GrantRadar

Public Health Wales (administered by WCVA)

Gambling Harms - Voluntary Sector Grant

A new Public Health Wales grant scheme, administered by WCVA and paid for from the statutory gambling levy, for voluntary and community organisations to develop and deliver community-led approaches to preventing gambling-related harms in Wales. Organisations can apply for up to £75,000 a year for up to two years (December 2026 to November 2028), with no match funding needed. It funds prevention, not treatment or recovery, and projects must be independent of gambling industry funding or influence.

Apply on the funder’s site
You could get
Up to £150,000
Closes in
1 day left
Effort
Heavy
budgets, references, often several stages

Who can apply

  • Voluntary sector organisations, Community Interest Groups, voluntary groups and social enterprises operating on a not-for-profit basis, independent of government and the private sector
  • Applicants must be a constituted group or organisation able to supply its governing documents, which must show a social purpose, that profit or assets are used for it, and an asset lock where applicable; have an organisation or group bank account with at least two unrelated authorised signatories; and have a qualified, quorate board of at least three unrelated directors or trustees
  • Formal or informal partnerships can apply with a named lead applicant who takes responsibility for the grant
  • All activity must take place in Wales and applicants must show a sound understanding of the Welsh context, meet Welsh language Standards (offering and delivering the intervention in Welsh where appropriate), have a fit-for-purpose safeguarding policy (applications needing major safeguarding improvements are not referred to panel), complete and sign a declaration of interest, and agree to share learning with Public Health Wales, NHS Wales Performance and Improvement and Welsh Government
  • Projects should involve people with lived experience in design, delivery or governance
  • Priority is given to work with groups more at risk of gambling-related harm or typically underserved (e.g. people in deprived areas, with mental health or substance use problems, ethnic minority communities, people in the criminal justice system, affected others)

What it funds

Activities that contribute to one or more of the scheme's objectives:

  • Test and develop effective approaches to preventing gambling-related harms
  • Strengthen community, sector and system capacity
  • Address the underlying drivers of gambling-related harms
  • Build the evidence base for prevention in Wales
  • Embed lived experience and Welsh public health principles
  • Funding could support:
  • Community awareness campaigns and education initiatives
  • Targeted prevention work with higher-risk or under-served groups
  • Community outreach, social action and resilience-building activities
  • Support for families and others affected by someone else's gambling
  • Voluntary sector capacity-building, partnerships and networks
  • Creative, digital and innovative approaches to prevention

the fund is primarily focused on revenue funding; your request can contain costs for purchases of smaller 'capital' equipment including consumables (for example PPE, IT equipment etc)

projects can be funded up to 100% of eligible costs; match funding is not required. Volunteer hours should be included in the budget profile

all projects must be delivered in Wales, take a prevention-focused approach and be independent of gambling industry funding or influence

What it will not fund

  • Political organisations
  • Statutory organisations
  • Private for-profit organisations
  • Individuals
  • Sole traders
  • Clinical treatment interventions
  • Recovery and support interventions
  • School-based education projects
  • Projects primarily or explicitly focused on conducting research
  • The continuation of any public awareness campaigns, education initiatives in schools and/or training for health or other professionals developed with the support of direct industry funding and/or influence
  • Any project delivered outside Wales
  • Proselytising activities
  • Self-exclusion and gambling blocking technologies

How to apply

  1. Read the Gambling Harms - Voluntary Sector Grant applicant guidance
  2. Register with (or log in to) WCVA's Multipurpose Application Portal (MAP) at map.wcva.cymru
  3. Complete the application on MAP, including organisation details, policies and accounts, and the project description, plus the declaration of interest form; submit by 5pm on 19 October 2026
  4. The WCVA grants team scores the application against the criteria (answers cannot be amended after submission); clarification interviews may be held 2-13 November 2026
  5. The grant panel assesses applications on 23 November 2026 and may recommend partial funding; Public Health Wales confirms the decisions

questions about the scheme can be raised in the clarification window, 31 August to 19 October 2026, via phwgrants@wcva.cymru

year 2 funding is provisional until a review of project performance in month 10. Funded projects report every six months and provide case studies

your local County Voluntary Council can help with the application and with any missing policies

Have ready

  • Constitution/governing documents
  • The relevant permissions for activity to take place
  • Most recent financial statements or audited annual accounts
  • Bank statement
  • Environmental Policy
  • Equal Opportunities Policy
  • Welsh Language Policy / commitment to producing all materials and services bilingually
  • Safeguarding Policy
  • Evidence/letters of community support for the project (5 max)
  • Signed declaration of interest form

proof of match funding only if the project uses funding from other sources (match funding is not required)

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