Funding: Democratic Engagement Fund
The Democratic Engagement Fund will provide grants to civil society organisations (CSOs) to deliver politically neutral, place‑based activities that help people understand, engage with, and participate in democracy.
Levels of democratic participation vary significantly, with some groups and places less likely to feel informed, confident or able to take part in democratic processes.
This Fund focuses on groups that are currently less democratically engaged and aims to generate evidence on what works to increase democratic participation, informing future policy and practice.
Who can apply
We welcome applications from civil society organisations with experience of, or demonstrable capacity to deliver, community based, politically neutral projects in England, including:
- Charities
- Charitable Incorporated Organisations (CIOs)
- Community Interest Companies (CICs)
- Companies Limited by Guarantee
- Community Benefit Societies / Co‑operatives
- Other Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) organisations.
Partnership and consortium bids are welcome. One organisation must act as the lead, accountable body and will be responsible for managing the grant and ensuring funds are used appropriately. Please note local authorities cannot apply directly although they may support a CSO to deliver a project (for example, by providing venues, data insights)
Funding available
Most projects will receive around £25,000. The maximum award is £50,000 per project.
Grant objectives:
- Build a robust evidence base on ‘what works’
- Prevent or overcome barriers for less engaged group
- Improve democratic participation and engagement
Read the full prospectus for more details.
Important dates
Applications open: 22 June 2026
Deadline for applications: 31 August 2026
Funding awarded and paid: January 2027
Monitoring and evaluation set-up period: January-March 2027
Projects may begin delivering: March 2027
