Guidance

Community Ownership Fund: prospectus

The Community Ownership Fund bidding prospectus provides detailed guidance on the purpose of the fund, eligibility criteria, funding and support assessment criteria and the decision-making process.

From:
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
Published
15 July 2021
Last updated
15 August 2024 — See all updates

Documents

Community Ownership Fund round 4: prospectus

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Community Ownership Fund round 3: prospectus (not in use)

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Community Ownership Fund round 2: prospectus (not in use)

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Community Ownership Fund round 1: prospectus (not in use)

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Details

Communities will rightly be seeking clarity regarding Round 4 and the future of the Community Ownership Fund.

This government was elected on a manifesto that stressed its commitment to the communities’ sector and community ownership through empowering communities to own and run those local assets which mean the most to them.

We recognise uncertainty is challenging for groups seeking to save vital community assets; the government is carefully considering all available options and will confirm plans in due course.

We encourage community groups to explore support which remains available through the Community Ownership Fund’s development support provider via the ‘My Community’ website. We have worked closely with them to produce guidance and tools that would help any organisation to save an asset important to them.

The £150 million Community Ownership Fund supports community groups in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to take ownership of assets and amenities at risk of being lost.

Voluntary and community groups can bid for funding to acquire important assets and run them for the benefit of the local community.

The Community Ownership Fund launched an updated prospectus for Round 4 on 11 March 2024.

Development support is now available to applicants via the My Community website.

Our development support provider offers initial support and advice to all interested applicants up to the EOI stage. After the EOI stage, certain applicants will be able to access in-depth support for the development of their application and business case, this may also include access to small revenue grants to secure specialist support.

Updates to this page

Published 15 July 2021
Last updated 15 August 2024 + show all updates

  1. Statement added on the status of Round 4 of the Fund.

  2. Updated to show the opening date of the Round 4 Window 1.

  3. Added new version of the prospectus for Round 4.

  4. Added Welsh translation of the round 3 Community Ownership Fund prospectus

  5. Updated to show the opening date of the next window.

  6. Prospectus updated to reflect extension of the maximum capital funding available to new applicants from Round 3 Window 2 onwards. Applicants are now able to apply for up to £2 million in capital funding.

  7. Update made to sections 7 and 11 to clarify assessment criteria for larger projects and the documents that applicants should upload.

  8. Added Community Ownership Fund prospectus, Round 3.

  9. Updated to reflect the opening of the third bidding window of Round 2.

  10. Change to eligible funding requirement.

  11. Added translation

  12. Added new version of prospectus covering changes to the eligibility requirements and application process.

  13. Details of new round 2 start date and reopening of round 1 added.

  14. Added Welsh translation

  15. First published.

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