Unity Impact Grants
Bring your community project to life.
Application window opens
1 September 2026 – 30 September 2026
What are Unity Impact Grants?
Unity Impact Grants are awarded to existing customers to support specific projects making a difference in local communities. Unlike a loan, it doesn’t need to be repaid – it’s our way of giving direct financial help to initiatives that deliver positive impact.
In 2026, we’ve doubled our total grant funding pot to a total of £100,000, which will fund up to 16 grants.
Unity Impact Grants are split between two different initiatives: Unity Social Impact Grants support projects that make a positive social, economic or community impact; and Unity Environmental Impact Grants support activities that deliver positive environmental change or improve sustainability.
The grants programmes are open to customers of Unity Trust Bank who have banked with us since before 1 September 2025.
Customers are welcome to apply for both types of grant, but you may only be selected to receive one grant so we can support as many customers as possible.
Application window opens
Tuesday 1 September 2026 to Wednesday 30 September 2026
Why do we offer these grants?
We have a long history of supporting good causes and we’re proud to back grassroots community projects and charities across the UK.
Our Unity Impact Grants programme was launched in September 2024 to mark our 40th anniversary. Six £5,000 grants were awarded to socially-minded customers to support projects making a positive difference in local communities. In 2025, we raised the grants pot to £50,000 and ten recipients. For 2026, we’ve increased the total grant funding pot again to a total of £100,000 with 16 recipients.
Created through our employee-led Unity & Me programme, Unity Impact Grants are designed to support our people, communities and the planet. The grants are managed by our dedicated Grants & Donations team and are subject to eligibility criteria.
Who can apply?
Grants are open to Unity Trust Bank customers who have been with us for at least one year prior to 1 September 2026. Eligibility criteria applies.
Our grants at a glance
Grant name: Unity Social Impact Grant 2026
Amount: £5,000 per grant
Number of recipients: 12
Total grant pot: £60,000, split equally across three UK regions:
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- Region 1: Scotland, North East and North West
- Region 2: Wales, East Midlands and West Midlands
- Region 3: London, South East and South West
Grants can be used for: projects, operational costs or capital spend. The grant must be used to help your organisation continue making a positive social, economic or community impact
Grants cannot be used for: unrestricted funding
Grant name: Unity Environmental Impact Grant 2026
Amount: £10,000 per grant
Number of recipients: 4
Total grant pot: £40,000
Grants can be used to: support activities that deliver positive environmental change and improve environmental sustainability
What the grants can be used for
We aim for our grants to be as flexible as possible for the successful applicants. We also aim to ensure that our funds are providing the greatest possible benefit to the successful customer and their communities. The use of funds must be clearly defined and must be spent on the following:
Project funding (direct funding)
To help pay for projects, services or products your organisation provides.
Capital funding
To help pay for buying, maintaining or improving buildings, equipment or other long-term assets. You must explain what the funding will be used for and how it will help your organisation make a difference.
Operational funding (indirect funding)
Applies to Unity Social Impact Grants only: To help pay for the everyday costs of running your organisation, including back-office functions, communications, business development and refurbishments.
Impact criteria and assessment
You will need to demonstrate the following as part of your application:
A clearly defined beneficiary group
Your application must clearly describe who will benefit from the funding.
It should explain the challenges or barriers this group face and how your organisation will support them.
Evidence of need
Your application must clearly explain the environmental, economic or social need for your project or service.
Evidence must align with one of the 17 the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Evidence of impact
Your application must show how you check the quality of your organisations work, measure the difference you make, and collect feedback from the people you support.
This helps show that your services lead to meaningful, long lasting change.
Evidence of sustainability
Your application must show how your organisation works in a sustainable way and is committed to reducing its environmental and carbon footprint.
Organisations that can clearly demonstrate responsible environmental actions will receive additional scoring.
How to apply
Our application window opens on 1 September 2026. Applications can be made using our online form which will be accessible from this web page or by following the link within Online Banking from 1 September. The application form will take you through a series of questions confirming your eligibility, the use of funds and proposed impact.
