Grant Eligibility by Organisation Type: Who Can Apply

The first question a funder asks is not what your project is, but what kind of organisation you are. Two groups with identical projects can get very different answers because one is a registered charity and the other is a constituted club. This guide explains how eligibility works for each common organisation type in the UK, with real examples from funders' own rules.

If you are a community group without a charity number, our guide to getting your first grant as a community group is a good companion to this one.

Why structure matters to funders

Funders care about structure for three main reasons:

• Legal limits. Many charitable trusts can only give money for charitable purposes, and some find it easiest to fund registered charities.
• Where the money ends up. Funders want to know that grant money and anything bought with it stays with the community, not with private owners. That is why asset locks and rules on paying profits come up so often.
• Accountability. A governing document, a board of unrelated people and a bank account with more than one signatory show a funder that decisions are shared and money is controlled.

A quick guide by organisation type

Organisation type	Typical access to grants
Registered charity	Widest access, including trusts that fund charities only
CIO (or SCIO in Scotland)	Same as a registered charity in most cases
Charitable company	Same as a registered charity in most cases
Constituted community group or club	Many community funders, community foundations and councils
CIC limited by guarantee	Many community funders, but some trusts exclude all CICs
CIC limited by shares	Fewer, as some funders exclude companies that can pay dividends
Community benefit society	Some community funders, but some trusts exclude them
School	Usually for projects outside the curriculum or that benefit the wider community
Limited company or sole trader	Mainly government, innovation and business support grants
Individual	Few community grants; mainly hardship, arts, research and study awards

The rest of this guide explains each row with examples.

Charities, CIOs and charitable companies

Registered charities have access to the widest range of funders. In England and Wales, a charity must register with the Charity Commission if its income is at least £5,000 a year, or if it is a charitable incorporated organisation (CIO), which only exists once it is registered.

Some large trusts fund only charities. Garfield Weston Foundation, for example, funds UK registered charities, CIOs and charities that are exempt or excepted under Charity Commission guidance, and it needs at least one year of accounts. Our Garfield Weston guide covers its rules in full, and our CIO grants guide explains how the CIO structure works for funding.

Browse open grants for charities on GrantMatch.

Constituted community groups

A constituted group is one that has a written constitution setting out its aims and rules, usually as an unincorporated association. Many community funders accept these groups. National Lottery Awards for All England, for example, lists constituted voluntary or community organisations and constituted groups or clubs among the organisations that can apply.

Community foundations are often the most welcoming. Two Ridings Community Foundation in Yorkshire, for example, says you do not have to be a registered charity, but you do need a governing document, a bank account in the group's name with at least two unrelated signatories and at least three unrelated committee members.

If your group does not yet have a constitution, start with our guide on how to write a constitution for a community group. See our community foundation grants guide and open grants for community groups.

CICs

Community interest companies (CICs) are limited companies for social purposes, with an asset lock that keeps their assets for community benefit. They can be limited by guarantee or by shares, and that choice affects your funding. The CIC Regulator's own guidance says funders tend to look more favourably on applications from CICs limited by guarantee.

Funder rules vary widely:

• Awards for All England accepts CICs limited by guarantee and CICs limited by shares, as long as a CIC limited by shares follows the Regulator's guidance on sharing profits.
• Garfield Weston Foundation does not fund CICs of either kind.
• Community foundations often accept CICs if the purpose of the grant is charitable, sometimes with extra conditions.

Our guide to CICs limited by shares or guarantee explains the difference, and our CIC grants explainer lists funders that support CICs. You can also browse open grants for CICs.

Community benefit societies and co-operatives

Community benefit societies are registered with the Financial Conduct Authority. Some community funders accept them: Awards for All England lists community benefit societies, and Two Ridings accepts them where the purpose of the grant is wholly charitable. Others do not. Garfield Weston Foundation explains that it cannot accept community benefit societies because the FCA is not a principal regulator for charity law purposes.

Social enterprises

Social enterprise is a way of working, not a legal structure. GOV.UK explains that a social enterprise can be set up as a limited company, a charity or CIO, a co-operative, a CIC, or a sole trader or partnership. That means your eligibility depends on the structure underneath. A social enterprise run as a CIC is treated as a CIC, and one run as a charity is treated as a charity. Some funders also exclude social enterprises by name, as Garfield Weston does. See our social enterprise grants explainer and open grants for social enterprises.

Schools

Schools can get grants, but usually not for everyday teaching. Awards for All England, for example, only funds schools where the project mainly benefits and involves the wider community, and it will not fund curriculum activities, school building improvements, staff training or trips. Garfield Weston mainly supports schools' capital projects, and schools that are not registered or exempt charities need a connected charity, such as a PTA or Friends group, to apply for them. Browse grants for schools.

Businesses and sole traders

Most charitable funders cannot fund businesses that can distribute profits. Awards for All England, for example, does not accept individuals, sole traders or companies that can pay profits to directors, shareholders or members. Grants for businesses come mainly from government and innovation funders. Innovate UK, for example, funds UK registered businesses and sole traders who can show they are a legal trading entity. See our Innovate UK grants guide and open grants for limited companies.

Individuals

Most community funders and trusts fund organisations, not individuals. Grants to individuals do exist, mainly hardship grants and awards for artists, researchers and students, but they are a separate market with their own funders. If you are an individual with a community project, the usual route is to work with a local group or charity. Our guide to using a host organisation explains how that works, and where funders forbid it.

How to read a funder's eligibility rules

Every fund sets its own rules, so check these sections before you start writing:

1. Who can apply. The list of organisation types the funder accepts.
2. Who cannot apply. Exclusions are often more specific than the inclusion list.
3. Governance requirements. For example, a minimum number of unrelated board members or bank signatories.
4. Income limits. Some funds only consider smaller organisations. Awards for All England prioritises organisations with smaller incomes.
5. Track record. Some funders need a year of accounts, others welcome new groups.
6. Area. Many funds only cover a region, county or town.

If you are not sure, ask. Most funders would rather answer a quick question than read an ineligible application.

Find grants you are eligible for

GrantMatch filters open grants by organisation type, so you only see the ones you can apply for. Create a free profile, tell us your structure and area, and we will match you with the grants that fit.