GrantRadar

Love Luton CIC

Love Luton Community Award Fund

Love Luton's Community Award Fund gives community groups, local charities and organisations up to £3,000 per financial year (no minimum; bids from £100 are welcome) for projects, events or initiatives that benefit people in Luton. Its key focus is improving the image and perception of Luton and supporting a thriving economy, alongside community aims such as children and young people's health and safety, social cohesion and positive activities for young people. It is a revenue fund with quarterly application windows; the current round runs to 31 October 2026, and the next runs 1 November 2026 to 31 January 2027.

Apply on the funder’s site
You could get
Up to £3,000
Closes in
13 days left
31 October
Effort
Moderate
full application with documents

Who can apply

  • Community groups, local charities and organisations that support the people of Luton, whose beneficiaries live within Luton
  • Applicants must show proven need, the capacity and skills to deliver, correct governance (following their constitution), strong financial management, commitment to equality, cohesion and inclusion, a realistic and value-for-money budget, an adequate complaints procedure, a clear safeguarding policy, a track record of partnership working, and plans for sustainability and an exit strategy
  • Groups with strong community links and a permanent base in Luton get a higher weighting
  • Profit-making organisations cannot apply; CICs and social enterprises only if they have contracts worth over 50% of annual turnover; national or regional charities only for demonstrably local work; religious organisations only for non-denominational activities with wider public benefit
  • One bid per financial year or 12 months

What it funds

Projects, events or initiatives run by groups working in the local community for the benefit of people in Luton that contribute to at least one Love Luton aim:

  • Changing the perception of Luton (showcasing it as a town to be proud of, engaging partners and communities outside Luton, spreading the Love Luton message)
  • Driving investment into the town (Luton as a place to do business, attracting visitors, a thriving economy)
  • Engaging with the community (improving the health of children and young people, keeping children and young people safe and well cared for, reducing differences in educational achievement between ethnic groups, strengthening social cohesion, positive activities for young people and reducing anti-social behaviour, meeting the needs of people with disabilities/learning difficulties)

It is a revenue fund; small bids (up to £1,000) and larger bids (£1,000-£3,000) use different forms.

Some awards are paid in instalments subject to agreed outcomes.

Match funding is looked on more favourably.

What it will not fund

  • Costs that specifically pay for "people" time
  • Applications where more than 50% is on staff costs (dependent on project)
  • Applications from profit-making organisations
  • Community Interest Companies or Social Enterprises that cannot show contracts worth more than 50% of their annual turnover
  • Applicants where those benefiting do not live within Luton
  • Organisations or activities that promote political parties, terrorism, or the propagation of religion or conduct of worship (religious organisations may apply for non-denominational activities with wider public benefit)
  • National or regional charities, except where funding is demonstrably targeted locally
  • Statutory services, or projects that would otherwise be funded from statutory sources
  • Retrospective funding (money already spent)
  • More than one bid per financial year or within 12 months; groups funded in the last 12 months will not be considered

How to apply

  1. Read the fund's terms and conditions and check your project meets at least one Love Luton aim
  2. Download the right form from the fund page: the smaller application (up to £1,000) or the larger application (£1,000-£3,000)
  3. Complete the form (electronically preferred; handwritten in black ink accepted) and scan in supporting documents
  4. Email the completed form and documents to events@loveluton.org.uk within an application window (current round: 1 August-31 October 2026)
  5. Love Luton advises an announcement date and follows up any points of clarification; eligible applications go to the awards panel, which meets at least four times a year
  6. The panel's decision is notified within two weeks of its meeting

The page also says forms are sent on request by emailing coordinator@loveluton.org.uk; contact the coordinator for help or a postal address.

The panel can close the application process at any time, for example when the year's pot is committed. There is no right of appeal.

Have ready

  • Safeguarding policy (both forms, if the project involves children)
  • Governing document setting out the group's objects and powers (larger applications)
  • Equal opportunities policy (larger applications; smaller applicants must show they understand equal opportunities)
  • Most recent annual accounts, or for groups under twelve months old a budget or estimate of income and spend for the year ahead and any development or business plan (larger applications)
  • Complaints policy (larger applications)

Supporting documents should be scanned and emailed with the form.

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