Funding research · April 2026, timeline revised October 2026

Target funders

This page lists funding bodies we have researched as possible sources of funding for the CIC, a small Community Interest Company led by engineers that builds software for public bodies and community organisations. Each entry gives the funder’s remit, current programmes, examples of projects it has funded, how to apply, and our assessment of how well the CIC fits its criteria.

Application windows, eligibility criteria and grant sizes change frequently. Where possible, the figures and programme names below have been checked against funders’ current published guidance, but every detail should be checked again on each funder’s own website when preparing an application. Named sample projects are taken from each funder’s published grant records or recent case studies; for most UK trusts and foundations, project titles and amounts can be checked through 360Giving (threesixtygiving.org).

Two funding windows

January–April 2027 — initial seed (£15–50k). Pays for the directors’ time at the start, incorporation, certifications, and the first one or two client projects, which show funders that the model works.
From September 2027 — main seed (£250k). Pays for the organisation to operate at full Phase One scale and sets up the reserve that pays for client support when new work is slow. This is a target and is not yet secured.

Application timeline

Recommended cadence

Oct–Nov 2026 Confirm CIC incorporation. Compile core proposal pack (mission, three-year plan, budget, team, governance). Identify two named anchor clients willing to write letters of intent. Open conversations with UnLtd, Power to Change, Catalyst.

Nov–Dec 2026 Submit initial-seed applications: UnLtd Awards (decision in 6–8 weeks), Catalyst Tech for Good, smaller trust applications (Tudor Trust, Garfield Weston). Open NGI cascading-grant scoping. Submit the TNLCF Reaching Communities application by late November 2026 (40-week decision) for a September 2027 outcome.

Jan–Apr 2027 Initial-seed decisions land; formative work runs January to April 2027, including the first one or two anchor engagements. Make the Esmée Fairbairn inquiry early in this period if not already made.

Feb–May 2027 Submit the remaining main-seed applications: Innovate UK Smart Grant (or themed competition), Esmée Fairbairn, JRCT Power & Accountability, Power to Change Trading for Good. Layer two or three Sovereign Tech Agency / NGI / Mozilla project-specific applications for component work.

Jun–Sep 2027 Main-seed decisions consolidate. Main seed in place from September 2027: reserve fund capitalised and Phase One operations at full pace.

We intend to raise the £250k from several funders. If one funder provided all of it, the CIC would depend heavily on that funder. The aim is one main grant of £100–200k and two or three smaller grants of £25–75k each.

Initial seed targets — January–April 2027

Smaller grants and social-investment routes suited to early work. Decisions are usually quicker and applications shorter than for larger grants. Two or three of these together could reach the £15–50k range.

UnLtd — Awards for Social Entrepreneurs

unltd.org.uk

Strong fit

Grant sizeIndividualised; typical £5k–£18k across Starting Up and Scaling Up tiers

Decision time~6–8 weeks from application

Application routeOpen online via UnLtd portal; current round closes 1 June 2026 or at capacity

EligibilitySocial entrepreneurs in UK; structured commitment to underrepresented founders (50% of awards)

About

UnLtd is the largest UK funder of individual social entrepreneurs. Awards combine financial support with one-to-one coaching, mentoring, and access to pro-bono expertise. Tiers are Starting Up (early-stage, idea-stage proof) and Scaling Up (growing organisations with traction). UnLtd funds founders who are setting up organisations for community benefit, which matches the CIC’s purpose.

Sample projects funded

Fair Feast — Helen Stewart, environmental-action community business.
2040 Leaders — Aisha Lysejko, career-access programme for young professionals.
UnLtd’s portfolio includes hundreds of community-business and tech-for-good founders across the UK; recent case studies are at unltd.org.uk/blog.

How to apply

Initial expression of interest via the online application portal.
Application form covers: the founder, the social problem, the proposed approach, the use of funds, the milestones, and the requested support package (financial + coaching + mentoring).
Successful applicants progress to interview and then award. Rounds are capacity-limited, so submit early in the cycle.

Notes for the CIC

Awards usually support an individual founder, not an organisation, so one director should apply, drawing on the experience of the whole team. The application should describe that director’s plans, with the CIC as the organisation through which they will be carried out.

