Aims/priorities: The funding is intended to support organisations working with racially minoritised young men aged 18 to 25 who are in contact with the criminal justice system. The key aim of the fund is to increase these men's access to specialist services designed to meet their specific needs.
The Fund will provide multi-year grants to organisations with a focus on direct service delivery, providing specialist, culturally appropriate support, centring lived experience.
Who can apply? Eligible applicants need to be a charitable organisation registered in and working in the UK, including:
- Registered charities and Charitable Incorporated Organisations (CIOs).
- Community Interest Companies (CICs) that are not-for-profit with an asset lock.
- Other not for profit charitable organisations delivering work aligned with the funder's strategy.
To be eligible, applicants must:
- Provide specialist services that meet the specific needs of racially minoritised young men in contact with the criminal justice system.
- Have a track record of at least 18 months of delivering this type of provision.
- Provide person-centred, holistic and long-term services.
- Have lived experience voice throughout their services, organisation and governance, although this may be less well-developed in some smaller organisations.
- Have their first set of published annual accounts.
Priority will be given to:
- Organisations led by and for' the racially minoritised communities they serve. (The funder is defining this as 'one where 50% of trustees/directors and 50% of staff are from the racially minoritised community they represent'.
- Smaller organisations over larger organisations.
The funder wants to ensure that:
- Funding will cover a range of settings, eg, prison, through the gate and community.
- There will be a geographical spread across the UK.
- A range of communities will be represented, including Gypsy Roma Traveller (GRT) and Muslim communities.
There are no minimum or maximum income thresholds.
National organisations who work across wide geographic areas, especially when delivering services in prisons, may apply.
Racially minoritised is defined to include Black and Global Majority communities alongside all other communities which may experience racial injustice in the UK, such as Gypsy, Roma, Traveller and Jewish communities. In recognition that Muslim men are disproportionately represented in the prison system, funding will include work with this community.
Smaller organisations will be prioritised over larger ones, recognising that larger organisations in the criminal justice sector can often secure a higher proportion of statutory contract income than smaller organisations, who are more reliant on Trusts and Foundations.
Grant amount: There is a total of £2.6 million for this fund.
It is anticipated that 13 grants of £200,000 each, will be made over three to five years.
Applicants can decide whether they want the funding over three, four, or five years.
Application process: Applications open on Wednesday, 10 June 2026 (9 am).
A live webinar will be held on 23 June 2026 (14:00 to 15:00). Registration is required. A recording and transcript will be available for those who are unable to attend.
The guidelines, FAQs, a short eligibility quiz, and a sample EOI are available on the Henry Smith Foundation website.
Further rounds of this fund will open in January 2027, June 2027 and January 2028.
Deadline: Wednesday, 5 August 2026 (17:00).
Contact information: Email: saferfutures@henrysmith.foundation