New £11.6 million fund to help charities and councils support local communities
Howard Lake | 23 January 2026 | News
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has launched the new £11.59 million Local Covenant Partnerships (LCP) Fund, an investment over three years (2026-2029) designed to bolster support for local communities.
This funding package aims to strengthen collaboration between local authorities and the voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VCSE) sector.
The primary goal is to deliver more joined-up, preventative care in areas such as mental health, adult social care, women’s refuges, and child poverty. It is a key mechanism for implementing the government’s Civil Society Covenant.
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The fund will support 15 targeted areas across England, focusing on those identified with “double disadvantage” (high deprivation and poor social capital).
Applications open to deliver the fund
The fund is not open to applications at this stage. First the DCMS has opened a competition to appoint a grant recipient or recipients, either a single organisation or a joint application, responsible for delivering the LCP Fund. Eligible civil society organisations should have:
- Experience facilitating relationships among multiple local stakeholders.
- A proven track record of managing onward grants.
- Experience fostering shared learning and peer support within the sector.
Minister Stephanie Peacock emphasised that the investment is about creating a “seamless and compassionate” support system that turns the Covenant’s principles into a daily reality”.
The deadline for applications is 23:59 GMT on Monday 23rd February 2026. Full competition guidance and application details are available from gov.uk.
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- DCMS confirms Orlando Fraser as Charity Commission Chair (5 April 2022)
- Fundraising and charity appointments in December 2025 (22 December 2025)
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.