Power to Change — Trading for Good

powertochange.org.uk

Strong fit

Grant sizeMatch Trading Grant component (matched against earned income), typically £10–£20k initially; larger programmes follow

Decision timeCohort-based programme; runs in waves

Application routeOpen application via programme page when waves open

EligibilityEstablished community businesses with trading income or clear plans to develop it; CIC structure fits directly

About

Power to Change is the independent trust dedicated to community businesses. The current flagship programme is Trading for Good: a Match Trading Grant (which matches earned trading income £-for-£) plus a learning programme on developing sustainable trading models. The CIC’s income comes from day rates and hosting charges, which counts as trading income, so income the CIC earns from clients could be matched under this programme.

Sample projects funded

Resilient Communities Fund (recent past programme, £1.3m) supported community businesses on energy-resilience projects, including community-owned energy schemes and local-authority energy partnerships.
Across Power to Change’s lifetime, funded community businesses include community-owned pubs, community libraries, community-led housing developments, and a long tail of community-owned local services. Recent grants are searchable on 360Giving.
Their portfolio increasingly includes digital and tech-for-good community businesses, a shift the Trading for Good design explicitly anticipates.

How to apply

Watch powertochange.org.uk/funding/ for the next Trading for Good wave opening.
Application typically requires: organisation summary, trading model, community-benefit case, three-year financial projection, governance documentation.
Match Trading Grants require trading-income evidence to trigger the match; the application establishes the framework, ongoing match is paid against verified trading.

Notes for the CIC

Match Trading matches income already earned, so the CIC should apply once it has at least one paying client. A wave in mid-2027 would follow the first client projects in the initial seed period.

Catalyst — Tech for Good network

thecatalyst.org.uk

Strong fit

Grant size£10–£25k typical for design and discovery grants; collaborations through partners can be larger

Decision timeCohort-based; rounds typically open quarterly

Application routeVia Catalyst’s open calls and partner programmes

EligibilityCharities and social-impact organisations using technology; tech-for-good orientation required

About

Catalyst (formerly Tech for Good Ventures) supports charities and social-impact organisations to use digital and data well. Combines small grants with capability-building support, network introductions, and design / discovery work. It is most useful for the costs of setting up a new organisation and for projects that produce digital tools for public benefit.

Sample projects funded

Catalyst’s Definition Funding programme has supported dozens of charity discovery projects exploring digital service redesign, for example community-mental-health digital pathways, accessibility-focused service redesigns, and casework digitisation.
Through partner programmes (with the National Lottery Community Fund among others), Catalyst has co-funded larger digital-transformation initiatives for charities including those building open digital tooling.
Their case studies at thecatalyst.org.uk/case-studies cover sectors from advice services to homelessness to youth work.

How to apply

Watch the funding page for active calls; Catalyst signposts open partner programmes as well as direct grants.
Applications emphasise: the social problem, user-centred discovery, openness of the work (publishing learnings is normally expected), and capability-building intent.

Notes for the CIC

A good fit if one of the CIC’s Phase One projects is for a charity and is described as a tech-for-good project. Catalyst also introduces its grantees to other charities and to similar funders, which would help the CIC find clients and further funding.

Mozilla Foundation — Tech Fund / Open Source Support

mozillafoundation.org

Medium fit (project-specific)

Grant size$10k–$100k typical for open-call programmes; Incubator and Fellowship programmes vary

Decision timeProgramme-dependent; open calls run cohort-based

Application routeVia Mozilla Foundation programme pages when calls are open

EligibilityInternational; UK organisations are eligible. Public-interest tech, digital rights, open-source maintenance focus

About

Mozilla Foundation has invested over $35m over the past decade in public-interest technology. Programmes change, but all have funded open, public-interest technology: alternatives to extractive technology, AI bias research, digital-rights organising, encryption tooling, ethics-aware computer-science education. The current open programme is the Democracy x AI Incubator, focused on AI tools that protect and enhance democracy.

Sample projects funded

Common Voice — Mozilla’s open multilingual speech-data project, repeatedly supported.
Internet Health Report contributors and adjacent civic-tech work.
MOSS (Mozilla Open Source Support) has historically funded maintenance of widely-used open-source projects (Tor, OpenVPN, libssh, others); the structure of MOSS-style support has shifted into the Tech Fund umbrella.
Mozilla Fellows have included researchers and practitioners working on AI fairness, public-interest tech, and digital-rights infrastructure.

