Emerging Justice Fund
Funding
Up to £50,000
Deadline
Check with the funder
Location
UK-wide
Applications
Rolling applications
Overview
The Legal Education Foundation’s Emerging Justice Fund helps community-led organisations explore how the law could support their campaigns. You can apply at any time for a scoping grant of up to £50,000 for up to 12 months, for example to find a legal partner, build a legal strategy or understand the law behind your campaign. Decisions take up to 14 weeks, and the foundation can connect you with a legal adviser. Larger grants of £50,000 to £75,000 a year, for up to three years, are decided twice a year. You do not need to be a charity, but your work must be charitable and led by the communities you serve. The fund is unlikely to pay for individual legal cases. Official source: https://lef.org.uk/funding/grants/emerging-justice-fund. Last checked by GrantMatch on 17 October 2026.
Requirements to check
Who can apply:
Key requirements:
- For organisations led by the communities they serve, working on rights and equality.
- Work must be charitable and in the UK; you do not have to be a registered charity.
- Scoping grants up to £50,000 for 12 months can be applied for at any time.
- Unlikely to fund specific legal cases.
Organisations doing charitable work in the UK (you do not have to be a charity) that are by and for the communities they serve and work to protect and promote rights and equality. The foundation will not normally fund more than 50% of annual income for the longer grants.
This summary may not include every exclusion. Check the full eligibility rules, including who and what the funder will not support.
Community-led campaigning groups that want to add legal tools to their work.
Regions
Full details from The Legal Education Foundation
Funding for ‘by and for’ organisations, led by the communities they serve, that are campaigning for change and want to explore how the law could help. Short-term scoping grants of up to £50,000 for up to 12 months can be applied for at any time, with a decision within 14 weeks, plus free access to a legal adviser if needed. Longer grants of £50,000 to £75,000 a year for up to three years, to test a new legal approach or partnership, are decided twice a year. Grants can cover staff time, volunteer expenses, legal fees or consultancy, events and overheads. The foundation is unlikely to fund specific legal cases.
Take the short eligibility quiz on the foundation’s application portal, then complete the first-stage application. The process has two stages and the first is short. A recorded webinar and Easy Read guidance are on the website.
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Create free accountLast updated: 17 October 2026