Macmillan’s CARE Grants Programme supports voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise organisations across the UK to tackle deep-rooted unfairness in cancer care. The programme focuses on improving experiences and outcomes for people who face the greatest barriers to accessing the support they need.
CARE stands for Culture • Agency • Respect • Equity, and Macmillan is seeking bold, community-led projects that challenge the current system and create lasting, meaningful change.
Who can apply
Eligible UK-based VCFSE organisations include:
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Registered charities
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CIOs
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CICs
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Companies Limited by Guarantee
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Faith organisations
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Community groups, residents’/tenants’ associations
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Local sports or recreational clubs
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Community benefit societies
Not eligible:
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Unincorporated groups or unregistered charities
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Individual healthcare professionals
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NHS trusts/hospitals
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Local authorities or government bodies
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Commercial businesses or sole traders
Grant value
Organisations can apply for between:
💷 £50,000 and £150,000
Funding themes
Projects must fit under at least one of the programme’s three themes:
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Cultural Responsiveness in Cancer Care
Helping healthcare services understand and meet the cultural needs of diverse communities, removing barriers to person-centred care. -
Shared Decision-Making
Projects that help people better understand their treatment options and take an active role in decisions about their care. -
Dementia-Friendly Cancer Care
Supporting people living with both cancer and dementia, and helping carers participate in treatment decisions.
What they can fund
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Community-led, co-designed projects
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Staff costs for project roles
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Up to 15% core/overhead costs
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Activities that directly align with at least one CARE theme
What they cannot fund
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Political lobbying
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Costs expected to be covered by statutory funding
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Retrospective activity
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Core costs beyond 15%
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Pre-diagnosis cancer care activities
Funding priorities
Macmillan is looking for projects that:
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Are designed with, not just for, those most affected
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Show strong leadership and partnership working
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Have clear goals, solid planning and awareness of the wider system
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Demonstrate capacity to deliver meaningful change
Deadline
⏰ 23 January 2026
How to apply
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Check eligibility via Macmillan’s online quiz
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Read the applicant pack for full guidance
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Prepare your answers offline using the downloadable Word version (recommended as the form does not auto-save)
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Submit your application using the online form
Full guidance and application links:
👉 https://www.macmillan.org.uk/about-us/what-we-do/macmillan-funding-grants/care-grants