The National Lottery Community Fund has announced a new £3 million UK-wide programme to help communities shape how artificial intelligence develops and affects their lives.
The programme will be delivered in partnership with UK Community Foundations and the Centre for the Acceleration of Social Technology (CAST).
It will support a pilot AI Pulse Network of 50 community organisations, alongside community-led projects that develop alternative AI tools and models shaped by local needs and lived experience.
The programme has been announced in response to concerns about the impact of AI on communities, including the use of algorithms in areas such as education, healthcare, welfare, recruitment and workplace monitoring.
Who can apply
Full eligibility details have not yet been announced.
The programme is expected to support community organisations across the UK, particularly those working with communities experiencing poverty, disadvantage and discrimination.
Further details, including the locations of the pilot projects, will be shared by UK Community Foundations.
What you can get
The programme will provide funding through a £3 million investment.
It will support:
- a pilot AI Pulse Network of 50 community organisations
- community-led projects exploring alternative AI tools and models
- work that helps communities identify, understand and respond to the real-world impacts of AI
Individual grant amounts have not yet been confirmed.
Deadline
To be confirmed.
The first grants are expected to be awarded in autumn 2026.
Key notes
This is an early announcement, so applications are not yet open.
Projects could include work that helps communities identify where AI or algorithmic decisions may be causing harm, share learning with others, and support early action.
The programme is likely to be most relevant to organisations working with communities who may be most affected by AI, digital exclusion, automated decision-making or unequal access to technology.
Find out more and apply
Visit The National Lottery Community Fund website for the latest announcement. Further details will be made available through UK Community Foundations when the programme opens.