Rapid Impact Fund

• 21 April 2026, 10am: round opens
• 13 May 2026, 5pm: round closes
• June - July 2026: grant documentation and payments processed for successful applicants
• September 2026: projects begin.

Strong proposals will:

• link targeted support with wider cultural change
• set realistic goals for a six-month project
• demonstrate creative and innovative approaches
• meaningfully include autistic students’ voices and experiences

1. Issues and barriers 

Briefly describe the challenges your autistic students face in your setting. You may wish to consider:

• key barriers affecting autistic students
• cultural or systemic factors (e.g., stigma, routines, low expectations)
• barriers related to social understanding, flexibility, sensory differences, or information processing

2. Your proposed project

Outline your project and explain how it will:

• influence wider practice, attitudes or systems
• contribute to lasting change within your school or college

Projects may focus on areas such as:

• inclusive teaching every day - approaches that support autistic students within whole-class learning and reduce the need for individual adaptations
• a curriculum that empowers - providing knowledge and skills that support independence and future success
• a sense of belonging - creating spaces where students feel safe, welcome and able to participate
• removing barriers to learning - addressing challenges related to communication, flexibility, processing or sensory needs
• motivation and attitudes - supporting positive learning behaviours and wellbeing
• nurturing talents and interests - celebrating strengths and providing opportunities to explore them
• smooth transitions - supporting students moving between stages of education or into adulthood
• respectful relationships - building a culture where autistic students feel valued and understood
• confidence to speak up - helping students report bullying or discrimination and feel heard
• targeted support - short-term interventions that help students engage with learning and school life.
  

Focus on what matters most in your setting rather than trying to address everything.

3. Co-production with autistic students

Explain how autistic students will be actively involved in designing, delivering and reviewing the project and how their views will meaningfully shape decisions and influence inclusive practice.

4. Intended Impact

Describe the difference the funding will make.

For autistic students, this might include:

• improved engagement in school or college
• stronger learning outcomes
• greater confidence, self-advocacy and sense of belonging
• better preparation for transitions and adulthood
  

For the wider school or college, this might include:

• more inclusive everyday practice across departments
• increased understanding of neurodiversity among staff and students
• policies, systems and routines that support inclusion
• a safer, more equitable learning community

We welcome proposals that place autistic students at the centre of meaningful and lasting change in school and college culture.