The £300,000 fund includes contributions from Barclays, National Emergencies Trust, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, The Clothworkers’ Foundation and Comic Relief.

Information Session

In May 2021, our Grants and Community Support Manager, Temi, ran an information session that is now available as a recording.
​If you are still unclear about an aspect of the application, please read through the FAQs available on the bottom of this page (scroll down). If you still need help, please contact us to have your questions answered. 

We developed a detailed application guidance to help our community understand the application process.

What's on offer?

Black-led charities and social enterprises working in communities across the UK will be able to apply for a grant package of £5,000 or £12,500 to help them:
  • Get better informed about their options (moving to new methods of delivery) post-COVID19.
  • Develop new enterprising activities and earned income strategies.
  • Test the viability of specific propositions.
  • Develop clear implementable action plans for such activity.​

Who can apply?

This fund is for UK based organisations led by people that identify as Black or Mixed with Black. We will be prioritising organisations that have a place-based approach. We are also prioritising organisations led by people with lived experience of the problem they are trying to solve and we are determined to ensure each of the organisations we fund has developed a plan for how the funding will lead to the sustainability of their organisation over the next year. 
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We are specifically looking for organisations that are creating impact in underserved communities and providing services to people that have been adversely affected by the COVID crisis in terms of physical health, mental health and/or financial sustainability. The people you support should primarily be people that identify as Black or Mixed with Black.

What is the application process like? 

We developed a detailed Application Guidance to support you as you complete the questions. Please read it before you apply. The application guidance covers information such as the different stages, the due diligence process, the questions that will appear in the application form and the reasoning behind each question. 

When is the application closing date?

NOW CLOSED. The application window closed on June 25th, 2021 at 5pm. NOW CLOSED.

We received 601 applications for this fund, completed 124 grant manager
​1-2-1 calls and ran 4 information sessions over a 6 week period.

Eligibility Criteria

The fund is open to both registered and unregistered organisations based in the UK and working in support of Black communities. We are offering unrestricted grants of £5,000 OR £12,500. 

Other key criteria are:
  • Active in your community. From your website, social media and other means we should be able to see that you have been operating in your community. 
  • Note that unregistered organisations or sole traders MUST have to have a separate bank account dedicated to the work they are doing in the community.
  • Unregistered organisations and sole traders will also only be able to apply for £5,000. For organisations applying for £12,500 you will need to be a constituted organisation. In addition to that, you will need to have brought in or be on target to bring in a minimum of £30k in the past 12 months.
  • Common Call is only open to Black led organisations. We define this as 50% of your leadership team (inclusive of your Board, if you have one) identifies as Black or Mixed with Black. We are also looking to support organisations and community projects that have a specific focus on providing support and resources to people that identify as Black or mixed with Black.
  • We prize lived experience and will only be funding your organisation if 50% of their leadership team (inclusive of your Board, if you have one) has lived experience of the problem you are trying to solve. 
  • We would not be able to fund organisations with an annual turnover above £500,000.

When it comes to supporting registered or unregistered organisations, please note the following:
  • Sole trader (can apply for £5,000)
  • Unincorporated/Not registered (can apply for £5,000)
  • Limited Company by Guarantee (can apply for £5,000)
  • Limited Company by Shares (can apply for £5,000)
  • Limited Partnership (can apply for £5,000)
  • Community Interest Company Limited by Guarantee (can apply for £12,500)
  • Community Interest Company Limited by Shares (can apply for £12,500)
  • Charity (can apply for £12,500)
  • Charitable Trust (can apply for £12,500)
  • Constituted not-for-profit group (can apply for £12,500)
  • Co-operative Society (can apply for £12,500)
  • Community Benefit Society (can apply for £12,500)
  • Charitable Incorporated Organisation (can apply for £12,500)
  • Trust (can apply for £12,500)

Thank you for sending us your applications.

Frequently Asked Questions

To support the application process, we have put together this document on frequently asked questions to  provide further clarity to you. Please note that this is a live document and more FAQs will be added as required.
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  • What do we mean by Black-led organisations?:  We define ‘Black-led’ as 50% of your board and senior leadership team identify as Black or mixed with Black.
  • What is ‘core’ funding?:  Core funding is funding that supports your organisational development, this includes salaries, income generation activities, operations etc.
  • As a result of COVID-19 our income for the last year falls below £30,000. Can we still apply for the £12.5k maximum grant?: For organisations who have been operating for more than a year, yes you can, please note you should provide your pre-COVID financial statements and your most recent statements to support your application.
  • Can you explain ‘a place-based approach’?: This is an approach to problem solving that places the needs of the community in a set geographical area (a borough or district) at the centre. It is a bottom-up approach which believes in the power of community to identify the best answers to a set of problems in the local community and equips them with the necessary tools to solve these problems in a sustainable way. 
  • Can any applicant join the Lived-experience Fellowship?: Yes. The Lived Experience fellowship, a leadership training programme for our community is open to all applicants, in the first instance. In the next few months we will launch the Fellowship and select Fellows from applicants who have indicated interest. Please note that becoming a Fellow is not an indication on the outcome of your grant application. 
  • Can start-ups apply?: Yes they can. We will need to see cash flow forecasts and budgets. You will also have to show that one of your primary objectives is social impact. You will also have to assure us that the grant will be spent ahead of your upcoming financial year-end.
  • Can B-Corps apply?: Yes they can. 
  • Can you apply if you have previously received funding from Common Call?: Yes you can apply for funding, even if you received funding from our pilot fund.
  • Can funding from this grant be used for match funding?: Yes it can.
  • Can organisations use a fiscal host?: Yes, but the main applicant needs to be the delivery organisation.
  • Do you accept partnership applications?: Yes we do. The main delivery organisation needs to be the main applicant.
  • What is the best approach to use when answering questions in ‘the proposal’ section?: To provide clarity to grant assessors, it is good practice to follow a: Who, When, Why, Where & How approach to guide you as you answer the questions in this section.
  • If our organisation was making more that £30,000 before COVID but have been negatively impacted by COVID can we still apply for £12,500?: We will evaluate this on a case by case basis and will require evidence of your pre-covid financial statements. 
  • We registered last year but our accounts are not ready, we do have proof of income - can we apply?: Yes you can. 
  • What are management accounts?: Monthly profit and loss statement that shows the cash position of your organisation. 
  • Can you provide clarity on the safeguarding question in the application?: We want to understand how you will deal with any safeguarding issues. Inform us on the approach you will take if issues were to arise in your organisation/ community group. 
  • What is a whistle blower policy?: ‘Whistleblowing’ means reporting by employees of suspected misconduct, illegal acts or failure to act appropriately within your organisation. A policy  is a document which provides guidance to employees and others who have serious concerns about any aspect of your  work to come forward and voice those concerns in a safe way.
  • What documents are needed for the due diligence process?: For due diligence, we will need your constitution documents, audited or unaudited accounts, management accounts, passport bio page, whistle blower policy, anti-bribery statements, safeguarding policy and in some cases, references. 
  • Will there be Monitoring and Evaluation?: Yes we will carry out M&E activities and will liaise with successful grantees on that process. 
  • Are decisions made on a rolling basis during the application window?:  No. Grant assessment began after the application window closed on June 25, 2021 at 5pm.

Would you prefer this list as a downloadable document?