Funding

This webpage contains links to information on some of the latest funding opportunities available for schools. Please note this list is not exhaustive, as there are over 4,500 different opportunities available at any given time.  If you have a project but are not sure where to look for funds or need assistance in writing an application please contact the Funding Unit, Tel: 01634 332114 or email: symone.krista@medway.gov.uk.

Big Lottery Fund Programmes:

a.Reaching Communities
b.Awards for All
c.Breathing Spaces
d.Playful Ideas
e.Family Learning

Trusts, Foundations & Government Funds

General Grants:

2.Alchemy Foundation
3.Bernard Sunley Charitable Foundation
4.BT Schools Awards
5.Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation
6.Fidelity UK Foundation
7.Garfield Weston Foundation
8.DfES: Great Vegetables Challenge Competition
9.Hedley Foundation
10.Rayne Foundation
11.Sutton Trust
12.Wolfson Foundation
13.Woodroffe Benton Foundation

Support for Young Parents, Teachers and Schools:

14.Care to Learn Scheme
15.Playground Partnership Awards
16.DTI: Setnet Access Grants
17.DfES: Specialist Schools Programme

Art, Education Projects:

18.Clore Duffield Foundation
19.Ragdoll Foundation

Sport Projects:

20.Youth Sport Trust
21.Sport England: Community Investment Programme
22.Football Foundation:
       a.Lottery School Grants
       b.Capital Projects Scheme
       c.Community & Education Scheme
       d.Goalpost Safety Scheme

23.Foundation for Sport & The Arts Grants
24.Ron Pickering Memorial Fund
25.Peter Harrison Foundation

1.Big Lottery Fund (BLF)

They want to support schools in their broader social aims: strengthening community cohesion, fostering youth engagement and securing pride in the local environment.  

BLF have four outcomes that they want to see projects achieve:

• People having better chances in life, with better access to training and development to improve their life skills.
• Stronger communities, with more active citizens working together to tackle problems.
• Improved rural and urban environments, which communities are better able to access and enjoy.
• Healthier and more active people and communities.

All of their programmes must be “additional” to government so they will not fund projects that perform state functions.  For example, they will not give money for teaching staff or classroom equipment.  They will not fund activities which directly relate to the school curriculum.  However, that does not mean that schools are disqualified from BLF’s funding.  If a project helps deliver one to more of their outcomes, then schools can benefit from funding under a number of their programmes.

The School Day

Generally, BLF do not expect to support activities that take place during the school day (apart from during lunch breaks).  However, if a school has a new project that meets the programme aims and there is a strong case for holding an activity during school hours, they will consider the application.  

Example:  A rural school has grounds that include woodland and would like to develop a project with a local wildlife group.  The project will include field trips to the woodland during school hours.  Considerations about daylight hours and the need for teacher involvement make it necessary for the project to take place during the school day.  The project is not part of the school curriculum and no state funding is involved, so it would be eligible for money from BLF.

Programmes:

a. Reaching Communities
Open now – no deadlines

Grants of between £10,001 and £500,000.

Schools are eligible to apply either individually or in partnership with other public, private or voluntary sector organisations.

In 2006/07 at least £100 million will be available under this programme for community projects.  Reaching Communities aims to:

• Bring real improvements to communities and to the lives of people most in need, including those who are hard to reach.
• Support projects that respond to the needs of communities and actively involve them.

They have not set any restrictions on the kids of activities they will fund as long as the project aims to meet a clear need in the community and also meets at least one of their key outcomes.  

They will fund projects for up to 5 years.  

Key to this programme is that all projects are community driven – they expect communities to be actively involved in shaping and delivering projects.

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b. Awards for All
Grants of £300 to £10,000.

Open now – no deadlines

Schools are eligible to apply either individually or in partnership with other public, private or voluntary sector organisations.

Awards for All is a joint Lottery grants programme, supported by Heritage Lottery Fund, Arts Council of England, Sport England and the Big Lottery Fund.  The programme is designed to support a range of projects and activities including art, sport, heritage, education, environment and health.  Schools will have to show how they will genuinely work in partnership with other community based organisations.

