Grant Directories

The CLA Charitable Trust funds charities and not-for-profit organisations in England and Wales to support projects that help disabled or disadvantaged people access the benefits of nature and the countryside. Through their funding programme, the Trust awards grants of up to £5,000 to support projects that improve the physical and mental health and wellbeing of people who are disabled or disadvantaged by helping them to visit and participate in recreational and educational opportunities in the countryside. Applications are particularly welcomed for projects for children and young people who are disadvantaged financially, physically, mentally, or from areas of deprivation. The funding will support projects, capital works and running costs.

The Leathersellers' Company is one of the ancient livery companies of the City of London. It makes grants in the areas of Education, Disability, Children and young people and the relief of need. Through the Early Years Grants Programme the Company provides funding of up to £20,000 a year for a maximum of two years to support organisations to provide or increase access to early years development opportunities for young children from low income households in Lewisham through; expanding their existing reach or current work and/or; testing a new approach that has been shown to work elsewhere. For this programme ‘young children’ refers to children aged 0-3 years, with consideration to support projects working with children up to 5 years if sufficient need / impact can be demonstrated.

The National Citizens Service Trust provides funding to not-for-profit organisations to deliver programmes that improve the life chances of young people aged 15 to 25 years in England.

The Asda Foundation aims to transform communities and improve lives by providing independent grants and support to locally relevant community projects throughout the UK. Through the Under 18 Better Starts Grant, the Foundation provides funding of between £400 and £2000 to improve the lives of disadvantaged children and young people across the UK. The funding is available to not-for-profit organisations for projects which give children the best start in life, encourage them to be active, and which tackle poverty, inclusion and wellbeing. Projects could include breakfast clubs, food and clothing banks, arts and crafts groups, brownies, scouts, training for counsellors, U18 sporting/physical activity-based groups, and Easter and Jubilee Celebrations for U18’s. Applications should be made through each local Asda store’s Community Champion. 

The Society for Applied Microbiology is the oldest microbiology society in the UK, serving microbiologists around the world. Through the Outreach and Engagement Grant the society provides grants of up to £4,000 to support activities where aspects of microbiology are promoted to the general public and other relevant stakeholders (or to create resources used for education and training). Proposals eligible for support can be very diverse, from pieces of art and drama to popular music, or funds may be used to aid individuals to attend and exhibit at public science festivals, or in collaborations with schools and community groups.

The European Society for Evolutionary Biology (ESEB) is an academic society that brings together more than 2000 evolutionary biologists from Europe and the rest of the world – researchers, academic teachers, students, as well as journalists and other persons interested in evolution. Through the Outreach Initiative Fund the society provides funding for projects that promote evolution-related activities. The goal of this initiative is to improve public knowledge about evolution globally. Applications for funding will be accepted for educational initiatives that promote evolution, translation of evolutionary material (books, films, and websites) intended for a general audience, public outreach seminars, public exhibitions, etc.

Buttle UK provides funding to help children and young people in the UK living in financial hardship and dealing with multiple challenging social issues reach their potential. Through their Chances for Children Grants scheme, grants of up to £2,400 are available to registered charities, housing associations and public sector organisations to support the needs of vulnerable children and young people who have experienced a recent crisis or change in life that has had a significant and enduring impact to their social and emotional wellbeing and their educational engagement. Support might include items and activities to support learning and development such as laptops, books, wi-fi, educational toys, tuition, etc; clothing and school uniforms; and social, sporting and leisure activities; and items for children/young people’s bedrooms. Applications can be made at any time.

The Trusthouse Charitable Foundation is a grant making foundation that give grants to small and medium sized local organisations in the UK with a demonstrable track record of success working to address local issues in communities of extreme urban deprivation and deprived rural districts. Through the small grants programme the foundation provides funding of between £2,000 and £10,000 to charitable organisations with an income of less than £250,000 for projects that focus on Community Support. Examples of the kind of projects that can be funded include: CommunityServices; CommunityCentres; Alternative Education; Training, mentoring, employment and volunteering opportunities; Youth; Counselling; Family Support Services; Substance Misuse.

