London Marathon Foundation

Active Spaces Fund

London Marathon Foundation's Active Spaces Fund pays for projects in London that improve and activate spaces, places and facilities so that the least active children, young people and underserved groups can lead active and healthy lives. Organisations can apply for £10,000 to £80,000 towards capital and/or revenue project costs; more than £80,000 is by invitation only after contacting the Foundation first. Applications are two-stage: an expression of interest accepted at any time, then (if invited) a full application to one of four rounds a year.

Apply on the funder’s site

You could get: £10,000 – £80,000; no fixed round
Deadline: Rolling; apply any time
Effort: Heavy; budgets, references, often several stages

Who can apply

Organisations supporting communities in the 32 London boroughs and the City of London, with projects at spaces, places and facilities open to all the community
Eligible applicants: community and voluntary sector organisations, community enterprises, Community Interest Companies without share capital, organisations or companies with at least three directors who are not related and do not live together, faith centres, local authorities, registered charities, schools, statutory bodies and other educational establishments, sports clubs and unincorporated associations
All applicants must have filed at least one year's financial statement (audited or unaudited statutory accounts) in their Charity Commission or Companies House filing history and have more than two unrelated directors
Schools may apply only if the project opens facilities for wider community use outside school hours and they can show existing relationships with community groups
Applicants without security of tenure must apply through the site owner (e.g. the local authority), and capital projects need a minimum lease (5 years for £5,000-£50,000, 10 years for £50,001-£100,000)
If an EOI is declined you must wait six months before applying again

What it funds

Projects taking place in a London borough (the 32 boroughs and the City of London) that improve and activate spaces, places and facilities and help one or more of these audiences to be active:

Children and young people
People from ethnically diverse groups
People from lower socio-economic groups
Women and girls
People with disabilities
People with long-term health conditions
Older people (65+)
The LGBTQ+ community

Priority goes to projects that reach the least active, take place in areas of greatest need (few facilities or high deprivation), have a close connection to the community they support (e.g. delivery staff from the community) and improve and activate a space beyond the funding period.

Capital and revenue costs can be funded: capital projects are expected to complete within two years and revenue projects within three.

Major equipment integral to a project is fundable, both fixed (e.g. playground and gym equipment) and non-fixed (e.g. rowing boats, adapted bikes) if it will be maintained and safely stored.

Capital projects are expected to have contributions from other sources, and the Foundation is unlikely to fund where its grant would be only a small part of total capital costs.

What it will not fund

Projects outside the 32 London boroughs and the City of London
Personal equipment or clothing that becomes the property of individuals (e.g. team sports kits)
Purchase of vehicles (including tractors, minibuses or ride-on lawnmowers)
Gas boilers
School projects solely for the use of the school community (pupils, families or staff)
Revenue funding towards posts or salary costs for schools
Activities that promote religion or seek to convert people, or faith projects that do not benefit the wider community (shared-use faith buildings are funded only for the share of use that benefits the wider community)
The same project again if it has already benefited from the Foundation's funding
Organisations that have applied to, or have a project funded by, Go! London
More than one application at a time from the same organisation (except statutory bodies, multi-academy trusts, charity networks and multi-office housing associations)
Organisations that received Active Spaces capital funding less than two years ago (from the final grant payment)

How to apply

Read the Active Spaces Fund page and FAQs, and preview the Expression of Interest (EOI) form
If you have not applied before, set up a Blackbaud ID (instructions on the fund page)
If you want more than £80,000, email info@londonmarathonfoundation.org first making an exceptional case, explaining the long-term legacy and showing partnership funding secured
Complete the EOI on the Funding Forms Portal, with a project summary, intended outcomes and a project budget; EOIs are accepted at any time
The Foundation aims to tell you within 30 working days whether you are invited to stage two (around 28% of EOIs are)
If invited, submit the full application through the portal by one of the round deadlines (23 September 2026, 6 January 2027, 24 March 2027, 7 July 2027, 22 September 2027), within 12 months of your EOI being approved
If successful, complete the Letter of Offer, grant terms and Project Delivery Plan, then submit six-monthly progress reports and an Annual Project Impact Report one year after completion

Applications for more than £80,000 made without contacting the Foundation first will be declined.

The Foundation asks applicants to read the FAQs and submit an EOI rather than contacting them with specific project questions.

Have ready

Expression of Interest form with project budget (stage one)
Full application form (stage two)
Project budget (using the Foundation's revenue budget template if applying for any revenue funding)
Project plan including delivery timeframe
Governance documents
Policies, including a Child Protection Policy and a Safeguarding and Vulnerable Adults Policy
Two to three letters of support for the project (for schools, from community users)

For capital funding, also evidence of security of tenure, planning permission (if required), project designs, evidence of other project funding and photos.

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