THE STEEL CHARITABLE TRUST: UK UNDER 26 FUND
One-off and multi-year grants of between £10,000 and £25,000 are available to UK registered charities working with or on behalf of children and young people under 26, with an emphasis on creating educational and/or access opportunities for those in circumstances, groups, or locations that face economic challenges, social marginalisation or poor outcomes in later life.
__________
o Application deadline: TUESDAY 15th APRIL 2025. Applications open at midday (12 noon) on Monday 10th March 2025. Two further application windows for 2025 are provided at the end of the article below.
o Funder: The Steel Charitable Trust (founded 1976. Charity number 272384. Total charitable expenditure for the year ended 31 January 2024: £1,193,541 (2023: £1.
o Who can apply: UK registered charities, exempt charities (such as municipally funded museums or schools) with a minimum income of £100,000.
o Key Words: Children and Young People Aged Under 26 facing Economic Challenges, Education, Access, Marginalised Groups, United Kingdom.
___________
From 2025, following a strategy review, the Steel Charitable Trust has decided to split its budget across two streams:
1. 50% will be earmarked for the new LUTON MATTERS Programme which will focus on supporting projects in Luton that are broadly in line with Luton Council’s 2040 vision (applications are expected to open in Spring 2025).
2. 50% will be focussed on the rest of the UK for charities working with or on behalf of children and young people under 26, with an emphasis on creating educational and/or access opportunities for those in circumstances, groups, or locations that face economic challenges, social marginalisation or poor outcomes in later life.
The Trust’s UK Under 26 Fund aims to improve outcomes for children and young people in different parts of the UK (regardless of their nationality, culture or ethnic origin) who are wholly or mainly under 26 years of age ( the Trust states ‘mainly under the age of 26′ because it does not want to discourage what could be a strong application from, for example, an organisation supporting young people in the age range 21-26).
The overarching focus of the Fund is on creating educational and/or access opportunities for young people in situations, groups or locations that face economic challenges or social marginalisation that may lead to significant disadvantages in later life.
Applicants must:
o Be a UK-registered charity or an Exempt Charity as defined in the Charities Act 2011 or its equivalents in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
o Be seeking funding towards work that will be delivered in any part of the United Kingdom, except Luton (projects in Luton should apply to the LUTON MATTERS programme once it becomes available later in 2025).
o Have a minimum income of £100k in their previous financial year.
o Be able to produce at least one full year of accounts, that confirm the required income threshold, and
o Be seeking a grant of a minimum of £10,000 per year.
The minimum annual grant size is £10,000. Most one-off grants fall in the range £10,000-£25,000, usually made as a single payment. Where multi-year awards are made, a report is required and must be approved by Trustees before the release of subsequent instalments.
Funding is not available for:
o Work where religious practice, worship or proselytizing is overt or the main objective.
o Work that is overtly connected to political parties.
o Work that will take place overseas, or
o Work that has already taken place.
The deadline for applications is Tuesday 15th April 2025. Applications, which will be accepted by the Trust from Monday 10th March 2025, will be reviewed by the Trust in June 2025. Additional application windows during 2025 are scheduled for:
1. Wednesday 16th April to Tuesday 15th July for consideration in September 2025, and
2. Wednesday 16th July to Tuesday 15th October for consideration in December 2025.
Further information, guidance and an online application form is available on the Trust’s website.
Please note that the following supporting documents will be required with each application and must be uploaded into the online portal before the application can be submitted.
o The charity’s most recent accounts
o A grant funding plan and budget (click here for guidance – the Trust doesn’t want applicants to create something specific if they already have a similar document)
o The charity’s safeguarding policy/policies, and
o The charity’s privacy policy.