National Lottery Awards for All (AWA) Funding - Grant Application Guide
The National Lottery Awards for All funding (AfA) is a great first grant application for charities and community groups, with up to £20,000 on offer and a good success rate. This funding guide provides a template that simplifies all the instructions, and a whole range of options to choose from in each section. We also have a getting started guide with advice on writing funding applications, the additional information you'll need and links to the websites to begin your Awards for All application. There is additional information required for grant applications focussed on Sports, Arts or Heritage and a separate application for Awards for All England Environmental applications. There are sections for both at the bottom, as well as Q&As at the end with the most common questions about National Lottery Awards for All funding. Good luck!
Lottery Awards for All Funding - Application Template
Your funding application to the National Lottery must be for a community led project to.
- Deliver new or existing activity or.
- To support the group to change and adapt to new and future challenges.
| Bid Section |
National Lottery Awards for All Requirements |
| What would you like to do? |
Here are some ideas of what to include in the funding bid about the project:
- What you would like to do.
- The key elements of the project, which must demonstrably show the community involvement required.
- What difference the project will make and how big an impact it will have.
- Difference - identify the benefits your project will bring to your community?
- Impact - the numbers that will benefit, how great and/or urgent the need is or creating lasting change.
- Who will benefit from it - which people and how many.
- How long you expect to run it for. This can be an estimate.
- From submission, it is likely to be at least 16 weeks for a decision, the start date should be at least 4 months in the future and the funding is for a maximum of 2 years.
- How you'll make sure people know about it.
- For example, a flyer shared at local shops and libraries, Facebook posts with stories from volunteers and beneficiaries, or asking community partners to share via their newsletters.
- How you plan to learn from it and use this learning to shape future projects. Here are possible options.
- Learn from it - host a feedback session, a short survey to recipients or log what went well and what they’d change in a shared document.
- Shape the Future - adapt delivery based on participant feedback, improve outreach using successful channels or maybe design new projects based on what worked well.
- Is it something new, or are you continuing something that has worked well previously? The Lottery funds both types of projects.
You can write between 50 and 300 words for this section. |
| How does the project meet the Lottery's funding priorities? |
They Lottery can fund projects that’ll do at least one of these things:
- bring people together to build strong relationships in and across communities
- improve the places and spaces that matter to communities
- help more people to reach their potential, by supporting them at the earliest possible stage
- support people, communities and organisations facing more demands and challenges because of the cost-of-living crisis.
Always try and include at least one of the above four core priorities, but the National Lottery Community Fund’s strategy outlines several broader themes and missions that small UK charities can align with:
- Create accessible, welcoming places — both physical and virtual — where people can meet and connect
- Initiate inclusive activities that support relationships within and between different groups
- Enable people from all backgrounds to shape the future of their communities
- Cultivate a sense of belonging through shared experiences and local pride
- Support environmentally sustainable communities, including projects that:
- Reduce carbon emissions
- Improve access to nature
- Enhance the quality of green spaces
- Help children and young people thrive, by:
- Creating safe spaces to play and socialise
- Giving them a voice in decisions that affect their lives
- Supporting emotional and social development
- Enable healthier lives, especially by:
- Tackling health inequalities
- Taking a preventative approach to wellbeing
- Involving communities in shaping better health services
- Tackle inequality through equity-based approaches, focusing on communities facing poverty, discrimination, or disadvantage
- Support organisational resilience, including funding for staff, training, equipment, and development
These themes offer flexibility for small charities to design projects that are locally relevant but still aligned with national funding goals.
You can write between 50 and 150 words for this section. |
| How does the project involve your community? |
What does the Lottery mean by community?
- People living in the same area
- People who have similar interests or life experiences, but might not live in the same area
- Even though schools can be at the heart of a community - they'll only fund schools that also benefit the communities around them.
Include in the draft bid, how:
- The community came up with the idea for the project.
- Many people you've spoken to.
- The community will be involved in the development and delivery of the project.
- Design, development and delivery of the activities planned, ideally from the start.
- The project is connected to local people and their communities, and
- How it will use their skills and experience.
Here are some examples of how they could be involving their community:
The bid must show how the charity found out what's important to the people in their community. Here are some to consider.
