A relaunched multi-million-pound partnership initiative helps local charities and community groups by making it easier for them to apply for grants, distribute funds, and team up with local councils and philanthropists.
The main intention is to reduce complex paperwork and provide consistent financial backing so that charities can continue supporting vulnerable people and those who ask for their help.
Originally launched in England in 2009, The
Community Builders Fund was to provide loans and grants for charities and community anchor organisations. It has now been relaunched as an active,
newly expanded multi-million-pound fund as of March 2025.
Now delivered by the
Social Investment Business (SIB) - in partnership with various organisations like
Groundwork UK - the current version can provide large, flexible loans to impact-led charities and social enterprises across England, Wales, and Scotland.
The Fund itself is being dedicated to supporting grassroots charities, covering everything from community projects and social programs to local arts, and the initiative aims to bring together different groups—like local governments, private companies, and community foundations.
Stronger Local Support
By bringing partners together, the Fund helps organisations share resources and direct
money to the places where it is needed most.
This means charities are not left to manage funding challenges alone. Instead, they can access more reliable, flexible financial support, with stronger backing from local authorities: This would then allow them to focus entirely on helping their local communities.
At the time of writing, there is no specified deadline for The Fund, suggesting this is operating as a continuous rolling programme and applications can be accepted at any time.
More
information about and
how to apply is available at the SIB
website.