Why is the Volunteering Wales Main Grant Scheme, administered by the Wales Council for Voluntary Action, closed to applications, and what other funding is available from the Welsh Government for volunteering?
Answered by Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip
| Answered on 23/12/2025
The Volunteering Wales Main Grant Scheme is run through funding rounds instead of a rolling programme. The latest round of applications will go to panel in January, and the next round of the grant will open to applications in October 2026.
Welsh Government provides funding for voluntary organisations and community groups to promote and improve volunteering in Wales through three Volunteering Wales Grants administered by WCVA. These are:
- The Volunteering Wales Main Grant aims to increase volunteer engagement by removing barriers to volunteering and promote changes in beneficiary organisations to embed volunteering into their working practices. Funding is available for projects up to two years for up to £30k per year.
- The Volunteering Wales Strategic Grant scheme funds a small number of strategic investments to unlock the strategic potential of volunteering over the long term
- Youth Led Grants funds projects that give young people a platform to become decision makers. This fund id distributed to the 19 County Voluntary Councils (CVCs) across Wales and is decided by a grant panel of young people.