Aims/priorities: The funding is for organisations that support young people aged 14 to 25 through independent, person-led advocacy. It focuses on helping young people make informed choices, speak up, and secure their rights.
The funding is for organisations whose work supports at least one of the following:
- Care-experienced young people – this includes those who have been in foster care, residential care, kinship care, or have left care.
- LGBT+ young people – supporting young people across the full spectrum of LGBT+ identities. Applicants must be working work inclusively and affirming the rights, identities, and lived experiences of all LGBT+ people.
- Young people with a learning disability and/or neurodivergence – organisations that offer support without requiring a diagnosis and take an inclusive approach.
There is particular interest in projects in Northern Ireland, Wales and rural communities.
Who can apply? Applications will be accepted from formally registered, not-for-profit organisations with a charitable purpose (eg, registered charity, CIO, CIC, community benefit society).
To be eligible, applicants must:
- Be based in the United Kingdom, and ensure the work they are applying for supports people living in the UK.
- Have an annual income of £5 million or less, as shown in their most recent published accounts. There is no lower limit. Applications are welcome from smaller organisations.
- Have audited or independently inspected published annual accounts.
- Be supporting young people to speak up, make choices, and secure their rights.
In addition, their work must align with the following key features:
- Person-led – the young person being supported sets the agenda.
- Forward-focused – they support young people to move toward goals that matter to them, whether it’s finding a home, accessing support, building confidence, or challenging a system.
- Independent – the service is not tied to care or treatment provision or a particular authority. Staff can act in the young person’s best interests and represent their wishes without conflict.
- Support individuals with rights, decisions, and systems.
- Self-improvement – whether through one-to-one work, group spaces, peer support or self-advocacy, their service builds young people’s skills, confidence, and ability to express their needs now and in the future.
- Accessible and inclusive – their support adapts to individual communication needs, cultural backgrounds, identities and lived experience. It is trauma-informed, gender-informed and culturally-informed.
- Regular engagement that is not time-limited – whether in one-to-one or group settings, their service provides opportunities for regular engagement over time, allowing young people to build trusting relationships.
Grant amount: Grants of up to £60,000 per year for up to four years are available (a total of £240,000).
It is expected that 20 grants will be made.
Accessibility support grants are also available to help cover costs such as BSL interpreters, scribes, translation services, assistive technology, or support workers:
- £250 at the Expression of Interest stage
- £500 at the Full Application stage (if invited).
Application process and deadline: The guidelines, faqs, and online application can be found on the Henry Smith Foundation.
To start the application process, groups need to complete a short eligibility quiz on the Foundation's website.
Eligible organisations will then be able to submit an Expression of Interest from 23 July 2025 to the deadline of 20 August 2025.
Those who are successful will hear by 5 September 2025 if they have been invited to submit a full application.
Contact the Henry Smith Foundation for further information.
Contact information: Email: buildingindependence@henrysmith.foundation
Website: https://henrysmith.foundation/grants/shout/#funding