democratic engagement by requiring consistent, high-quality monitoring and evaluation throughout project delivery, generating timely and usable insights into impact, effectiveness and good practice.

This objective focuses on identifying what works to improve awareness, motivation and participation especially among underrepresented groups. By building a clearer understanding of effective interventions and how they can be delivered well, CSOs and local authorities will be better equipped to invest in, adapt and scale proven approaches - supporting long-term capability across the democratic engagement sector.

This will be particularly important in generating early evidence on effective approaches to preparing and supporting younger citizens to participate as the voting age is lowered to 16.

Prevent or Overcome Barriers for Less Engaged Groups

Enable and support CSOs to design, test and deliver interventions that identify, prevent or overcome barriers to democratic engagement among less engaged demographic groups.

This includes addressing barriers related to knowledge, access, motivation and trust, with the aim of ensuring all citizens - particularly those historically underrepresented or disengaged - have meaningful opportunities to participate in democratic processes and institutions.

A key focus is increasing political literacy, by equipping individuals with the knowledge, skills and confidence needed to understand democratic processes and exercise their civic and democratic rights, including through education and information sharing that supports informed participation.

Improve Democratic Participation and Engagement

Fund CSOs to deliver projects that improve awareness and understanding of democratic processes and institutions, strengthen positive attitudes towards them, and improve motivation to participate, both among the general public and targeted under-engaged groups.

This objective broadens democratic participation beyond the ballot box, fostering more sustained, meaningful long-term engagement in democratic life.

Projects may, for example, achieve this

by encouraging participation in democratic activities beyond voting (such as meeting or engaging with their MP or councillor, signing petitions, or getting involved in a local campaign), or addressing barriers faced by groups with historically lower levels of democratic participation.

By strengthening these foundations, this objective supports citizens to contribute meaningfully to decisions that affect their lives – a core principle of any democratic system - enhancing democratic legitimacy, trust and participation.

·       The grant application period will run from 22 June 2026 to 31 August 2026.

·       Applications will be processed and assessed between 1 September and 31 December 2026, with outcomes expected in January 2027.

·       Grant Funding Agreements will be issued in January 2027, and initial payments will be made at that point.

·       January to February 2027 will be a ramp‑up period to set up monitoring and evaluation. Projects may begin delivery from March 2027.

·       All funded project activity must be completed by October 2027 to enable release of the final 25% payment by the end of Financial Year 2027/28.

·       Projects are not required to run for a full year; shorter interventions (e.g. six‑week programmes) are acceptable where they demonstrate clear delivery and impact within the grant period.

·       All grant funding must be fully disbursed by the end of Financial Year 2027/28.

·       An evaluation report will be produced by MHCLG and/or an independent research organisation, and is expected to be published in 2028.

Applications to the Democratic Engagement Fund must be submitted via the online application form. Applications submitted by email will not be accepted.The application form is designed to capture clear, consistent information to support fair assessment and robust monitoring and evaluation. Applicants should read this prospectus and the accompanying guidance carefully before applying.You will be asked to complete seven sections in the application form:

1. Organisation detailsInformation about your organisation, legal status, governance, and eligibility.

2. Project detailsA description of your proposed project, target group(s), activities, objectives, delivery approach, and how the project meets the fund objectives, including political neutrality and impartiality.

3. Project costsDetails of your proposed budget and value for money.You will be asked to complete a separate budget template, which must be downloaded and uploaded as part of your application.

4. Barriers, risks and safeguardingIdentification of key delivery risks, safeguarding arrangements, and how accessibility and participant safety will be managed.

5. ReachInformation on who you will reach, how many people you expect to engage, where delivery will take place, and how you will reach under‑represented groups in their own communities.

6. EvaluationYour approach to monitoring and evaluation, including experience of data collection and your ability to use MHCLG‑provided tools and templates.

7. DeclarationConfirmation that the information provided is accurate, that funding will be used appropriately, and that the project will be delivered in line with eligibility, impartiality and grant conditions.

Before applying, you should ensure that:

• Your organisation meets all eligibility criteria set out in this prospectus

• Your proposed activity is politically neutral and complies with the impartiality requirements

• You are able to meet the monitoring, evaluation, and reporting requirements

• You can deliver the project within the required timeframes

Further guidance, including examples and clarifications to support applicants, is provided throughout the prospectus.If you have queries about the application process or accessibility requirements, please contact:democraticengagement@communities.gov.uk

What support is available for applicants?

If you have questions about the grant programme, have any accessibility needs, or queries on the eligibility of your organisation or project plan, please email democraticengagement@communities.gov.uk.

The MHCLG Democratic Engagement Team will run online application workshops explaining how to apply, how to write a strong application and what we are looking to fund. These sessions will take place on:

·         Monday 15 June, 2pm

·         Wednesday 17 June, 10am

You can sign up to your preferred session via Eventbrite.

If you are unable to attend a workshop, a recording will be made available at https://youtu.be/O_x6Nz25omw.