Climate Action Fund - Food Systems - UK

The National Lottery Community Fund (NLCF) is a distributor of National Lottery funding, established as a non-departmental public body by an Act of Parliament. The new round of the Climate Action Fund is designed to support long-term positive change in UK food systems. This is large-scale, long-term funding designed to support systems change.The new fund fits with the National Lottery Community Fund's 2023-2030 strategy 'It starts with community'. The NLCF plans to distribute at least £4 billion of funding by 2030, supporting projects that will create resilient communities that are more inclusive and environmentally sustainable.

About the Fund

Funding is intended to support ambitious, long-term projects that strengthen food systems, tackle the root causes of food insecurity and work with nature to create lasting change. Projects must work towards systems change in the way that:

• Community organisations grow and produce food – using agroecological methods

• Food gets distributed – aiming for equitable access to healthy, affordable food for all

• Offers people and communities different food options – especially those experiencing poverty, disadvantage or discrimination.

The funding is for work that leads to transformational change (the kind that lasts, not just short-term support) and ways to do this include:

• Addressing the root cause of long-term problems, not just the symptoms

• Helping prevent problems before they happen

• Changing rules, habits or ways of working

• Giving communities more control over decisions and resources

• Helping people and organisations work together differently

• Challenging what is seen as important or possible

• Developing a project that is scalable or could work elsewhere

Organisations can apply for

Grants of between £2.5 million and £7 million are available for projects running between five and seven years.Most projects funded will: 

• Receive between £3 million and £5 million 
• Run for between five and seven years 

Up to 10 projects are likely to be funded in the first year of the programme. 

Who Can Apply

Applications must be made as part of a partnership.To be eligible, organisations must:

• Work in a partnership 
• Make a lasting impact on climate change, the environment and nature  
• Significantly increase access to healthy, affordable food – especially for those experiencing poverty, disadvantage or discrimination  
• Have firm plans to measure the impact of their work  
• Have firm plans to tell the story of their project to inspire others 
• Show how they will meaningfully involve communities and organisations representing communities in their project 

All organisations in the partnership must be one of the following:

• Registered charity
• Company limited by guarantee (with a not-for-profit clause or registered as a charity) with an asset lock
• Community interest company (CIC) with an asset lock
• Charitable incorporated organisation (CIO)
• Scottish charitable incorporated organisation (SCIO)
• Community benefit society with an asset lock
• Co-operative society (with a not-for-profit clause and registered with the Financial Conduct Authority) with an asset lock
• Public body (such as a local authority, town, parish or community council)
• School, college or university - as long as the project benefits the wider local community

The partnership can be:

• Local, regional or national 
• Based in one of the UK countries, or working in more than one UK country 
• New or already established

Partnerships should:

• Involve the communities they work with in the design and delivery of the project   
• Ensure equitable access to project funding and resources  
• Consider capacity building and good governance 
• Share what they learn across the sector and with other projects NLCF fund 
• Work across different sectors 
• Include expertise in areas like food systems and agroecology, climate, environment, nature, communications, learning and evaluation, and community representation.

Partnerships that include private sector partners who provide match funding or pro bono support are also welcome as this support should strengthen their project and help increase its impact.

Restrictions - Not eligible for funding

• Profit-making organisations.

• Individuals

• Sole traders

• Organisations based outside the UK

• Companies that pay profits to directors, shareholders or members (rather than reinvesting them for charitable purposes). This includes companies limited by shares

• Organisations that apply to more than one NLCV funds for the same project at the same time.

• Organisations applying on behalf of someone else - unless they are applying together as a partnership.

• Projects where funding goes to a single organisation 

• Statutory activities 

• Activities that replace government funding 

• Capital projects that are related to refurbishing buildings, retrofitting or energy generation – like installing solar panels 

• Capital-only projects 

• Loans, endowments or interest 

• Paying someone else to write the application 

• Activities where a profit will be distributed for private gain 

• Fundraising activities 

• VAT that can be reclaimed

• Alcohol 

• Retrospective costs

• Items which will only benefit an individual, rather than the wider community 

• Religious activities; however, NLCF can fund religious organisations if their project benefits the wider community and does not include religious content.

How to Apply

Webinar