One large grant is available for a single charitable, benevolent, or philanthropic organisation or consortium to lead a programme committed to delivering significant, long-term change in youth provision across underserved areas in England.

Background

The Youth Matters Fund is provided and administered by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) as part of the Government’s Youth Matters: Your National Youth Strategy (NYS).

The aims are to support disadvantaged young people by breaking down barriers to community access, with the ultimate target by 2035:

  • To halve the participation gap in enriching activities between disadvantaged young people and their peers
  • For half a million more young people to have access to a trusted adult outside of their home.

Objectives of Fund

The Youth Matters Fund (YMF) provides up to £416.8 million of grant funding to deliver significant long-term change in youth services provision across the parts of England with the greatest need.

The fund aims to achieve three core outcomes in around 60 eligible places:

  • Rapid improvements in the level and quality of youth services provision, informed by a step change in engagement with young people.
  • Long-term enhancements to the sustainability of youth sector activities and facilities.
  • The development of meaningful local partnerships that underpin sustainable sector growth.

The funding is for charitable or philanthropic organisations with proven experience in large-scale grant delivery, capital investment, and the youth sector to invest the grant in facilities, equipment, and services to drive sustainable, long-term improvements in youth provision across underserved areas in England.

The support is for young people and youth organisations within underserved areas in England who are delivering for all young people aged 10 to 21, and up to the age of 25 for young people with Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND), but will be targeted at breaking down barriers to access for disadvantaged and/or vulnerable young people. These include (but are not limited to) ethnic minorities, young people with SEND, young people from low socio-economic backgrounds and those living in poverty, care experienced young people and care leavers, young carers.

The maximum, total budget available for the fund is £416.8 million:

  • £335.6 million in capital funding
  • £54.9 million in revenue funding
  • £26.3 million associated with delivery and administration of the Fund up to financial year 2030/31.

Who Can Apply

Applications accepted from a charitable, benevolent, or philanthropic organisation with the capacity, capability, and experience to manage a grant programme of this scale and complexity.

Applicants must be able to demonstrate:

  • Expertise in grant management and the youth sector landscape
  • Robust safeguarding policies and financial management systems
  • A strong commitment to meaningful youth engagement in project design and decision-making.

Applications from organisations with the following will be ‘favoured’:

  • Sector knowledge and capability
  • Delivery experience
  • Monitoring and evaluation
  • Technical ability.

Restrictions

Applications cannot be accepted from joint ventures or unincorporated partnerships or associations.

Eligible Expenditure

The grant will support capital and revenue projects:

  • Capital funding is for a new investment or expenditure that improves the future economic benefits that an asset will generate. It should be sustainable and should not duplicate or create competition with existing youth sector infrastructure.
    • The creation and refurbishment of youth capital assets (such as youth centres, skate parks, and multi-use games areas)
    •  Increasing the availability and quality of smaller capital items such as minibuses, computers etc.
    • Other capital investment for which there is a clear need to improve the quantity, quality and sustainability of youth provision.
  • Revenue funding will support the implementation of larger capital schemes. This money will centre around funding expanded or new enriching activities and youth work, including through staff costs, workforce training and development, and youth empowerment activities.

Full details can be found in the Guidance notes on the GOV.UK website.

How To Apply

Applications are accepted from 10 July 2026 to 21 August 2026 (23:59).

The guidance notes are available on the GOV.UK website.

Registration is to be done via the Government’s Find a Grant platform.

Contact the Department for Culture, Media and Sport for further information.

Youth Matters Fund: delivery partner competition – GOV.UK

Contacts

For further information on how to obtain this fund, please contact the following:

  1. Enquiries
    Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS)
    Email: ym*@******ov.uk