The three broad aims of Awards for All are:

• Extending access and participation.
• Increasing people’s skills and creativity.
• Improving the quality of people’s lives.

All projects have to be completed within a year of the award date.

Contact Details: www.awardsforall.org.uk or phone 0845 600 2040.

c. Breathing Places (Phase 2)
Expect the programme to be launched in Autumn 2006.

Grants of £300 to £10,000.

Schools are eligible to apply either individually or in partnership with other public, private or voluntary sector organisations.

The Breathing Places grants programme is a UK wide small grants programme, developed in partnership with the BBC.  It complements the BBC’s Breathing Places campaign and is designed to provide funding for small groups who are inspired by this campaign.  The core aims of the programme are:

• Increase participation and access to local breathing places by encouraging people to become actively involved in them and by supporting activities that are open and accessible to everyone.
• Make a lasting improvement to the local environment by supporting activities that develop existing breathing places or help create and sustain new ones.

Phase two will launch in Autumn 2006 and will be open to schools.  As part of this programme schools are encouraged to work together with local voluntary groups to help create sustainable breathing places for communities to enjoy.

BLF will only make one grant in each breathing place and you must be able to spend the grant within one year.

Programmes that schools can apply to in partnership with another organisation.

d. Playful Ideas
Deadline 31 December 2007

Schools can work in partnership with voluntary and community organisations, social enterprises and parish and town councils.

The Playful Ideas programme will invest up to £16 million to promote new ways of thinking about planning, designing and delivering children’s play.  This programme will support activities that are creative and fun.  Although schools cannot directly apply to this programme, they can work in partnership with an organisation that can.

The programme can accept applications from voluntary and community organisations, social enterprises and parish and town councils.

e. Family Learning
Individual schools cannot apply on their own, but they can be part of a bid working in partnership with voluntary and community organisations or social enterprises.

The family Learning programme will increase opportunities for family learning, particularly for families most in need. BLF are looking for projects that will offer all family members the chance to get involved in learning in an informal and supportive atmosphere.  

There will be more information about this programme on www.biglotteryfund.org.uk when the programme is launched.

Examples of schools projects

The most successful projects are delivered in partnership, working closely with community based organisations.  Here are some examples of project applications BLF have awarded under the Awards for All programme.  They welcome similar applications.

• A school wants to work in partnership with other community organisations to reduce isolation and promote healthy lifestyles.  The project will run a series of after school activities including dance, exercise and cookery classes. The aim is to promote the value of healthy lifestyles and bring the community together.
• A school wants to set up a radio station for internal broadcasting, run by pupils during lunchtime and featuring music and interviews on topics of interest to the children.  They will use the expertise of a community radio station, which will run workshops in the relevant skills.  This will also give pupils who are interested in volunteering with community radio a chance to boost their job prospects.
• A school would like to start an after school table tennis club to broaden the range of sports that pupils can take part in.  The pupils will have the opportunity to take part in interschool competitions and the school will link up with a local club for those pupils who want to continue their interest outside of school.
• A school wants to put on a series of holiday workshops by professional artists in African drumming for pupils, parents and the general public.  They will work with a local dance group to stage a performance which everyone can take part in.

Contact Details: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk or contact their Big Advice Line 0845 4 10 20 30.

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Trusts, Foundations & Government

2.Alchemy Foundation
The Alchemy Foundation provides funding for charities that work within the following categories:

• The material, mental and spiritual welfare of persons suffering from mental or physical illness or disability.
• Persons suffering from the effect of famine.
• The elderly or dying.
• Medical research.
• Children.

Grant Amounts: £20 to £5,000

Deadline: Applications can be made at any time.