We’ll respond to all applicants, whether successful or not, by email by 5pm on Monday 30 November 2026. We expect this to be a highly subscribed programme, therefore we are unable to provide individual feedback on unsuccessful applications.
Eligibility Criteria
Unity Social Impact Grant eligibility criteria
- You must have been a Unity customer for at least one year prior to 1 September 2026.
- You can be a lending customer, a transactional banking customer with transactions within the last 12 months, or a deposits-only customer, but you must have an ‘active’ account with Unity.
- Unity will accept applications for both the Unity Environmental Impact Grant and Unity Social Impact Grant. However, you may only be selected to receive one grant as we aim to support as many of our customers as possible.
- Applications can be made by individuals who are not Key Contacts or Signatories on their Unity account, but in doing so must attest on the application that they have the permission to act on their behalf, and will receive all correspondence in respect to this application.
- The grant must be no more than 30% of your organisation’s previous years income i.e. your income must be greater than £16,500 in the previous period where applying for a £5,000 grant.
- Your organisation must be based in the UK and must deliver impact in the UK. For clarity, your organisation must be registered and operating in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales.
- Unity will not fund pre-dated matched funding requirements.
- The Unity Social Impact Grant programme will not fund certain customers, such as but not limited to:
- Charities providing grants to other organisations delivering services.
- A Community Interest Company (CIC) which subcontracts its service provision to a third party to deliver services to vulnerable groups.
- Your organisation should be the direct delivery agent of the social, economic, environmental or community good that the application is for. For example, a Unity Social Impact Grant will fund the following:
- A charity responsible for the maintenance and / or providing access to green spaces to protect biodiversity and promote wellbeing.
- A CIC specialising in mental health support services directly to young people.
- A housing association delivering employment and therapeutic services to vulnerable tenants.
- Your organisational incorporation should be within the recognised Volunteer, Community, and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector, and therefore must be one of the following:
- Charity Commission (or nationally relevant equivalent) registered.
- A Community Interest Company (CIC). Incorporation can be by shares or guarantee if your organisation is on the CIC register.
- Registered with the FCA Mutuals list as a co-operative or mutual with clear social, environmental or community purpose.
- Part of a registered Trade Union.
- Local Councils are eligible to apply this year – a grant could be awarded to allow them to deliver a special project, not already funded by precepts or public monies.
- Where applications are received from national charities with a regional presence, the region where the money will be spent must be selected on the application form, as opposed to the region where the head office is based (if this differs) e.g. Head office in London, project in Newcastle, so ‘Region 1’ (for North East) must be selected.
Unity Environmental Impact Grant eligibility criteria
- You must have been a Unity customer for at least one year prior to 1 September 2026.
- You can be a lending customer, a transactional banking customer with transactions within the last 12 months, or a deposits-only customer, but you must have an ‘active’ account with Unity.
- Unity will accept applications for both the Unity Environmental Impact Grant and Unity Social Impact Grant. However, you may only be selected to receive one grant as we aim to support as many of our customers as possible.
- Applications can be made by individuals who are not Key Contacts or Signatories on their Unity account, but in doing so must attest on the application that they have the permission to act on their behalf, and will receive all correspondence in respect to this application.
- The grant must be no more than 30% of your organisation’s previous years income i.e. your income must be greater than £33,500 in the previous year where applying for a £10,000 grant.
- Your organisation must be based in the UK and must deliver impact in the UK. For clarity, your organisation must be registered and operating in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales.
- Unity will not fund pre-dated matched funding requirements.
- The Unity Environmental Impact Grant programme will not fund certain customers, such as but not limited to:
- Charities providing grants to other organisations delivering services.
- A Community Interest Company (CIC) which subcontracts its service provision to a third party to deliver services to vulnerable groups.
- Your organisation should be the direct delivery agent of the environmental good that the application is for. For example, a Unity Environmental Impact Grant will fund a charity responsible for the maintenance and / or providing access to green spaces to protect biodiversity and promote wellbeing.
- The Unity Environmental Impact Grant will be available to all entities and is not restricted to the Volunteer, Community, and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector.