OneFamily is a customer-owned business, which reinvests profits for the benefit of it's customers. Through the Young Person's Education Grant scheme the foundation provides funding of up to £250 to help those aged 15-19 with the cost of their education or training. A Grant can be used for: Apprenticeship costs - such as travel and equipment; Further education costs - including travel, laptops and books/study materials; Other study or work related costs - such as travel, specialist clothing/uniform and skills training.

The Hargreaves Foundation is a grant-making charitable foundation set up in 2020 by Peter Hargreaves and his family.  Applications are open for charities and educational institutions seeking funding to support those under the age of 18, and living with a mental health problem, physical disability or growing up in poverty through the mediums of sport and education.

The Youth Futures Foundation aims to transform the lives of young people by unlocking potential and addressing the root causes of youth unemployment.  With a £90 million endowment from the Reclaim fund, the Foundation will support cutting edge solutions and like-minded people to harness the potential of all young people missing out on meaningful employment.  Through the Grants to Support Infrastructure Organisations the Foundation is seeking to fund and evaluate infrastructure organisations that support the needs of frontline organisations across England delivering effective solutions to youth unemployment.

The Kent Community Foundation exists to benefit disadvantaged communities by making grants to support relevant charitable or voluntary organisations, which make a difference to their local communities. Through the Vanquis Social Impact Fund the foundation provides funding of between £1,500 and £10,000 to projects that meet one of the following themes: Improving people’s personal finance capabilities (debt and financial advice/education); Improving physical and/or mental health; Providing support which enhances, creates and sustains positive family relationships; Addressing issues of low educational attainment and improving learning outcomes; Providing people with opportunities to reduce inequality, exclusion and disadvantage, including projects which increase access to employment.

The Community Foundation for Surrey exists to benefit disadvantaged communities by making grants to support relevant charitable or voluntary organisations, which make a difference to their local communities. Through the Surrey Young people's Fund the foundation provides funding of between £50 and £300 to support disadvantaged young people in Surrey to gain access to training and employment.

The Newby Trust funds local, regional or national charities registered and operating in the UK within the broad categories of education, health and social welfare.  Through the Education programme the Trust provides grants of up to £10,000 to enable people to benefit from educational opportunities and to support excellence.

The Esmee Fairbairn Foundation aims to improve the quality of life for people and communities throughout the UK. The Foundation does this by funding the charitable work of organisations that are building an inclusive, creative and sustainable society.  Through the Children and Young people programme the Foundation will fund organisations that seek to challenge the inequalities faced by young people (age 0–25). The Foundation want to see the views of children and young people at the heart of organisations, and young people empowered to take action.

The Westmister Foundation is a grant making charity that aims to address social welfare issues in certain geographic areas. The Foundation’s funding is focused on creating opportunities for young people and their families to have the resilience, skills and capacity to lead happy and healthy lives. Through creating these opportunities, the Foundation aims to tackle the causes of inter-generational inequality and its impact, particularly by reducing the risk of homelessness and mental ill-health.

The Youth Fund supports organisations whose main purpose is to help young people (aged 14-25) who face complex transitions to adulthood. The Paul Hamlyn Foundation concentrate their support on those experiencing the most challenging circumstances: young people who are socially excluded or marginalised, whose experiences are often hidden or less well known, and whose voices are often erased or ignored.

The Mercers Company is one of the most well-established Livery companies in the City of London. The Young People and Education programme aims to give children and young people the opportunity to achieve their potential through school and in communities and extends to helping young people through challenging transitions in their lives.

State funded schools that cater for pupils of military service families can apply for to help meet the needs of pupils that are subject to exceptional mobility as a result of the family moving from one location to another resulting in a change of school for the child and/or have service children whose parents are subject to deployment such as on operational tours, long exercises, training courses etc. 

