Paul Hamlyn Foundation
Paul Hamlyn Foundation was established by Paul Hamlyn in 1987. He died in 2001 and left most of his estate to the Foundation, creating one of the largest independent grant-making foundations in the UK. We use our resources to support social change, working towards a just and equitable society in which everyone, especially young people, can realise their full potential and enjoy fulfilling and creative lives.
What we fund
We invest around £30 million each year across six funding priorities where we wish to see change. Our commitment to social justice underpins all these priorities.
We have six open application funds, and receive over 1000 applications each year. On average, we fund around 20% of the applications we receive, although this varies between Funds.
Find out more about our funding priorities below:
Arts access and participation
Arts Access and Participation Fund. The Fund addresses inequalities of opportunity to access and participate in the arts. We want to support change in the way the arts are created, presented, accessed and experienced.
- Grants from £30,000 – £400,000 and lasting between 12 months and 4 years
- Rolling application cycle – no deadlines. Decision-making panels meet approximately 5 times a year.
Education and learning through the arts
Arts-based learning fund. This Fund supports work which enables pupils in formal education settings, particularly those experiencing systemic inequality or disadvantage, to thrive through engagement with high-quality, arts-based learning.
Teacher development fund. The purpose of the Teacher Development Fund is to support delivery of effective arts-based teaching and learning opportunities in the primary classroom, and to embed learning through the arts in the curriculum. It aims to do this through supporting teachers and school leaders to develop the necessary skills, knowledge, confidence and experience.
- Grants up to £150,000 over two academic years
- One deadline per year in the autumn
Migration and integration
Shared Ground Fund. The Shared Ground Fund supports organisations to influence migration system reform, improve access to support services, strengthen civic participation and inform public understanding of migration and integration narratives.
- Grants from £30,000 – £400,000 for work lasting up to 4 years
- Rolling application cycle – no deadlines
Investing in young people
Youth fund. The Youth Fund supports organisations whose main purpose is working with and for young people (aged 14-25) who face complex transitions to adulthood.
- Core funding grants up to £90,000 over three years
- Rolling application cycle – no deadlines
Nurturing ideas and people
Ideas and Pioneers Fund. The Ideas and Pioneers Fund supports people with a vision of a better society, helping them to explore the potential of their ideas for change.
- Grants of up to £15,000
- Rolling application cycle – no deadlines
Supporting people and communities in India
India Open Grants Fund. The India Open Grants Fund seeks to enable vulnerable communities living in priority geographical areas to improve their lives. The Fund assists NGOs to design and develop programmes which assist vulnerable communities to build on their strengths.
We support work in the following states: Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal and Assam. Applications can be made at any time, but are assessed biannually in March and October.
