Aims/priorities: The funding is for community-led projects that challenge the current system and create lasting change for people facing the greatest barriers to care.
Projects should offer new insights and impact and focus on one of the following three themes:
- Cultural Responsiveness in Cancer Care - projects that help healthcare services better understand and meet the cultural needs of different communities and remove barriers to person-centred care.
- Shared Decision-Making - projects that make it easier for people to understand their treatment options, take part in decisions about their cancer care, and reduce unfair differences in how this happens.
- Dementia-Friendly Cancer Care - projects that support people living with both cancer and dementia, improve their care experience, and help them and their carers take part in treatment decisions.
Who can apply? Applications will be considered from voluntary, community, faith or social enterprise (VCFSE) organisations based in the UK, including:
- Registered charities
- Charitable Incorporated Organisations (CIOs)
- Community Interest Companies (CICs)
- Companies Limited by Guarantee
- Faith-based organisations
- Residents/tenants association and community groups
- Local sports clubs and Recreational/Social clubs
- Community benefit societies
To be eligible, applicants must:
- Be UK-based (England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland).
- Have governance appropriate to their size and the grant they are applying for (minimum three unrelated trustees/directors and two unrelated bank signatories)
- Show experience addressing health inequities or working as a trusted partner with communities facing barriers to cancer care
- Be able to deliver the project within the grant timeframe (grants are for either one year or two years)
- Demonstrate community-led, co-designed approaches
- Show how their project will make a difference for people living with cancer.
Grant amount: Up to £1.5 million is available for this first round, with grants ranging from £50,000 to £150,000. Grants are for either one or two years.
Application process: All relevant documents and the online eligibility quiz can be found on the Macmillan Cancer Support website.
Macmillan is providing three information webinars that will cover not only the Macmillan CARE Grant but also other Macmillan grants currently available for community applicants:
- 2 December 2025 (11:00 am – 12:00 pm). Registration is required.
- 11 December 2025 (18:00 - 19:00) Registration is required
- 8 January 2026 (15:30 - 16:30) Registration is required.
Pre-application support calls are also available.
Deadline: Tuesday 23 January 2026 (17:00).
Contact information: Email: CommunityGrants@macmillan.org.uk Tel: 020 7840 7840