- Running quick surveys (paper or digital)
- Hosting informal listening events or “community cafés”
- Holding themed drop-in sessions (e.g. “Tea & Talk Tuesdays”)
- Facilitated storytelling sessions to hear personal experiences
- Meeting people at pop-up stalls in local venues or festivals
- Using social media polls or comment threads
- Creating a “Community Audit” to map assets and gaps
- Launching a community newsletter with calls for input
- Setting up community walls or digital boards for sharing ideas
- Collaborating with local schools or youth groups to hear youth voices
Here are ideas on how the charity could involve people in decision-making and leadership - building ownership, voice, and long-term resilience, and active participation and building long-term community power:
- Offer volunteering roles shaped by lived experience
- Create pathways to paid work, like peer support or project assistants
- Include service users on boards or steering groups with mentoring
- Run co-design workshops for services, branding or outreach
- Set up quarterly community advisory panels to review and guide
- Offer ambassador or leadership training
- Rotate guest seats on committees for fresh perspectives
- Support peer-led initiatives (e.g. mentoring groups)
- Include beneficiaries in recruitment panels
- Invite people to co-host events or workshops
- Develop a “Community Champions” programme to spotlight advocates
- Organise open governance events for feedback and transparency
- Partner with local businesses for collaborative community projects
- Create steering groups for specific projects led by residents
- Facilitate skill-sharing sessions taught by local people
- Celebrate achievements with awards, storytelling nights or exhibitions
- Provide flexible involvement options (WhatsApp groups, drop-ins)
This section must be between 50 and 200 words. |
| List the costs to be funded |
You should use budget headings, rather than a detailed list of items. For example, if you're applying for pens, pencils, paper and envelopes, using 'office supplies' is fine. Use whole numbers only.
There must be no more than 10 budget lines.
The National Lottery can fund: your running costs, equipment, one-off events, staff costs, training costs, transport, utilities, volunteer expenses and small land or refurbishment projects.
The Lottery will not fund: retrospective costs, alcohol, contingency costs, loans, endowments or interest, profit-making or fundraising activities, reclaimable VAT, religious activities (they can fund religious organisations if their project benefits the wider community and does not include religious content), statutory activities that should be delivered by the public sector, activities that help children or young people with their schoolwork during school time, overseas travel, projects that take place outside of the UK, activities that make profits for private gain or cash that will be given directly to individuals. |
| The total cost of the project |
This is the cost of everything related to the charity's project, even things they aren’t asking the Lottery to fund. For example, if the funding bid is for £8,000 and they are getting £10,000 from another funder to cover additional costs, then the total project cost is £18,000. If they are asking for £8,000 and there are no other costs then the total project cost is £8,000. |
AWA Grant Application - Getting Started
How to Write Grant Applications. To get started, first read our guide on How to Write a Charity Grant Funding Bid.
-
- Firstly, it must be emotionally engaging and.
- Secondly, it must make the case for support.
- Specifically, it must present the facts, figures and argument to demonstrate that the funding is needed, urgent and will be used well to maximise the impact it will have.
The Information You'll Need. For the Awards for All online application you'll also need additional information about your project and charity to include when completing the online application.
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- Name, address, type of organisation and registration number(s).
- Accounting year end date and total income for the year.
- Who the contacts are including address, e mail and date of birth.
- Bank details. You must upload a bank statement.
Writing Your Application. It's helpful to have everything together, then begin your application. However, if you come across something you don't know, you can save your grant application as a draft and return to it later.
You're now ready to begin. There are different websites to apply online for each UK country - England and Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. And another one for AWA environmental applications - see below.
Remember to check your application before you click the submit button.
Awards for All - Sports, Arts or Heritage
For Awards for All grant applications that focus on sports, arts or heritage you also need to show that the main aim is to strengthen the community in some way. Here are some options on how that can be done.
- Tackles loneliness and strengthens peer networks among older adults through low-cost, volunteer-led walking football sessions.
- Builds inclusive spaces and boosts visibility for disabled members by partnering with local schools or care homes for wheelchair dance showcases.
- Reduces anti-social behaviour and nurtures community pride by combining bike repair workshops with mentoring from local tradespeople.
- Encourages empathy across generations by hosting intergenerational yoga in shared community spaces like libraries or church halls.
