GrantRadar

The Mercers' Company

Older People & Housing Funding

Awards of £50,000 to £120,000 over up to three years for not-for-profit, community-led organisations in Greater London and Norfolk that combat loneliness and/or poverty faced by older people. Funding is flexible and can cover core, project or development costs; the Company also considers loans or other social investment alongside grants. Preference goes to work with older people at high risk of chronic loneliness and poverty, such as those in Black and minoritised communities, LGBTQ+ communities and disadvantaged neighbourhoods, informal carers and people with long-term conditions. In 2024-25 the programme made 28 grants totalling £2.6 million; the average success rate is 1 in 6.

Apply on the funder’s site
You could get
£50,000 – £120,000
no fixed round
Deadline
Rolling
apply any time
Effort
Heavy
budgets, references, often several stages

Who can apply

  • Not-for-profit, community-led organisations working in Greater London and/or Norfolk
  • The Company tends to fund registered charities but its FAQs say it is open to any inclusive not-for-profit organisation, including educational establishments, community groups, social enterprises, churches and other faith groups
  • Proposals should align closely with at least one priority (loneliness or poverty among older people) and come from organisations that are community rooted and focused; whose board, staff and volunteers reflect the people and communities they work with; that promote positive mental wellbeing for beneficiaries, staff and volunteers; that work in an asset-based, person-centred way; and that pay employees the Real Living Wage (contact the team if you cannot yet)
  • Grants will not generally exceed 50% of the organisation's annual income in any year, so with a £50,000 minimum the applicant needs a realistic income base
  • Preference goes to work with older people at high risk of chronic loneliness and poverty: Black and minoritised communities, LGBTQ+ communities, disadvantaged neighbourhoods, informal carers and people living with long-term conditions

What it funds

Combatting loneliness faced by older people:

  • Working in areas with a high risk of chronic loneliness, e.g. areas with high levels of deprivation, a high proportion of minoritised communities, or a high percentage of older adults living alone
  • Providing opportunities for older adults to foster new connections
  • Providing opportunities to support and maintain existing relationships
  • Combatting poverty faced by older people: tackling the cost of living crisis
  • Combatting poverty faced by older people: addressing a lack of quality housing
  • Combatting poverty faced by older people: providing support in the most disadvantaged areas
  • Core, project or development costs, including costs towards the development of an organisation

in exceptional circumstances the Company also considers proposals that support organisations working to combat poverty and loneliness faced by older people

awards can be grants, loans or other social investments, up to three years

What it will not fund

  • Individuals
  • Capital costs (unless they are part of a revenue application, e.g. tablets or laptops)
  • General appeals
  • Financial support for costs that have already been incurred
  • Grants of more than 50% of an organisation's annual income in any given year (not generally awarded)

How to apply

  1. Submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) at any time through the Mercers' online grants portal (linked from the guidelines page; you need to create an account), briefly saying what you want to do and why, how much funding you need, and the total cost of the proposal
  2. Hear within about four weeks whether you are invited to submit a full application (average 2.7 weeks in 2023-25)
  3. If invited, the team will contact you to discuss the proposal and explain the Stage 2 process; complete the full application on the portal
  4. The Older People & Housing Committee makes the final decision; it considers applications twice a year

EOI decisions are made by staff panels; full applications are decided by Committee after assessment of eligibility, organisational strength (governance and finances), the strength of the proposal and the balance of the existing portfolio

the Company prefers you focus on one application with it at a time; a recently rejected EOI or application is unlikely to succeed if resubmitted

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