On 22 January 2026, the government announced the Local Covenant Partnerships Fund.
The government has announced a new initiative designed to support stronger, fairer and more collaborative relationships between charities and local government.
The fund aims to embed the principles of the Civil Society Covenant at a local level, helping councils and voluntary organisations work together more effectively to deliver better outcomes for people and communities.
Many charities operate primarily within local areas and rely on constructive relationships with local authorities to maximise their impact, making this announcement a timely and important development.
The Local Covenant Partnerships Fund will support partnership activity that promotes trust, shared decision-making and meaningful collaboration. By backing local approaches to co-production and joint working, the fund offers an opportunity to move beyond transactional relationships and towards longer-term, more strategic partnerships.
CEO Kate Lee welcomed the announcement:
“The announcement of the Local Covenant Partnerships Fund is a significant and welcome step in embedding the principles of the Civil Society Covenant into everyday practice for charities.
Many organisations operate primarily at a local level, making strong, fair and collaborative relationships with local government essential to their effectiveness. This fund will play a vital role in supporting those relationships and in enabling new, more effective ways of working that deliver better outcomes for people and communities.”
We have long called for stronger recognition of the role charities play locally and for greater consistency in how councils engage with civil society.
The new fund provides an important opportunity to put those principles into practice, particularly at a time where local services and voluntary organisations alike are operating under sustained financial and capacity pressures.
We will continue to engage with government and the sector as further details on the fund emerge. We encourage charities and local infrastructure organisations to explore how the Local Covenant Partnerships Fund could support collaboration in their area.
Visit gov.uk for more information on the grant and how to apply.
