GrantRadar

Bridgend County Borough Council

School Essentials Grant (Bridgend)

The Welsh Government's School Essentials Grant (also called the Pupil Development Grant, PDG Access or uniform grant), run in Bridgend by the council, helps families on low incomes pay for essential school items: £200 for a child in Year 7 and £125 for children in other eligible years. It is for parents and guardians of pupils who get free school meals on benefits grounds, and for all children looked after by the local authority. One application per child per school year; the 2026-27 window runs from 1 July 2026 to 31 May 2027.

Apply on the funder’s site
You could get
£125 – £200
Deadline
208 days left
31 May
Effort
Light
short form, little evidence needed

Who can apply

  • Parents or guardians of a child at school whose child receives free school meals because the household gets Universal Credit with net household earnings below £7,400, or the guarantee element of Pension Credit
  • The Welsh Government says the grant covers reception to Year 11
  • All children looked after by the local authority also qualify
  • Free school meals received only through the universal primary scheme, transitional protection or the expanded scheme for Years 7 and 8 do not count, so families getting universal primary meals should still check whether they meet the benefits-based criteria
  • For Bridgend pupils

What it funds

  • School uniforms and footwear
  • Sports equipment and kit
  • School activities, including musical lessons, school trips and after school clubs
  • Classroom essentials, including pens, pencils and school bags
  • A laptop or tablet, if you cannot loan one from the school

What it will not fund

  • Pupils who get free school meals only through the Universal Primary Free School Meals scheme
  • Pupils on free school meals under the transitional protection scheme
  • Pupils on the expanded free school meals scheme (Universal Credit with earnings above £7,400, Years 7 and 8 only from 1 September 2026)
  • More than one application per child in an academic school year

How to apply

  1. Check your child gets free school meals on benefits grounds (apply for free school meals through Bridgend council first if not)
  2. Have ready your contact information, your child's school name, your National Insurance number and your bank details
  3. Apply online through the form linked from the council's School Essentials Grant page
  4. You will receive a confirmation email, and the council will tell you what happens next

Bridgend also runs a separate Distinctive School Clothing Grant for secondary pupils.

Have ready

  • Contact information
  • Your child's school name
  • National Insurance number
  • Bank details

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