Comic Relief
Could Comic Relief fund your project? Check fit free. Draft if yes — or shortlist better matches.
- Typical grants
- £50,000 – £600,000
- Where they fund
- England, Northern Ireland, Scotland
- Applications
- Accepted
- How to apply
- Two-stage application
Works for Registered charities, CIOs, CICs and community groups.
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comicrelief.comAbout Comic Relief
Comic Relief is a grant-making trust that supports projects tackling poverty and its root causes. Their mission is to create a just world free from poverty by addressing both immediate needs and underlying injustices. They are committed to alleviating poverty's consequences and grip on people's daily lives, tackling the injustices that keep people in poverty, and standing with those in poverty who are most harmed by climate change. Their approach is flexible, prioritising locally-led solutions and the voices of those with lived experience. They fund work across a broad set of interlinked causes, including poverty and hardship, children and youth, mental health, domestic abuse, refugees and migrants, homelessness, and environment.
What Comic Relief funds
Comic Relief funds work across interlinked causes including poverty and hardship, children and youth, mental health, domestic abuse, refugees and migrants, homelessness, and environment. They support a variety of activities, from direct services and prevention to training, equipment, and research. They welcome requests for core funding for the majority of their calls, and can fund up to 100% of costs for a proposal. They also fund salaries, project delivery, capital works, and other expenses, though capital costs cannot exceed 25% of the total funding request. Their grants cover work across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.
Who can apply
Comic Relief makes grants to registered charities and community groups across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. They prioritise organisations that are rooted in the communities they serve and place lived experience at the heart of their work. There is no religious restriction on eligibility. Comic Relief welcomes unsolicited applications and does not require match funding.
What Comic Relief doesn't fund
Comic Relief cannot support capital costs that exceed 25% of the total funding request. They do not fund work that falls outside their poverty-focused mission.
How they like to fund
Comic Relief provides flexible grants including core funding, salaries, project delivery, and a range of other costs. They are happy to fund up to 100% of costs for a proposal and do not require match funding. They operate open application rounds and welcome unsolicited approaches.
How much does Comic Relief give?
Comic Relief runs one grant programme. Every figure below is sourced from their published guidance.
Last verified 8 August 2026 · 7 sourced facts
Those are the published figures. What your charity could realistically get — and whether you'd clear their rules on income, location and legal structure — is what the free fit check answers.
What Comic Relief funds — and what they won't
Good to know
How to apply to Comic Relief
Comic Relief takes applications via two-stage application.
- Check whether your charity is in scope before you spend time on a full bid.
What Comic Relief's application asks
We hold the 6 questions from Comic Relief's application form, word for word — so you know exactly what you're signing up to answer.
“Please provide a brief summary of your project”
Max 350 words
“Describe the people who would benefit from this project and the problems they face in their lives.”
4 more questions from their form, plus answers drafted from your charity's real data if you decide to apply.
How it works
- 1Describe your project. Once — used for this funder and others.
- 2See if this could be a fit. Honest check on cause, place, size, and rules.
- 3Draft if yes. From your real data — or move on if not.
See if Comic Relief could be a fit. Draft if yes.
Frequently asked questions
How much funding does Comic Relief provide?
Comic Relief typically provides grants of £50,000 - £600,000.
Where does Comic Relief fund charities?
Comic Relief funds charities operating in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland.
Does Comic Relief accept unsolicited applications?
Comic Relief accepts unsolicited applications from eligible organisations. Current programme status is on this page — do not assume a round is open.
How do I apply for funding from Comic Relief?
Comic Relief takes applications via two-stage application. Check whether your charity is in scope before you spend time on a full bid.
Similar funders
Other UK funders with overlapping focus — not a claim they fund the same charities.
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Could Comic Relief be a fit?
Check free. Draft if yes, or shortlist better matches.