GrantRadar

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (administered by Church Urban Fund's Near Neighbours programme)

Windrush Day Grant Scheme 2027

Government grants of £5,000-£25,000 for community projects in England that commemorate, celebrate and educate about the Windrush generation and their descendants around National Windrush Day (22 June 2027). Each project picks one aim (raise awareness, foster pride, or encourage and inspire young people) and must deliver all three outcomes: community cohesion, a lasting impact and wider acknowledgement of the Windrush contribution. Charities, CICs, social enterprises, community benefit societies, constituted community groups and local authority-led consortia can apply. Applications close at 23:59 on 29 October 2026.

Apply on the funder’s site
You could get
£5,000 – £25,000
Closes in
11 days left
29 October
Effort
Heavy
budgets, references, often several stages

Who can apply

  • Registered charities, exempt charities, community interest companies/organisations, social enterprises and community benefit societies; or other groups established for charitable, benevolent or philanthropic purposes with a governing body of at least three members, a governing document, and accounts showing good financial health for both of the last two financial years; or local authorities (county, district or parish councils, combined authorities, London boroughs) applying as part of a consortium
  • Consortium bids need an agreed lead partner (a charity, a charitable community group or a local authority), a named project lead and a memorandum of understanding
  • Projects must be in England
  • Neither the applicant nor any consortium member may have been funded by the scheme more than once since 2022, and past grantees must have completed their final reporting
  • Groups needing less than £5,000 should ask their local authority or CVS about joining a larger bid
  • Applications from outside Greater London are encouraged

What it funds

Projects in England focused on one of the scheme's three aims:

  • Raise Awareness: of the historical facts and experiences of the Windrush story, including the pioneers who arrived on the MV Empire Windrush in 1948 and those who came on vessels and aircraft in the decades after WW2
  • Foster Pride: a greater sense of pride and recognition of the historic and ongoing contributions made by the Windrush generation and their descendants to UK society
  • Encourage & Inspire: the descendants of the Windrush Generation to become young leaders, pursue their aspirations and contribute to the shared values of UK society

projects must also achieve all three outcomes (greater community cohesion, a lasting impact beyond the funding period, and increased acknowledgement of the Windrush generation's contribution), be designed with or by the Windrush community, and work with named local partners such as museums, libraries and schools. The lead event should be on 22 June 2027 (or 19-27 June with justification), and all activity must take place between 8 June and 31 July 2027. As a rough guide, staff costs should be under 25% of the total.

What it will not fund

  • Requests below £5,000 or above £25,000
  • Requests for more than 50% of the applicant's annual turnover
  • Work that has already taken place, or recouping costs already incurred
  • Activities scheduled after 31 July 2027
  • Political activity (including lobbying) or extremist activity
  • Projects promoting or providing assistance with applications to the Windrush Compensation Scheme
  • Wider work unrelated to the scheme's celebratory aims
  • Making a profit from activities
  • Individuals
  • Organisations (or consortium members) that have received funding from the scheme more than once since 2022
  • Local authorities applying as sole applicants
  • Projects outside England

How to apply

  1. Optionally attend an online bidder workshop (9, 13, 14 or 20 October 2026), registering via the Near Neighbours page
  2. Read the Guidance for Applicants and FAQs, and draft your answers using the Word version of the application form
  3. Complete the Annex 1 spreadsheet: Tab A budget, Tab B events/activities, dates and expected engagement (Excel or ODS only)
  4. Submit the online application form by 23:59 on 29 October 2026, uploading Annex 1 and any required documents
  5. Bids are assessed in January 2027 with a board of community stakeholders, then signed off by the MHCLG Minister; outcomes are announced in March 2027 and funding is paid in April 2027

bids are scored on project plan and concept (25%), evaluating and measuring impact (20%), organisation suitability (20%), community-led and longevity (20%) and budget (15%). Queries to windrush@cuf.org.uk; staff cannot advise on the strength of a project idea.

Have ready

  • Annex 1 (budget and activity plan) in Excel or ODS format
  • Governing document (organisations that are not registered charities)
  • Accounts for both of the last two financial years (organisations that are not registered charities)
  • Memorandum of Understanding between partners (consortium bids)

applications from non-registered charities without the governing document and accounts will not be considered.

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