The questions on this page were given written answers during or shortly after our pre-application Q&A webinar on 3 February 2025. Please see the full transcript for questions answered live during the webinar.
We have grouped questions together under the following headings.
- Esmée's strategy and funding priorities
- Eligibility
- Applying for funding
- Lived experience and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
- Other questions
You can click on a heading in the 'Contents' menu to go straight to that section. There is also a pink 'Back to top' button in the bottom right hand side of the screen, which will take you back to the contents menu.
1. Esmée's strategy and funding priorities
1.1. Is there a weighting across the strands - i.e. does community work have the same level of support as environment etc?
We spend around £14m to £15m a year in each of our three strategic aims. Across the three aims, we have 13 funding priorities and our funding for each can change year to year - this can depend on different factors including level of need. You can see an overview of our grant funding in 2024, which includes funding totals for each priority on our website. We also share this every year in our annual reports.
1.2. Could you expand on how you define a community? Is it just geographical?
This depends on which funding priority and aim you are applying to. In Creative, Confident Communities we do mean geographic communities as the funding is strongly linked to place. However we realise that within any place there are multiple communities and if you are applying to us, it would be helpful to be clear about which community within a place you are working with. In A Fairer Future, our work is more focused on communities of identity - for instance, our funding priorities include gender justice, migrant justice, and racial justice.
1.3. Would you consider prisons a community?
See our response above.
1.4. Can you confirm the funding pot available and what the average size is of the applications and the length of time for a project to be delivered?
We spend around £40m to £50m each year across our three strategic aims where we have a total of 13 funding priorities. See our 2024 grant funding overview, which can help you understand the shape of our funding including grant size and length. In each funding priority, how much we spend can change year to year.
1.5. In terms of organisations working together, building or delivering on connections, is there a preference for more formal or informal partnerships and collaborations? Also - thinking about influencing, campaigning and policy change - are you open to funding new work in this space, where an organisation would like to build this capacity, test ideas, and work with service users to drive this work forward? Can this be local and/or national in scale?
On partnerships, we like to see evidence of collaboration that's mutually beneficial, rather than suggestions of who organisations could work with, in theory. It's less important that there are formal agreements. On influencing, we are interested in new ideas, but will consider track record - along with evidence from other work we fund - to make a judgement about whether to fund it.
1.6. Would you consider supporting technology that drives change for the future -whether through innovation or by scaling proven models in collaboration with public sector organisations and corporates? Or is the Fairer Future strand primarily focused on communications, advocacy, justice, and children’s rights?
We recognise that change happens in a variety of ways and that technology, when used appropriately, can be a powerful enabler. Work involving technology would still need to be a clear fit to one of our funding outcomes. For applications under our Children and Young People's Rights priority, we would expect young people's views and voices to be at the heart of the work.
1.7. Would you fund sector support organisations in Wales (arts, health and wellbeing), looking at core costs to support us and our members to build political traction and effect policy change.
We fund organisations that are a strong match to our strategy, especially the long-term outcomes under each funding priority - for example, our communities working together for change priority includes the outcome: "Communities and their local corporate, cultural, public, voluntary and community sectors, work better together to achieve collective change". We do fund infrastructure organisations if they meet our strategy.
1.8. Are there restrictions on funding for work in schools?
We will consider proposals that include activity in schools only where this approach is part of a wider engagement plan (e.g. a programme with multiple routes for community co-creation, one of which takes place in schools). We would not support work that is only taking place in schools or work that is part of the curriculum.
1.9. For applications to the long-term outcome referencing children with SEND under the Children and Young People's Rights priority, how do you define SEND - are there specific parameters you are prioritising funding for?
We prioritise funding for organisations where the work is designed and driven by young people with lived experience of the issues and those that go beyond delivery of preventative programmes to share learning, spread effective approaches and influence change. These elements are more important to us than the definition of SEND, and recognise that different organisations might be working to different definitions that they have worked with their communities to develop.
