FUNDING FINDER
Useful Funding and Grant Websites
EDUCATIONAL VISITS FUNDING AND GRANT OPPORTUNITIES
Your guide to the latest funding and grants to support learning beyond the classroom. Bookmark this page and check back regularly for updates. If you are a funder, or you’ve come across other opportunities that could be added to this funding finder, please email details to info@evolveadvice.co.uk so that we can share them with our school community.
Latest grants and funding for learning outside the classroom
Go Ape Competition
Closes 28/02/2025
Win a visit for a group of up to 30 students to a Go Ape. Enquire about a visit to be entered into the draw.
Primary / Secondary / SEND / Nationwide
Paultons Theme Park, Hampshire
Closes: 21/02/2025
Prize draw to win a visit for up to 70 and coach travel up to the value of £750. Maximum of one entry per email address - schools can enter as many times as they like.
All OFSTED or equivalent registered establishments – Preschools / Nurseries / Primary/ Secondary / Further Education.
New Forest National Park
Application Deadline: 31/03/2025
The New Forest Travel Grant scheme supports learning outside the classroom for schools in the New Forest and surrounding area. Schools that are either based with-in the New Forest National Park or within a 20-mile journey of Lyndhurst can claim up to £250 towards the cost of transport to any venue that is a member of the New Forest National Park Educators’ Forum.
Primary / Secondary / SEND / New Forest National Park / Lyndhurst
South Downs National Park
Application Deadline: 31/03/2025
Schools from across Hampshire and Sussex – with over 30 per cent of their pupils eligible for pupil premium funding – are now being invited to apply for fully-funded visits to the South Downs National Park.
Primary / Secondary / SEND / Hampshire / Sussex
The Adamson Trust
Year Round Applications
The Adamson Trust is a long established Perthshire charity based in Crieff. They are able to give financial help with the cost of holidays or respite breaks for disabled children aged between 3 and 17 with physical, mental or emotional impairments. Applications from schools are welcome.
Special Schools / SEND / Primary / Secondary / Nationwide
Alpkit Foundation
Year Round Applications
The Alpkit Foundation helps people Go Nice Places Do Good Things. Alpkit particularly like to support projects that encourage responsible outdoor activity, have long lasting benefits, introduce new people to get outdoors and demonstrate value for money.
Primary / Secondary / SEND / Nationwide
Arts Council Wales
Year Round Applications
Go and See is a grant that can be used to fund visits to high-quality arts events in galleries, theatres, arts centres and other venues. Events could include visits to performances and exhibitions or visits to experience arts professionals developing and creating their work.
Primary / Secondary / Wales Only
The Barker-Mill Foundation
Year Round Applications
Since 1995 the Barker-Mill Foundation has donated £4 million to local charities, schools, organisations and individuals needing support, primarily in south west Hampshire.
The Foundation give priority to those in the more deprived local areas specifically Nursling and Rownhams, Redbridge, Millbrook, and Totton.
BlueSpark Foundation
Year Round Applications
Grants up to £2,000 and £5,000. BlueSpark Foundation is a registered charity which supports the education and development of children and young people by providing grants for educational, cultural, sporting and other projects.
Primary / Secondary / SEND / Nationwide
Brathay
Registration Now Open!
The Brathay Bursary breaks down financial barriers to help young people experience and benefit from an outdoor residential at it’s dedicated Lake District centre.
Brathay Bursary’s 5-year goal is to support 5000 more young people from across the UK: £3,000 will support up to 10 young people to attend a 3-day residential. £15,000 will support 50 young people to attend a 3-day residential. £45,000 will support up to 150 young people to attend a 3-day residential.
City of London Cultural & Creative Learning Fund
Grants are allocated on a first-come first-served basis
School Visits Fund aims to enable children to experience the benefits of learning outside the classroom. If you’re a teacher or group leader planning a trip, you can receive up to £300 towards the cost of a visit to a wide variety of inspiring venues managed by the City Corporation.
Primary / Secondary / SEND / Greater London Only / Pupil Premium 35%
The Country Trust
Year Round Applications
The Country Trust supports better life chances for disadvantaged children through hands-on food, farming and countryside experiences. The Country Trust programmes include Farm Discovery Day Visits and Countryside Residentials.
Primary / SEND / England / Wales / Free School Meals
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award
Year Round Applications
The Access Without Limits schools funding working with the Department for Education and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, is set to enable more young people living in the most deprived areas in England to access the DofE at school. Eligible schools can apply for funding to support with the following: Licence Fee support, Bronze, Silver and/or Gold Participation Places and Expedition Equipment.
Secondary / SEND / Alternative Provision / England
English Heritage
Free Self-Led Visits
With historical sites across England, there are incredible places to visit on your doorstep - and when you bring your class on an educational visit, you can explore for free! Choose from medieval castles, prehistoric sites, monastic ruins and country houses – then plan your day to suit your curriculum needs and the learning level of your group.
Primary / Secondary / Nationwide
Ford Britain Trust
Year Round Applications
The Ford Britain Trust particularly likes to support projects which focuses on education, environment, children, the disabled, youth activities and projects that provide clear benefits to the local communities close to their UK locations.
Primary / Secondary / SEND / Nationwide
The Great British School Trip
Bursary Applications for 2024/2025 are Now Open!
