Paul Hamlyn Foundation grants: what they fund and how to apply
The Paul Hamlyn Foundation is one of the UK's largest independent grant-makers, funding work in the arts, education and learning, migration and young people, to advance social justice. It runs several different funds with grants from a few thousand pounds up to £300,000 or more. Some funds are open to apply; others are paused or invitation-only.
What the Paul Hamlyn Foundation funds
The Foundation focuses on four areas — the arts, education and learning, migration, and young people — all in service of advancing social justice. It supports organisations and individuals whose work helps people who face disadvantage, and it backs both direct delivery and the wider infrastructure of civil society. Rather than one general grants programme, it runs several distinct funds, each with its own purpose, amounts and rules, so the right route depends on which fund fits your work.
How much you can apply for
Grant sizes vary widely by fund:
- Ideas and Pioneers Fund — up to £20,000, plus tailored support, for early-stage ideas for social change.
- Arts-Based Learning Fund — around £30,000 to £300,000 (up to about £100,000 a year), for arts organisations working with schools.
- Backbone Fund — a small number of larger, multi-year awards to organisations strengthening civil society; invitation-only.
The Foundation’s main Arts Fund, which historically made substantial multi-year grants, was paused to new applicants at our last check.
Who can apply
Eligibility depends on the fund. The Ideas and Pioneers Fund is open to individuals, groups and organisations of any legal structure with a turnover under £150,000, with priority for applicants aged 18–30 (under-18s are not eligible). The Arts-Based Learning Fund is for charities, community organisations, social enterprises and not-for-profit companies active in the arts, working in partnership with schools or other formal education settings. The Backbone Fund is not open to direct applications.
Deadlines and rounds
The Foundation’s open funds generally accept applications on a rolling basis rather than to fixed deadlines, and decisions typically take around four months. However, fund statuses change: at our last check (10 Jul 2026), the Arts-Based Learning Fund, Migration Fund and Youth Fund were open and rolling; the Ideas and Pioneers Fund’s most recent round deadline had passed and it was not currently taking new applications; the main Arts Fund remained paused; and the Backbone Fund remains invitation-only. Always confirm which funds are open on the Foundation’s website before you apply. (Verified directly on phf.org.uk 10 Jul 2026 — re-confirm at publish, as statuses change.)
How to apply
- On the Foundation’s website, choose the fund that fits your work and check it is currently open.
- Read that fund’s guidance and eligibility carefully.
- Apply through the fund’s online process (most are rolling). Ideas and Pioneers uses a two-step application.
Start here: phf.org.uk/funding. If you cannot use the online portal because of a disability, the Foundation offers a bursary of up to £750 to help you apply.
Tips
- Check fund statuses first — the Foundation’s biggest arts programme has been paused, so don’t build a plan around a fund that isn’t open.
- If you are a small or new organisation, the Ideas and Pioneers Fund (turnover under £150,000, up to £20,000) is normally the most accessible route — but check it is open first: its most recent round deadline had passed as of 10 Jul 2026.
- The Arts-Based Learning Fund needs a genuine partnership with a school or education setting — line that up before applying.
- Allow around four months for a decision, and use the £750 access bursary if the portal is a barrier.
Official source and last updated
Source: Paul Hamlyn Foundation funding pages (phf.org.uk) and Foundation announcements, checked 10 July 2026. Last updated: July 2026. Fund statuses change — always confirm on the Foundation’s own website.
Recent grants
[Placeholder — the theme renders recent grants from 360Giving (org GB-CHC-1102927). The Foundation also publishes a grants database on its own website.]
Similar funders
[The theme auto-lists similar funders. For arts and social-justice funding you may also point to Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and the Baring Foundation — both confirmed as real, currently active UK funders (verified 10 Jul 2026).]
Check if your charity is eligible for funders like this — CharityIQ’s free Grant Finder matches your charity to real, published UK funders and cites the source for each. → /grant-finder/
Frequently asked questions
The Foundation funds work in the arts, education and learning, migration and young people, all aimed at advancing social justice. It backs organisations and individuals whose work helps people overcome disadvantage and shape a fairer society. It funds through several distinct programmes rather than one general grants scheme, so what you can apply for depends on which of its funds fits your work.
It depends on the fund. The Ideas and Pioneers Fund offers up to £20,000 plus support for early-stage ideas, while the Arts-Based Learning Fund makes grants of around £30,000 to £300,000 (up to about £100,000 a year). The invitation-only Backbone Fund makes a small number of larger, multi-year awards. Check the specific fund for its amounts.
This changes, so check the website. At our last check (10 Jul 2026), the Arts-Based Learning Fund, the Migration Fund and the Youth Fund were open to applications on a rolling basis. The Ideas and Pioneers Fund's most recent round deadline had passed, so it was not currently accepting new applications. The main Arts Fund was paused, and the Backbone Fund is invitation-only. Always confirm the current position on phf.org.uk before applying.
It depends on the fund. The Ideas and Pioneers Fund accepts individuals, groups and organisations of any legal structure with a turnover under £150,000, with priority for applicants aged 18–30. The Arts-Based Learning Fund is for arts and cultural organisations working in partnership with schools or other formal education settings. Each fund sets its own eligibility.
Choose the fund that fits your work on the Foundation's website and follow its application process — most open funds apply on a rolling basis through an online portal, and decisions usually take around four months. If you cannot use the portal because of a disability, the Foundation offers a bursary of up to £750 to help you apply. The Backbone Fund is invitation-only.