The Royal Society

Partnership Grants

Royal Society grants of £1,500 or £3,000 for UK schools and colleges teaching 5 to 18 year olds to run a long-term investigative STEM project with a STEM professional from academia or industry, with the students as the researchers. The money is mainly for equipment, plus limited STEM partner travel, teacher cover and a showcase event. Projects linked to climate change and biodiversity count as Tomorrow's Climate Scientists projects, and there is extra flexibility for projects with students with SEND. The last 2026 deadline is 30 November 2026, but Stage 1 closes a week earlier, and the school must already have found its own STEM partner.

Apply on the funder’s site

You could get: £1,500 – £3,000
Deadline: 43 days left; 30 November
Effort: Moderate; full application with documents

Who can apply

UK schools and colleges (including sixth forms and further education, and those in the Channel Islands and Isle of Man) supporting students aged 5 to 18; the students on the project must be 5 to 18 (Reception can join alongside other age groups)
The application must be started by a member of staff at the school or college (the school partner), who can be any staff member, including teachers, technicians and senior leaders, and who becomes the Royal Society's main contact and does the reporting
Each project needs a lead STEM partner who is actively working in a STEM role in academia or industry (not retired), above graduate level in a university or research institute or with appropriate industrial experience, with skills relevant to the project, and whose main role is not outreach or education (outreach staff with a research background may be considered)
The Royal Society does not match schools to partners; the school finds its own (for example through STEM Ambassadors, parents, governors or local universities and businesses)
The STEM partner should work in person with students throughout the project, ideally about 12 hours including at least three visits
Funding is paid into a school or college bank account
A group of schools can apply together with one lead school
Each school can apply once per round; previous grant holders can reapply after at least a year, with a new lead applicant and all earlier reporting completed
Priority goes to schools new to the scheme and those with the greatest need

What it funds

Equipment and materials for a specific investigative STEM research project run in the classroom with a STEM partner, whose title is a STEM question the students answer through hands-on practical research. Funding can cover:

Equipment, which should be most of the budget; a single item making up the majority of the budget must be clearly justified
Consumables, with a plan for funding them once the grant is spent
STEM partner travel up to £300 (or up to £500 with evidence of the travel costs), and travel for the school group to visit the STEM partner's workplace
Teacher cover up to £300 per term, if the project would be compromised without it
A school or community event to showcase the project, up to £300 (venue hire and/or refreshments)
Contingency of up to 10% of the budget

projects can be in any STEM topic, and cross-curricular projects are encouraged. Projects investigating climate change and biodiversity are part of Tomorrow's Climate Scientists. For projects with students with SEND, more of the grant can go on teaching support or travel, and smaller groups are accepted. Projects last from one full term to six terms (two years). A budget of £2,250 or less is awarded £1,500 (with top-up funds available during the project, up to £3,000 in total); above £2,250 is awarded £3,000.

What it will not fund

Items bought directly from the STEM partner, or any commercial gain for the STEM partner
Third-party schemes, competitions or pre-prepared workshops
Consultancy or advisor fees for scientists, engineers or freelance science communicators, or paying for a STEM partner's time
Pre-prepared kits (for example Lego kits, eco cars or rocket-boats), unless used in a wider investigation with sound scientific methodology
Normal running costs of a science or technology department
Teachers based outside the UK, projects outside the UK or overseas travel
Projects investigating wellbeing and/or mental health
A series of independent activities or experiments for a STEM club rather than one research project
Projects that are not new to the school or that it could run without the grant
Extracurricular schools or clubs

How to apply

Read the eligibility and judging criteria, the project planning guidance and the example application forms; optionally book a free online introduction or FAQ session
Find a STEM partner from academia or industry who meets the eligibility criteria
A member of school staff creates a Flexi-Grant account and starts the application, optionally inviting the STEM partner to contribute
Submit Stage 1 (school details, STEM partner details and a project title and summary) at least one week before the Stage 2 deadline, so by about 23 November 2026 for the final 2026 deadline
After the eligibility check, complete the Stage 2 form sent to you: target deadline, start term and length, project plan, equipment, STEM partner involvement, student selection, an itemised budget, a second staff contact and project legacy
Invite the lead STEM partner and the head teacher or principal to complete their sections confirming support (a deputy or other senior leader if the head is the lead applicant)
Submit Stage 2 by 30 November 2026

draft applications can be sent to the Schools Engagement team for feedback before submission; Stage 2 cannot be sent back for editing once submitted. Applications cannot be made by email. Unsuccessful schools can work with the team to rewrite and resubmit in a future round. The annual round reopens in February with deadlines at the end of April, early July and end of November.

Have ready

Stage 1 and Stage 2 online forms in Flexi-Grant, including an itemised budget and project plan
Confirmation of support from the lead STEM partner and the head teacher or principal, given in their sections of the Stage 2 form

successful schools must complete a short online update every term and end-of-project reporting (surveys from teacher, STEM partner and students, a written evaluative summary confirming spend, and a poster); missed reporting may lead to a request to repay the grant.

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