Supporting people with practical cost-of-living interventions in North East England

About The Mayor's Opportunity Fund

Community Foundation North East and Point North Community Foundation are partnering with the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority (North East MSA) to run the fourth round of the Mayor’s Opportunity Fund.

The Fund support’s the commitment to a fairer North East through creating opportunity and ensuring the North East is a cohesive, inclusive and resilient region, where everyone thrives and has the opportunity to contribute to the region’s success.

This fourth round of funding will invest £225,000 in small charities and community groups across our region, targeting community organisations delivering practical, immediate support to help residents manage the cost of living.

Organisations applying to work within Tyne & Wear and Northumberland can apply using the link above.

Organisations applying to work in County Durham should apply through Point North:  https://pointnorth.org.uk/grants/

Please do not make more than one application and please register to attend one of the webinars detailed in the next section.

Webinars

We are running two webinars which will cover applying to the Mayor’s Opportunity Fund, helping your organisation to understand its eligibility and fit with the Fund criteria.

For organisations in Tyne & Wear and Northumberland the webinar is on the 6th July  (12pm – 1pm) click here to book a place on the webinar with Community Foundation North East.

For organisations in County Durham the webinar is on the 9th July (10am – 11am), please click here to book a place on the webinar with Point North Community Foundation.

Who can apply

We welcome applications from constituted community groups and charitable, not-for-profit organisations with an annual income under £500,000.

Priority will be given to organisations supporting residents who are:

• Experiencing financial hardship
• In low-income or insecure work
• Falling outside eligibility for sufficient statutory support
• Experiencing digital or financial exclusion
• From groups less likely to access mainstream services

Organisations that have a live Mayor’s Fund grant may reapply, but we may take this into account as part of the decision-making process.

What we will fund

The Fund will prioritise locally trusted organisations that can reach residents most at risk of hardship and provide support that is responsive, preventative, and community-led.

This round is designed to complement existing regional and local provision, including the Warm Homes programme and welfare advice services, ensuring funding adds value rather than duplicates established support.

Funding will support a broad range of practical cost-of-living interventions, including:

Reducing essential costs:

• Community food provision
• Access to low-cost or free essential goods
• Access to energy-saving items and practical support

Access to opportunity and services:

• Community transport initiatives
• Digital access where this reduces costs or increases access to support

Community-led solutions:

• Repair, reuse and sharing initiatives
• Peer support and community-based navigation into services

We will also consider applications for equipment and capital costs for buildings but the application must explain why improved facilities will support the Fund aims.

Grants of up to £7,500 are available and successful applicants can spend their grant over a 12-month period.

Monitoring and reporting

Grantees will need to monitor and report against the intended benefits of the grant for the people you work with and the organisation; for example:

• increased provision of services
• increased numbers of beneficiaries
• increased organisation income
• increased partnership working
• increased workforce

Monitoring will include case studies and grantees may also be asked to participate in publicity and visits by the Mayor and/or North East MSA and Community Foundation staff.

When will we find out if we have been successful?

The fund closes for applications on Monday 27 July 2026 and eligible applications will be assessed and presented to a Fund Panel, chaired by the Mayor or a North East MSA representative.

We expect to notify applicants of the outcome by the end of September 2026.

The Fund Panel will aim to ensure that funding equitably reaches all seven local authority areas within North East MSA’s region, and will consider population size, measures of disadvantage and other factors when reaching its decisions.