How to apply

Match a current open call (the Foundation runs themed calls rather than continuous open applications).
Applications typically require: project description, public-interest case, openness commitment (open source / open data / public learning), team and budget.

Notes for the CIC

Suitable only for a specific piece of software with a clear public-interest purpose, not for the CIC’s running costs. It would apply if the CIC builds a reusable open-source component that fits a Mozilla theme, for example a system for managing user logins that the client controls.

Sovereign Tech Agency (Germany)

sovereign.tech

Medium fit (project-specific)

Grant size€20k–€500k+ typical, project-dependent; STA also runs Fellowships and Bug Resilience programmes

Decision timeProgramme-dependent

Application routeVia STA programme pages and open calls

EligibilityInternational; UK organisations contributing to widely-used open-source dependencies are eligible

About

STA is the German federal agency funding the open-source dependencies that public-sector and private-sector software relies on but that no single party pays to maintain. Programmes include Sovereign Tech Fund (direct grants for critical-dependency maintenance), Bug Resilience (security-focused), Fellowships, and Contract opportunities. STA’s position that widely used open-source software should be publicly funded is close to the CIC’s view that public bodies should own the software they depend on.

Sample projects funded

curl, OpenSSL, Sequoia-PGP, Coreutils, WireGuard, nodeJS security work, and dozens of other widely-used open-source projects have received STA maintenance funding.
The Bug Resilience Programme has funded security-hardening work on critical libraries.
Full grant list is published on STA’s site at sovereign.tech/projects.

How to apply

Identify a specific open-source component the CIC will work on that fits STA’s remit (widely-used, public-interest, dependency-shaped).
Apply via the relevant programme page; applications focus on the project’s public-interest value, the work proposed, and the maintainer track record.
STA places strong emphasis on transparency, and funded work is publicly reported.

Notes for the CIC

A good fit for any open-source component the CIC builds that other organisations could reuse widely, for example a user-login component, a case-management framework or a notifications system. Not suitable for the CIC’s running costs. An application would need to be linked to a Phase One project that produces software other organisations can reuse.

NGI — Next Generation Internet (Horizon Europe)

ngi.eu

Medium fit (project-specific)

Grant size€30k–€150k typical via cascading-grant calls; some larger streams

Decision timeCall-based; usually 2–4 months from submission

Application routeVia NGI Sargasso, NGI Search, NGI Trustchain, NGI Zero, and other thematic cascade-funders

EligibilityUK eligible under restored Horizon Europe association; thematic match is the gating factor

About

NGI is the European Commission’s programme to fund a more human-centred, trustworthy internet. Funding is delivered via cascading grants: topic-specific calls administered by intermediary consortia (NGI Sargasso for transatlantic collaboration, NGI Trustchain for trust and identity, NGI Search for search infrastructure, NGI Zero for general internet-infrastructure work).

Sample projects funded

NLnet Foundation (which administers NGI Zero) has funded hundreds of open-source projects: privacy tools, identity infrastructure (Yivi/IRMA, Solid), federated and decentralised systems, security tooling.
NGI Trustchain has funded identity and verifiable-credentials infrastructure.
NGI Search has funded alternative search-infrastructure projects.
Funded-project lists are published on each cascade-funder’s site, with nlnet.nl/project the largest portfolio.

How to apply

Identify the cascade-funder whose theme matches the project. NLnet’s NGI Zero is the broadest entry point.
Applications are typically lightweight (a few pages) describing the project, the team, the deliverables, and the timeline.
Preference for open-source work and for projects with clear plans.

Notes for the CIC

Possible additional funding for a specific piece of software that fits an NGI theme, and the applications are short. Applying to NGI and to the Sovereign Tech Agency for the same component would increase the chance that one of them succeeds.

National Lottery Awards for All

tnlcommunityfund.org.uk · Awards for All

Medium fit (operational)

Grant size£300–£20,000 (England); separate programmes for Scotland, Wales, NI

Decision time~12 weeks

Application routeOnline via TNLCF portal

EligibilityUK constituted not-for-profits; CIC qualifies. Project should benefit a community.