Contact Details: Trevereux Manor, Limpsfield Chart, Oxted, Surrey RH8 0TL
Tel: (01883) 730600

3.Bernard Sunley Charitable Foundation
The Foundation avoids publishing specific areas of interest in order to maintain a broad spectrum of charitable giving but most grants fall into the following categories below:

• Education.
• The Arts.
• Heritage.
• Youth.
• Community.
• Environment/conservation.
• Animal welfare.
• Health.
• Medical research.·
• Housing.
• Welfare.
• Leisure.

Grant amounts: No limit set on the size of grants which may range from single payments between £200 to £5,000 to grants made, in exceptional circumstances, through a number of payments which may total over £100,000.

Deadline: Applications can be made at any time.

Contact Details:  Bernard Sunley Charitable Foundation, 20 Berkley Square, London  W1J 6LH
Tel: (020) 7408 2198E-mail: asstdirbsunleycharfund@ukgateway.net

4.BT Schools Awards
All UK schools are eligible to apply for a BT Schools Award.  Schools should consider whether they can demonstrate the following:

• An understanding and endorsement of the principles of constructive dialogue.
• Commitment to helping others have better conversations.
• An attempt to make the most of every discussion, whatever role is played in it.
• A desire to actively seek opportunities to promote the importance of speaking and listening within and outside school.

Deadline(s): 2005/06 deadline for receipt of applications was 14 November 2005.  Details of the 2006/07 Awards will be reported when the information becomes available.

Contact: BT Schools Awards, Educational Communications, BT Centre, The Tower Building, 11 York Road, London SE1 7NX
Tel: (020) 7401 4000
E-mail: enquiries@bteducation.org
Website: http://www.bteducation.org/awards

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5.Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation
Support for projects across the UK in the fields of: the arts; education; social welfare; and Anglo Portuguese Cultural Relations.

Grant Amounts: Maximum of £15,000 to any one grant.

Deadline: Applications can be made at any time

Contact Details: Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, UK Branch, 98 Portland Place, London W1B 1ET
Tel: (020) 7636 5313E-mail: info@gulbenkian.org.uk

6.Fidelity UK Foundation
Grants are available to encourage high standards of management and long-term self-reliance of charitable and non-profit making organisations in the following sectors: Community development, health, arts and culture and education.  Eligibility is confined to organisations located in areas in which Fidelity Investments has an office, namely, Kent, Surrey and London.

Grant Amounts: maximum £100,000

Deadline: Application can be made at any time

Contact Details: Fidelity UK Foundation, Oakhill House, 130 Tonbridge Road, Hildenborough, Kent TN11 9DZ
Tel: (01732) 777364; E-mail: ewa.morgan@fidelity.com
Website: http://www.fidelityukfoundation.org

7.Garfield Weston Foundation
Funding provided by the Foundation in the past has helped projects in the following categories:

• Art.
• Community.
• Education.
• Environment.·
• Health.
• Religion (including church buildings).
• Welfare.
• Youth.

Grant Amounts: Recent grants have ranged from £5,000 to £5 million.  

Deadline: Application can be made at any time

Contact Details: Garfield Weston Foundation, Weston Centre, 10 Grosvenor Street, London W1K 4QY
Tel:(020) 7399 6565; Website: http://www.garfieldweston.org

8.DfES: Great Vegetable Challenge Competition
Prizes of up to £2,500 to encourage primary schools in England to create an 'outdoor classroom' to help their pupils learn about diet, nutrition and the natural environment.  

Winners: £2,500; runners-up: £500 for school grounds development, plus a gardening pack worth £500

Deadline: 16 December 2005.  Details of future Growing Schools' events will be reported when available.

Contact: E-mail: growing.schools@dfes.gsi.gov.uk
Website: http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/growingschools

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9.Hedley Foundation
The main objective of the Foundation is the support of young people.  This accounts for approximately 60% of the Foundation's budget.

Grant Amounts: Average award is less than £5,000

Deadline: Applications may be submitted at any time and will be considered at the next Trustees' meeting.  For an application to be considered at a particular meeting, it must be received at least three weeks beforehand.

The last 2006 meeting date is 15 November.

