Grants

Exploring how we understand and think about the economy and how we might imagine ways to change it

We believe that the way we collectively think and talk about the economy is a barrier to our ability to see how it could be changed. It is often referred to as an independent system or likened to a force of nature, and talked about as if economics were a science that only a few highly educated individuals can truly understand. This makes us feel as though it is too big and too complicated to substantially change, all we can do is tinker with parts of it.

We want to explore a central question ‘how we can begin to shift perceptions and beliefs about the economy, about what it is and what it could be?’ The aim is to focus on how we can promote the idea that economic change is possible.

For this strand of funding we are inviting others to learn and discover with us.

This will be a one-off open call for up to 6 organisations who want to work with us over three years. At the end of the three years we hope to have generated shared learning and experiences that can further push our thinking on how to set the scene for meaningful economic systems change.

• Each organisation recruited will receive funding of £50,000 per year for three years (£150,000 in total)
• Participants can either come to us with existing work they do that is relevant to this question, or propose new activities that could help us explore this question
• In addition to delivering individual projects/activities organisations will be compensated for participating in a series of facilitated programme learning days where they will share learning and hear from external experts.

You can learn more about our thinking on this by reading our discussion piece.

Examining the way the financial system operates at the heart of our economy, how the ‘wiring’ for our economy is hidden and needs transforming.

The financial system should exist to allocate available resources to meet economic and social needs but in reality it has begun to serve itself and become more removed from the  real economy. 

Whilst some positive shifts were made within this system in response to the financial crisis of 2008, recently we are seeing a rolling back of some of that progress, meaning that work to push for a fairer and more sustainable system is having to run fast just to stay still. Through this programme of work we are seeking to reverse this and explore barriers and blockages to the creation of a fair and sustainable financial system within the system itself, such as regulations, policy ideas, power dynamics and cultures.

Funding will be granted in three main areas:

• Government Policy and Regulation
• Banking
• Investment

You can learn more about our thinking in this area by reading our discussion piece.

For more information on the sort of funding we offer see our FAQs.

This strand will be open for applications until September 2027.

Supporting organisations that are central to our mission of economic systems change to create a stronger, responsive sector able to challenge those embedded norms.

We consider the ecosystem of organisations that are predominantly working on economic systems change to still be nascent with a stretched capacity. If these organisations are to develop further and hold their own as respected institutions who can challenge on economic systems change, then they need reliable support.  As one of only a few funders dedicated to this issue we recognise the need to retain our commitment to working with organisations on a long-term basis and, where possible, pulling in additional resources to support them. 

We can only fund activity focused on the UK. Your organisation doesn’t necessarily have to be based in the UK but the work you are doing needs to be clearly focused on the UK economy.

You do not have to be a charity to apply – we will fund any sort of organisation as long the work you’re asking us to support is charitable in its nature. This means that it should have what is formally recognised in the UK as a charitable purpose. You can find more information on this here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/charitable-purposes/charitable-purposes

Yes, as long as the nature of your activity is a fit with our programme and charitable in its nature you can apply. We ask that you are hosted either by another constituted partner or by a fiscal hosting organisation. We can support you in looking into this as part of the application process.

Unless we specify that a special call is open to all, organisations can only hold one grant with us at a time to enable us to offer our resources out to as many relevant groups as possible. Please think carefully about which strand of funding is the most relevant to you.

You can of course apply for continuation funding during the lifetime of a grant. If your current grant is due to end in the next year then be aware of our funding timelines and build in sufficient time to reapply for further funding.

Yes, we do not place any restrictions on how many times you apply. If you are reapplying for the same work, please make sure you have taken account of the feedback you have received for previous applications.

Every year we receive far more applications than we can support. Last year the rate of stage one applicants successfully reaching stage two of the process was 8%. For stage two applicants the funding rate was 60%. This year we will be changing our stage one application process to try to help applicants better understand if we are the right funder for them.

From your initial contact with us until the final decision to fund takes around six months. Those declined at stage one will find out in about 3 months.

We will cover all and any costs associated with your work– we are a full cost recovery funder and recognise the need for organisations to seek funds to support their organisational capacity and to build healthy reserves.

Our funding budgets are always oversubscribed and we are often unable to meet the full costs of a project or activity. We fully encourage match funding and are happy to cooperate with other funders to support you. This is not a requirement but is something we see as a positive approach.

Our default position is to award unrestricted grants – a contribution to the work of an organisation or institution – if we believe that their general work aligns with our aims. On occasion we may have to offer a more restricted grant for a particular theme of work or project. Our programme staff will work through each application and explain this during the process.

Our average grant is in the region of £100-120k over two years. We are open to approaches for more but please bear in mind that we can never fully satisfy the demand for our funding and are less likely to be able to award this. We will discuss budget requests with you during the stage 1 application process.