The National Lottery Community Fund has opened applications to its Climate Action Fund – Food Systems, offering funding of up to £7 million for partnership projects that aim to strengthen the UK’s food systems and reduce food insecurity.

The funding will support long-term projects that increase access to healthy, affordable food in environmentally sustainable ways.

It will do this by supporting projects that:

• work with nature to create resilient, sustainable and equitable food systems (this is called agroecology)
• address the root cause of long-term problems, not just the symptoms (this is called systems change)

Projects must work towards systems change in the way that:

• community organisations grow and produce food – using agroecological methods
• food gets distributed – aiming for equitable access to healthy, affordable food for all
• offers people and communities different food options – especially those experiencing poverty, disadvantage or discrimination

Grants typically range from £3 million to £5 million for projects lasting between three and seven years, with up to ten projects expected to be funded.

Eligible costs include staff costs, transport, utilities, equipment, and costs that help organisations support communities and smaller partner organisations.

Eligible applicants include not-for-profit organisations working in partnership, such as charities, CICs, CIOs, schools, universities and public bodies.

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Decisions can take up to nine months.