Contact: Mrs Mary Kitto, Appeals Secretary, The Hedley Foundation, 9 Dowgate Hill, London EC4R 2SU

Tel: (020) 7489 8076   Website: http://www.hedleyfoundation.org.uk

10.Rayne Foundation
Grant aid for registered charities and universities in the UK in support of work of national importance which helps society's most vulnerable or disadvantaged individuals, especially children, young people and the elderly.  Areas of interest include arts, education, health/medicine and social welfare and development.

Grant Amounts: Between £5,000 and £20,000

Deadline: Applications can be made at any time

Contact Details: Carlton House, 33 Robert Adam Street, London W1U 3HR
Tel: (020) 7487 9650 or 9637
E-mail: info@raynefoundation.org.uk
Website: http://www.raynefoundation.org.uk

11.Sutton Trust
Support is given to projects that provide educational opportunities for children and young people from non privileged backgrounds with emphasis on the needs of the more academically able; widening access to universities; and early learning problems for the under three age group.

Grant Amounts: Between £200 to £50,000

Deadline: Applications can be made at any time

Contact Details: Sutton Trust, 111 Upper Richmond Road, Putney, London SW19 2TJ
Tel: (020) 8788 3223
E-mail: emma.claridge@suttontrust.com
Website: http://www.suttontrust.com

12.Wolfson Foundation
Grants are awarded to projects which cover: Medical Research and Healthcare; Science, Technology and Education; or Arts and the Humanities.

Grant Amounts: Range from £1,000 to £3,000,000

Deadline: Applications may be made at any time, although the closing dates for applications to be reviewed at biannual meetings are: 1 March and 1 September annually.

Contact Details: 8 Queen Anne Street, London W1M 9LD
Tel:  (020) 7323 5730

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13.Woodroffe Benton Foundation
Grants are given for work with elderly people, children and young people, people with mental health problems and people with a history of offending, addiction or abuse and education.

Grant Amounts: Majority of grants are around £3,000

Deadline: Trustees meet three times a year so applications should be received by the end of January, May and September to be considered by the Trustees

Contact Details: 16 Fernleigh Court, Harrow, Middlesex HA2 6NA
Tel: (020) 8421 4120
E-mail: alan.king@which.net

Support for Young Parents,  Teachers & Schools:

14.Care To Learn Scheme
Care to Learn provides financial assistance to young parents to pay for childcare so that they can start a new college course to continue with their education and improve their chances of getting a job and being independent.  The scheme is sponsored by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES).

Between August 2006 and July 2007, Care to Learn will deliver financial assistance of up to £155 (£170 for students living within a London borough) per child per week to students for whom childcare costs and associated travel costs are a barrier to continuing their education.

The scheme is not means tested and any grant awarded will not affect the learner's own or their family's benefits or allowances.  Students do not have to be on benefits in order to claim Care to Learn.

Grant awards are provided for:

• Childcare costs while learners study, travel or are on a placement;
• Any registration fees;
• Any deposit needed to reserve a place for their children;
• Childcare fees learners must pay during holiday periods in order to retain the place;
• Any necessary travel expenses to and from the childcare provider.

Learners may use the following kinds of childcare:

• Registered childminder.
• Pre-school playgroup.
• Day nursery.
• Out-of-school club.
• Other registered childcare (such as the college nursery or creche).

Deadline: Applications can be made at any time

Contact Details: Care To Learn Team, Education Department, PO Box 4120, Overseas House, Quay Street, Manchester M60 3YB
Tel: 0845 600 2809 (Young People)                            Tel: (0161) 234 7269 (Professionals)
E-mail: caretolearn@manchester.gov.uk
Website: http://www.dfes.gov.uk/caretolearn

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15.Playground Partnership Awards
The Playground Partnership Awards provides UK primary and special schools with financial support to turn their ideas for improving their playgrounds into a reality.  The awards offer opportunities for high quality teaching and learning right across the curriculum.  It encourages a pupil led approach and requires the involvement of the whole school and the wider school community.

