Educational Opportunity Foundation

Main Fund – international projects

The Educational Opportunity Foundation funds UK registered charities running new or pilot projects that improve access to, the quality of, or the sustainability of education for young people up to 25 in marginalised and deprived communities worldwide. Grants are £30,000 to £70,000 per project over one to three years (up to £35,000 a year). There are three rounds a year: the January 2027 round is closed, and the next opens on 1 March 2027 with a Stage 1 deadline of 23 March 2027. In 2025, 23% of Stage 1 applicants reached Stage 2 and 48% of those were funded.

Apply on the funder’s site

You could get: £30,000 – £70,000
Deadline: 154 days left; 23 March
Effort: Heavy; budgets, references, often several stages

Who can apply

UK registered charities with an income between £100,000 and £1.5 million in their most recently completed financial year, with at least three years of continuous accounts submitted to the relevant charity regulator, financially sound and registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales, the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator or the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland
The charity must be directly involved in providing the project activities; organisations whose primary purpose is fundraising are not funded
Annual grant payments cannot exceed 50% of the organisation's three-year average income
Projects take place outside the UK

What it funds

Projects which:

Improve access to education – including increasing the number of educational opportunities, especially for girls (including construction of classrooms or latrines), increasing the number of qualified teachers trained in inclusive, non-discriminatory practices and improving community attitudes to educating children who are often excluded or overlooked
Improve the quality of education – including enhancing the quality of teaching and learning, improving access to extra-curricular support, increasing child friendly resources, and increasing access to aspirational vocational training opportunities including STEM, IT and the green economy
Improve the sustainability of education projects – including encouraging educational projects with integrated community management or ownership, self-generating income and minimising their environmental impact

new or pilot projects, or projects which have started in the past 12 months, funded for one to three years. The Foundation funds 25% to 100% of total project costs but prefers some matched funding, and funds overheads up to 20% of the total grant. Budgets are submitted in GBP.

What it will not fund

Organisations whose primary purpose is fundraising
Long term projects
Services which are available through the state education system (including the Pupil Premium)
Summer camps
Bursaries, school fees or scholarships
Expeditions, volunteering trips and conferences
International travel
Projects where uniforms, transport or running costs are the main expense
Food and accommodation

How to apply

Applications for the July 2027 round open on 1 March 2027
Submit a Stage 1 application on the online form, with a completed Foundation budget template, by 23 March 2027 (the form can be saved and finished within 30 days)
If shortlisted, submit a Stage 2 application form, logframe and budget when invited by email
Shortlisted Stage 2 applicants may be invited to an online discussion
The Grants Committee makes final decisions on 14 July 2027

a further round opens 31 May 2027 with a Stage 1 deadline of 21 June 2027 (committee 20 October 2027). The January 2027 round is closed. Word versions of both forms, a sample budget and a sample logframe are on the page.

Have ready

Stage 1 application form (online)
Completed Educational Opportunity Foundation budget template, in GBP, stating any exchange rate used and its date
Stage 2 (if invited): application form, logframe and budget

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