The Great British School Trip has already allocated funding to support over 90,000 young people to attend school trips right across the UK, but they are back for the 2024/2025 academic year. Bursaries are available to all UK schools and allocated on a first come, first served basis. Priority is given to those who have more than 30% of their pupils receiving free school meals
Primary / Secondary / SEND / UK
Happy Days Children’s Charity
Year Round Applications
You can apply for a day trip to a wide variety of destinations, for example the seaside, a theme park or the theatre. You may also apply for a theatre performance or experience to visit your premises. There is also a group activity holiday fund for a wide variety of destinations such as outdoor activity centres, holiday camps and sailing breaks.
Primary / Secondary / SEND
The Henry Smith Charity
Submission dates vary depending on when the trips take place.
Grants from £500 – £2,750. The purpose of the Holiday Grants programme is to provide access to recreational trips or holidays for groups of children who experience disadvantage or who have disabilities. In particular we are interested in contributing to trips that would not take place without our funding.
Primary / SEND / UK
Jack Petchey Foundation
Year Round Applications
Grants up to £1,200 per trip. The Educational Visit Grants support schools with the costs of making visits to museums, theatres, science shows and more.
Primary / Secondary / SEND / Nationwide
John Watson’s Trust
Year Round Applications
The purpose of the John Watson’s Trust is to award grants for educational purposes to children and young people up to and including the age of 21 who have a physical or learning disability or who are socially disadvantaged.
Primary / Secondary / Further / Higher / Edinburgh / Midlothian / West Lothian / East Lothian
Learning through Landscapes
Year Round Applications
The Local School Nature Grants Scheme - Helping schools branch out into nature.
Primary / Secondary / SEND / Nationwide
M7 Education
Year Round Applications
No such thing as a free school trip? Actually there is... If you are looking to take a trip outside the classroom, your group has a high percentage of pupils on a pupil premium, and your trip is educational rather than reward based - M7 Education may be able to help organise your trip for free!
Primary / Secondary / Nationwide / Pupil Premium 50%
National Lottery Awards For All
Year Round Applications
Social connections and community activities are at the heart of creating healthier, happier lives and a flourishing society. That’s why the National Lottery support amazing community-led projects. Schools can apply for funding between £300 and £10,000 as long as the project benefits and involves the communities around the school.
Primary / Secondary / SEND / England
PGL Breakthrough Fund
Year Round Applications
The PGL Breakthrough Fund provides financial support so schools with pupils who need it the most can experience an outdoor learning adventure. For schools with a high proportion of pupils receiving Pupil Premium or equivalent, PGL will fund 50% of the costs when booking an outdoor residential adventure with PGL.
Primary / Secondary / Pupil Premium / Nationwide
Royal Collection Trust
Year Round Applications
Travel Subsidy Scheme: One of Royal Collection Trust's Charitable Aims is to broaden and increase access for the nation. State schools can apply for help towards the cost of travelling to the Official Residences of The King and The Queen’s Galleries, in order to ensure visits are possible for schools working for, and with, economically disadvantaged pupils. Schools can also apply for complimentary facilitated visits through the Royal Collection via the Schools Access Scheme.
Primary / Secondary / Nationwide / Pupil Premium 30%
School Journey Association
Year Round Applications
As a registered charity, The School Journey Association strongly believes in inclusion, and doesn’t want any child to miss out. One of the prime purposes is to support children from disadvantaged families or with special needs who might not otherwise be able to participate in school trips. For this reason, they may be able to offer a grant of up to 50% of the school trip cost to help individual children from disadvantaged families to participate.
Primary / Secondary / Nationwide
South Downs National Park - Subsidised Travel
Year Round Applications
Schools and colleges, with over 10 per cent of their pupils eligible for free school meals, can apply for discounted transport via our partnership with National Express. Coaches are offered for as little as £295 if schools/colleges are able to travel between 9am-3pm to locations within the South Downs National Park. This is available throughout the year and may be used multiple times.
Primary / Secondary / SEND / Hampshire / Sussex
Tesco Stronger Starts Grants
Year Round Applications
Open to all schools with priority given to projects that provide food and support to young people. For example, a school providing pupils with food for breakfast clubs or snacks throughout the day, a school wanting to buy equipment for outdoor or indoor activities, a school wanting to develop a food growing area or a school supporting an after school club.
Primary / Secondary / SEND / Nationwide
UK-German Connection
Year Round Applications
Grants for joint activities between schools for UK-German activities. Partnership Visit Fund for staff planning visits for teachers and Headteachers. Instant Impact for first-time taster trips, group visits aimed at reviving a dormant partnership, or joint thematic projects.
Primary / Secondary / SEND / UK / Germany
Variety, The Children’s Charity
Year Round Applications
Variety Great Days Out are open to schools that work with disabled and disadvantaged children and young people. Each year, they take thousands of children to one of their themed parties, the seaside, the circus, the theatre, the zoo, a theme park or other attractions around the UK.
Primary / Secondary / SEND / PRU / Nationwide
Weald & Downland Living Museum
Year Round Applications
The Weald & Downland Living Museum Travel Bursary is available as full or part payment for travel to and from the Museum up to a maximum of £400 per school/college per year.
Hampshire / Kent / Surrey / East Sussex / West Sussex / Free School Meals 10% / Pupil Premium 10% / Special Measures / SEND
Images sourced from Unsplash.
Funding insights and ideas – webinars to watch on demand
Money Matters: Funding Your Educational Visits.
How to raise money for free with easyfundraising
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