Open Call for Main Fund for International Educational Projects (United Kingdom)

Deadline: 05-Oct-2026

The Educational Opportunity Foundation provides grants to UK-registered charities delivering international education projects for marginalized and deprived children and young people under 25. Grants of £30,000 to £70,000 support new, pilot, or recently launched projects that improve educational access and quality while promoting long-term sustainability, with approximately £450,000–£500,000 of the Foundation’s annual international grant funding allocated to such projects. The Main Fund for International Educational Projects is a core funding program of the Educational Opportunity Foundation. It supports projects that address educational barriers affecting children and young people under 25 in marginalized and deprived communities around the world. The program focuses on three broad areas: The Foundation allocates approximately £700,000 in new grants each year, with around £450,000 to £500,000 directed toward international projects. The fund supports new or pilot projects, as well as projects that began within the past 12 months. Projects should demonstrate a clear connection to educational development and address the needs of marginalized communities.

Supported approaches may include:

The fund supports initiatives that help marginalized children and young people overcome barriers to education. Projects that improve educational opportunities for girls receive particular attention within the fund’s access objective. Projects can focus on strengthening the quality of education through activities such as teacher training and inclusive teaching practices. The goal is to help create learning environments that respond more effectively to the needs of marginalized children and young people. The fund also emphasizes the long-term sustainability of educational initiatives.

Projects may incorporate:

These approaches can help communities maintain educational benefits beyond the initial project period. International projects can receive grants ranging from: Overhead contributions of up to 20% of the total grant are permitted. Funding can cover between 25% and 100% of total project costs. The Foundation gives preference to projects that demonstrate matched funding, making evidence of other financial contributions relevant to the application. The fund is open to UK-registered charities that meet the Foundation’s organizational requirements.

Eligible applicants must:

Applicants should be able to demonstrate that their organization has the financial and operational capacity to deliver the proposed international education project. The fund is intended for new or pilot projects, or projects that started within the previous 12 months. Projects should address educational challenges affecting marginalized or deprived communities and children or young people under 25. The proposed work should have a clear educational purpose and align with the fund’s focus on access, quality, and sustainability. The Foundation does not fund a number of activities and organizational models.

Ineligible areas include:

Applicants should ensure that the proposed project is primarily an eligible educational intervention rather than a travel, scholarship, fundraising, or general operating initiative. Applicants should clearly demonstrate how their project will address an identified educational need.

A strong proposal should:

Applicants should ensure that their budget reflects the fund’s requirements. The requested grant can represent 25% to 100% of total project costs, although projects demonstrating matched funding are preferred. Applicants should also remember that overhead contributions are permitted up to 20% of the total grant. Budgets should prioritize direct project activities and avoid making excluded costs such as transport, uniforms, or general running costs the main expense. It is a grant program of the Educational Opportunity Foundation supporting international education projects for marginalized and deprived children and young people under 25. Grants range from £30,000 to £70,000 per project. Multi-year projects can receive a maximum of £35,000 per year. The fund is available to UK-registered charities that have an income between £100,000 and £1.5 million, at least three years of continuous accounts, and direct involvement in project delivery. Eligible projects can include classroom construction, teacher training, inclusive education initiatives, extra-curricular support, and vocational training in areas such as STEM, IT, and the green economy. Yes. Improving access to education, particularly for girls, is one of the fund’s stated priorities. Yes. Projects that are new, pilot projects, or that started within the past 12 months can be considered. Yes. Funding can cover between 25% and 100% of total project costs. However, the Foundation prefers projects that demonstrate matched funding. Yes. Overhead contributions of up to 20% of the total grant are permitted. No. Bursaries, school fees, and scholarships are among the activities that the Foundation does not fund. No. International travel is listed among the activities that are not supported. No. The Foundation does not fund volunteering trips. No. Long-term projects are listed among the fund’s exclusions. The program instead focuses on new, pilot, or recently started projects. No. Organizations whose primary purpose is fundraising are not eligible for funding under the stated criteria. The fund aims to improve educational access and quality for marginalized children and young people while helping educational initiatives become more sustainable through approaches such as community management, income generation, and environmental responsibility. The Main Fund for International Educational Projects provides £30,000 to £70,000 in grant support for eligible UK charities delivering international education initiatives for marginalized children and young people under 25. By focusing on educational access, teaching quality, and sustainability, the fund suppor