We are delighted to announce that the latest round of The Manchester Building Society Community Fund in partnership with Forever Manchester is NOW OPEN to applications from grassroots community groups in Greater Manchester. The Manchester Building Society Fund is offering awards of up to £2,500. We will close to applications at Midday on Thursday the 14th of May 2026. If you would like to view this page as a PDF, please click below: Manchester Building Society Guidance PDF Fund criteria The Manchester Building Society Fund welcomes applications from community groups based in any of the ten boroughs of Greater Manchester. This Fund will focus on supporting projects that promote: Financial literacy: offering education and guidance on budgeting, debt management, and money-handling skills with the aim of supporting a broad range of and enhance overall financial wellbeing. Work & Education: Supporting a broad range of people into or back into the workplace with activities which help to develop communication, teamwork and other life/work skills. Who can apply? The Manchester Building Society Fund aims to encourage and support grassroots community organisations. This means small, community-based and locally controlled groups that manage themselves, encourage people to get involved as volunteers and who just need a bit of financial help to be able to work with their community in the way they’d like. Applicants must be based in one of the ten boroughs of Greater Manchester and have an annual income of less than £150,000. How much can you apply for? The maximum award request that will be considered in £2,500. What can you apply for? Local groups understand how they can best work in their communities, so we don’t want to limit the type of request you can make. You just need to let us know what you want to do and what positive things your activity will provide for those in your community. At this time, the Manchester Building Society Fund is particularly keen to see applications from projects that support access to work and education as well as financial education. These projects can support people at any stage of their employability journey, for example: Projects that offer education and guidance on personal finance management Projects that support a wide range of people with debt management advice and budget management skills Volunteering opportunities in the community Activities that teach transferable skills such as working in a team or leadership roles Supporting individuals with education and skills gaps Is there anything you can’t apply for? Unfortunately, there are a few things that can’t be funded, such as activities that have already taken place or been paid for, contributions to major appeals, activities promoting political or religious beliefs and activity which should be provided by statutory services. If you’re not sure if we could consider your application for funding, please contact a member of the Forever Manchester Communities Team, email awards@forevermanchester.com and we’ll be happy to help. Supporting Documents For help and guidance on your groups supporting documents and to see what we require to be submitted alongside your application, please refer to our guidance which you can find here: For Supporting Information Please note that this information forms part of the Fund guidance and should be read in full before you start the application form. Deadline for Applications We will close for applications at midday on Thursday the 14th May 2026. Any applications received after this time will not be considered. OPEN TO APPLICATIONS How long will a decision take? For this round of the Manchester Building Society Community Fund, we aim to let you know the outcome of your application by late June 2026. Please do not plan to start any activity until after you hear if your application has been successful. If you have any questions or have trouble filling this in, please contact us at awards@forevermanchester.com or phone 0161 214 0940. Our Frequently asked questions (FAQs) provide further information about our funding programmes, who can apply and the application process.
Manchester Building Society focuses on building a better financial future for the people, communities, towns and cities across the ten boroughs represented by Greater Manchester and the wider North West. It is committed to investing in a physical branch network and believes that branches are key to vibrant local communities and healthy highstreets. Alongside the accessibility of a physical presence, the Society provides a comprehensive digital offering, believing customers should be able to choose how they conduct their financial affairs. As a building society for Manchester, membership will give people a place to have a voice as part of empowering individuals, families and communities to build a brighter future together.
