Application Guidelines
Our mission is to make a positive change to the lives of disadvantaged children and young people across the UK. We need to ensure that all the projects we fund help us to achieve this.
Please read these guidelines to check BBC Children in Need is the right funder for your project.
Our focus is firmly on children and young people experiencing disadvantage. We fund organisations working to combat this disadvantage and to make a real difference to children and young people's lives.
Such disadvantage includes:
- Illness, distress, abuse or neglect
- Any kind of disability
- Behavioural or psychological difficulties
- Living in poverty or situations of deprivation
BBC Children in Need funds not-for-profit organisations that work with disadvantaged children and young people of 18 years and under who live in the UK, the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands.
We accept applications from organisations that already have a BBC Children in Need grant providing the grant is coming to an end. You will need to be able to provide convincing evidence of the difference to children that your current grant has made.
- Relief of statutory responsibility
- Applications from local government or NHS bodies
- Building projects which are applying to us for more than £20,000
- The promotion of religion
- Trips or projects abroad
- Medical treatment/research
- Projects for pregnancy testing or advice, information or counselling on pregnancy choices
- General awareness-raising work
- Bursaries, sponsored places, fees or equivalent
- Individuals (unless an eligible organisation is applying on their behalf )
- Distribution to another/other organisation/s, for example, PTAs applying on behalf of schools
- General appeals or endowment funds
- Deficit funding or repayment of loans
- Retrospective funding (projects taking place before the grant award date)
- Projects unable to start within 12 months of the grant award date
- Unspecified expenditure
It is very important that you also refer to our online A To Z Advice. You will find valuable details on our policies here - some are relevant to every project (for example Child Protection) and some are important for certain types of project (for example Equipment or Playgrounds).
Organisations can apply to our Small Grants programme or our Main Grants programme.
Small grant applications can be for any amount up to £10,000 a year and we are looking for projects where a relatively small grant can make a big difference for children and young people.
For main grant applications there is no upper limit but we make very few grants over £100,000 and most grants are for much less. The total amount of money requested each year is far more than we have available to give and requests for larger grants are always more competitive.
- Funding can be awarded for between one and three years, depending on the nature of the request. Grants can only be made for one year at a time for holidays/residentials.
- BBC Children in Need will consider funding support costs associated directly with a project, but we cannot fund organisational overheads and running costs where these are not integral to the project you are applying for.
BBC Children in Need has four closing dates throughout each year and we strongly encourage you to apply well in advance of your chosen closing date.
Closing date: 15 January - Decisions given Mid May
Closing date: 15 April - Decisions given on 1 August
Closing date: 15 July - Decisions given on 1 November
Closing date: 15 October - Decisions given Mid February
Applications received after a closing date will not be considered until the following closing date. Only one application can be assessed in any 12 month period.
BBC Children in Need has an online application system. Applications that are ineligible or incomplete (i.e. with any of the attachments missing or questions unanswered) are not assessed.
You are asked to submit additional information with your application form. The extra information you need to submit will depend on your application. All projects must include a copy of their governing document and most up to date financial information (normally accounts).
Follow the links below for guidance on the extra information you need to provide as well as advice about some of the questions on our application form, including some examples to give you an idea of the types of responses we look for.
For guidance on making a Small Grant application go to Completing the small grant application form.
For guidance on making a Main Grant application go to Completing the main grant application form.
We have also created a Planning Your Project guide to help in designing and planning your project.
DON'T FORGET to read our A To Z Advice before you start your application.
We have a dedicated Helpdesk who can answer general enquiries and offer support regarding your application. If you have any questions or are unsure about anything you have read please contact the Helpdesk 020 8576 7788 or by email at pudsey@bbc.co.uk or you can contact your local regional or national office whose contact details can be found here. Our offices are open from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.
You can apply for:
Small Grants of £10,000 or less per year for up to three years.
Main Grants of over £10,000 per year for up to three years.
Please click on the button below to take you to the relevant application forms. Before you apply, it is very important that every applicant (returning and new) has read all the information above as there have been recent changes.
