Postcode Neighbourhood Trust

Applications closed on 1 October 2026.

Many funders run the same grant every year, so check the funder’s site for a new round. The details below are what the funder published when it was open.

Unrestricted, flexible funding of up to £50,000 over three years for smaller charities and good causes in the north of England, from a trust funded by players of People's Postcode Lottery. The trust funds the whole organisation rather than a project: applications describe the work the organisation does, not a budget line. Three short application windows run each year, each open for about a week. 97% of organisations funded in 2025 had an income under £250,000.

Check the funder’s site

Open grants like this

Grants you can apply for now, for the same kind of work or place.

You could get: Up to £50,000
Deadline: Closed; the deadline has passed
Effort: Moderate; full application with documents

Who can apply

Registered charities (Charity Commission or OSCR), Community Interest Companies with an asset lock (Schedule 1 and 2 only — Schedule 3 CICs are excluded), and Community Benefit Societies registered with the FCA for the benefit of the community rather than their members
Other constituted community groups are directed to the partnership programmes instead
Annual income in the most recent financial year must be between £10,000 and £1 million; organisations under £250,000 may be prioritised
You must have been operating for at least 12 months and have signed annual accounts
At least three directors or trustees are required, and no more than half the board may be related to one another
The organisation needs a UK bank account in its own name with two unrelated signatories
The request must be no more than 75% of annual income, and no more than 50% of the award can be paid in any one year
One application per funding round, and a maximum of two in a calendar year if the first is unsuccessful
You cannot apply to another Postcode Lottery trust while an application is under consideration, or if another Postcode Trust has funded you in the last 12 months
Funds are focused on charities and good causes in the north of England; funding is not available in Northern Ireland

What it funds

The core work of the organisation, as unrestricted funding — the trust asks about the whole organisation rather than a specific project or set of costs. The organisation's aims and objectives must align with at least one of four funding themes:

Enabling participation in the arts (helping people overcome specific barriers to accessing the arts)
Preventing or reducing the impact of poverty
Supporting marginalised groups and/or tackling inequality (organisations whose primary purpose is to help specific marginalised communities take full part in social, economic, political or cultural life)
Improving mental health (supporting people experiencing mental ill-health, rather than general mental wellbeing)

Physical activity and environment are funded through separate partnership programmes, not these rounds.

What it will not fund

Local, regional or government institutions and organisations with core statutory responsibilities
Political parties or party-political activities
Individuals
Companies Limited by Guarantee, Constituted Voluntary Organisations and Excepted and Exempted charities
Organisations that have been operating for less than 1 year and/or do not have signed accounts
Universities, Colleges, Schools, Academies, Nurseries and Preschools
Parent Teacher Associations and affiliated groups
Organisations with solely religious objects in their governing document
Organisations outside of Great Britain
Organisations with an annual income less than £10,000 or over £1,000,000
Organisations supported by players of Postcode Lottery through any other Postcode Trust within the last 12 months
Previous grant holders who have not submitted the end-of-grant review form
Schedule 3 Community Interest Companies
Organisations that do not have a UK bank account in the name of the organisation with two unrelated signatories
Medical research, clinical treatment, medical staff in a clinical setting where the diagnosis, and/or prescribing of clinical advice or medication is taking place, and medical equipment
Activities taking place outside of Great Britain or foreign travel
The promotion or practice of religion
Animal welfare
Distribution of grants/funds to individuals or other organisations
Funding being allocated to the organisation's reserves
Retrospective requests for activities that have already occurred or costs that have previously been incurred

How to apply

Enter the postcode where the activity will take place in the Community Trust Finder to confirm this is the right Postcode Lottery trust for your area
Run the online eligibility checker, which identifies the relevant funding programmes and tells you the amount you can apply for
Read the Funding Guide 2026 and download the draft application questions (Word) to prepare your answers offline
Submit the online application form during an open round — Round 3 of 2026 runs from 9am on 24 September to 12 noon on 1 October

the live application form is only available while a round is open, and the form cannot be saved part-way through, so prepare your answers first

Have ready

Governing document in the name of your organisation, showing its objects, an asset lock and a dissolution clause
Signed accounts showing income and expenditure for a full financial year
A bank statement dated within the last 90 days, clearly showing the organisation's name, from a UK bank account
Safeguarding policy — only if you work with children or vulnerable adults; must be in the organisation's name, reviewed within the last 12 months, and name a Designated Safeguarding Officer

if your accounts ended more than 13 months ago, also upload management accounts, draft accounts or an explanation of the interim period