The Ideas and Pioneers Fund team has shared insights from last year’s round to help potential applicants better understand what makes a successful submission. Last year, when the Fund reopened, it received an overwhelming 319 applications and awarded 30 grants. The range of bold, transformative ideas was inspiring, reflecting the Fund’s commitment to supporting innovative approaches to social change.
As the Fund opens for another round, the team highlighted some common reasons applications were unsuccessful last year. Around 10% of submissions did not meet the eligibility criteria. Most of these were due to Fund-specific exclusions, such as requests for standalone works of art, proposals taking place outside the UK, or organisations exceeding five full-time equivalent (FTE) staff. For the upcoming round, eligibility will now be determined based on turnover rather than staff numbers, with organisations having a turnover of more than £150,000 in the last financial year considered ineligible. This change aims to ensure smaller organisations with limited access to funding remain the priority.
Another significant reason for rejection, affecting around 20% of applications, was that the proposed ideas did not address the root causes of systemic oppression. The Fund seeks proposals that challenge existing systems and transform the way things are done, rather than merely tackling symptoms or immediate needs. Applications focusing solely on raising awareness without offering practical solutions, or those addressing a single form of oppression without considering its intersections with other systems, were often declined. While no single idea is expected to solve all systemic issues, the link between the proposed work and its impact on underlying inequities must be clear.
A further 20% of applications were considered too advanced or developed. The Fund is designed to support ideas that are promising but still require exploration and testing. Submissions with fully refined plans, minimal scope for learning, or a fixed implementation strategy with no room for experimentation were less likely to be successful.
Additionally, over 60% of declined applications were from organisations proposing continuation of existing work rather than introducing something new. This included projects seeking core funding to sustain ongoing services, evaluations of previously used approaches, or enhancements to existing programmes rather than targeting specific systemic gaps.
The Fund is now open for new applications, with the current round closing on Tuesday, 2 December. Up to 40 grants will be awarded, with final decisions expected by March 2026. The Fund encourages anyone with a transformative idea for social change to apply. Future rounds are also planned, providing further opportunities to contribute innovative solutions to pressing societal challenges.