- Unity will consider both standalone projects and contributions to larger ones. Supporting evidence must be provided to confirm that funds are available to complete the project in full, or that you are able to leverage our grant to obtain the remaining project costs.
- The project must be completed within the calendar year following the grant being awarded.
Frequently asked questions about our Unity Impact Grants
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Yes. Both grant programmes are open to customers of Unity Trust Bank who have banked with us for at least one year as at 1 September 2026. Eligible customers are welcome to apply for both types of grant, though you may only be selected to receive one grant as we aim to support as many of our customers as possible. You will need to submit individual forms for each type of grant.
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You can apply for our 2026 Unity Impact Grants from 12:01am on Tuesday 1 September 2026. The closing date for all applications is midnight on Wednesday 30 September 2026.
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We’ll respond to all applicants, whether successful or not, by email by 5pm on Monday 30 November 2026. We expect this to be a highly subscribed programme, therefore we are unable to provide individual feedback on unsuccessful applications.
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Once the application window closes, all eligible applications will be reviewed by an independent assessment panel. Each application will be assigned to a panel member, who will assess it against the published eligibility criteria. Assessors complete a scoring and feedback form before submitting their recommendations.
The assessment results are then brought together and considered by the judging panel, who make the final decision on which applicants will receive funding. We’ll let all applicants know the outcome once the judging process is complete. If you’re successful, we’ll also explain the next steps for receiving your grant.
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If you have any questions about either of the two Unity Impact Grants or the application process itself, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Email the grants team directly at donationspanel@unity.co.uk. We’ll aim to respond within three working days.
Please note, the donations team can only offer guidance on the Unity Impact Grant programme. If you have a general banking query, please contact the Unity Customer Service team at us@unity.co.uk or call us on 0345 140 1000*
*Opening hours are 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, excluding bank and public holidays in England and Wales. Calls are charged at local rate. Calls may be monitored and recorded for training, quality and security purposes..
Our 2025 Unity Impact Grants recipients
In 2025, we created a Unity Impact Grants pot of £50,000, offering our customers the chance to receive one of ten £5,000 grants to help support the change they’re driving in their local communities.
We received almost 200 applications and were overwhelmed by the quality of them. It was a difficult task to select just 10 recipients, as so many are delivering vital support services in their communities. Our panel chose the projects that demonstrated the strongest local impact and clear, sustainable benefits.
Our panel chose the projects that demonstrated the strongest local impact and clear, sustainable benefits.
In their own words
These organisations shared what the funding meant to them when they received their 2024 Unity Impact Grant, and how they planned to use it.
Bee Wirral
Bee Wirral is a non-profit organisation dedicated to supporting members of the Birkenhead community through a range of activities, facilities and training.
Rachael McCoosh, Director at Bee Wirral, said: “Receiving this grant from Unity Trust Bank will make such a difference to our men’s Elemental Project. The funds will support our allotment site, allowing the men to learn about a whole range of eco-therapy activities and to engage in woodwork, which is one of the most popular projects. This will undoubtably go a long way in improving and maintaining positive mental health in the community. We are especially privileged to be one of the first recipients from a grant funder whose ethos and vision align so well with our own.”
Harbour Ayrshire
Harbour Ayrshire is a Scotland-based, trauma-informed organisation that provides support to individuals affected by addiction, mental health challenges, homelessness and violence.
Eddie Gorman, Project Manager at Harbour Ayrshire, said: “The Unity Impact Grant is a lifeline for our transport services, which play a crucial role in supporting those most in need. From helping people access group support and one-to-one interventions, to assisting those fleeing violence or experiencing homelessness, these vehicles are essential to delivering our services.”
Ian Murray, Community Support Coordinator at Harbour Ayrshire, added: “This funding ensures we can continue breaking down barriers for vulnerable individuals, especially those in rural or isolated areas. By providing safe and reliable transport, we’re able to offer critical support, help people rebuild their lives, and foster lasting change in our community.”
More ways to grow your impact
Explore our Unity Impact Toolkit to understand how you can measure and grow the impact of your organisation, or visit our Impact Hub to explore the full social, economic and environmental impact we deliver.