We’ve put together a selection of the most frequently asked questions we receive from schools about grants and funding.
The answers to these questions will help to dispel the common myths that surround grants for schools. It is a misconception that there isn’t any additional funding available for schools and, where there is funding available, schools are ineligible to apply. This couldn’t be further from the truth.
1. I am a school/academy. Am I eligible for funding?
Generally, yes. There are plenty of grant-making trusts, foundations and charities in the UK that want to support schools by awarding grants to them. Most importantly, it’s a matter of finding the right funder to meet your school’s specific needs and matching your project to the funder’s criteria.
2. How much funding is available?
There’s a lot. From small grants of several hundred pounds to large capital grants worth millions, there are plenty of opportunities.
3. Where does it come from?
Grant-making trusts, foundations, charities, businesses and individual donors all give grants to schools in the UK. And there are hundreds of them. They vary in size and scope, from the small to the large, and from local to national, so there are plenty of opportunities. To find the right one for your school, you need to consider their charitable objectives and whether your school meets them.
4. How do I get funding?
Many funders ask schools to complete an application form or write a letter of application. Some may invite you to fill out an expression of interest form before you submit a full application.
5. What can I find funding for?
All kinds! You can get funding for playgrounds, sports equipment, gardens, nature trails, capital builds, field trips, staff and teacher training, breakfast clubs, after-school clubs, computers and iPads, arts projects, school libraries, literacy and numeracy projects… the list is endless.
Very rarely will you receive funds so you can top up the coffers and spend it when you like. To be eligible for funding, you need a project, a purpose and be able to give evidence that your project is needed.
6. What can’t I find funding for?
Well, many funders won’t support you if they believe that what you’re asking for funding for is your statutory duty to provide. Funding for teacher salaries is a good example of this – however, this is not to say that all requests for funding for salaries will be turned down. It all depends on your specific circumstances and need.