About

The smaller-grant programme of the National Lottery Community Fund. Funds short-term (up to 24 months) community-benefit projects. Useful for organisational standing-up activity (incorporation, governance, initial outreach, certification preparation) and for early client projects.

Sample projects funded

Tens of thousands of grants made annually across the UK; full data published via 360Giving.
Examples include community-business setup costs, community digital-skills programmes, accessibility projects, and youth-work digital tools.

How to apply

Read the “Getting ready to apply” guidance on the programme page.
Apply through the online portal: organisation details, project summary, budget, beneficiaries, outcomes.
The application is shorter than for Reaching Communities, and would be a useful early test of how funders respond to the CIC’s case.

Notes for the CIC

Useful as a smaller, additional grant. The £20k limit means it cannot fund the initial seed on its own, but it can pay for specific activities such as Cyber Essentials Plus certification, setting up accessibility audits, or a community-engagement programme.

Comic Relief — Tech for Good

comicrelief.com/funding

Medium fit (programme-dependent)

Grant size£20k–£100k typical for Tech for Good and similar programmes

Decision timeProgramme-dependent (usually 3–6 months)

Application routeVia Comic Relief funding page when programmes open

EligibilityCharities and social-impact organisations addressing one of Comic Relief’s priority areas

About

Comic Relief has historically run a Tech for Good programme funding the use of digital technology to address social-impact problems. Programmes change, but Comic Relief funds technology projects for what they achieve for the people its priority areas serve.

Sample projects funded

Past Tech for Good cohorts have included: Refugee Action’s digital advice tooling; Mind’s digital mental-health support; mental-health digital pathways; tech for survivors of domestic abuse; safeguarding digital tools.
Comic Relief’s grants are searchable via 360Giving.

How to apply

Applications align to a current themed call. Themes have included mental health, gender justice, children & young people, communities, and global health.
Two-stage process is typical: expression of interest, then full application by invitation.

Notes for the CIC

Relevant if one of the CIC’s first projects is in a Comic Relief priority area, such as mental health, refugee services or women’s services. The application should be made jointly with the charity delivering the service, with the CIC as its technology partner.

The Tudor Trust

tudortrust.org.uk

Medium fit

Grant sizeUp to £25k typical for early-stage organisations; larger multi-year grants for established work

Decision time~4–6 months

Application routeOpen application; trust restructured its grant-making in 2024 with a focus on smaller, community-led organisations

EligibilitySmaller community-led organisations addressing systemic inequity; CICs eligible

About

The Tudor Trust is an independent grant-making trust supporting smaller community-led organisations doing systemic-change work. It funds running costs as well as specific projects, which makes it useful for setting up a new organisation.

Sample projects funded

The Tudor Trust’s portfolio leans heavily toward grassroots, community-rooted organisations: community-organising bodies, smaller advocacy groups, locally-led service providers.
Recent grants are published via 360Giving and on the Tudor Trust website.

How to apply

Initial inquiry by email or short application via the trust’s site.
Successful inquiries proceed to fuller application and conversation with a grants officer.

Notes for the CIC

Most relevant if the CIC’s first clients include smaller community-led organisations working on the kinds of inequality Tudor funds, and which need software they cannot afford to build alone. The application should describe the CIC as building software that these organisations could not pay for individually, including through groups of organisations funding shared work.

Regional and local enterprise funds

UK Shared Prosperity Fund successors, Combined Authority innovation funds

Variable / opportunistic

Grant size£5–£25k typical

Decision timeVariable

Application routeVia local-authority or combined-authority economic-development teams

EligibilityRegion-dependent

About

Regional and local economic-development funding (the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and successor schemes, combined-authority innovation funds, local enterprise partnership-derived programmes) periodically have small-grant windows for community-business standing-up activity. Eligibility and existence vary by region and political cycle.

How to apply

Direct outreach to the CIC’s host combined-authority or council economic-development team. Often these grants are made by referral or invitation rather than open application.

Notes for the CIC

Worth applying for when calls are open, but too unpredictable to plan around. Any grant from this source would be additional to the main funding plan.

