FIRST UTILITY FOUNDATION: GUIDELINES FOR GRANT APPLICANTS
INTRODUCTION
First Utility Foundation is an independent charity established by First Utility in 2014 when the company chose to celebrate
a major milestone in its growth by committing 1% of annual profits to charitable causes. It is run by a board of independent
Trustees who award grants to organisations which deliver a genuine improvement to the lives of vulnerable families and
individuals within the UK.
All our grants are made according to our Grant Guidelines, which are set out below. This document is designed to help
potential applicants assess whether their project is likely to be eligible for a grant and provide guidance as to the Trustees’
priorities. Please nevertheless understand that we have limited resources and that regrettably we cannot support every
application even if it may meet our criteria. Further, we regret that the Foundation will not respond to unsolicited requests
for support unless they are received in the correct format. As you will appreciate, this is in order to ensure our limited
resources are dedicated to the grants programme rather than administration.
You can also find more information on our website www.first-utility-foundation.org.uk or, if you have any specific
questions, please contact Fiona Paré on Email: [email protected].
GRANT CRITERIA
Who can apply for a grant?
The primary aim of First Utility Foundation is to make life better for vulnerable families and individuals. The Trustees are
looking for projects run by UK-registered charities which deliver support for vulnerable communities in the UK. Please
review the below eligibility criteria in detail before preparing your application.
Whilst the grant application must be submitted by the charity itself, First Utility employees and customers are also invited
to recommend organisations for support through the website www.first-utility-foundation.org.uk.
What type of grants are available? There are two categories of financial grants available:
1. General Support grants: These grants specifically cover an organisation’s core costs.
2. Flagship grants: These larger scale grants contribute to a specific initiative or project.
Are we eligible for a grant?
The Trustees are specifically looking for projects throughout the UK which:
 Change the lives of the UK’s most vulnerable families and children for the better
 Improve the quality of life of older people
 Make life better for people with disabilities
All applicant organisations must as a minimum:
 Be managed and delivered by a UK-registered charity (preferably with a turnover between £50k and £5m)
 Reach vulnerable individuals and families
 Have transparent plans and budgets
 Have available documentation as specified in the application form including two years of externally audited
accounts
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Special consideration will also be given to projects which can demonstrate that they:
 Have a track record helping vulnerable communities to create a new and better future
 Are delivering or developing new solutions to help the vulnerable in a particular locality
 Are empowering beneficiaries with the knowledge to manage better with the challenges they face
 Use technology to make the grant go further
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Have at least 30% of the project funding secured from other sources
Have a clear plan in place for the project’s long term sustainability - or indeed an exit strategy depending on the
situation
Please note that the Foundation does not make grants towards the following:
 The promotion or advancement of religion or political campaigning
 Individuals
 Capital projects
 Endowment funds
 Exclusively grant-making charities
 Public institutions such as schools, hospitals and universities
 Charities that have been registered for less than two years
 Charities operating outside the UK
 Charities with a deficit
How much can we apply for?
General Support grants (for core costs) are valued at between £3,000 and £10,000 per annum. Flagship grants are valued
at up to £15,000 per annum. Amounts awarded depend on the amount requested, the scale of the project in question and
the resources available within the Foundation. The final decision is made by the Board of Trustees.
GRANTMAKING CYCLE
How do I apply for a grant?
Please first read the grant application guidelines and criteria in detail. If you believe your organisation runs a project which
meets the Trustees’ criteria, please fill in the Initial Application Form and submit it to [email protected]. The
Foundation will advise whether your organisation meets the minimum criteria for a grant. If so, you will be asked to
complete a full Application Form and submit it with the supplementary materials requested in the form. You should also
send a hard copy to Fiona Paré, Director, c/o Ed Kamm, First Utility Foundation, Davidson Building, 5 Southampton Street,
Covent Garden WC2E 7HA who is also available to answer any questions and support applicants throughout the process.
When are grants made?
Grants are awarded to successful applicants once a year in June. The grant cycle will open in late
January. Where grant applications are not successful, the applicant will be informed in writing.
Please note that the Trustees' decision is final.
How long do the grants last?
Organisations should apply initially for up to a year’s funding and provide an end-of-year Annual
Progress Report. After the initial year, some organisations may be invited to apply for multi-year
grants. Where more than one year of funding is agreed, it will be subject to an annual review of
progress by the Foundation and the applicant will need to demonstrate it has met certain agreed
criteria before receiving a repeat payment.
What are the reporting requirements?
All grantees will be required to report on their use of donations from the Foundation using the
Annual Progress Report. Please review this and ensure you will be able to comply with this
requirement prior to applying for funding.
Whom should we contact with any queries?
Please contact Fiona Paré Email: [email protected]
** Cost Recovery
Full cost recovery means securing funding for all of the costs involved in running a project. This means that you
can request funding for direct project costs and for a proportionate share of your organisation’s overheads.