The UK Government offers funding support for vulnerable places of worship, including mosques, for physical protective security measures (e.g CCTV, alarm systems and secure gates, fencing, windows and doors etc) and/or security guarding services (e.g. visible security guards).
Official scheme website related to mosques is here: www.gov.uk/guidance/protective-security-for-mosques-scheme
The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) provides the following FAQ below to help the British Muslim community understand the scheme. This page was last updated on 31 October 2025.
- Can Mosques apply for this scheme?
- What is the deadline for submitting an application for this scheme?
- What can the funds from this scheme be used for?
- Is this a new scheme?
- I live in Scotland or Northern Ireland, does the scheme apply to me?
- What is not covered by the scheme?
- Who will be the main point of contact for this scheme if my application is successful?
- Which Mosques should apply to this scheme?
- Can I apply for the scheme this year if I have received funding from the scheme in the last 2 years?
- Do I have to be a registered charity to apply for this fund?
- What supporting evidence is needed for an application for this scheme?
- What if my Mosque has not experienced hate crime, can I still apply for these funds?
- How do I apply for this scheme?
- What information is needed when submitting an application form?
- What information can increase the chances of my application being more successful?
- Why have I not heard about this scheme before?
- Why is the Government funding security at Places of Worship?
- What does the MCB say about the scheme?
- How long does it take to complete the application form?
- Are CCTV cameras installed through this scheme monitored by the Government or other agencies?
- Is the scheme linked to PREVENT?
- I want to use my own CCTV equipment provider and apply for a grant to cover the costs of this. Is this possible?
- Is this funding applicable for schools, or other Muslim institutions, or just mosques?
- How can I find out more and apply to the scheme?
(1) Can Mosques apply for this scheme?
Yes
(2) What is the deadline for submitting an application for this scheme?
There is currently no advertised deadline. Applications can be submitted on a rolling basis, however there is currently a large backlog and some mosques are waiting several months for their applications to be processed.
(3) What can the funds from this scheme be used for?
Physical protective security, such as:
- secure fencing and/or railings
- manually operated pedestrian and vehicle gates
- CCTV (fixed cameras, not pan-tilt cameras)
- door hardening, locks and mailbox / mail bag
- reinforcing glazed windows (with anti-shatter film or bars/grilles only)
- intruder alarms including integrated smoke/heat detection
- door entry access control (fob or keypad)
- video intercom systems
- lighting (building mounted)
and/or security guarding services (e.g. visible security guards).
(4) Is this a new scheme?
No, the UK Government launched the Places of Worship (PoW) Protective Security Scheme for England and Wales in 2016. The scheme is designed to support Places of Worship and associated community centres at risk of hate crime, to access funding for improvements to their building security. Following the riots in summer of 2024, applications for mosques has been seen separated into a dedicated Protective Security for Mosques Scheme (PSMS).
(5) I live in Scotland or Northern Ireland, does the scheme apply to me?
Yes, since 2024 the scheme covers all four nations of the UK
(6) What is not covered by the scheme?
This scheme cannot fund any additional costs that might result from measures being installed, such as the cost of applying for planning permission or any preparatory work needed (such as ground clearance).
(7) Who will be the main point of contact for this scheme if my application is successful?
Esotec Limited is the Home Office’s delivery partner for physical protective security measures and will be the main point of contact for places of worship who are successful in going forward to the site survey stage.
(8) Which Mosques should apply to this scheme?
- If you have experienced hate crime at your Mosque, or
- If you feel that your Mosque is vulnerable to hate crime; for example, if hate crime has happened at other places of worship or sites in your area, or if people attending your Mosque have been impacted by hate crime in your local area.
(9) Can I apply for the scheme this year if I have received funding from the scheme in the last few years?
Yes, however funding for places of worship that have received funding in the last two years will be at the discretion of the Home Office. You may wish to query the Home Office in advance – they only provide an email address which is [EMAIL PROTECTED]
If you represent a mosque that has received funding previously, we encourage you to apply for guarding services if you feel that visible security guarding would benefit your mosque and attending worshippers.
