Cabinet Office

The Cabinet Office, a central UK government department established in 1916, serves as the corporate headquarters for the UK civil service, supporting the Prime Minister in ensuring effective government operations through strategic coordination, policy delivery, and public administration integrity. Its core values—impartiality, integrity, professionalism, and public service commitment—drive its role as the Government's Grants Management Function leader, maximising outcomes from public funding while minimising risks like fraud. Distinctively, it acts as the central orchestrator of UK-wide grants, pioneering digital platforms like Find a Grant and Spotlight to enhance transparency, efficiency, and access for applicants, rather than functioning as an independent charitable funder.

It funds broad government priorities including economic growth, innovation, research, health, social policy, social mobility, vulnerable community support, and civil society capacity-building, targeting voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations, charities tackling deprivation, and initiatives for volunteering, digital service delivery, and policy evaluation. Examples include the Social Action Fund, Community First for deprived areas, internship programmes, and large-scale pilots like pandemic compensation schemes, emphasising systemic change, impact measurement, and partnerships with departments.

Eligible applicants are UK-registered charities, community groups, and social enterprises based anywhere in the UK, with a preference for medium-to-large entities demonstrating robust governance and systemic impact; small grassroots groups may qualify for targeted funds, with no religious restrictions. It does not accept unsolicited applications—organisations must monitor the Find a Grant portal for competitive, scheme-specific online forms requiring accounts, governance docs, and impact evidence. Typical grants range from £5,000 to £1,700,000, often restricted to projects, pilots, or capacity-building (rarely core costs or capital). Deadlines are announced per programme (typically 4-8 weeks from launch, decisions in 1-3 months); it excludes misaligned activities lacking national policy fit or innovation potential, standing out for regulating cross-government funding flows and mandating best practices.