Grants & Funding Opportunities for Schools

Arts

The Teacher Development Fund from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation aims to support primary school arts-based teaching. Offers around 6 grants of up to £150,000 each year to partnerships between arts/cultural organisations and 5 to 10 schools. Applications open in September.

All state-funded schools in England are eligible to set up an Into Film Club to gain access to thousands of free films, educational resources and access to exclusive events, including Into Film Festival.

Books

LoveReading4Kids funding for schools scheme offers funding for state schools to buy books for children to read for pleasure.

Grants between £1,000 and £5,000
Applications accepted at any time

The Oxford Owl website offers free, tablet-friendly eBooks and resources for primary schools to support children's learning.

Breakkfast Clubs

The National School Breakfast Programme is funded by the DfE and supports schools in England to provide children with a healthy breakfast at the start of the school day. To be eligible, your school must have 40% or more children in income deprivation affecting children index (IDACI) bands A-F.

Magic Breakfast works with schools to offer healthy breakfasts to pupils in the UK. You'll need to submit an expression of interest form and Magic Breakfast will get in touch when it has enough funding. At least 35% of your pupils should be eligible for pupil premium.

The breakfast club programme run by The Greggs Foundation is open to all primary schools in the UK (there's a waiting list for new clubs, but no application deadline). The programme prioritises schools where at least 40% of pupils are eligible for free school meals (FSM).

Capital Projects

Special schools and colleges can apply to The Wolfson Foundation for capital funding for building refurbishments, new buildings and equipment.

Minimum grant amount is £25,000 and match funding is required for projects over £50,000
Deadlines 5 January and 1 July. Applications for the 5 January deadline will open on 20 November with a funding decision in June

The Wolfson Foundation awards grants to state-funded secondary schools and sixth-form colleges for building work or technical equipment to improve the teaching of GCSEs and A-levels in science, computer science, design and technology, art, languages, music and performing arts.

Minimum grant amount is £15,000 and grants don't normally exceed £100,000, with some match funding required for projects over £50,000

Classics

The Classical Association offers grants to schools to support the study of classical topics. It also provides CPD events for school teachers of classical subjects.

4 types of grant: schools (up to £500), outreach (up to £750) and 2 major projects (up to £5,000 and over £5,000)
Applications for the schools and outreach programmes can be made at any time
Deadlines for major project grants:
- Up to £5,000 - 1 March, 1 June, 1 September and 1 December
- Over £5,000 - 1 March and 1 September

Classics for All helps state schools across the UK to introduce or develop the teaching of classical subjects, in the form of free training and resources.

The Roman Society offers funding to promote the teaching of Latin and Roman studies. Grants are mainly for purchasing textbooks and resources, but they can also be used for study days - especially if they benefit large numbers of pupils throughout the year and can be repeated in future years:

Grants from £50 to £600
3 deadlines per year: 1 February, 1 June and 1 November

Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies offers grants to cover the costs of developing new courses in Greek, teaching materials, Greek plays and Classics days or conferences:

Grants usually range from £100 to £500
2 deadlines each year: 1 May and 1 October

Charitable Organisations with an Education Focus

A list of charities based in the UK with contextual information: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Educational_charities_based_in_the_United_Kingdom

Educational Trusts Forum: an association of educational trusts that work together and individually to give young people the best start in life through supporting their home circumstances and facilitating a good education. Each member charity is independent and has its own criteria for making awards. They can provide assistance to parents and guardians to support their children: https://educational-grants.org/find-charity/?all=1

Turn2Us: Turn2us is a national charity providing practical information and support to end financial insecurity. They support families and individuals: https://grants-search.turn2us.org.uk/

Charity Excellence: finds funders for small charities:

· https://www.charityconnect.co.uk/post/trusts-that-fund-education/4513

· https://www.charityexcellence.co.uk/

· https://www.charityexcellence.co.uk/Home/BlogDetail?Link=New_UK_Charity_Grant_Funders

Charity Choice lists charities that provide funds to students, schools, colleges and universities: https://www.charitychoice.co.uk/charities/education-and-training

London School of Economics: list of grant giving bodies who sponsor a range of students to complete university level study: https://info.lse.ac.uk/current-students/financial-support/grant-making-bodies

Grants Online: lists all grants available in the UK for education and training purposes. These can be accessed by schools, settings and education providers. Includes lists of regionally funded projects: https://www.grantsonline.org.uk/news/education-and-training/

Funds Online provides a list of funders to charities:

· https://www.dsc.org.uk/

· https://www.dsc.org.uk/publication/the-directory-of-grant-making-trusts-2024-25/

· https://fundsonline.org.uk/

Community Projects

The UK Community Foundations website has details and links to the 47 accredited community foundations in the UK, each of which has funding streams available that target particular issues in their area.

Tesco Stronger Starts Community Programme will provide £5 million in grants to help give school children across the UK a healthier, more active, stronger start in life. The programme will support 5,000 schools and children's groups every year. If you would like to nominate a school you can do so here,

Get Grants

Disadvantaged Children

BBC Children in Need - Emergency Essentials Programme is for children and young people up to the age of 17 who are facing exceptionally difficult circumstances. It funds critical items such as clothing and bedding.