1.10. In terms of SEND - our organisation is not 'diagnosis dependent', would this align with the priority strongly enough? And in terms of exclusion from school - are you looking for formal exclusions?
We look at the full spectrum of lost learning for children, not just formal exclusions. And in terms of SEND, we recognise the challenges in getting a diagnosis, and that organisations may well be prioritising need rather than being 'diagnosis dependent'. The most important thing for us would be that organisations are looking to to share learning, spread effective approaches and influence change and that the view of young people are embedded in the work.
1.11. Can you share examples of how arts organisations are leading systemic change and what that looks like in terms of influencing the sector or Government?
For arts organisations, we're looking for work that meets the long-term outcomes under our priorities: Arts and creativity making change, or Community-led art and creativity. There are some case studies on our website under each of these that might be helpful, eg Poetic Unity, and Create Gloucestershire.
1.12. Will you be taking into account that organisations that are disruptors in the race equality and communities of colour empowerment sector may not have the support of certain statutory bodies that they have challenged?
Yes, we take the broader context into account for all applications. And we will take this into consideration when assessing applications focused on racial justice and/or are led by communities experiencing racial inequity - this includes acknowledging the specific challenges they face as well as the historic underfunding of some communities.
1.13. Arts and Creativity Making Change - can this be where children are leading change and processes that shape the work that is meant to be for them? 8-12 year olds were not covered through your youth-led creativity programme.
Our Youth-Led Creativity funding programme is currently closed to applications. We are committed to co-designing each stage of the programme - including the next iteration - with our young consultants. We also want to work with those currently funded to help shape future Youth-Led Creativity funding. We plan to share more about this in the coming months.
1.14. We work with refugees, but it doesn't fit within your migrant justice priority because we support individuals directly rather than systemic change. Would it then be better to apply in the communities section?
Across all areas of our work, we are looking for work where the organisation is:
- Leading the way themselves, or as part of a collaborative movement or partnership.
- Driving change for the future by doing something new, or by using tried and tested models to push things forward.
- Aims to make a lasting difference, reaching beyond those directly engaged to influence policy, practice and behaviour.
We tend not to support work that is solely focused on delivering services. Our funding priorities in Creative, Confident Communities is focused on place based projects and we would want to see how the work is community-led. If you are considering an application through this aim it would have to show how it benefits the local community in that place.
1.15. Would you consider applications for core costs which will enable a charity to expand and ensure our core provisions are able to continue during the expansion project? This includes the provision of training and other forms of capacity building in support of delivering against Esmée's strategic objectives?
If the core work of the organisation is a fit to our aims and priorities then we would consider such an application. See also our response above on what we are looking for in applications across all our areas of work.
1.16. Will the New Connections Fund reopen at any point soon?
Our current New Connections grants run until 2026, so we won't be making grants to new organisations in 2025.
1.17. Do you fund 'by and for' organisations to deliver and develop awareness training and inclusion to other organisations in order to contribute to systemic change?
This is not something we would usually fund - we need to understand how the organisation or work could contribute to the long-term outcomes we are focusing our support on. We have, however, provided capacity building support (through our Funding Plus offer) to organisations we fund and this has included training on diversity, equity and inclusion.
1.18. I note that Children and Young People are stated in your aim for A Fairer Future, do you also support Older People?
We don't have a specific priority focused on older people in A Fairer Future, please see our guidance for more information on our specific guidance under each priority.
1.19. Does the Foundation have a preference for UK-wide projects or those within a specific geographical area (particularly within the Our Natural World theme)?
No, we don't have any preferences in terms of geography apart from in our Creative, Confident Communities aim where we look for place-based work, so not only UK-wide.
1.20. Are there parts of the UK where you would like to see more applications coming from?
In general no, and where it is the case, we will include this in the specific guidance. For example, for our arts and creativity making change priority, we want to allocate more of our funding outside London, and to Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
1.21. In terms of prioritising applications that are led by communities - could we apply for funding to build in a consultation period with the families we'd want to work with? We have feedback from our current work that there is a strong need for the project we would be seeking funding for but would like to develop this further.
