# What is a rolling grant programme?

**Rolling programme**: A rolling programme is a grant scheme that accepts applications at any time, with no closing date. Decisions are made as applications arrive or at regular trustee meetings, on a published timescale. Garfield Weston Foundation, Trust for London and Awards for All England accept applications all year.

- Also called: rolling applications, open all year, no deadline, continuous programme
- Author: OpenGrant
- Updated: 2026-10-26
- Canonical URL: https://opengrant.co.uk/glossary/rolling-programme

A rolling programme is a grant scheme that accepts applications at any time, with no closing date. Decisions are made as applications arrive or at regular trustee meetings, on a timescale the funder publishes. Garfield Weston Foundation says it accepts applications all year round; Trust for London's apply page on 26 October 2026 said "we accept applications on a rolling basis for most of our priority areas, so you can apply at any time"; and National Lottery Awards for All England is open all year with a decision in 16 weeks.

**Why it matters when applying.** Rolling programmes are the backbone of a pipeline because they fill the gaps between fixed deadlines. On 26 October 2026 OpenGrant listed 142 rolling schemes among the 407 open to charities and community groups UK-wide, and 444 among the 724 open to organisations in the North West. The risk is that "no deadline" becomes "never": a rolling application with no internal date slips behind every dated one. [How to build a trust fundraising pipeline](https://opengrant.co.uk/blog/how-to-build-a-trust-fundraising-pipeline) suggests giving each rolling prospect a target submission month.

**Rolling is not fast.** The absence of a deadline says nothing about the decision time. Trust for London shortlists within two months and takes three to four months to a final decision; Awards for All takes 16 weeks; trusts that meet quarterly may take longer. Rolling programmes also tend to limit how often you can apply: Trust for London allows one application a year and asks unsuccessful applicants to wait 12 months. The alternative model, a [funding round](https://opengrant.co.uk/glossary/funding-round) with fixed dates, is easier to plan around but harder to catch.

**Example.** A fictional community centre needs £15,000 by next September. It applies to Awards for All England in February, allowing 16 weeks for a decision and a margin for questions, rather than waiting for a round. It sets the February date in its calendar as if it were a deadline.

## Frequently asked questions

### Does a rolling programme mean a quick decision?

No. It means no deadline, not no wait. National Lottery Awards for All England accepts applications all year and gives a decision in 16 weeks; Trust for London accepts applications on a rolling basis, shortlists within two months and takes three to four months to a final decision. Plan from the decision time, not the absence of a deadline.

### Can I apply to a rolling programme more than once?

Usually not within a set period. Trust for London allows one application per organisation each year and asks unsuccessful applicants to wait at least 12 months before reapplying. Many trusts have similar gaps. Check the funder's guidance and record the earliest reapplication date in your tracker.

### How do I find rolling grant programmes?

OpenGrant's rolling deadlines page lists every scheme in its sources that accepts applications at any time, and each regional and theme page states how many of its schemes are rolling. On 26 October 2026, 142 of the 407 schemes open to charities and community groups UK-wide were rolling.

## Read more

- [Which UK trusts accept unsolicited applications, and how to tell](https://opengrant.co.uk/blog/do-uk-trusts-accept-unsolicited-applications)
- [Grant application tracker: what to record and why](https://opengrant.co.uk/blog/grant-application-tracker-what-to-record)
- [How to apply to the Garfield Weston Foundation: who it funds, typical awards and deadlines](https://opengrant.co.uk/blog/how-to-apply-to-garfield-weston-foundation)
- [How to apply to National Lottery Awards for All England: eligibility, amounts and decision time](https://opengrant.co.uk/blog/how-to-apply-to-national-lottery-awards-for-all-england)
- [Rolling grant programmes](https://opengrant.co.uk/grants/deadlines/rolling)
- [Grant deadlines by month](https://opengrant.co.uk/grants/deadlines)

## Related terms

- [Funding round](https://opengrant.co.uk/glossary/funding-round): A funding round is a fixed period in which a grant programme accepts applications, with an opening date, a closing date and a decision date, after which the programme closes until the next round. Rounds let funders compare applications; applicants must plan backwards from the closing date.
- [Expression of interest](https://opengrant.co.uk/glossary/expression-of-interest): An expression of interest is the short first stage of a two-stage grant application. You outline your organisation, the work and the amount sought, the funder screens it against its priorities, and only those it invites go on to a full application. Esmée Fairbairn and the Heritage Fund use one.
- [Unsolicited application](https://opengrant.co.uk/glossary/unsolicited-application): An unsolicited application is a grant request sent to a funder that did not invite it or publish an open programme. Some trusts welcome them, many small trusts rely on them, and others state that they do not consider them. The funder's website, register entry and accounts usually say which.

## Sources and further reading

- [Garfield Weston Foundation: How to apply](https://garfieldweston.org/for-grant-applicants/how-to-apply/)
- [Trust for London: Apply for funding](https://trustforlondon.org.uk/funding/apply-for-funding)
- [The National Lottery Community Fund: Awards for All England](https://www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/funding/funding-programmes/national-lottery-awards-for-all-england)

Full glossary: https://opengrant.co.uk/glossary.md