Civil Society Covenant: programme
Source: gov.uk (2025-07-23)

Information relating to the Civil Society Covenant, a new principles-based arrangement for re-setting the relationship between UK Government and civil society.

The Civil Society Covenant (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-society-covenant) is a set of principles designed to help build effective partnerships across civil society and government. This page explains the Covenant’s programme of work. To get help putting the Covenant into practice visit Civil Society Covenant tools (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/civil-society-covenant-tools).

About the Civil Society Covenant

The Civil Society Covenant is a new principles-based foundation for resetting the relationship between the UK Government and civil society.

The Covenant symbolises the government’s recognition of civil society as a trusted and independent partner in tackling the deep seated challenges of our time. It underpins a strong, sustainable, and independent civil society capable of collaborating with government alongside a responsive government that works with civil society to achieve its mission.

The Covenant is a living set of principles which will help to build effective partnerships right across the breadth of civil society and government, without cutting across existing administrative or statutory frameworks. The Covenant is relevant across the UK in policy areas where responsibilities are reserved to the UK Government and not devolved to the governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Launching the Civil Society Covenant

Delivering Change Together (https://youtu.be/LcGQAkYhNpk)

The Civil Society Covenant was launched by the Prime Minister at a major summit (https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/pm-speech-at-the-civil-society-summit-17-july-2025) on 17 July, bringing together key representatives from government, Civil Society, and the Impact Economy to explore how collective partnership can deliver on the government’s priority missions. Read the press release PM set to reshape how Government works with communities to tackle Britain’s biggest challenges (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pm-set-to-reshape-how-government-works-with-communities-to-tackle-britains-biggest-challenges).

Summary of findings

In October 2024 the government announced its intention to co-produce a new Civil Society Covenant through engagement and collaboration with the sector and launched a framework (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-society-covenant-framework-launch/annex-a-civil-society-covenant-framework) to kickstart the process.

Working with key partners, including the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) and the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations (ACEVO), DCMS ran one of the most extensive engagement exercises conducted across civil society. Together, we engaged over 1,200 organisations from across the diversity and breadth of civil society as well as Whitehall departments, local authorities, regional and devolved governments.

The Civil Society Covenant - Summary of engagement findings (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-society-covenant/civil-society-covenant-summary-of-engagement-findings) sets out the key themes and messages heard through this engagement. These findings have directly informed the development of the final Civil Society Covenant.

Putting the Civil Society Covenant into practice

The ambition of the Covenant is to re-shape relationships and build lasting partnerships between civil society and all forms of government across the UK. This is a significant, long term challenge that will require sustained commitment and buy-in from a wide and diverse range of different organisations.

To help drive momentum and demonstrate leadership, the UK Government has committed to ensuring that every government department publicly supports and works towards implementing the Covenant in order to become a better partner for civil society. The first steps we will take to implement the Covenant are set out below.

The establishment of the Joint Civil Society Covenant Council

The Joint Council will be central to the delivery of the Covenant, setting direction and providing strategic oversight for its implementation. It will have cross-sector membership comprising senior leaders from civil society and senior representatives from government departments to provide a key forum for driving progress in the reset of the relationship between government and civil society.

The introduction of a range of Task and Finish Groups focusing on specific policy issues impacting the relationship between civil society and government. The Joint Council will play a key role in managing a rolling programme of Task and Finish Groups over the long term, and two groups will initially be established:

A Local Implementation Task and Finish Group to focus on the application of the Covenant at the local level, aiming to drive forward place-based partnership working.

A Commissioning Task and Finish Group aiming to open up possibilities for more collaborative, impactful commissioning relationships between civil society and government, within the existing legislative and regulatory framework.

Specific actions government departments will take to implement the Civil Society Covenant and support partnership working with civil society:

DCMS will be launching a ‘Local Covenant Partnerships’ programme to help realise the aims of the Covenant at the local level. This will support civil society organisations to work collaboratively and in innovative ways with local authorities and public service providers, to deliver services that tackle local policy priorities and better meet the needs of their communities. This support will be delivered in England, targeted at those places across the country that need it most, and will deliver new locally-led Covenant agreements.

The Grants and Commercial Function in the Cabinet Office have reviewed policies and guidance related to their model grant and service contract templates, to ensure that they are clear, and consistent with the principles of the Covenant. Action to update guidance and templates will follow the publication of the Covenant on 17 July, and will be completed as soon as possible after that date.

HMT is committed to working in partnership with civil society and will establish a new civil society forum. This will enable structured dialogue and engagement between civil society representatives, HMT Ministers and senior officials.

Further examples of how the government is applying the Covenant in key policy areas:

DCMS is collaborating with a wide range of civil society organisations to actively engage young people in the co-production and development of a new National Youth Strategy.

DESNZ has relaunched the Net Zero Council (https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/net-zero-council), deepening its partnership with the private sector, civil society, local government and trade unions.

The National Estate for Nature Group is a newly established partnership by DEFRA bringing together England’s most significant landowners from across the public, private and third sectors, to collaborate and accelerate nature recovery on their land. The group includes the National Trust, RSPB and the Wildlife Trusts.

Members of the government’s new Digital Inclusion Action Committee (DIAC) were announced in July, featuring senior figures from across Civil Society, alongside stakeholders from other fields to scrutinise the government’s delivery of the Digital Inclusion Action Plan (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/digital-inclusion-action-plan-first-steps/digital-inclusion-action-plan-first-steps) and advise on the approach to wider digital inclusion.

The government launched its new IT Reuse for Good Charter in June, a voluntary scheme developed with Good Things Foundation, Deloitte, and VodafoneThree. The Charter, part of the Digital Inclusion Action Plan (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/digital-inclusion-action-plan-first-steps/digital-inclusion-action-plan-first-steps), establishes a new standard for responsible IT asset management in the UK and aims to strengthen cross-sector partnerships to shrink the digital divide and address device poverty.

DWP has launched the Youth Advisory Panel – a new panel of young people with experience of being out of education, employment and training, recruited with the help of their partners, Youth Futures Foundation and Youth Employment UK, will have the opportunity to have their say on the government’s Youth Guarantee.

FCDO has simplified its due diligence assessment process for organisations applying for international development grants, reducing paperwork for organisations that have already proven they meet international standards set by Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS).

The Chief Secretary to the Treasury has established the Social Impact Investment Advisory Group in partnership with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, bringing together government, socially motivated investors, representatives from civil society and social investment experts to support policy development.

HO has established the Safer Streets Expert Advisory Group, bringing together expert advisors from across academia, civil society and other sectors to provide frontline perspectives on how to achieve the outcomes of the Safer Streets Mission.

The Government has announced communities funding for up to 350 places, including the 75 places named in the Plan for Neighbourhoods in March 2025. 25 trailblazer neighbourhoods will receive up to £20 million over the next decade as part of a new fund announced at the Spending Review.

Building a programme of mutual exchange and learning between civil society and government. As part of the government’s long term commitment to deliver culture change within Whitehall, over the next 12 months we will be driving forward a mutual exchange and learning programme. This will aim to build understanding of roles and responsibilities while sharing skills and expertise across the sectors. This will include a commitment from central government departments to deliver at least one inward and one outward secondment with civil society.

Departments will be responsible for their own secondments, but if you are interested in hearing more information about this initiative, please contact xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx)

Further resources to support the implementation of the Covenant are available on the Civil Society Covenant: tools page (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/civil-society-covenant-tools), including partnership working examples, in-depth case studies, and links to helpful guidance. The page will be updated at regular intervals with additional resources.