The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has opened a 12-week call for evidence, “National Lottery Good Causes: Fund what matters to you“, inviting the public and organisations to shape how good cause funding is distributed over the next three decades.
The call for evidence closes at midday (12 noon) on Friday 23rd September 2026.
Responses are open to those aged 16 and over. The preferred route is the online survey (15–20 minutes, progress can be saved). Alternatively, responses can be sent by email to lottery-good-causes@dcms.gov.uk or by post to the National Lottery Good Causes Team at DCMS.
The Lottery generated over £8 billion in revenue in 2025, with £1.7 billion granted to good causes from ticket sales.
Across the Fourth Licence, each £1 spent is expected to break down roughly as 56p to prizes, 23p to good causes, 12p to Lottery Duty, and the remainder to retailers, operating costs and operator profit.
Funding is split by statute across four causes: 40% to charitable, health, education and environmental activities (via the National Lottery Community Fund), and 20% each to Arts and Culture, Sport, and Heritage. Highlights from the ten-year distribution figures include roughly £6.23 billion via the Community Fund, £2.39 billion via the National Lottery Heritage Fund, and around £2.36 billion via Arts Council England.
Three core objectives are set out:
1. Fund what’s important to you – ensuring funding reflects national and local priorities and reaches those most in need.
2. Empower your communities – giving people a greater voice, and easing access for small organisations, potentially through small and micro grants, and
3. Simplify access – cutting bureaucracy and harnessing technology so more money reaches communities efficiently.
The government stresses continued commitment to the arm’s-length and additionality principles.
The scope of the consultation is deliberately wide and UK-wide, seeking views on how funding is distributed, what it is spent on, and people’s experiences of accessing it, including from those who have never benefited. DCMS is running targeted engagement alongside the survey and will work with the devolved governments; findings will inform later policy proposals.
Further information about the consultation is available on the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) website.