Main seed targets — from September 2027

Larger grants, social investment and joint funding routes that could each provide a significant part of the £250k target. The plan is to combine two or three of these: one main grant and one or two smaller ones.

Innovate UK — Smart Grants and themed competitions

ukri.org/innovate-uk · apply-for-innovation-funding.service.gov.uk

Strong fit

Grant sizeSmart Grants: £25k–£500k typical (single applicant) up to £2m (collaborative). Themed competitions vary up to £10m+.

Decision timeCompetition-based; typically 3–4 months from competition close

Application routeVia the Innovation Funding Service portal

EligibilityUK-registered businesses (CIC qualifies); innovation focus required; collaborative variants require partners

About

Innovate UK (part of UK Research and Innovation, UKRI) is the UK’s national innovation agency. The flagship Smart Grants programme funds the development and demonstration of innovative ideas with clear commercial-or-public-impact pathways. Alongside Smart Grants, Innovate UK runs themed competitions in specific priority areas (AI, public-sector innovation, healthtech, sustainability, etc.).

Sample projects funded (recent and current)

Frontier AI Discovery (current, up to £2.5m): feasibility studies for frontier AI and foundation models.
Frontier AI Benchmarking Datasets (current, up to £4.5m): collaborative projects on FAIR-data and benchmarks.
Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP) round: up to £10m for academic-industry collaboration.
Past Smart Grants have funded a wide spread of small UK businesses building open infrastructure, public-sector applicable software, and digital-public-good components.
The full database of awards is searchable at gtr.ukri.org (Gateway to Research).

How to apply

Register on the Innovation Funding Service. Watch the competition list at the IFS portal.
Smart Grants run on rolling calls; themed competitions have specific open/close dates.
Applications focus on: the innovation, the market or impact, the team’s ability to deliver, the project plan, the budget. Strong emphasis on quantifiable impact.
Two-stage assessment for Smart Grants: written application then independent assessor review.

Notes for the CIC

A Smart Grant application could be based on the CIC’s agentic development framework, which is the CIC’s own first product. Themed competitions in artificial intelligence, public-sector innovation and digital trust are also worth tracking. Innovate UK is less likely to fund the CIC’s running costs; an application should describe a specific research and development project.

National Lottery Community Fund — Reaching Communities

tnlcommunityfund.org.uk · Reaching Communities

Strong fit

Grant size£20,001 minimum; up to £500k+ over 5 years (average £319k over 3 years in 2025)

Decision time40 weeks, the tightest constraint on the application timeline

Application routeOnline portal; “Getting ready to apply” guidance pre-application

EligibilityConstituted not-for-profits in England (separate equivalents in Scotland, Wales, NI); priority for places experiencing poverty, disadvantage, or discrimination

About

The largest community-focused grant-maker in the UK. Reaching Communities is the flagship medium-large-grant programme for England, funding work that benefits communities experiencing poverty, disadvantage, or discrimination over up to five years.

Sample projects funded

£55,000 over 5 years — single-organisation health and wellbeing support.
£500,000 over 2 years — partnership project on early intervention for children and young people.
£1 million over 4 years — co-design and programme delivery with deprived communities.
Reaching Communities has funded several thousand active projects across the UK; full grant data is searchable through TNLCF’s grant search and 360Giving.

How to apply

Register on the online portal and complete the “Getting ready to apply” guidance.
Application requires: organisation details, the community to be benefited, the project description and outcomes, budget, partnership arrangements, and evidence of community engagement.
40-week decision time means an application submitted by late November 2026 lands a decision around September 2027, matching the main-seed window. Earlier submission is preferable.
Applications above £500k or for multi-organisation partnerships should be discussed with the Reaching Communities team before submission.

Notes for the CIC

The most likely source of the main grant for the main seed, provided the application puts the CIC’s community benefit alongside its engineering work. The application is long, but well-prepared community-benefit applications have a reasonable chance of success. The application should describe the CIC as building software for organisations that serve disadvantaged communities.

