Co-Operative Community Investment Foundation

The Co-op Foundation funds initiatives tackling social inequality, youth loneliness, mental health, community resilience, and justice system impacts. They support youth-led projects serving marginalised young people, as well as work in environment, education, employment, and community spaces. Their funding covers a wide range of costs including core costs, project delivery, salaries, training, equipment, and capital works. They operate UK-wide, with a particular focus on under-served communities and those facing disadvantage.

Eligible organisations include registered charities, charitable incorporated organisations, community interest companies, social enterprises, and community groups. They prioritise youth-led organisations and those serving marginalised groups such as young people, women, ethnic minorities, disabled people, and unemployed individuals. The foundation does not fund individuals or sole traders. Applicants should have a clear focus on co-operation, community benefit, and addressing inequality.

The foundation does not fund individuals, sole traders, or projects that fall outside their charitable purposes. They also exclude retrospective costs and, in some programmes, capital works beyond a certain proportion. Programmes have specific thematic exclusions, such as projects outside the food and farming sector for the Carbon Innovation Fund. Generally, they will not support activities that do not align with their mission of building fairer, more co-operative communities.

The foundation provides both one-off and multi-year grants, and supports core costs, project delivery, salaries, training, equipment, and capital works. They welcome unsolicited applications and are committed to flexible, long-term partnerships. They practice participatory grantmaking, co-designing with beneficiaries and devolving power to communities. Their funding is typically thematic, with specific criteria for each programme.