Starting in 2025 and for the next five years, the Trustees of The Steel Charitable Trust intend to award broadly 50% of the Trust’s grants budget to work that brings benefits to the town and residents of Luton. Charities and other eligible organisations either based in Luton, or based elsewhere but delivering work in Luton, may submit a simple Expression of Interest (EOI) form and Trustees will invite full applications from the pool (of EOIs) it receives.
Please read this page carefully – we do not want you to waste your time applying for something if you do not meet the criteria.
What is this programme trying to achieve?
This programme aims to provide financial support to organisations working on the ground in Luton to improve services in the town and provide positive outcomes and quality of life benefits for its residents. The Trust is already well-connected to Luton’s not-for-profit sector, it has supported many organisations in the past and is currently funding several significant projects and on-going work. This new, open commitment to Luton is an opportunity for the Trust to deepen ties within the town and its diverse communities by awarding grants that offer stability in the short to medium term.
What type of work might be funded?
This programme is not aimed at a particular cohort or directed towards a particular issue. However, applicants will be expected to briefly describe how their work broadly aligns with Luton Council’s 2040 objectives.
The Trust is not resourced to offer individual advice to applicants, or to hold meetings or calls, ahead of making an application.
What type of funding is available?
Grants awarded may be for restricted or unrestricted funding. Restricted funding includes specifically stated running or capital costs, such as contributions to a salary for a named role, detailed IT upgrades or a building renovation. New project costs or contributions towards on-going projects or programmes also come into this category. If you are awarded unrestricted funding, you may choose how to allocate it within your organisation.
Trustees are expecting to award a mixture of one-off and multi-year grants, as appropriate. Multi-year grants are unlikely to be for more than three years, though other periods are possible by exception.
Who may apply and what are the eligibility criteria?
Correct as at 9/12/2025. It is advisable to check just before making an application as they are subject to change.
To make an initial application on an Expression of Interest form, you must…
- be a UK-registered charity or an Exempt Charity as defined in the Charities Act 2011 or its equivalents in Scotland and Northern Ireland; OR be a Community Interest Company (CIC) or other formally structured not-for-profit organisation
- be seeking funding towards work that will be wholly/mainly delivered within the Luton town boundary for the benefit of the town and its residents
- have a minimum income of £50k in the previous financial year
- be able to produce at least one full year of accounts, that confirm the required income threshold
- be seeking a grant of a minimum of £10k per year (applicants seeking smaller grants, click here)
Your organisation may have more than one structure, i.e. be a registered charity and a company limited by guarantee. As long as it has a constituted not-for-profit status, it is eligible. CIOs are registered charities.
We do not accept applications from individuals, political parties or recently-registered charities that do not yet have a year’s accounts to share.
Are there any restrictions?
Yes, there are a few. Applicants must not seek funding for…
- work where religious practice, worship or proselytizing is overt or the main objective
- work that is overtly connected to political parties
- work that has already taken place
What are the likely grant sizes?
The annual minimum grant size is £10k and the maximum is unlikely to be more than £50k. Within those fixed limits, it is unlikely that any grant will be awarded where the value of the yearly amount is more than 20% of the applicant’s income in the previous year.
Most one-off grants will be made as a single payment. Where multi-year awards are made, a report is required and must be approved by Trustees before the release of subsequent instalments.
What about reporting and re-applying?
A report is required for all grants made and any specific conditions will be communicated when the award is made. However, we try to keep the reporting requirements ‘light touch’ and do not make specific demands in terms of format or length, enabling you to re-use other reports you may have prepared. Reports are expected between 10 and 18 months following the award, as appropriate.
Unless specifically invited to do so, you may only make one application within any 12-month period (on month of application), whether successful or not.
steelcharitabletrust.org.uk 