Esmée Fairbairn Foundation — Social Change strand

esmeefairbairn.org.uk

Strong fit

Grant size£50k–£500k+ typical, often multi-year

Decision time~3–6 months from initial inquiry

Application routeTwo-stage: initial inquiry, then full application by invitation

EligibilityUK-registered not-for-profits including CICs; clear systemic-change orientation expected

About

One of the larger UK independent foundations. The Social Change strand funds organisations working on systemic change, including digital rights, community ownership, public-benefit infrastructure, and the wider movement for democratic renewal. Esmée Fairbairn maintains an active portfolio of around 700 grants and publishes its grant data openly via 360Giving.

Sample projects funded

Esmée Fairbairn has funded a wide range of public-interest and digital-rights infrastructure organisations: Open Data Institute, Citizen Network adjacencies, community-organising bodies, and a long tail of systemic-change initiatives.
Recent grants are searchable at esmeefairbairn.org.uk/news-and-learning/our-grants/ and on 360Giving.

How to apply

Submit initial inquiry via the website’s online inquiry form. Inquiries are short and high-level.
If invited, full application follows. Esmée Fairbairn places strong weight on relationship-building, and a conversation with a grants officer before formal application is normal.
Decision usually within 3–6 months; multi-year grants are common.

Notes for the CIC

One of the most likely sources of the main grant for the main seed. The application should describe how the CIC builds software that community organisations own, and how that reduces their dependence on a small number of suppliers. The inquiry should be made early (late 2026 or early 2027) to allow time for conversations with the foundation.

Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust — Power & Accountability

jrct.org.uk

Strong fit

Grant size£25k–£100k typical; multi-year grants common

Decision timeRound-based; multiple rounds per year (2026 dates announced on the site)

Application routeDirect application via JRCT’s programme pages

EligibilityNot-for-profit organisations addressing the relevant programme’s themes

About

JRCT is a Quaker-led grant-making trust supporting work on the root causes of conflict and injustice. The five funding programmes are: Peace & Security, Power & Accountability, Rights & Justice, Sustainable Future, and Northern Ireland. Power & Accountability works towards “a world in which power is more equally shared.” The CIC’s aim, that public bodies and community organisations own and control the software they depend on, falls within this programme.

Sample projects funded

JRCT has funded organisations including: Open Rights Group (digital rights), Privacy International, Spotlight on Corruption, Big Brother Watch, the Ada Lovelace Institute, and a long tail of accountability-focused civic and research bodies.
Full grant lists are published on the JRCT site by programme.

How to apply

Read the full programme guidance before applying. Power & Accountability has its own eligibility criteria distinct from the other programmes.
Application is through the JRCT online system; the trust runs multiple funding rounds per year.
Contact: enquiries@jrct.org.uk · +44 (0)1904 627810 · Water End, York, YO30 6WQ.

Notes for the CIC

The CIC fits the programme’s aim of “institutions accountable to wider society” if the application explains that the CIC helps public bodies own and control the software they use to deliver their services. A multi-year grant is possible.

Power to Change — Booster and larger Community Business grants

powertochange.org.uk/funding

Strong fit (after the initial seed period)

Grant size£50k–£300k for Booster-style programmes; substantial grants via partner programmes

Decision timeProgramme-dependent

Application routeVia Power to Change’s programme pages and partner consortia

EligibilityEstablished community businesses with trading track record

About

Beyond the initial seed-scale Trading for Good wave, Power to Change runs (or partners on) larger community-business grant programmes for established organisations. Grants typically support trading growth, capital investment, or sector-specific community-business challenges.

How to apply

Apply once the CIC has a record of trading income from Phase One. A Trading for Good grant during the initial seed period would establish a relationship with Power to Change before an application for larger support.

Notes for the CIC

Becomes a strong candidate once the CIC has delivered Phase One projects. For the main seed it is a later, additional source, not the main grant.

DSIT — Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

gov.uk · DSIT

Medium fit (call-dependent)

Grant sizeVaries (typically £50k–£500k via specific calls)

Decision timeCall-based

Application routeVia specific DSIT funding calls; some routed through Innovate UK and partner agencies

EligibilityCall-specific

About

DSIT runs intermittent funding calls for public-sector digital innovation, AI safety, sovereign-tech-aligned work, and digital-public-good programmes. Specific calls vary year to year. Some are themed around digital identity, public-sector AI adoption, AI safety, and infrastructure modernisation.

