Tesco Community Grants & Co-op Local Community Fund

Tesco Community Grants (branded Tesco Stronger Starts, run by Groundwork UK) and the Co-op Local Community Fund are two separate small-grant schemes that both work the same way: local shoppers or Co-op members vote in-store for the community projects they want to fund, and winning groups receive a share of the pot. Tesco's scheme typically awards up to GBP 1,500 per project, while Co-op's Local Community Fund distributes a national pot (around GBP 3.5 million per round) across roughly 2,000 local causes, with individual awards commonly in the low thousands of pounds. Both are open to schools, registered charities, and not-for-profit or community organisations. Co-op accepts groups that can show non-profit status via a constitution or governing document, so a brand-new, not-yet-registered-charity group can often still qualify. These are a good early source of small, easy-to-win funding for a start-up Saturday school or after-school club, for example covering books, art and writing materials, or a first term of room hire, while a group is still building the track record needed for larger grants. Funding rounds open periodically through the year rather than being continuously open, so applicants should check both organisations' websites for current application windows.

For Tesco Community Grants / Stronger Starts, apply via tescostrongerstarts.org.uk when a round is open. For the Co-op Local Community Fund, register the group's cause via coop.co.uk/causes when the annual application window opens. Both schemes require a bank account in the group's name and a basic constitution or governing document.