The 2020/21 grant-giving Pilot

Sheila Coates Foundation became a registered charity in 2020 and we have developed a brand new grant giving programme to improve outcomes for many more autistic young people.

Our pilot grant giving programme is running from July 2020 through to August 2021.

The application process opened at the beginning of July, when we invited applications from three areas: Oxfordshire, Southampton, Brighton and Hove/East Sussex. We approached schools, colleges and other provisions personally to invite them to submit applications.

Throughout the pilot we will be gathering feedback and testing out all aspects of our grant-giving. We’ll use this evidence to make changes before the launch of the second phase of our grant-making programme in May 2021.

For the 2020/21 pilot we are funding six projects of between £10,000 and £50,000 each of which will be starting during the 2020/21 academic year and ending by August 31st 2021.

For this pilot, we are not operating an open application system. Pilot projects have been drawn from areas where we already have contacts, where we were already aware of need. We are therefore not accepting or processing applications which are outside our pilot areas.

What applicants can expect in the 2020/21 pilot project

In 2020/21 we have awarded grants to six projects. In the pilot, applicants submitted their completed application form by 1st August 2020 and we let them know by 1st September 2020 whether they were successful.

When projects receive funding, they will be trialing our brand new processes. There is an expectation that they will take part in the evaluation of our pilot.

This may include:

  • giving verbal feedback, for example through conversations or focus groups
  • giving written feedback, for example through commenting on information, completing questionnaires or online surveys
  • testing out new tools or processes, for example an evaluation measure or an online reporting process.

Pilot grant recipients will also be testing out the support given from SCF to ensure there is the right amount of information and advice for the smooth running of their project. We sometimes like to see our projects in action and may visit.

Any questions?

Our application guidance and Frequently Asked Questions will help with completing your application.