Sample programmes (recent and active)

AI Safety Institute-adjacent funding for evaluation and benchmarking work.
Public Sector Fraud Authority tooling calls.
Various Innovate UK-administered themed competitions sponsored by DSIT priorities.

How to apply

Track DSIT’s funding-opportunities pages and the Innovation Funding Service for DSIT-sponsored calls. Many DSIT priorities surface through Innovate UK rather than as direct DSIT-administered grants.

Notes for the CIC

Worth tracking, but not reliable enough to plan around. A themed call that matches the CIC’s work could provide a significant grant if it opens during the application period.

Big Society Capital and intermediary funds

bigsocietycapital.com

Medium fit (social investment, not grant)

Grant sizeInvestment £50k–£500k+ via intermediaries (Bridges Fund Management, Big Issue Invest, Resonance, others)

Decision timeIntermediary-dependent

Application routeVia specific intermediary fund managers

EligibilitySocial-impact organisations with viable trading models

About

Big Society Capital is a wholesale social investor that channels capital into social-impact organisations through intermediary funds. Investment carries a return obligation; it is not a grant. Useful as a blended-finance component but should not dominate the seed.

Sample intermediaries

Bridges Fund Management (Sustainable Growth Fund, Outcomes Fund) — mission-led investment.
Big Issue Invest — social-enterprise investment from the Big Issue group.
Resonance — community-scale impact investment.
Each intermediary publishes its own portfolio of investee organisations.

Notes for the CIC

The CIC is limited by guarantee and has no shares, which limits the routes it can use. Loans and other repayable finance are possible, but the reserve for client support must not be used as security for them. If used at all, this should be a small part of the seed (£50k or less).

Garfield Weston Foundation

garfieldweston.org

Medium fit

Grant size£25k–£75k typical for smaller grants; larger grants for major projects

Decision time~3 months

Application routeOpen application via the foundation’s website

EligibilityUK registered charities and CICs with clear public benefit

About

One of the larger UK independent grant-makers, with a broad social-benefit remit. Garfield Weston funds organisational core costs more readily than many comparable foundations, which makes it useful for stand-up activity. Funds across arts, education, environment, health, and community.

Sample projects funded

Garfield Weston has historically funded a wide range of community organisations including local advice services, accessibility initiatives, smaller museums and galleries, and infrastructure-supporting bodies for the third sector.
Full grant lists are published in the foundation’s annual report.

How to apply

Online application via the foundation’s website. Single-stage application.
Application is short relative to many comparable foundations, and clear, focused proposals do well.

Notes for the CIC

Useful as one of the smaller grants for the main seed, in the £25–75k range. The application should set out the CIC’s public benefit briefly.

Wolfson Foundation

wolfson.org.uk

Low / programme-dependent

Grant size£25k–£100k typical; major capital grants larger

Decision time~6 months

Application routeVia specific funding programme

EligibilityProgramme-specific; predominantly UK registered charities, museums, universities, hospitals

About

Wolfson Foundation has a primarily science, research, education, museums, and health remit. Some alignment with infrastructure-building work in public-benefit technology, but Wolfson generally favours established institutions with substantial track records over standing-up CICs.

Notes for the CIC

Possible only if the CIC works with an institution Wolfson funds, such as a hospital, university or major museum, on a specific project, so it is not a priority for the CIC.

Open Society Foundations — Information Program / Democracy and Rights

opensocietyfoundations.org

Medium fit (depends on programme priorities)

Grant size$50k–$500k+ typical

Decision time3–6 months

Application routeVia specific programme calls; most OSF funding is by invitation rather than open application

EligibilityInternational; UK organisations eligible

About

OSF is one of the largest international funders of public-interest digital infrastructure, government transparency, and digital rights. Programmes change but the Information Program and Democracy & Rights strands are the closest fit. OSF restructured significantly in 2023–2024 with a more focused thematic approach.

Sample projects funded

OSF has historically funded organisations including: Open Rights Group, Privacy International, Tactical Tech, Article 19, Open Knowledge Foundation, Open Data Institute, and a long tail of digital-rights and civic-tech bodies.

