The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) is committed to building cohesive and resilient communities. The Common Ground Award was first launched in 2025 to 2026 to invest capital funding into Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector organisations that are building social connections across and between different communities.
MHCLG is now launching the second round of the Common Ground Award for 2026 to 2027 to continue supporting the cost of constructing or renovating facilities, spaces, and equipment that enables organisations to deliver services that brings people from different backgrounds together to build community cohesion and resilience.
The grant is open to applications from VCSE organisations based and operating in England, with charitable, benevolent or philanthropic purposes. VCSE organisations can also apply as part of a consortium where collaboration is key to maximising an organisation’s impact and building sustainability, networks and innovation.
To be eligible for the Common Ground Award, organisations and consortiums applying to this grant scheme must therefore directly work on at least one of the following core themes:
- encouraging and enabling social mixing, promoting understanding and reducing divisions between different communities and people from different backgrounds
- reducing prejudice, discrimination and hatred directed toward individuals and communities because of their background
- resolving conflict and addressing tensions across and between communities
Individual applicants can apply for a grant between £20,000 and £50,000. Individual applicants can set out how capital investment could be scaled up to a maximum of £100,000, which may be considered in exceptional cases.
Successful individual organisations will be awarded up to £100,000 as a capital grant.
When an application is made by a consortium, the consortium can apply for a grant between £100,000 and £250,000 as a capital grant.
Application deadline: 12th October 2026