The Ironmongers’ Foundation wishes to support initiatives that encourage talented young people to study science subjects at school and go on to pursue engineering-related further education or vocational training.  Preference will be given to projects engaging young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. Participants must be under the age of 25.  Activities must be within the UK, with a preference for urban areas outside London and particularly areas in the north and midlands with a manufacturing presence.

Hays Travel Foundation was created in 2015. The foundation works with organisations that support people, who for one reason or another need help to achieve their potential. The foundations focus is on the following objectives: Education; Poverty; Health; Art’s and Culture; Sport. Support is provided to registered charities working with young people under the age of 25 in an area where Hays Travel operates.

The Act for Change Fund is a £3.6 million partnership between the Paul Hamlyn Foundation and the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, matched by the #iwill Fund, for organisations supporting young people working for change. The Act for Change Fund promotes the potential of young people with experience of disadvantage to devise and develop activities and programmes to shape the world around them. It aims to create a more diverse group of social, cultural and political leaders for the future. Applications need to cover how young people lead change in organisations or, alternately, show how organisations are taking steps to make sure that young people can lead change in the future, including involvement at all different levels of the organisation. Funding of between £20,000 and £100,000 is available over 2 years.

The Education Endowment Foundation is an independent charity dedicated to breaking the link between family income and educational achievement. The Improving outcomes for pupils with SEND programme aims to support projects which improve attainment and other educational outcomes, such as social and emotional learning, for children with special educational needs or disability (SEND). To be considered for funding, projects should be informed and supported by evidence of impact on learning outcomes; be practical, cost effective and scalable; be clear how they will support children with SEND; and aim to work with pupils between the ages of 3 and 18

The Grenfell Young Peoples Fund aims to improve the lives of children and young people affected by the Grenfell Tower Fire. Funding of up to £15,000 per year over a three-year period is available to organisations who can provide the following outcomes for the children and young people: Children and Young people have improved wellbeing; Children and young people are engaged, empowered and have a role in society; Young people are ‘work ready’ and/or employed. The following types of activity are likely to be supported: Mental health support, trauma, therapy, early years therapy and counselling; Access to safe spaces; Creative arts, sports, music and dance; Youth engagement; Violence reduction.

The Looked after Children Programme aims to improve the educational attainment of ‘looked after children' and young carers in the UK. The programme offers funding and non- financial support and aims to pilot novel approaches to improving the educational attainment of these children and young carers which can be scaled up so that in time they are able to take advantage of opportunities afforded by tertiary education and employment. Funding of up to  £90,000 is available over a 3-year period and match funding will be required.

The Sutton Trust Summer School Programme is delivered in partnership with the US-UK Fulbright Commission and gives bright, state school students a taste of life at an American University. Applications are open to Students in Year 12 or equivalent who have an interest in US culture and higher education. The programme is centred on a one-week summer school in the US with introductory events and application support in the UK before and after. The programme provides participants with a wide range of activities to help them make the right decisions about American higher education and covers all programme costs, including residential events, accommodation and travel.

Friedrich Froebel was a German educator who devised a set of principles and practices which formed part of an interactive education process. The Froebel Trust promotes the principles developed by Froebel and their vision is a world in which childhood is valued in its own right and each child’s capacity and potential is recognised. The Innovation Grants programme supports the application of Froebelian principles in new areas and environments to support children between the ages of 0 and 8 to play expressively and creatively. Projects funded under the Innovation Grants programme should achieve the following outcomes: Children are supported to play expressively and creatively; New organisations have developed an understanding of Froebelian principles; The Froebel Trust’s profile and awareness has increased.

BlueSpark Foundation is a registered charity which supports the education and development of children and young people by providing grants for educational, cultural, sporting and other projects. Community groups, colleges and schools in England can apply for grants for relatively small-scale projects which are for the public benefit and which otherwise might not happen or would only happen on a lesser scale. In schools, the projects which are supported may relate to intra or extra-curricular activities. The foundation is particularly keen to support projects which the Trustees consider will help enhance the self-confidence, team working skills and future employability of children and young people.