Grant Amounts: Support is available for projects of the following values: £1,000; £2,000; £5,000; and £10,000

Deadline: Annual award scheme.  2006 deadline for receipt of applications was 21 July 2006.  Details of the 2007 awards will be reported when the information becomes available

Contact Details: Tel: 0870 242 5572
E-mail: playgroundpartnerships@edcons.co.uk
Website: http://www.playgroundpartnerships.org

16.DTI: Setnet Access Grants
Grants are available to schools within England and Wales to carry out projects aimed at engaging pupils from black and minority ethnic (BME) groups in exciting and inspiring science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) activities.  Some of the projects will see pupils linking with world-class research institutes, working alongside professional scientists and engineers, and even travelling to South Africa.

Grant Amounts: Up to £30,000 over a three-year period

Deadline: Annual scheme.  2006 deadline has now passed.  Details of the 2007 application round will be reported when the information becomes available

Contact Details: SETNET, 6th Floor, 10 Maltravers Street, London WC2R 3ER
Tel: (020) 7557 6422Website: http://www.setnet.org.uk

17.DfES: Specialist Schools Programme
Support to secondary schools in England to enable them to hold specialist schools status.  The purpose of the Programme is to  encourage schools to develop their own particular strengths and  character, raise standards of achievement and increase diversity of  opportunity to meet the needs and talents of individual pupils.

Grant Amounts: One-off capital grant of £100,000 and extra recurrent funding

Contact Details: Specialist School Designation Team, Department for Education and Skills, 2F Area E, Mowden Hall, Staindrop Road, Darlington DL3 9BG
E-mail: specialist.schools@dfes.gsi.gov.uk
Website: http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/specialistschools

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Arts Education Projects:

18.Clore Duffield Foundation (Small Grants Programme Only)
The Small Grants Programme is for performing arts education projects aimed at children and young people (aged 0-18).  The programme funds education programmes that cover every aspect of the performing arts including opera, dance, music, musical theatre, the spoken word and theatre.

Grant Amounts: Fund project costs ranging from £1,000 to £10,000 (this may increase to £15,000 at the Trustees' discretion).  The total project budget should not exceed £30,000.  The Clore Duffield Foundation prefers to be the major funding body.

Deadline: Applications can be made at any time

Contact Details: The Clore Duffield Foundation, Studio 3, Chelsea Manor Studios, Flood Street, London SW3 5SR
Tel: (020) 7351 6061E-mail: info@cloreduffield.org.uk
Website: http://www.cloreduffield.org.uk

19.Ragdoll Foundation
Support for imaginative and innovative projects that promote the development of young children through the arts.  Preference is given to projects that apply to children during their early years, although appropriate projects for older children which show promise of developing potential, progress and wellbeing may also be considered.

Grant Amounts: £500 to £20,000

Deadline: Applications are considered at Trustee meetings held two or three times a year.  

Contact Details: Ragdoll Foundation, Timothy's Bridge Road, Stratford Upon Avon  CV37 9QN
Tel: (01789) 404116
E-mail: karenn@ragdollfoundation.org.uk
Website: http://www.ragdollfoundation.org.uk

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Sport Projects:

20.CT: Youth Sport Trust
The provision of quality sports programmes throughout the UK for all young people to: enable them to experience and enjoy PE and sport; give them a quality introduction to PE and sport that is suited to their level of development; enable them to experience and benefit from positive competition; help them to develop a healthy lifestyle; and enable them to develop their sporting potential.

Grant Amounts: Support is offered through the following programmes: TOP; Innovation; Sports Colleges; School Sport Coordinators; and Living for Sport Grant amounts vary depending on the programme.

Deadline: Applications can be submitted any time.

