# New £11.6 million fund to help charities and councils support local communities

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2026/01/23/new-11-6-million-fund-to-help-charities-and-councils-support-local-communities/
- Published: 2026-01-23T08:14:38+00:00
- Author: Howard Lake

**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](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-local-covenant-partnerships-fund)
are available from gov.uk.

 * **[Funding announcements from DCMS, National Lottery Communituy Fund and other grantmakers](https://fundraising.co.uk/2023/03/09/funding-announcements-from-dcms-national-lottery-community-fund-other-grantmakers/)(
   9 March 2023)
 * **[DCMS confirms Orlando Fraser as Charity Commission Chair](https://fundraising.co.uk/2022/04/05/dcms-confirms-orlando-fraser-as-charity-commission-chair/)(
   5 April 2022)**
 * **[Fundraising and charity appointments in December 2025](https://fundraising.co.uk/2025/12/22/fundraising-and-charity-appointments-in-december-2025/)(
   22 December 2025)**