ACVO Opportunities
Funding
Community Radio Fund
About this fund
Ofcom is today inviting eligible stations to apply for awards from the Community Radio Fund 2026-27.
The Community Radio Fund is allocated by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and managed by Ofcom. The total amount available over the course of 2026-27 is £904,644 which includes £900,000 allocated from DCMS and £4,644 carried forward from a small underspend and returned funds from the previous round. Ofcom will be administering one round of funding this financial year.
In our recent statement we highlighted important changes to the Community Radio Fund this year, including the introduction of multi-year bids as well as a dedicated Equipment Stream. We encourage all applicants to read the newly updated guidance notes for specific eligibility criteria, information on the grants available and reporting requirements.
Summary of Streams
| Equipment Stream | Sustainability Stream | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Studio and transmission equipment costs. Including costs to improve accessibility. | Job roles or projects which support the sustainability of the station. |
| Elligible applicants | Analogue Community Radio services who have been on air for 10 or more years. Must be on air at date of application. | Analogue Community Radio stations and C-DSP stations who are on air at the date of application. |
| Maximum award | £2,000 | £100,000 |
| Multi-year funding available | No |
|
Applications will close at 5pm on Wednesday 14 October 2026. We expect the Community Radio Fund Panel to meet in early January 2027 to consider the applications received.
Applications must use the most up-to-date version of the form, available below. Applications using outdated applications forms will be rejected.
Please submit your application by emailing it to the Community Radio Fund team at communityradiofund@ofcom.org.uk.
Looking for support with funding?
Identifying funding opportunities and writing grant applications can seem overwhelming, especially when the future sustainability of your group is dependent on gaining funding support.Â
Our supportive Funding Officer, Claire Shaw, can help your organisation with every step of the funding application process, from carrying out funding searches to proofreading your application.
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Community Radio Fund
