The National Lottery Community Fund are opening a new funding programme called Together for our Planet to help support a legacy of ongoing climate action projects.

Later this year, the UK will host the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26). Building on interest and excitement for this international conference, the National Lottery Community Fund will open the new funding programme Together for our Planet on 1 September. The funding programme aims to help nurture and develop local ideas through this funding and support a legacy of ongoing climate action projects in hundreds of communities across the UK.

Together for Our Planet will offer eligible groups funding awards of between £1000 and £10,000 for activities and equipment that meet at least two of the following criteria:

1. It supports the development of longer-term climate action within communities (that is, taking place after the COP26 event in November).
2. It encourages communities to plan for the climate emergency – to consider what climate action could mean to them and why it matters.
3. It celebrates the importance of community-led climate action and encourages more people to get involved.
4. It builds resilience in communities that are hardest hit by climate change.
5. It provides jobs, skills or training opportunities for communities which support climate action.

There’s more information about the project and what they will support on the Together for Our Planet webpage.

Together for Our Planet opens on 1 September 2021 and will close to applications at 5pm on Thursday 18 November.

If you’ve not applied for funding from the National Lottery Community Fund before, you’ll need to ensure you are eligible to apply.

What is an eligible organisation?

You must be one of the following to submit an application:

• constituted group or club
• voluntary or community organisation
• registered charity
• charitable incorporated organisation (CIO / SCIO)
• community interest company (CIC)
• not-for-profit company
• school, college, university (as long as your project benefits and involves the wider local communities)
• statutory body (including local authorities, town, parish and community council)
• community benefit society.

Together for our Planet cannot accept applications from:

• individuals
• sole traders
• organisations that can pay profits to directors, shareholders or members (including Companies Limited by Shares)
• organisations based outside the UK
• one individual or organisation applying on behalf of another
• people under the age of 18

In addition to the eligibility criteria, you will need to meet the below criteria:

• You must have a UK bank account or building society account for your group or organisation. It needs to be in the legal name of your organisation, with at least two unconnected people who are able to manage the account.
• It must be with a UK based bank or Building Society which is covered and authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority, and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. They must also be covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme.
• The account must require at least two unconnected and unrelated signatories to authorise all withdrawals and transactions.
• You will need to submit a bank statement that is less than 3 months old with your online application.
• Your organisation should have at least two unconnected people on the board or committee. By unconnected, we mean not a relation by blood, marriage, in a long-term relationship, or people living together at the same address.
• You will need to give the details of a main contact (usually the person completing the application form) and a senior contact (usually someone on your Board or equivalent) – their full names, date of birth and their home addresses (not the address of the organisation)
• You will also need to consider how your project will keep people safe and confirm that you have an up-to-date safeguarding policy in place. For more info on safeguarding please take a look at our website website.
• You will also need to make sure your project is addressing any potential barriers for people to take part, including communities experiencing ethnic or racial inequity, discrimination or inequality, disabled people, Travellers, LGBTQ+ people, and people who are seeking asylum or who are refugees.