We would be unlikely to just fund the development period, but if the work is a very strong match with the Creative, Confident Communities priorities we could consider the costs of a development period as part of an overall grant request, but we would need to understand why this area of work is a match with our funding and what work you have already done in this area that led you to this project.
1.22. Do you fund costs for engagement activities if they are part of a broader project that matches your criteria and areas of work?
It would depend on the overall application, but yes, we would potentially fund engagement activities.
2. Eligibility
2.1. Are C.I.Cs (Community Interest Companies) limited by shares with an asset lock eligible to apply?
Yes, you can learn more about the types of organisations we support in our FAQs (2.2).
2.2. Do you fund for external consultation prior to making an application?
We occasionally fund feasibility studies or pilot costs, but usually as part of a programme of work we're committed to already, rather than pre-application costs. So I'm sorry, but the answer to this is no.
2.3. Do you fund lobbying and creating change around health issues, and in particular health inequalities that affect specific groups of children and young people?
We don't fund healthcare with a clinical basis, and are unlikely to support campaign work on health inequalities. When we have done, there has been a clear intersection with one of our specific funding outcomes.
2.4. I don't think we are yet ready to apply for this fund but we would like some support to develop the area we are looking to change. Does Esmée offer this kind of support?
We don't offer it ourselves, but do support other intermediary funders that do, for example: The Movements Trust, UK Youth, Baobab Foundation, Civic Power Fund.
2.5. Are peer-support groups considered healthcare with a clinical basis? They would be facilitated by a Psychologist.
If the peer-support groups are related to health conditions, that would be the reason we wouldn't fund it. If they are related to lived experience that is a priority for our strategy, e.g. migration or racial discrimination, it's still unlikely we would fund them because it wouldn't meet our three conditions for funding:
- The organisation is leading the way itself, or part of a partnership or collaboration which is aiming for transformative change
- The work is driving change for the future by breaking new ground, or using tried and tested models to push things forward in a new way.
- The work is ambitious and aiming to make a difference over the long-term.
2.6. Please can you expand on your exclusion about work by statutory authorities? I work at a statutory authority and am exploring leading a group of organisations (mainly NGOs undertaking charitable work). We co-fund work with these NGOs working in partnerships, combining public funds with funds from NGOs to work towards our shared goals. Would our statutory role prohibit us from leading a collaborative grant bid aligned with our current partnership work?
We don't fund work that is the legal responsibility of local authorities to provide using public funds – for example, social services for children and older people. So, things that are a statutory requirement for local authorities to provide.
2.7. Would you consider funding a new social enterprise if it meets your other priorities? We are setting one up within our own organisation in partnership with other public and private sector organisations.
If the new social enterprise matches all our eligibility criteria and we think that it is a strong fit to our funding priorities, then, yes, we would consider it. If your project is part of a partnership, there needs to be a 'lead' organisation in the application form and they would need to meet all our eligibility criteria. As with all areas of our work, we recommend reading the relevant parts of our guidance for support.
2.8. Do you fund university research?
We have an exclusion around academic research so rarely fund university research. We only do so where the application can demonstrate real potential for practical outcomes.
2.9. If an organisation has over three trustees or directors, but at a 50% split of non-executives would this organisation still be considered for funding?
The majority will need to be non-executive, so we would not consider an application if it is a 50% split.
2.10. How do view a charity that holds high reserves? We are a small charity but hold reserves of £1million, a proportion of which is reinvested.
If an organisation has relatively high reserves, we would want to understand why they are seeking our support and what is the best use of our resources given the high demand for our funding. More information on our approach to reserves is in this FAQ (3.13).
2.11. In terms of partnership working, would it have to be with another charity? We are exploring partnering with a 'collective' of individuals with a similar interest/background. They are not a registered charity but the range of work they undertake could enhance the work of our organisation.
To be eligible, there needs to be a 'lead' organisation that would hold the grant if successful, and they need to meet all our eligibility criteria. So, if you partner with a non-constituted group and support them through any funding you receive, that would be considered by us. In your application, you can say more about the partnership.
