Application method
The Luton Matters Programme has a two-stage application process:
- Stage 1 is an open application process with the submission of a straight-forward Expression of Interest (EOI) form from which Trustees can decide whether or not they wish to explore the proposal further.
- Stage 2 is by invitation only; having reviewed the EOIs received and the funds available, Trustees will either invite an organisation to submit a full application for the next meeting, or defer a full application invitation to another meeting within the next six months, or decline to take the application any further.
Both EOIs and full applications can only be submitted online on our web-based forms, accessed through the application portal at the end of the Apply page.
The Trust is running the first year application process as a pilot from which it will develop its structure for 2026. Please read the remainder of this page carefully.
What to expect from Stage 1
Before submitting an EOI, you can view the application questions (see next page). If, having done so, you have any questions, please email the Director, using the contact form.
Supporting documents are not required at the EOI stage.
Timescales
During the 2025 pilot year, EOIs for the Luton Matters programme were accepted between 10 March 2025 and 31 July, and reviewed at meetings in mid-June and mid-September. Any updates to advertised dates are shown in the application portal.
The application period for 2026 is likely to be in the summer; exact dates will be published as soon as possible.
Following submission of an EOI
All applicants will receive an acknowledgement email upon submission. EOIs will be reviewed by all Trustees as advertised or at the next meeting at which it is practical to do so. From that pool of EOIs, Trustees will make one of three possible decisions:
- decline to take the application any further
- invite the applicant to submit a full application for the next meeting
- inform the applicant that their EOI is being held for further consideration within the next six months (Trustees will take into account any hard project deadlines contained within the EOI)
The table below illustrates typical timescales. This process is designed to ensure that those applicants whose applications will not be progressed are told as soon as possible.
| EOIs reviewed at the meeting in… | …will learn the outcome of that review by… | Earliest notification of award (if invited to a full application) would be… |
| mid-June | mid-July | late September |
| mid-September | mid-October | Christmas |
What to expect from Stage 2
Stage 2 is by invitation only – applicants that have successfully been selected for progression from their EOI will be asked to complete a full application form and given the deadline for submission and the meeting at which it will be considered. As with the EOI, you will be able to view the application questions beforehand.
Applicants invited to submit a full application form should expect to attend a virtual meeting with one Trustee and, usually, the Director ahead of submitting the form.
You will be required to provide supporting documents with a full application. These are:
- the organisation’s most recent accounts
- a grant funding plan and budget (click here for guidance – there is no need to create something specific for us if you already have a similar document)
- the organisation’s safeguarding policy/policies
- the organisation’s privacy policy
- except for registered charities, the organisation’s governing document
Applicants can expect to learn the outcome of their application soon after the meeting at which it is considered, in line with the typical timescales in the table above. A notice is also posted on the home page of this website, stating when these notifications have been sent.
Successful applicants will be required to digitally accept the terms of their individual grant offers and payments will be made by bank transfer.
Re-applying
No applicant, successful or not, should apply to the Trust more than once within any 12-month period (based on application date) unless specifically requested to do so.
Managing expectations
The Trust has, for many years, been receiving far more applications than it has funds to support. The success rate has been no more than 5% in the last few years and has recently shown signs of decreasing. In an attempt to improve applicants’ chance of success, the Trustees have made significant changes to its grant-making strategy and the Luton Matters Programme is now one of only two streams of funding available from 2025. We will monitor and review this fund over the coming year and publish meaningful data about its success rate when it becomes available. Although early days, the Luton Matters Programme is already heading for a success rate of around 30% in its first year.
Individual feedback is not given to applicants as a matter of course, though everyone will receive notification of the outcome. No correspondence will be entered into about previous applications.
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