Backing bold ideas. Building a stronger sector. The Opportunity Fund champions innovation, backs great people and ideas, and works to create a stronger sector.
The Opportunity Fund gives us space to think differently and act early. It’s how we support bold ideas and strong leaders whose work doesn’t sit neatly within our core priorities, but has potential to make real change happen.
Some of the best ideas start small. They need support before they’re proven. That’s where the Opportunity Fund comes in.
We use it to back early-stage projects, test new approaches, and respond to emerging needs. We’re comfortable taking risks, because we know that some of the best ideas start small and need backing before they are proven.
The Opportunity Fund is currently invitation-only and not open for general applications.
This fund is also part of how we’re investing in the long-term strength of the voluntary and community sector. It helps us move quickly, test new approaches and back great people shaping the future of social change.
Aims and impact
The Opportunity Fund will support pilots, scale up proven approaches and address emerging areas of need where support is limited. Through the Opportunity Fund, we will:
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Support innovation through early-stage work and pilots, including projects that sit outside our main priority areas
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Strengthen leadership and skills across the sector by investing in tools, training, networks and collaboration
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Support inclusion by backing leaders from underrepresented communities and helping organisations diversify how they are led
We are starting with a series of pilot grants. These are learning opportunities that will help shape future priorities and programme design.
Leadership and management development
We are backing leadership programmes in rural and coastal areas and support for leaders from minoritised backgrounds.
Support for social entrepreneurs
In partnership with UnLtd, we’re funding social entrepreneurs who align with our funding priorities and are ready to take the next step.
Anti-polarisation work
With the Together Initiative, Children in Need, and backing from the Prime Minister, we’re funding research and grassroots engagement. We aim to to address the growing tensions and divisions across culture, values and identities in the UK to strengthen our democracy.
Strengthening the sector
We’re providing core funding to Reach Volunteering, to enable upgrades to their digital volunteer recruitment platform for the charity sector.
At this early stage, the Opportunity Fund is invitation-only. We are drawing on our experience, networks and internal research to identify suitable partners. We will publish the learning from these programmes in line with our commitment to be an open and transparent funder.
Resources
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Budget FAQs
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