2.12. Last year part of the eligibility criteria was around a high percentage of the organisations/charities' leadership being under a certain age, will this be the case again this year?
I think this is in reference to our Youth-Led Creativity programme where one of the criteria is that most of the young people supported are aged 14 to 30. This programme is currently closed to applications. We are committed to co-designing each stage of the programme - including the next iteration - with our young consultants. We also want to work with those currently funded to help shape future Youth-Led Creativity funding. We plan to share more about this in the coming months.
2.13. How is turnover calculated? As a charity, we have no sales whatsoever, but we raised and spent over £100k last year. Does that count?
Yes, turnover includes income, however it's generated.
3. Applying for funding
3.1. What's the rate of successful applications?
In 2024, 7% of expressions of interest received through our website were invited to submit a full proposal. Of the proposals we received, 84% were then awarded a grant. Learn more in our 2024 overview of grant funding.
3.2. What is involved in making a full application and is there a time-limit between a successful EOI and having to submit a full application?
You can details about each step of the application process here. If we have invited you to submit a full proposal, you will have three months to do this.
3.3. Could you share some insights/tips on meeting that EOI guidance you described, while requesting core costs support?
The EOI example (Participate Projects) in the slides was actually for core costs. And the tips given apply regardless of whether you’re applying for core costs, unrestricted, or project costs. For the most part, we want to fund core/unrestricted costs where possible - and will generally do so when the work of an organisation is clearly aligned to one of our funding priorities. We tend to award project costs where the work is a collaboration or partnership, or it might be that there are limits for us in terms of the work the organisation is doing - for example, part of the organisation's work might be overseas and we only fund work in the UK.
3.4. How do we make a decision about which stream of work to submit an EOI to if our work seems to cross all three of your areas? Are there any guidelines to help us choose the most appropriate field of funding?
We recommend reading the guidance under each funding priority that your work is relevant to. This will help you decide which one is the strongest fit to your work. When submitting an EOI, we will ask you which aim and priority your work most closely fits. You will have an opportunity to choose up to two other priorities that your work aligns with. If we think your work is a better fit to another priority, we will discuss with you.
3.5. Our funding application is likely to fulfil a variety of EF priorities - do we need to instead focus on one specific aim area?
See our response above. We also don't have a preference in terms of projects focusing on one of our priorities and projects that work across more than one priority. We want applicants to tell us about their work and how they align with ours.
3.6. If the EOI isn't right for the priority chosen, could it be suggested to another priority or does the organisation have to re-apply under that other priority?
We will make that assessment and speak to other teams if we think it's a better fit to another area. You won't need to re-apply.
3.7. What is the difference between unrestricted vs. restricted funds and how are you able to specify which type of funds you are requesting?
Restricted funding generally means there are restrictions to how the funding can be used. For instance, we will provide projects costs when that funding needs to be restricted to a specific project. This can be because it is a project being delivered by a partnership. Unrestricted funding generally has no restrictions (as long as the work is charitable) and can be used to cover an organisation's operational/core costs - we can only provide unrestricted costs to charities. We can also provide core costs funding to non-charities. As with unrestricted funding, core costs can be used to cover an organisation's operational costs. In your EOI, you can say how how you would use the funding.
3.8. Are you open to having a discussion about scale of funding/work instead of declining it if it's a high value project?
If the work is a strong fit to one of our priorities and we progress your expression of interest, there will be an opportunity to discuss the work in more detail - including the scale of funding and work.
3.9. Are there any restrictions on submitting more than one EOI from the same organisation that cover different projects within it?
Yes, we will accept more than one application for funding (usually, not more than two) from the same organisation when:
- There is not any duplication in terms of the programme of work being covered and we aren't being asked to fund the same costs twice
- The organisation is acting as the lead in an application on behalf of a partnership, and the other application is for funding for that organisation in its own right and for its own needs.
If you feel your work overall as an organisation is a strong fit to our strategy, you might want to consider one application for core costs.
