Aims/priorities: Funding is intended to support ambitious, long-term projects that strengthen food systems, tackle the root causes of food insecurity and work with nature to create lasting change.
Projects must work towards systems change in the way that:
- Community organisations grow and produce food – using agroecological methods
- Food gets distributed – aiming for equitable access to healthy, affordable food for all
- Offers people and communities different food options – especially those experiencing poverty, disadvantage or discrimination.
The funding is for work that leads to transformational change (the kind that lasts, not just short-term support) and ways to do this include:
- Addressing the root cause of long-term problems, not just the symptoms
- Helping prevent problems before they happen
- Changing rules, habits or ways of working
- Giving communities more control over decisions and resources
- Helping people and organisations work together differently
- Challenging what is seen as important or possible
- Developing a project that is scalable or could work elsewhere
Who can apply? Applications must be made as part of a partnership.
To be eligible, organisations must:
- Work in a partnership
- Make a lasting impact on climate change, the environment and nature
- Significantly increase access to healthy, affordable food – especially for those experiencing poverty, disadvantage or discrimination
- Have firm plans to measure the impact of their work
- Have firm plans to tell the story of their project to inspire others
- Show how they will meaningfully involve communities and organisations representing communities in their project
All organisations in the partnership must be one of the following:
- Registered charity
- Company limited by guarantee (with a not-for-profit clause or registered as a charity) with an asset lock
- Community interest company (CIC) with an asset lock
- Charitable incorporated organisation (CIO)
- Scottish charitable incorporated organisation (SCIO)
- Community benefit society with an asset lock
- Co-operative society (with a not-for-profit clause and registered with the Financial Conduct Authority) with an asset lock
- Public body (such as a local authority, town, parish or community council)
- School, college or university - as long as the project benefits the wider local community
The partnership can be:
- Local, regional or national
- Based in one of the UK countries, or working in more than one UK country
- New or already established
Partnerships should:
- Involve the communities they work with in the design and delivery of the project
- Ensure equitable access to project funding and resources
- Consider capacity building and good governance
- Share what they learn across the sector and with other projects NLCF fund
- Work across different sectors
- Include expertise in areas like food systems and agroecology, climate, environment, nature, communications, learning and evaluation, and community representation.
Partnerships that include private sector partners who provide match funding or pro bono support are also welcome as this support should strengthen their project and help increase its impact.
Grant amount: Between £2.5 million and £7 million are available for projects running between five and seven years.
Most projects funded will:
- Receive between £3 million and £5 million
- Run for between five and seven years
Up to 10 projects are likely to be funded in the first year of the programme.
Application process: Full details are available on the National Lottery Community Fund website.
The first step in the application process is to send an email to NLCF to arrange a conversation about the project idea.
NLCF will hold a webinar on 17 February 2026 (13:00 to 14:15). Spaces are limited to one place per organisation. Registration is required and can be done via the NLCF website
Deadline: Not specified.
Contact information: Email: climateactionfund@tnlcommunityfund.org.uk
Website: Climate Action Fund - Food Systems | The National Lottery Community Fund