The Trussell Trust's foodbanks can be found using this searchable map.

Family Action runs Food On Our Doorstep (FOOD) clubs that provide low-cost groceries. Families can find their nearest club here.

The charity Merlin's Magic Wand offers tickets to Merlin Group attractions for young people with disabilities, serious or long-term illnesses; those in care or foster homes or adopted; those impacted by domestic violence, abuse, bullying or serious crime; those with a terminally ill or recently deceased parent/carer or sibling; and young carers.

Educational Projects

Educational charities based in the United Kingdom

The Garfield Weston Foundation awards grants to educational projects. The foundation also supports arts, community, welfare, youth and environmental projects.

'Regular grants' for applications below £100,000 and 'major grants' for applications of £100,000 or more
Only schools with charitable status can apply
Applications accepted at any time

Blue Spark Foundation offers grants for educational, cultural, sporting and other projects that aim to improve the education and development of children.

Many grants under £2,000 and none more than £5,000
Applications accepted at any time

The National Lottery Community Fund offers funding to support community projects and also larger projects. Schools must show that their project will involve, and have a positive impact on, the wider community.

Community project grants up to £20,000 and larger grants over £20,001
Applications accepted at any time

Benefact Trust awards grants to Christian organisations, including schools, supporting projects that make a positive difference to people and communities.

Applications must include the total cost of your project rather than requesting a specific grant amount
Applications considered at any time

Tesco Stronger Starts offers funding for projects that focus on food security, children and young people (e.g. breakfast clubs, food banks, library books).

Grants up to £1,500
Applications accepted at any time

Environmental & Outdoor Projects

The Metropolitan Public Gardens Association gives funding and practical assistance to community gardens and green sites across London.

Grants up to £1,500
No deadline, but applications will be considered at the trustees' quarterly meetings at the end of February, May, August and November

The Nineveh Charitable Trust offers grants to schools and other organisations for UK-based projects that benefit the general public. Education, access and preservation of the countryside are common themes.

No funding limit
Applications welcome at any time, but are considered at the trustees' quarterly meetings

Gardening

The Woodland Trust invites schools to apply for trees to plant in their grounds. There are 2 delivery periods, in March and November. Applications for delivery in March 2025 are open and will close on 13 January.

B&Q runs a community reuse scheme across its stores, donating surplus gardening and DIY materials to be used by local schools and community groups. You can register through the online platform Neighbourly, selecting your nearest store and the items you're interested in receiving.

Geography

The Royal Geographical Society offers funding for geography teachers at secondary level to develop imaginative and creative educational resources with the help of a university collaborator.

2 grants of £1,000 a year
Deadline is 15 February each year

MFL

State-funded secondary schools that teach Mandarin can apply to the Institute of Education's Mandarin Excellence Programme for funding to support developing the school into a centre of excellence for the teaching of Mandarin.

Schools that participate receive at least £20,000 per academic year
Schools can express their interest in joining throughout the year

The Institute of Education also offers a primary Mandarin toolkit, which is free to download, to introduce Mandarin at your school.

The Goethe Institut offers free resources, training and educational opportunities for schools teaching German. It also offers a range of grants and scholarships for German teachers and pupils studying the language.

Music, Heritage & Crafts

The Radcliffe Trust offers grants principally in 2 sectors: music, and heritage and crafts.

Grants generally between £2,500 and £7,500
2 deadlines each year: 31 January and 31 July

SEND

The Clothworkers' Foundation offers funding towards capital projects. Grants can be used for building renovations, or to purchase fixtures, fittings, equipment or vehicles.

Applications accepted at any time

Variety, the children's charity, offers grants for specialist equipment that will directly benefit or support children with disabilities.

Grants usually less than £5,000
Applications can be submitted at any time

Sports

A number of grants are available to schools from Sport England.

The Football Foundation offers grants for a range of improvements and equipment for football pitches.

STEM

The Microbiology Society gives grants to schools to support relevant science teaching or promotion initiatives, or to support developments likely to lead to an improvement in the teaching of any aspect of microbiology.

The Royal Society offers grants to schools to carry out climate and biodiversity research projects in partnership with STEM professionals from academia or industry.

Trips & International Understanding

UK-German Connection gives funding to UK schools that have a partnership with a German school. Funding streams usually centre on work-focused programmes, project-based programmes and visits.

Grants up to £1,000 (partnership visit fund and school partnership bursaries) and up to £2,500 (instant impact fund)
You can apply for funds throughout the year at least 6 weeks in advance of your visit
Please note: applications for school partnership bursaries closed on 31 October

The YHA's Educational Breaks Programme can provide support to schools struggling to meet the costs of residential trips. To be eligible, your school must have 30% or more of pupils registered for free school meals or the pupil premium. It also offers similar support to special schools and alternative provision settings.

Happy Days Children's Charity has funding available for day trips and group activity holidays aimed at children and young people with additional needs.

The Daiwa Foundation offers grants to promote and support interaction between the UK and Japan.

Grants between £2,000 and £9,000
2 deadlines each year: 31 March and 30 September. The application for the March 2025 funding round is opening soon

English Heritage has over 400 sites where schools can book a free self-led visit.

Information correct as at December 2024