🌟Votes at 16 are coming – and the Government is investing £2.5 million to support people to engage with democracy, including making sure young people are ready.
🤝The new Democratic Engagement Fund will support projects helping to ensure that when 16 and 17-year-olds head to the ballot box for the first time, they feel informed, included, and empowered to take part.
💪 Too many people feel shut out of democracy. This Fund will directly support the Government's commitment to extend the vote to 16 and 17-year-olds – funding grassroots projects helping make democracy more accessible.
🎯 It’s not just younger voters that will benefit – the Fund will also support ethnic minority groups, people experiencing homelessness, and people from lower-income backgrounds to build a stronger, more inclusive society where everyone's voice counts.
What is the Democratic Engagement Fund? 🏛️
💰A new £2.5 million government grant programme, run by MHCLG, giving community and voluntary organisations funding for projects to help people understand and take part in democracy.
💬 The Fund goes beyond the ballot box – supporting people to get involved in all kinds of democratic activity, from contacting their MP to taking part in local decision-making. Funding will be awarded in January 2027, with projects to start in March of the same year.
What kinds of projects will be funded? 🌟
✅ Informing – Helping people understand how democracy works - including how to vote, what their rights are, and how decisions that affect their daily lives actually get made. This could include democracy workshops run in schools, community centres, and youth clubs.
🤝 Outreach – Meeting people where they are, providing more information on democracy at sports clubs and putting on theatre productions that bring the story of democracy to life
🏘️ Widening Opportunities – Helping people get involved beyond just voting, through mock votes and elections that let young people experience democracy first-hand, and community forums that give people a genuine say in decisions that matter to them.
🚧 Removing Barriers – Targeted, practical support for people who face real obstacles to taking part, whether that's language, low trust in institutions, or simply not knowing where to start.
Who will the Fund aim to help reach? 🎯
The Fund focuses on communities least likely to engage with democracy:
- 👦 Younger people.
- 🤝Ethnic minority groups.
- 🏠 People experiencing homelessness.
- 📦 People who move home frequently.
- ♿ People with disabilities.
- 💷 People from low-income backgrounds.
Projects must go out to people in their own spaces – this is about reaching those who might never otherwise get involved.
How much funding is available for each project? 💰
Most projects will receive up to £25,000, with up to £50,000 available in exceptional cases. The Fund expects to support around 80–100 projects across England, with a wide geographic spread.
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