A new Greater Manchester funding programme is offering small grants to VCSE organisations supporting people hardest hit by the cost-of-living crisis. The programme aims to strengthen local community responses to poverty, inequality and financial hardship across the ten Greater Manchester boroughs.
A total of thirty-six grants of £5,000 are available for organisations already delivering frontline support to communities experiencing social and economic disadvantage.
The programme is aimed at organisations supporting groups such as:
- Low-income households and families
- Older people
- Young people
- Disabled people and those with long-term health conditions
- Refugees and people from racially minoritised communities
- Foodbank users
- Unpaid carers and people facing homelessness or insecure employment
Eligible organisations must:
- Be based and operating within one of the ten Greater Manchester localities
- Have an annual income between £50,000 and £250,000
- Already provide support to people affected by the cost-of-living crisis
Funding can contribute towards a range of organisational costs including staffing, service delivery, overheads and practical support activities between August 2026 and January 2027.
Applications close at 12 noon on 22 June 2026. Decisions will be based on both local need and the organisation’s ability to respond effectively to increasing pressures on vulnerable communities.
To strengthen an application, organisations should clearly evidence:
- The specific challenges facing their beneficiaries
- How services have adapted to rising demand
- The financial pressures currently affecting the organisation
- How the grant will directly support frontline delivery and community resilience
https://manchestercommunitycentral.org/support-groups/funding-opportunities/cost-living-crisis-greater-manchester-2026-funding-programme