(10) Do I have to be a registered charity to apply for this fund?
Yes. Places of worship and associated faith community centres are normally charitable and should register as charities if their income from all sources is over £5,000 a year.
If you are lawfully exempt, you will be required as part of your application to include a written confirmation of your exemption and the justification for your exemption. You must upload this written confirmation to the application form on your organisation’s letter headed paper.
If you are not registered as a charity and are not exempt, you will need to register with the Charity Commission before applying to the scheme.
If you would like advice and support on completing the application to register as a charity, are unsure about whether you need to register, or have any other queries about registering as a charity, please contact, [email protected].
(11) What supporting evidence is needed for an application for this scheme?
To submit a valid application, you will need to show that:
- hate crimes or hate incidents have happened at your place of worship, or
- hate crime has happened in your local area and you think there is a high chance that your place of worship could also be targeted
- You will need to provide evidence that the community at your place of worship is vulnerable to the kind of hate crime that targets people because of their religion and race.
(12) What if my Mosque has not experienced hate crime, can I still apply for these funds?
If you feel that your Mosque is vulnerable to hate crime, but has not directly experienced any hate crime incidents, please provide:
- details of the incidents that have happened in your local area
- a letter or email from your local police force confirming that your site is in an area of high incidence of religiously or racially motivated hate crime
- evidence of particular tensions in the community e.g. a letter from a local authority community coordinator
It is important to also include details about how these incidents have affected worshippers in your community:
- how did they make people feel?
- were people frightened?
- did people stop attending worship or other events at the site?
You should also provide supporting evidence with your application form. This could be photographs of damage or graffiti at your Mosque, police crime reports, or local newspaper reports. You can upload a maximum of 10 files of evidence in support of your application.
Here are some examples of the types of evidence they are looking for, but there may be other examples you would like to include:
- photographs/reports of incidents at your Mosque/associated faith community centre or nearby
- police reports of a hate crime or incident at your Mosque/associated faith community centre or nearby
- a letter or email from your local police force confirming that your institution is in an area where there has been high incidence of religiously motivated hate crimes
- evidence of particular tensions in the community e.g. from a local authority community coordinator
- reports of experiences of hate crime or verbal abuse from worshippers at your Mosque/associated faith community centre
- a survey or consensus of people in your faith community showing how they feel about hate crimes that have happened at your Mosque or feelings of vulnerability about hate crime in your local community
(13) How do I apply for this scheme?
To apply for funding through the schemes, you will need to complete an online application.
(14) What information is needed when submitting an application form?
The following information is required for the online application form:
- name and address of your Mosque or associated Muslim faith community centre
- name of contact person, position/job title, email address and phone number
- charity number, or letter of exemption if applicable
- existing security measures at your site
- outline of any previous applications to the scheme and the outcome
It’s important that you provide as much detail as you can about all hate crimes or incidents that have affected your Mosque and the people that worship there to demonstrate the need. When providing your evidence, consider:
- How recently has the crime/incident occurred?
- How frequently do you experience hate crimes/incidents? Have the crimes/incidents occurred over a period of time?
- What is the impact of the crime/incident on your community? How do they feel about incidents that have happened? Has it affected people coming to worship?
(15) What information can increase the chances of my application being more successful?
Your application is more likely to be successful if you:
- provide clear evidence to explain how and why your Mosque and the people who worship there are vulnerable to hate crime
- detail all hate crime incidents experienced at, or nearby to, your Mosque and use clear evidence to show what happened wherever you can (for example, an applicant who has suffered hate graffiti should upload photos of the graffiti)
- outline the impact of these incidents on worshippers, which could include reports from people who experienced or witnessed the hate crime explaining how the incident made them feel and how it has affected them (for example, whether it stopped them attending worship)
Applications in previous years that that were unsuccessful tended to only provide limited evidence and/or did not clarify why their Mosque was vulnerable to hate crime. For example, not explaining what photographs showed or only providing police incident reference numbers, but not explaining what had happened.
The less detailed evidence of your Mosque’s vulnerability to hate crim you provide, the less likely your application is to be successful.