The Cruach Trust is a small Scottish charity that aims to make a difference with its donations. Although the Trust has a preference for supporting gardeners, retired gardeners and for preserving gardens throughout the United Kingdom, donations can be made to a wide range of organisations with charitable objectives in the UK and abroad. Previous grants have been awarded to support horticultural apprenticeships; gardens, wildlife and the natural environment; music, the arts and cultural charities; medical research and support and to organisations working with children, the elderly and vulnerable.

The Royal College of Pathologists Public Engagement Innovation Grant Scheme gives financial support for the delivery of a range of pathology-related events throughout the UK. Grants of up to £1000 are available for individuals or organisations wishing to develop pathology-related public engagement activities or events. Eligible proposals must include the involvement of pathologists and/or laboratory scientists as a key part of the activity and be pathology-based, exploring underlying concepts and issues, rather than just providing information.

The Degree Apprenticeships Development Fund (DADF) provides funding to support new degree apprenticeships by: Creating new higher-quality apprenticeships; establishing capacity and expertise to deliver them and making broader educational opportunities available to learners. This funding is available for the development of degree apprenticeships courses only.

UK-German Connection's special flexible funding scheme aims to bring young people of the UK and Germany together to exchange ideas, promote joint learning and open discussions on special topics and current issues. Grants of £500 to £10,000 are available for projects that ensure that young people actively engage in an educational learning and thinking process, including discussion, debate and reflection. Activities funded must also show strong wider impact, and that the young people take an active role in this.

The Margaret Dobson Further Education Trust supports organisations working with young adults aged 18 to 25 years with a learning disability who are leaving formal education. The Trust aims to give these young people the practical skills needed to prepare them to be able to lead independent lives and will fund projects designed to support young people outside the school environment. For example projects may offer life skills or accredited training, employment experience or opportunities for social interaction to allow self-expression and build self confidence. Applications that demonstrate the involvement of people with learning difficulties and their families, partnership working, a demand for the project and either match funding or active fundraising are more likely to be successful.

The Shackleton Foundation Leadership Award offers early stage venture capital funding for social entrepreneurs with the will to make a difference to young people in challenging circumstances. Grants of up to £10,000 provide seed funding and support to enable aspiring leaders and social entrepreneurs to establish their own ventures to help young people in challenging circumstances. Priority is given to projects that are not solely reliant on grants and donations.

The Mandarin Excellence Programme aims to deliver a minimum of 5000 speakers of Mandarin on their way to a high level of fluency by 2020. Funding of a minimum of £20,000 per year is available to state-funded secondary schools. Schools on the programme should also be able to provide a programme of at least eight hours a week, made up of a combination of class-time teaching, extra-curricular teaching, self-study and intensive language courses in China and the UK. Schools funded through this programme should also act as or work with a hub school, growing the number of schools and pupils in the local area on the programme; and work to ensure that pupils will be on course to complete HSK IV and V exams within 6 years of starting the programme. Pupils should also be on course to complete Chinese GCSE and A Level, IB or Pre-U qualifications during and beyond the programme lifespan

UK-German Connection is offering schools special partnership bursaries of £1,000 (to UK and partner German schools). Grants are available to UK schools to help to sustain their existing partnerships with German schools. Schools that have had joint activities with German schools can apply and to be eligible for funding the school must show evidence of joint plans.

The National Lottery Community Fund's Youth Investment Fund will support voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) youth organisations to deliver, expand and create high quality local youth provision in targeted communities across England. Grants can fund current services and activities but priority may be given to organisations looking to expand existing services and develop new ones. Proportionate overheads are eligible, and up to £50,000 of the grant can be used to help with the refurbishment of existing youth facilities, the development of new ones, and the purchase of equipment.

The Royal Society of Chemistry believes that for chemistry and the chemical sciences to prosper; it must attract, develop and retain a diverse community of talented people. The Inclusion and Diversity fund has been created to provide financial support of up to £5,000 to members, professionals, network groups, volunteer groups, institutions and organisations to enable them to develop innovative products, activities and research projects which promote inclusion and diversity. Proposed activities must demonstrate their relevance to the Society's Inclusion and Diversity strategy.

