Mayor's Small Grants Programme

What is the Mayor's Small Grants Programme?

Our vision is to support and invest in a thriving and diverse voluntary and community sector to help it improve the lives of residents. 

To support this vision, the council launched the Mayor’s Small Grants Programme (MSGP) on Monday 11 December 2023. 

The programme will provide £800,000 of annual grant funding between November 2023 and March 2027 for small organisations with a maximum annual income of £150,000.

This is to ensure a wide range of organisations can access council funding and ensure all sections of the community benefit. 

See awarded projects from the previous round.

View the Mayors' Small Grants Review 2025/26 or see key changes to small grants for 2026/27 below:

What projects will we fund?

The grants programme consists of five themes:

How do I apply?

Organisations must apply for funding using our online portal (Blackbaud Grantmaking) which can be accessed through the following theme pages. 

• Community Events 
• Capacity Building
• Community Chest
• Positive Activities for Young People
• Youth Empowerment Fund

Update: Blackbaud Grantmaking

From 2025/26 Round 2 our grants portal has been upgraded to a new system. All organisations who applied before this will need to create a new login, even if you have previously received a grant from us.

The new system has been designed to offer a simple, user-friendly application process.

If you have any questions about the application process, or would like a copy of our Applicant Guidance Document, please contact us vcs@towerhamlets.gov.uk.

Each theme page covers:

• The eligibility criteria
• How much funding is available
• What the funding can be used for
• The grant application portal link

Changes for 2026/27

The Council regularly reviews its grants programmes to ensure they remain accessible, inclusive, and responsive to the needs of the voluntary and community sector. The review of the Small Grants Programme has now been completed, with the following key changes:

• Community Chest award limit increased from £500 to £1,000 and there will be three rounds in the year aligned with the other themes
• Mayor’s Positive Activities for Young People (PAYP) funding changed from multiple rounds per year to one annual round launched 11 May 2026

In addition, a number of process changes were recommended and have been implemented including:

• A more detailed timeline for the process from application to notification and from payment to delivery
• Additional information on the steps following notification
• A workshop for successful applicants to go through monitoring and evaluation requirements 

What are the key timelines? 

The key dates for round 1 of the MSGP 2026/27 financial year are as follows:

*Indicative dates

The round will be open for an additional 2 weeks due to this being the only round in the year.

 Organisations will be able to apply for activities delivered during the following school holiday periods:

• October 2026
• December 2026
• February 2027
• Easter 2027
• May 2027
• Summer 2027

Mobilisation

Following the notification letter being sent out the following steps will be taken to mobilise the Round:

• Funding Agreements signed – the draft funding agreements based on the application details will be sent to the applicant for signature. These might include ‘Pre-award conditions’ where additional information is required before the payment can be made.
• A Monitoring and Evaluation workshop will be held for the successful applicants in each theme to go through the monitoring requirements of the programme
• Payments will be made following the return of a signed funding agreement and any pre-award conditions being met

Monitoring Requirements

When the Funding Agreement has been signed by both parties and pre-award conditions met then 70% of the grant award will be paid.

Upon completion of the activity an online Monitoring Form will need to be completed with details of the delivery and impact of the project along with evidence of spend. When this has been reviewed and signed off then the final 30% of the grant will be paid.

More detail including timelines will be given after the grant award is confirmed.

What support is available for interested organisations? 

During the bidding process the council will deliver a series of information events focusing on: 

• Eligibility criteria
• Theme priorities
• The application forms (for each theme) and scoring criteria
• Navigating our online grants portal

To sign up to the Information sessions, please select one of the following links:

Get in touch

If you have any questions about our eligibility criteria, need assistance with applying, or would like to discuss your project proposal, please contact the Voluntary and Community Sector Grants Team at vcs@towerhamlets.gov.uk.