How to apply

Most OSF funding is by invitation. Open calls are published on the OSF site as they arise. Best route for a UK CIC is a partnership with an existing OSF grantee on a specific project.

Notes for the CIC

Possible, but not a priority; worth approaching once the CIC has completed Phase One projects it can describe.

Wellcome Trust — Discovery and Innovation routes

wellcome.org/grant-funding

Conditional on health-sector engagement

Grant size£100k–£500k+ typical for Innovator awards; larger grants for Discovery research

Decision time6–9 months

Application routeVia specific Wellcome scheme; multi-stage

EligibilityHealth-research-focused; the CIC alone is unlikely to qualify, but a CIC-plus-research-partner consortium can

About

Wellcome is a major UK health-research funder with an explicit interest in health-research infrastructure and innovation. Programmes are health-sector-specific. The CIC qualifies only if a Phase One engagement is health-adjacent and the application is led by or jointly with a research partner.

Sample projects funded

Wellcome has funded a wide range of health-research infrastructure: Genomics England, the Sanger Institute, and many smaller research-software projects.
Innovator awards have funded health-tech start-ups and infrastructure projects.

Notes for the CIC

An option only if the CIC’s first projects include health-sector partners willing to apply jointly.

Nesta — mission-led innovation programmes

nesta.org.uk

Medium / theme-dependent

Grant sizeVaries by programme

Decision timeProgramme-dependent

Application routeVia Nesta’s active programme pages

EligibilityAligned with Nesta’s current missions (early-years, climate, health)

About

Nesta is the UK’s “innovation agency for social good”, focused on three current missions: a fairer start for every child, a sustainable future, and a healthy life. Funding routes typically take the form of Challenges, Prizes, and partner programmes rather than open grants.

Sample programmes funded

Nesta has run Challenges in areas including community energy, decarbonisation of homes, food poverty, and digital tools for early-years interventions.
The Nesta-funded Catalyst network (above) is one of its longest-running adjacent commitments.

Notes for the CIC

Worth tracking, although a match is likely only if a CIC project falls clearly within one of Nesta’s current missions.

Funding plan

Initial seed (January–April 2027 — target £30–50k)

Two or three small grants timed to land for January 2027, before full CIC operations begin.

UnLtd Awards (Starting/Scaling Up) — ~£15k. Founder-level application. Decision in 6–8 weeks.
Catalyst Tech for Good — £10–25k. Application against an open call. Also provides introductions to charities and other funders.
NLCF Awards for All — up to £10k for specific stand-up activity (certifications, accessibility audit, community engagement).
Power to Change Trading for Good (next wave) — Match Trading Grant once the CIC has its first paying client.

Main seed (from September 2027 — target £250k)

One main grant of £100–200k and two or three smaller grants of £25–75k each. Applications should be submitted early enough that the 40-week and 6-month decision periods end at about the same time.

Candidates for the main grant: NLCF Reaching Communities, Esmée Fairbairn Social Change, Innovate UK Smart Grant (project-framed), JRCT Power & Accountability.
Candidates for smaller grants: Garfield Weston, Tudor Trust, Power to Change Booster (once the CIC has Phase One trading income), Comic Relief Tech for Good (if a charity agrees to apply jointly).
Grants for specific software: Sovereign Tech Agency, NGI cascading grants, Mozilla Foundation — for any open-source component the CIC releases during Phase One.

Funding to avoid

Equity investment. The CIC structure (limited by guarantee, asset-locked, no shareholders) means the CIC cannot sell shares, so venture capital is not an option. Repayable social investment should be a small share of the seed at most, and the reserve for client support must not be used as security for it.
Grants tied to specific outputs. Many funders prefer to fund specific projects and will not pay running costs. The seed has to pay the CIC’s running costs, so funders that cover running costs are more useful for it.
Grants with restrictions on the asset lock or governance structure. Some funders set conditions that conflict with the CIC’s legal obligations. These should be checked when applying.
Tied procurement. Some local-authority innovation funding requires the work to be delivered to that authority. This is acceptable only if it is a project the CIC would have taken on anyway.
Programmes the CIC does not fit. Proposals should not be changed to fit a funder’s priorities. A funded project that does not match the work the CIC does would be difficult to deliver and could damage the CIC’s reputation with funders.