The Royal Liverpool Seamen's Orphan Institution offers grants to help those families who have lost a seafaring parent. The Institution supports families by providing awards for the children throughout their education and can in some circumstances offer grants to mothers for the children's monthly maintenance, clothing, holidays etc.

Buttle UK provides packages of support worth up to £2,000 to young people who receive no support from their parents or guardians to help them to further their education or employment. To apply, the young person must have a clear education, training or employment goal that they are pursuing or want to pursue within 3 months of applying. Grants can provide direct financial support; help them to set up home and/or to improve their emotional, mental or physical well-being. Some of the essential items that may be funded are: Equipment to take up a training opportunity; interview clothes; a computer for study; travel costs to college; essential household items; recreational or social activities and counselling.

The Royal Institution and the Clothworkers' Foundation are offering UK schools grants of up to £800 to host a show, talk, workshop, challenge or other maths activity to supplement their students' classroom activities. Grants of up to £800 are being offered to eligible state-funded schools, academies and FE colleges to take part in an Enrichment and Enhancement maths activity from the STEM Directories. This is an exciting opportunity for students to take part in a mathematics activity and help integrate mathematics enrichment in school practice.

The Trust primarily funds projects both in the UK and abroad which support the Trust's interests of education, international friendship and understanding, and the promotion of world peace and development. 

The NFU Mutual Charitable Trust supports charities across the UK that focus on agriculture, rural development, and insurance-related initiatives. Key areas of support include education, research, rural poverty relief, and social welfare in rural communities. The trust funds larger projects that have a significant impact on these areas, with an emphasis on advancing public and youth education, agricultural research, and rural community development.

The Leathersellers' Company is one of the ancient livery companies of the City of London. It makes grants in the areas of Education, Disability, Children and young people and the relief of need. The Trust particularly welcome applications supporting the use of leather within the fashion industry, education in leather technology and the leather trade.

The Newcomen Collett Foundation makes the majority of funding towards the education of young people under 25 in Southwark and the Foundation often donates grants to schools. Grant making priorities include assisting schools and other groups to purchase equipment for the benefit of children; supporting extra-curricular activities for children and young people - eg school trips, after-school clubs, holiday clubs, uniformed organisations; assisting organisations which provide educational opportunities to schools and colleges in the Borough of Southwark - eg visiting theatre companies and musicians

The Sir William Boreman's Foundation makes grants to promote the education of young people under the age of 25 who live in Greenwich and Lewisham, particularly those from a low-income or otherwise disadvantaged background. Grants are awarded to both individuals and organisations. Registered charities and educational organisations can apply by setting out in writing: which projects or activities they need funds for; how this will benefit the education of young people living in Greenwich or Lewisham; the operational/project budget; and any other funding they have received or applied for. Applications are considered at meetings in November, February and June each year.

The JJ Charitable Trust Grants main areas of interest are: Literacy - to help improve the effectiveness of literacy teaching in primary and secondary education for children with learning difficulties, including dyslexia, and for ex-offenders or those at risk of offending. Social and cultural change towards more sustainable lifestyles - creative approaches that visualise a sustainable future in positive ways and the role of the media in communicating about sustainability; environment projects overseas, especially community-based agriculture initiatives, which aim to help people help themselves in an environmentally sustainable way. The funding amount is discretionary, and applications can be submitted at any time.

BBC Children in Need Small Grants programme distributes grants of up to £10,000 to not for profit organisations such as Registered charities; Voluntary organisations; Special Schools ; Churches; and Community groups, etc  that work with disadvantaged children below the age of 18 living in the UK. . In particular, grants are available for projects that help children and young people of 18 years and under experiencing illness, distress, abuse or neglect; any kind of disability; behavioural or psychological difficulties; and / or living in poverty or situations of deprivation. Applications should demonstrate how your project will change the lives of children for the better.