The current London Councils grants scheme was originally created in 1985 on the abolition of the Greater London Council (GLC) and replaced previous London-wide funding schemes that had been provided by the GLC and the London Boroughs Association.

Section 48 of the Local Government Act 1985 enabled boroughs to fund voluntary action across boroughs, sub-regionally and London-wide. The act did not replace activities undertaken within individual boroughs, which continued to be their own responsibility to resource.

The grants scheme became part of the ‘new’ Association of London Government (ALG) when the organisation was formed in April 2000 and became the London Councils grants scheme when the organisation was renamed in October 2006.

The overall funding policies, priorities and strategies of the grants scheme are determined by London Councils’ Leaders’ Committee, which comprises of leaders of all member authorities.

Within the agreed overall framework, detailed decisions on which organisations to fund are taken by London Councils’ Grants Committee, a statutory committee operating as an associated member of London Councils and comprising of 33 councillors, one from each borough.

It is the responsibility of the Grants Committee to ensure the proper operation of the grants scheme; to consider grants applications and commissioning bids and make grants to eligible organisations; to recommend to Leaders’ Committee overall funding policies, strategies and priorities and to recommend an annual budget.