Paul Hamlyn Foundation: open grants for UK charities

Finding a funder is the easy part. The hard part is working out which of their programmes you're actually eligible for, and not wasting a week on an application that was never a fit. This guide lists Paul Hamlyn Foundation's currently open programmes so you can check the basics before you commit.

Open Paul Hamlyn Foundation programmes right now

• Migration Fund
  £60,000 · Rolling, applications open
  UK-wide. Up to £60,000/yr (3–4 years) or £50,000/yr (5 years) for charitable organisations working towards a world in which everyone is free to move and no one is forced to move. Rolling application cycle — no deadlines. GATE (funder's own fund page, re-verified 2026-08-08): you must have an enquiry call with PHF's Migration Team before applying, and written applications are accepted ONLY from organisations invited to apply following that call. PHF aims to respond to an enquiry call request within four weeks and currently reports a high volume of requests, so allow longer. ~4 months from written application to decision. PHF actively funds work outside London and across the UK.
• Youth Fund
  £30,000–£50,000 · Rolling, applications open
  UK-wide. £30,000–£50,000 per year for three years (maximum grant £150,000) for not-for-profit organisations working with young people aged 14–25 to drive systemic change. Rolling application cycle — no deadlines. ACCESS ROUTE — SELF-SERVE, no enquiry-call gate. Verified on the funder's own fund page 2026-08-09: you apply directly by completing a written application in PHF's online portal, and a sample application form is published in advance as a Word document so you can see the questions before you start. If the written application meets criteria you are invited to an online interview, at which PHF asks for further information on finances and fundraising, governance and impact; after moderation the team decides whether to put the application to its grants panel, which sits five times a year. Note the contrast with PHF's own Migration Fund, where an enquiry call is mandatory and written applications are accepted ONLY from organisations invited following that call — two funds at the same funder running opposite routes. The word "enquiry" does not appear anywhere on the Youth Fund page. TIMING: this card previously said ~4 months; the funder says 4–6 months from written application to final decision, and that applicants should hear from PHF within 8 weeks of submitting. HARD GATES not previously on this card: (a) organisation turnover must be over £30,000 and under £3.5 million; (b) at least 50% of the organisation's focus must be on work with and for 14–25 year olds; (c) PHF funds the full three years only, and makes no grants of less than £30,000 per year; (d) newly registered organisations that have not yet produced independently audited or examined accounts are excluded; (e) non-charities (community organisations, social enterprises, not-for-profit companies) must declare how the funding is for charitable purposes AND have an asset lock in place; (f) for partnership delivery there must be a lead partner able to receive funds, and the partnership must already be active. EXCLUSIONS beyond PHF's general exclusions: statutory responsibilities; project-based activity or work with no scope for impact beyond immediate beneficiaries; service delivery without a specific focus on wider change; research not demonstrably linked to action; work focused on young people receiving hospice or end-of-life care; work delivered by YMCAs unless it seeks significant wider change in housing provision and entitlements for young people; and work focused exclusively on employment pathways or on further/higher education pathways (social mobility). PHF calls these "not currently a priority" — that is a statement about WHAT it funds, not about WHETHER the fund is open. PHF is also explicit that it is not looking to fund new or untested approaches, projects or finite pieces of work: the fund is for growing the impact of established work. Funder-wide (PHF /funding page, read 2026-08-09): PHF "actively seek[s] to fund work outside of London and across the UK" and only funds work that is charitable as defined by the Charity Commission.
• Arts-based Learning Fund
  £30,000–£300,000 · Rolling, applications open
  UK-wide. £30,000–£300,000 (up to £100,000 per year) over 1–4 years for arts and cultural organisations working in partnership with state-funded formal education settings to make arts-based learning a core part of education. Rolling application cycle — no deadlines. ACCESS ROUTE — SELF-SERVE, two stages. Verified on the funder's own fund page 2026-08-09. An enquiry call with a grants manager is offered and warmly encouraged, bookable through PHF's online portal, and PHF aims to respond to a request within four weeks — but the funder states in terms: "This step is optional." You may go straight to Stage 1 by completing the online application, and you receive an email acknowledgement. If the work aligns with criteria you are invited to Stage 2, where PHF asks for further information online and may arrange a phone or video call. Sample enquiry-call, Stage 1 and Stage 2 forms are all published in advance. CAUTION FOR SCREENING: PHF uses the phrase "enquiry call" on this fund and on its Migration Fund to mean OPPOSITE things — on Migration it is a mandatory gate and written applications are accepted only from organisations invited after the call; here it is optional. The phrase alone does not identify a gated route. TIMING: all applicants should expect to hear within four months, and successful applications take around six months from date of application to receiving a grant (this card previously said ~4 months to decision). WHO APPLIES: the applicant must be the arts or cultural organisation, NOT the school — PHF will not fund applications from schools or other formal education settings, though primary schools may apply directly to PHF's separate Teacher Development Fund. Applications from universities are excluded, but arts organisations sitting under a university umbrella are eligible, and universities may be project partners. HARD GATE not previously on this card: PHF "rarely consider[s] financial requests representing more than 50% of an applicant's annual turnover", so the headline £100,000-per-year maximum in practice implies annual turnover of roughly £200,000 or more — a size gate no screen currently applies. Also excluded: recently registered organisations that have not yet produced a set of accounts; work with formal education settings that are not state-funded (PHF does encourage a conversation via the enquiry call about SEND and alternative-provision settings with different funding arrangements); work that is or should be a statutory entitlement; work that is therapeutic in its practice and intended outcomes; and work focused on developing pupils' creativity through approaches that are not arts-based. Work is expected to take place during school hours and to be embedded in the curriculum. PHF offers up to £750 of accessibility support to help an organisation apply. Funder-wide (PHF /funding page, read 2026-08-09): PHF "actively seek[s] to fund work outside of London and across the UK" and only funds work that is charitable as defined by the Charity Commission.

Each programme links to Paul Hamlyn Foundation's official page. Always confirm eligibility, amounts and deadlines there before applying. Funders update their pages, and "rolling" does not mean funding is guaranteed.

Before you apply to Paul Hamlyn Foundation

• Check the eligibility basics first: where you work, the type of organisation you are, who you help, and the realistic size of grant you can deliver.
• Look at who Paul Hamlyn Foundation has funded recently. Recent grants are the best signal of whether your work fits their priorities.
• Don't rely on one funder. The charities that win consistently keep a live shortlist of several well-matched opportunities, not a single bet.

GrantNest helps you discover and draft funding opportunities. We are not affiliated with Paul Hamlyn Foundation. We don't guarantee you'll win funding, and nothing here is financial or legal advice. Programme details verified 2026-08-19.