3.10. Is the 230 character count in the first question about the funding request in the EOI with or without spaces?
Without spaces. For this question we are really looking for a one line summary of your work. You will have an opportunity to say more about your work in the two questions comprising your expression of interest.
3.11. If an organisation has had two consecutive EOIs rejected, can they present a third, totally different idea based on the feedback received?
Yes, you can submit an EOI for a different idea but we would advise that you read through your initial decline carefully beforehand, and the relevant part of the guidance you are applying under.
3.12. Are there any funding deadlines around decisions for the Fairer Futures and Creative, Confident Communities fund.
No, in general, we have rolling deadlines and will state if there is a deadline or an area is closed to applications under a specific priority or long-term outcome.
3.13. Our website is currently due to be upgraded - it was put together as a stopgap during COVID. Would the website be a deciding factor?
The website is not a deciding factor, it is something that we look at as part of our assessment process to get a better idea of organisations and the work they do however not a deal breaker.
3.14. For organisations that have been funded before and have not been invited by Esmée to submit a follow on application, should we follow the process as for cold applications through the website, and submit an EOI?
Yes, in this instance you should go through the website and submit an EOI if you feel like your work is a strong fit to our strategy. Every application, whether for follow-on funding to an existing grantee or an organisation new to us, has to complete an EOI. The process is the same for both is the same, it is just the route that is different (e.g. organisations invited to apply will be sent a link to submit and EOI and those who haven't can submit an EOI through our website).
3.15. If an application is for Esmée to provide a proportion of total project budget, what is useful for you to know about what your contribution will pay for? E.g. maybe to reach more beneficiaries, or enable one strand of delivery? Also do you have a preference for paying for total project delivery or contributing alongside other match funders?
Esmée is able to fund unrestricted, core and project costs. Within unrestricted, we don't need to know the specific use but the overall budget for an organisation. For core and project funding we do need to know the areas that Esmée is being asked to support. We don't have a preference, but due to the size of many of the organisations we fund, we are usually contributing alongside other funders.
3.16. The issue of omitting social media and only focusing on the website as part of the EOI means that you might get a very limited understanding of what the organisation actually does/delivers which might be far more prescriptive than what is written on the website. It is easier for most NGOs to post current things on socials than update their website.
Thanks for that feedback. We will share that with the wider team.
4. Lived experience and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)
We received several questions about this so have grouped them here.
4.1. How much importance is placed on diversity, equity, and inclusion in the Our Natural World strand?
We believe that making progress towards diversity, equity and inclusion is critical for delivering all parts of our strategy. In Our Natural World, we have been proactive in finding and supporting smaller, grassroots organisations working towards our priorities that are led by and for communities experiencing racial inequity. We are also exploring ways we can use our resources to influence recruitment and governance practice to be more inclusive. For example, we are supporting the RACE Report and are supporting the development of a leadership programme for people of colour in the environment sector. We plan to share more about this shortly.
For all expressions of interest invited to the next step, we will want to learn more about the organisation's approach to DEI - what it means to them as an organisation and in their work, including any current challenges and changes they want to make. That might look different for organisations depending on factors such as their size and the stage they are at. We understand that organisations often need advice and support in this work and will be happy to pick up that conversation during the assessment. We think that transparency is important and for applications in Our Natural World, will expect eligible organisations to engage with the RACE Report.
4.2. When applying for a grant, is it acceptable for a project to be led by individuals with lived experience, even if the organisation’s leadership team doesn’t meet a specific threshold, like 50% or 75%, of people with lived experience?
We do support work that is a strong fit to our strategy where the organisation doesn't meet our definition of being 'led by'. However, for areas of our strategy where we want to prioritise work that is shaped by people with lived experience of the issues, we will want to understand how you are engaging, supporting and compensating those with lived experience to shape the work. And when assessing an application, we will consider all the information we have in the expression of interest and the DEI monitoring form. The DEI monitoring form includes free text boxes where you can say more about what lived experience means to you in terms of the communities your work is supporting and the leadership of your organisation. More information is on this page about how we use the DEI Data Standard and includes FAQs on how we use the information we gather and organisations who don't meet our definition of being 'led by'.
