Guidance

Community Ownership Fund Round 4: how to express your interest in applying

This fund helps community groups buy or renovate assets that would otherwise be lost to the community.

The Community Ownership Fund is now closed. There will be no further application windows on the COF programme. We have taken this difficult decision due to the challenging inheritance left by the previous government.

Whilst we are closing the Community Ownership Fund, this government remains committed to the communities’ sector and community empowerment.

The government will deliver on its manifesto commitment to replace the community ‘Right to Bid’ with a strengthened ‘Right to Buy’ Assets of Community Value, creating a more robust pathway to community asset ownership. And we will seek to support high streets by strengthening Business Improvement Districts which have helped to improve town and city centres across the United Kingdom for 20 years, while ensuring they operate to high standards and are accountable to their communities.

We have also implemented new High Street Rental Auction regulations, providing local communities and businesses with a right to rent premises that have long sat vacant, casting a cloud over the local area. The power will help to provide new shops and community spaces, supporting businesses and communities to access the high street and create vibrant, bustling spaces they can be proud of.

We encourage any community groups seeking funding to preserve community assets, including those who may have submitted an Expression of Interest (EOI) but did not submit a full application, to continue to use the guidance and tools available through our development support provider on the MyCommunity site. These tools have been designed to help any organisation seeking to save an asset that is important to them and their local community and will remain available beyond the COF programme. The development support provider may also be able to help to suggest alternative sources of funding that organisations could look to secure. 

The Devolution White Paper, which was published on 16 December 2024, set out plans which demonstrate our commitment to communities and there will be further announcements relating to communities in the new year, including on the community ownership of assets.

Summary of the Community Ownership Fund

You must read the full details about the fund in the prospectus before you start your expression of interest. The prospectus contains everything you need to know about our eligibility criteria.

This fund helps community groups buy or renovate assets that would otherwise be lost to the community.

Assets are venues and meeting spaces used by the local community, such as:

  • community centres
  • cinemas and theatres
  • galleries
  • museums
  • music venues
  • parks
  • post office buildings
  • pubs
  • shops
  • sporting and leisure facilities

Assets can be at risk of being lost to the community from:

  • closure or end of lease
  • neglect or dereliction
  • an unsustainable current business model
  • being for sale
  • being listed for disposal
  • being part of a community asset transfer

The asset must offer value to local people. You must be able to run it sustainably for the long term.

How to start an application

Before you can submit a full application to the Community Ownership Fund, you must first submit an expression of interest (EOI). This is a short form that enables us to assess whether your project may be suitable for COF.

Once completed, the form will give you a result within minutes.  

Applicants that are not suitable for the fund will be informed immediately after submitting their EOI. All other applicants will receive an email confirming that they may be suitable for COF. In some circumstances, where an applicant’s answers indicate that they are likely to be suitable but are at risk of not meeting all the requirements at full application, the email will contain further guidance. This will include advice on any issues that they must address before completing a full application. 

Development support is now available to applicants via the My Community website.

Our development support provider offers initial support and advice to all interested applicants up to the EOI stage.

After the EOI stage, certain applicants will be able to access in-depth support for the development of their application and business case. This may also include access to small revenue grants to secure specialist support.

The questions are straightforward, and we expect it will take you around 20-30 minutes to complete. Please answer all questions accurately and truthfully.

Here is the list of questions you will be asked when submitting an EOI application.

Section 1: Organisation details

  1. Organisation name
  2. Alternative names of your organisation (optional)
  3. Organisation address
  4. How your organisation is classified
  5. Is your organisation subject to any insolvency actions?

Section 2: About your asset

  1. Does your organisation plan both to receive the funding and run the project?
  2. Type of asset
  3. Is the asset based in the UK?
  4. Address of the asset
  5. Is the asset at risk?
  6. What is the risk to the asset? (optional)
  7. Has the asset ever been used by or had significance to the community?
  8. Do you already own the asset?
  9. Does the asset belong to a public authority? (optional)
  10. Select the option which best represents the stage you are at in purchasing the asset (optional)

Section 3: Your funding request

  1. What do you plan to use COF’s funding for?
  2. Will the leasehold have at least 15 years when your organisation submits a full application? (optional)
  3. How much capital funding are you requesting from COF?
  4. Do you plan to request any revenue funding?
  5. Do you plan to secure match funding (either cash or in-kind)?
  6. Where do you plan to source match funding? (optional)
  7. What progress have you made to secure this funding? (optional)
  8. Does your project include an element of housing?
  9. Will you need planning permission for your project?
  10. What stage are you at in securing planning permission? (optional)

Section 4: Development Support Provider

  1. Do you wish to be contacted by the development support provider, if eligible for in-depth support?
  2. What are the main things you feel you need support with to submit a good COF application?
  3. Describe your project and its aims
  4. Lead contact details

Anyone from England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland can express an interest in applying. The process is the same in all areas.

If you’re planning to apply jointly with another organisation, only one of the organisations can submit an EOI.

You can plan to apply for more than one asset, but you must submit an EOI for each one.

What happens next?

Applicants who have submitted an EOI form and have received a successful outcome will be informed 2 weeks before any bidding window opens to full applications, and on the day of its formal opening.

If you receive a successful outcome from the new EOI form you will receive a link to the full application form for all future windows. You will not need to submit another EOI for each bidding window.

Ask a question about your expression of interest

Find the Development Support provider at the My Community website.

Updates to this page

Published 6 March 2024
Last updated 23 December 2024 + show all updates
  1. Update on Community Ownership Fund Round 4.

  2. Statement added on the status of Round 4 of the Fund.

  3. Updated to show the opening date of the Round 4 Window 1.

  4. First published.

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