- Promotes cross-cultural friendships and cohesion by linking neighbourhood sports leagues with community kitchens or food-sharing events.
- Creates trusted relationships and builds resilience among vulnerable youth by training local volunteers as movement mentors or peer supporters.
- Establishes safe, supportive networks for isolated women by organising nature-based wellbeing walks led by trained community facilitators.
- Revives underused spaces by turning them into pop-up activity hubs for dance, sport, or wellbeing sessions that bring neighbours together.
- Builds confidence and leadership by involving participants in planning and running sessions, giving them ownership and purpose.
- Strengthens local identity by celebrating community achievements through exhibitions, showcases, or storytelling events tied to the activity.
National Lottery Awards for All England Environment
There is a separate Awards for All for environmental projects, with the same amounts but a deadline of 17 Dec 25. This is Lottery funding for community-led projects that improve the environment and help people connect with and enjoy nature where they live.
Additional Requirements
The funding can be used to:
- start a new activity or continue an existing one
- help your organisation adapt to new challenges
- run one-off events that have a clear environmental benefit.
They want projects that:
- help people connect with and care for nature in their area
- make a positive difference to the environment
Additional Information
Use the template above but if your project involves a green space, you must include in the bid how people will:
- Help deliver and look after it, for example, by volunteering.
- Ideas could include things like joining regular “Green Team” sessions for litter picks and light maintenance or helping build raised beds or wildlife habitats as part of community workshops, acting as space stewards—checking on paths, signage, and shared areas or volunteering to plant trees, wildflowers, and hedgerows.
- Other ways to help might include by donating plants, tools or materials, spreading the word, sharing creative ideas, attending events, fundraising locally, giving feedback, or posting stories and photos.
- Use or enjoy the space when it’s finished.
- Ideas might include things like joining nature walks, birdwatching mornings, or outdoor yoga classes, or enjoying picnic areas and informal gathering spots with friends or family, participating in seasonal events like harvest celebrations or mini eco-fairs or using the space for informal play, quiet reflection, and wellbeing.
Don't use the National Lottery England Awards for All website. Use this one - Environmental Awards for All England.
AWA Questions and Answers (Q&A)
- Q - Who is eligible to apply? A - most non profits including constituted voluntary or community organisations, registered charities, community interest companies (CICs), community benefit societies, schools, and statutory bodies, such as local authorities, town, parish and community councils.
- Q - Who is not eligible to apply? - A - individuals or sole traders, organisations based outside the UK, private companies, organisations who have already submitted an application and are waiting on a decision, or who have received £20,000 from Awards for All England in the past 12 months or with open application for funding from another programme or organisations applying on behalf of another organisation.
- Q - What is the deadline to apply for an Awards for All grant? A - You can apply at any time but it must be at least 16 weeks before you want to start the activities or spend any of the money. For Environmental Awards For All England, the deadline is 17 Dec 25.
- Q - Can we submit multiple applications? A - If you received an award of less than £20,000 in the last 12 months for a project that is now completed and closed, you can apply for a new project. However, the total combined awards for both projects cannot exceed £20,000 in the last 12 months.
- Q - Do we have to include anything with our application? A - They ask for one bank statement dated within the last three months.
- Q - When will we find out if we've been successful? A - They'll respond with a decision in around 16 weeks.
- Q - How will we find out that we've been successful? A - they'll send you an email with the good news.
- Q - When can we start our project? A - You can start your project as soon as you receive an e mail telling you that your grant has been approved.
- Q - When will we receive the funding? They'll transfer the funding to your bank account within 14 days of advising you that you've been awarded funding.
- Q - What school activities aren't funded? A - Activities in schools that improve school facilities or equipment, help with staff training, are part of the school curriculum, the school should already be doing (like teaching reading during school hours) or that take place during teaching times (lunch breaks, or before and after school might be OK).
- the activity is not party political and the the activity is meant to help the cause of your organisation and benefit the public or society. They will no
- Q - Do you fund campaigning? A - They may fund some political activity and campaigning but only if the activity is not party political and is meant to help the cause of your organisation and benefit the public or society. They will not fund projects where political activities are the main purpose but can fund projects that are mainly about campaigning.
- Q - How much can we apply for? A - You can apply for between £300 and £20,000.
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