4.3. When you mention ‘led by’ does this mean the Board and senior team? We are a radical performance festival staging mainly minoritised artists/voices - do these artists count as leading and collectively a community? I suppose my question is about working with more than one minoritised group.
See our response above.
4.4. In a partnership, does the lead applicant organisation ideally need to be the organisation with lived experience of the challenge being tackled, or does it count as much in grant assessment if the organisation representing the lived experience is part of a consortium involved?
See our response above. You can use your expression of interest and the DEI monitoring form to explain how communities with lived experience of the issues you're working on shape the work of the partnership and the partnership itself.
4.5. Do you support people to become 'led by' who are on the journey towards that?
As mentioned in the question above, we do support work that is a strong fit to our strategy where the organisations who may not quite meet our definition of 'led by'. If we progress your application, there will be an opportunity to discuss, in more detail, your current challenges and changes you might want to make. However, we are unlikely to fund work purely for this purpose if the work isn't also a strong fit to our strategy.
4.6. We have both colleagues/staff and board members with lived experience. Can we tell both of these stories? We think its vital that colleagues delivering work have an understanding of the communities they work in.
Yes, there is an opportunity within the DEI monitoring form to say more about what lived experience means for your organisation.
5. Other questions
5.1. What is the reporting process for funded projects? How often do organisations need to provide updates, and what specific information does Esmée require to evaluate the impact of the funding?
See our approach to grant reporting and learning.
5.2. What are the impact measurement expectations for grant holders?
See our response above.
5.3. Where the work of organisations already within your portfolio, overlap with the work of new applicants - how do you manage this?
All applications being considered go to our regular staff meetings where it will be discussed in terms of fit to our strategy, potential opportunities and challenges, as well as how it might complement organisations in our portfolio. Where we can, we will try to make connections too. When considering applications, we're thinking about what value could be added by our support.
5.4. My charity doesn’t have much experience liaising with trusts and foundations. If foundations like Esmée don’t have the capacity to talk with applicants about their viability and how to navigate this complicated space, do you have recommendations for organisations that could help us? Places where we could seek this information and get better at liaising with trusts and foundations? It’s all well and good to read articles about these topics, but it’s so much more helpful to talk with experts.
We have a page of useful sector resources with helpful links including various infrastructure support organisations who could help. You may also want to talk to your local infrastructure organisation (usually a CVS in your area). We also have another page with links to other sources of funding, which includes various directories.
5.5. How do you view small, young organisations? Let's say you have an EOI form a charity that is 5 years old, still finding its way, and only just exceeds the turnover of £100k. They have had successful projects, and some that haven't. They are learning, but have a very valid cause. Would this count against them?
If you meet the eligibility criteria and your work aligns with our aims and priorities then we will consider your application. The organisation's age isn't relevant but we'd like to see a track record of impact. The track record of individuals can also be considered if it's a very new organisation.
5.6. What is the level of interest from the higher education sector?
Academic research (unless it can demonstrate potential for practical outcomes) is one of our exclusions so we rarely fund higher education institutions.
5.7. Please could you explain how social investment works?
Social investment is repayable finance. More information about our approach to social investment including applying to Esmée for social investment is on our website here. To learn more about what social investment is, whether it's right for your organisation and how to search social investors, we recommend taking a look at Good Finance, which offers tools and resources to help you navigate social investment.
5.8. Have you ever funded projects below the £100k threshold? Why would you make an exception if you have?
Yes, we have done. Organisations we have funded that don't meet our turnover criteria have either been invited to apply or applied through a specific programme such as our Youth-Led Creativity funding programme. We share more information about this in our Frequently Asked Questions (2.6).
5.9. How many successful applications have been from Wales?
You can search our funding data using GrantNav by 360Giving. For example, this link will take you to the search results of organisations we have funded in Wales.