Update on changes coming in 2026

As the year comes to a close, we would like to take a moment to inform you about upcoming changes in the way we make grants. We plan to undertake further consultations on our plans in early 2026, but wanted to let partners know as early as possible that changes are coming.  

For community organisations working in Lambeth, you may have already noted that in recent years we have moved from having three ‘open’ grant rounds to two. The process for these rounds starts with an expression of interest call, followed by some organisations being invited to make a full application and then some of those receiving a grant. We now plan to reduce our open grants round to one in 2026/27 and replace the second grant round with directly commissioned new work.  

To be clear, we are not reducing the amount of money that we want to see going to community organisations, but are adding a different way for money to flow into Lambeth. Any methodology used to make grants privileges some and disadvantages others, so we want to increase the ways that we can make grants, build stronger relationships and support change.  

Other key changes to our grant-making we are proposing in 2026 include. 

Changes to the grant amount and grant types 

We want to be able to offer more core grants rather than project funding. Our current maximum grant is £30,000 per year, but with rising costs across the board, we know this isn't enough for many of the pieces of work that you’re doing. We want to raise the maximum grant to £50,000 per year and give organisations the opportunity to access grants for 1, 3 or 6 years. However, we also know we have a limited pot of money every year, and so this will mean fewer organisations receiving grants. Although the total amount of money going out on grants will not reduce, we are expecting the total number of partners we work with to fall over the coming years as we transition from around 125 to closer to 75. 

Applications and reporting 

We plan to change the way applications can be made, making this more accessible to a wider range of groups and reducing the focus on narrow ‘outputs’ and ‘outcomes’ solely related to project-based work. More importantly, we wish to update the way you report on the work that you are doing and the impact you are having, focusing on meaningful conversations (both with us and small groups of local partners/peers). We plan to create new platforms to share and collaborate and hope that by facilitating more open dialogue about the work that is being done, the wider Lambeth community can support and learn from one another. 
 
Timeframes and next steps 

The next round of consultations on our plans will take place in early 2026, if you would like to be involved or to provide feedback, you can do so by attending the next Lambeth Peer Support Network meeting (taking place on the morning of 15th Jan @ Roots and Shoots), via a 1:1 call/meeting with a grants team member or anonymously using our grants feedback form. 

We will then be launching our next open grant round for both schools and community partners in April. This will be the only opportunity in 2026 to apply directly to the Foundation for funding and following this we will be commissioning work in the second half of 2026, based on an analysis of our grants portfolio and where gaps exist.  
More details on these changes and a full timetable for applications will follow early next year but for now we wanted to give you a heads up. 

If you would like to book a time to talk to us about our plans or tell us about yours, please do reach out.  

We hope you get some time for rest and celebration over the next few weeks.  

The Walcot Grants Team