Supporting early stage ideas for social change

The Ideas and Pioneers Fund supports people with early-stage ideas for social change that have the potential to change the way things are currently done. It recognises that people who have been let down or harmed by current systems are acutely aware of what needs to change and can spot solutions for how things could be done differently in order to create transformative change.

Ideas and Pioneers funding is aimed at resourcing these individuals – working either on their own or with others – in order to activate their ideas. We want to provide support to unlock time and headspace to experiment, test and explore their visions for alternative futures.

Since launching in 2015, the Ideas and Pioneers Fund has awarded over 200 grants. You can read the stories of two previous grant holders to find out more.

After a pause in 2021 to reflect and learn, the Fund reopened in July 2024 with a renewed focus. We continue to support ideas at an early stage – a moment when funding is often hardest to secure. Funding is available to individuals, small groups working collaboratively, and small organisations.

As part of the refreshed Fund we’ve increased the grant amount which is now up to £20,000 and we will continue to offer a package of support that includes 1–2‑1 mentoring. There is now an explicit emphasis on funding for people under the age of 30, for those with direct lived experience of the issues they want to address and those that have not received funding before. In addition, we have sought to fund ideas that could contribute towards addressing the root causes of injustice and inequality.

In the first round following our relaunch we received 319 applications and awarded 30 grants in early 2025. You can find details of these grants in our funding database.

In the months ahead, we’ll be sharing insights and lessons from this first round, as well as updates about the programme and future funding.