(16) When will I find out the outcome of my application for this scheme?
The applicants will find out by email if they have been successful or not under the schemes.
However there is currently a large backlog and some mosques are waiting several months for their applications to be processed, so its important you get your application in early.
(16) Why have I not heard about this scheme before?
There has been, and still is, a lack of awareness in many parts of this British Muslim community of this scheme.
(17) Why is the Government funding security at Places of Worship?
The scheme is part of the Government’s Plan for Tackling Hate Crime published in 2016. Home Office statistics also continue to show that for the past few years, approximately half of religiously-motivated hate crime in England and Wales is targeted at Muslims. After the New Zealand Islamophobic Terrorist Attacks in March 2019 that murdered 51 worshippers at two mosques, the MCB wrote to the Prime Minister calling on the UK Government to properly fund mosque security, in-line with funding amounts for other faith communities. The following day, the Home Secretary announced additional funding for the scheme which was welcomed by the MCB. The scheme was expanded following the summer 2024 riots in England and Northern Ireland.
(18) What does MCB say about the scheme?
In June 2019, the MCB issued a Briefing Paper to the Home Office with 14 recommendations on how the scheme can improve its uptake, trust and respect amongst British Muslim communities. Following the Islamophobic arson attack on Peacehaven Mosque in October 2025, the MCB updated the briefing paper with recommendations to the Home Office, which can be viewed online here.
(19) How long does it take to complete the application form?
The online application form requires the applicant to upload evidence of how and why your place of worship/community centre is vulnerable to hate crime. A number of hours need to be set aside to gather the information and make a submission. The MCB can also offer advice and support on your application, please get in touch here.
(20) Are CCTV cameras installed through this scheme monitored by the Government or other agencies?
Since 2020, the scheme uses a single approved contractor, Esotec Limited, for managing the scheme on behalf of the Government, including purchasing and installing the security equipment for successful applicants. No information is publicly available regarding the ongoing operation and maintenance arrangements with Esotec Limited for the security equipment following its installation.
(21) Is the scheme linked to PREVENT?
The scheme is not advertised as being related to or part of the PREVENT scheme. Responsibility for delivering the scheme falls within the Home Office. One of the MCB’s recommendations to the Home Office in our 2019 briefing paper, as well as more recent 2025 briefing paper, was for the scheme’s marketing and communication to clarify that since its launch in 2016, the scheme “…has been and will remain separate to the Prevent strategy and has no strings attached…”
(22) I want to use my own CCTV equipment provider and apply for a grant to cover the costs of this. Is this possible?
Prior to 2019, the scheme allowed Places of Worship to obtain at least 3 quotes from service providers of their choice. Since 2020, with the objective of streamlining the application, quotation and assessment process, the scheme rules changed to a structure whereby a single approved supplier, Esotec Limited, manages the scheme on behalf of the Home Office and arranges for installation of security measures at places of worship who have been successfully awarded funding through the scheme. One of the MCB’s recommendations to the Home Office in our 2019 briefing paper was to for the scheme to ensure transparency in the tendering process between the Government and installation contractor with the independence of sub-contractors maintained at all times, and the place of worship having the choice of selecting from a pool of approved contractors to perform the installation work.
(23) Is this funding applicable for schools, or other Muslim institutions, or just mosques?
Eligible Muslim community institutions for the main scheme are limited to mosques and associated Muslim faith community centres that are vulnerable to hate crime.
(24) How can I find out more and apply to the scheme?
The official UK Government scheme web page with more information and links to application form can be found here: www.gov.uk/guidance/protective-security-for-mosques-scheme
Can’t find an answer to your question? Email us on mosques.queries AT mcbplatform-production.up.railway.app
The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) provides information for general purposes only. The content is not intended as professional advice or religious rulings. While we strive for accuracy, we do not guarantee the completeness or reliability of the information. External links are provided for convenience and do not imply endorsement. We strongly advise that any reader evaluates the information and seeks expert advice as needed. We are not liable for any damages resulting from the use of the information provided. Use the information at your own discretion.