Blue Spark Foundation

Schools, colleges and community groups in England can apply for grants to Blue Spark Foundation for a wide range of projects. The foundation value academic, vocational, artistic and sporting endeavour in equal measure but are particularly keen to support projects which will help enhance the self-confidence, team working skills and future employability of children and young people. Projects which could be supported include drama, music, sport, art and design, debating, public speaking, academic education, vocational training, community projects, enterprise projects and educational excursions. Many grants will be under £2,000, most will be under £5,000 and only in a few cases will grants exceed £10,000.

Deadline: applications reviewed on a rolling basis at approximately 8 week intervals.

Apply here.

Daiwa Foundation

The Daiwa Foundation offers grants of £2,000-£7,000 to individuals, societies, associations or other bodies in the UK or Japan to promote and support interaction between the two countries. Daiwa Foundation Small Grants can cover all fields of activity, including educational and grassroots exchanges, research travel, the organisation of conferences, exhibitions, and other projects and events that fulfil this broad objective. New initiatives are especially encouraged.

Deadline: 31 March and 30 September annually.

Apply here.

David Ross Foundation

The David Ross Foundation's firm belief is that every child and young person has passions and talents. The foundation aims to help them discover their strengths by offering them a wide range of world class educational opportunities. Their primary interests are in the arts, community, education, music and sport and enabling disadvantaged people to participate fully in society.

Deadline: none currently.

Apply here.

The Ironmongers' Company

The Ironmongers’ Company wishes to support projects that provide opportunities for disadvantaged children and young people to fulfil their potential. Projects should deliver clearly defined educational benefits to a specific group of children or young people. The company is particularly interested in enabling primary age children to develop a strong foundation for the future. Projects could, for example, support special educational needs, address behavioural problems or promote citizenship, parenting or life skills. Grants range from a few hundred pounds up to around £10,000. The average grant awarded is £4,000.

Deadline: 15 December and 31 July, annually.

Apply here.

The Shears Foundation

The Shears Foundation welcomes applications for grants of £5,000 from registered charities. The Foundation will support core costs, including staffing but will not contribute to capital projects. Charities must be working in one of their priority areas, currently:

• The development of culture and the arts.
• The development and provision of educational opportunities for adults and / or children.
• Protection, preservation or enhancement of the natural environment.
• Creating stronger / better / more sustainable communities.
• Promoting health and medicine, with an emphasis on research or education. They currently don't consider applications from Hospices.

Deadline: applications considered on a quarterly basis. The next deadline is 29th February.

Apply here.

The Yapp Charitable Trust

The Yapp Charitable Trust offers grants to registered charities with a total annual expenditure of less than £40,000 who are undertaking work with:

• Elderly people.
• Children and young people aged five to 25.
• People with physical impairments, learning difficulties or mental health challenges.
• Social welfare – people trying to overcome life-limiting problems of a social, rather than medical, origin (such as addiction, relationship difficulties, abuse, offending).
• Education and learning (with a particular interest in people who are educationally disadvantaged, whether adults or children).

Deadline: rolling.

Apply here.

Thomas Wall Trust

The Trust believes that communication skills are critical capabilities for people who want to improve their employment prospects, self-confidence, resilience, and life chances. The Trust offer grants up to £5,000 to specific projects or core activities that develop these critical life skills for people from disadvantaged groups and welcomes proposals which target people experiencing multiple deprivation or other groups demonstrably facing major hurdles to employment, especially; women, people with physical, mental, or learning disabilities, refugees and asylum seekers. There is a two-stage application process with applicants invited to stage 2. Eligibilty for funding requires being: A UK charity registered with the Charity Commission for at least 3 years.

Deadline: 29 April 2024.

Apply here.