Aims/priorities: This fund aims to strengthen Black-led leadership in the UK research ecosystem by helping organisations to grow sustainably, strengthen governance and leadership, boost operational readiness, improve financial resilience, and build long-term impact.
Who can apply? The following can apply:
- Registered charities.
- Community interest companies (CICs).
- Social enterprises.
- Limited companies.
- Sole traders/unincorporated or unregistered groups with appropriate governance.
Groups must:
- Be based and operating in the UK.
- Have a track record of supporting Black heritage or Mixed Black heritage researchers, students, or communities involved in research careers.
- Have leadership comprising over 50% of Black and Mixed Black heritage.
- Have at least 75% of directors, trustees, or equivalent governing body members with lived experience of the social issues faced by the group’s service users.
- Have an annual income of up to £150,000.
Grant amount: Multi-year grants of between £13,000 and £48,000 are available.
Unincorporated initiatives, sole traders, constituted groups, and registered initiatives earning under £10,000 annual income are eligible to receive a grant of £13,000 over two years.
Registered initiatives with an annual income between £10,000 and £30,000 are eligible to receive a grant of £21,000 over three years.
Registered initiatives with an annual income between £30,000 and £150,000 are eligible to receive a grant of £48,000 over three years.
Application process: There is a multi-stage application process:
- Groups must first submit an online Expression of Interest form.
- Shortlisted groups will then be required to submit a due diligence form and complete a health check review.
- Groups will then be invited to complete a full application.
Guidance notes and an online Expression of Interest form are available from the Do It Now Now website.
Deadline: There are two funding rounds in 2026:
- Round One: 28 January to 25 March.
- Round Two: 7 September to 27 November.
Contact information: Email: funding@doitnownow.com