Contact Details: Head Office, Sir John Beckwith Centre for Sport, Loughborough, Leicestershire LE11 3TU
Tel: (01509) 226600E-mail: info@youthsporttrust.org
Website: http://www.youthsporttrust.org

21.Sport England: Community Investment Programme
Support in England to increase and widen participation in sport, by providing opportunities for people to start in sport, stay in sport and achieve success in sport at every level.  The ultimate aim of the programme is to create an active and successful sporting nation and eligible projects are assessed against the priorities laid out in each English region's sports plan and Sport England's National Framework for Sport.

Grant Amounts: £5,000 plus (mainly fund revenue projects that increase participation).

Deadline: Applications may be submitted at any time

Contact Details: E-mail: info@sportengland.org  
Website: http://www.sportengland.org

22.Football Foundation

a.Lottery- School Grants
Support for schools and LEAs (Key Stage 1~4 level) in England for school sport projects that aim to build, develop or modernise facilities in order to sustain and/or increase participation.

Grant Amounts: Up to £1 million

Deadline: Applications can be submitted any time.

b.Capital Projects Scheme
Capital funding is available to primarily support organisations that wish to build, develop and/or refurbish facilities in order to sustain and increase participation in football.

Grant Amounts: Generally, up to 50% of project costs can be supported.  In exceptional cases, up to 90% may be available.  No minimum and maximum grant levels are given; levels will be decided on the merits of each individual project

Deadline: Applications can be made at any time

c. Community And Education Scheme
Funding for community and education projects that help to build, develop and/or refurbish football facilities in order to sustain and/or increase participation and volunteering levels.  

The creation of inclusive communities is key to the scheme and target groups include people with disabilities; black and ethnic communities; people on a low income; and women and girls.

Grant Amounts: Between £10,000 and £250,000, up to 90% of costs for up to five years is available

Deadline: Applications can be made at any time

d. Goalpost Safety Scheme
Funding is available towards the replacement of goalposts that fail to meet the British Standards safety requirements.

Grant Amounts: A grant of up to 50% of the costs of a pair of goalposts may be awarded to a maximum ceiling of £1,500

Deadline: Applications can be made at any time

Contact: The Football Foundation, 30 Gloucester Place, London W1U 8FF
Tel: 0845 345 4555
E-mail: enquiries@footballfoundation.org.uk
Website: http://www.footballfoundation.org.uk

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23.Foundation For Sport And The Arts Grants
Assistance in the UK to further athletic sports, athletic games, recreation and the arts to improve the quality of life for the community. Priority is given to measures to increase participation in, and enjoyment of, sport and the arts regardless of levels of competence, and the active participation of young people.

Grant Amounts: Maximum grant £75,000, with the practical maximum in most cases being £35,000-£40,000.  

Deadline: Applications can be made at any time

Contact Details: Foundation for Sport and the Arts, PO Box 20, Liverpool L13 1HB, Tel: (0151) 259 5505
E-mail: contact@thefsa.net
Website: http://www.thefsa.net

24.Ron Pickering Memorial Fund
Financial support for young athletes who are still in education to help them with training and equipment costs.  Young people from the age of 15 to 23 may receive assistance if they have shown by their attitude and dedication that they possess the qualities which will ensure the growth and protection of sport.

Grant Amounts: The Fund does not have a minimum and maximum level of support, and instead prefers to judge each case on its own merits

Deadline: 30 November 06

Contact Details: 11 Wendover Drive, Welwyn, Herts AL6 9LT
Tel: (01438) 715814
E-mail: jean@rpmf.org.uk
Website: http://www.rpmf.org.uk

25.Peter Harrison Foundation
Grants are available for charitable organisations that assist disabled and disadvantaged people.  Priority is given to projects in the field of sport, education and the support of children and young people.  

Preference is given to small organisations that are based in the South East of England.

Grant Amounts: from £500 with no upper limit are available.  Most grants do not exceed £50,000

Deadline: Applications can be made at any time

Contact Details: Foundation House, 42-48 London Road, Reigate, Surrey RH2 9QQ
Tel: (01737) 228000
E-mail: enquiries@peterharrison-foundation.org
Website: http://www.peterharrisonfoundation.org

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