General eligibility and exclusions
An outline of our general eligibility, including what we can and can’t fund.
This outlines our general eligibility criteria for grant-making. However, each of our funding programmes also has additional eligibility criteria and we have different eligibility criteria for social investment.
Our programmes usually take between three and six months from application to decision. Our funding cannot be used for work that has already been completed (i.e. retrospective costs).
We can only fund charitable work
Work that is charitable as defined by the Charity Commission and falls within the following legal statuses.
- A charity that is established and registered in the UK
- A registered Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO)
- A charitable company – an organisation that is both a limited company (usually a private company limited by guarantee) and a registered charity
- A registered charitable Industrial and Provident Society (IPS)
- A charitable community benefit society (BenCom) – a co-operative established by a geographical community or people with common interests
- A Community Interest Company (CIC) – limited by guarantee with at least three directors
- A Constituted Voluntary Organisation (CVO) – with a fiscal host as the named applicant
Who we can fund
Organisations which:
- Are paying the London Living Wage to all London-based staff (or will commit to doing so in receipt of a grant)
- We have previously funded
- Can provide at least one year’s audited or independently examined accounts and an up-to-date safeguarding policy
- Have at least three directors or trustees (persons legally responsible for running the company and ensuring its compliance with the law)
What we can fund
Work that:
- Takes place in London’s 32 boroughs and/or the City of London and is for the benefit of Londoners
What we can’t fund
- Capital costs
- Non-charitable activities
- Retrospective costs
- Vehicles
- Work that does not benefit people living in Greater London
- Work that duplicates or replaces statutory services
This is a general list covering all of our programmes, but it may vary from programme to programme. Please refer to the grant pages for each programme for more specific information.
Who we can’t fund
- Charities established or registered outside the UK
- Community Interest Companies (CIC) limited by shares
- Hospitals or primary healthcare providers
- Individuals
- Political parties
- Private organisations limited by guarantee
- Profit-making organisations (except social enterprises)
- Schools or PTAs
- Statutory bodies, such as local authorities
This is a general list covering our programmes from 2026 onwards, but it may vary by programme. Please refer to individual programme and grant pages for specific information. For existing grant holders with awards approved prior to 2026, please check your organisation’s grant agreement.
If you would like to discuss your eligibility with our team, please book a pre-application call when these are available for new funding programmes.
Funding
We fund organisations working to make London fairer – strengthening communities and challenging the systems that marginalise them. Find out what else we fund.
Funding