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The first-stage proposal
Reaching a decision
Second-stage application
Other questions

Tudor Trust > Links > FAQs > The first-stage proposal
 

What sort of work do you fund?
If you think your organisation displays the key characteristics we are looking for, and doesn’t come under the list of what Tudor doesn’t fund, then please consider sending us a first stage proposal.

What don’t you fund?
Like most funders, Tudor has certain types of organisation or areas of work which it will not consider for funding. Sometimes this is because these organisations should be funded by government, or because they work in areas which attract a great deal of public support. Sometimes this is because Tudor funded certain types of organisations or areas of work substantially in the past, and we now wish to focus our attention elsewhere. Click here for full details of what we don’t fund.

Does Tudor only make grants to registered charities?
No, Tudor can fund any sort of organisation as long as we are sure that our grant will be used for charitable purposes. When we make a grant to a registered charity we can be confident that this will be the case. When we make a grant to another type of organisation – such as a constituted community group, a limited company, a community interest company or an industrial and provident society – we need to be clear about how our grant will be used to achieve charitable purposes.

If you want to apply to Tudor for funding and are not a registered charity, we suggest that you briefly explain how you would use the grant for charitable purposes in the introductory letter included in your first-stage proposal. If your application progresses to the second stage then the grants manager working with you to develop your application will explore this issue with you in more detail.

If you need any more guidance on whether Tudor would be able to make a grant to your organisation, please contact the Information Team on 020 7727 8522. Please note that Tudor only makes grants to organisations – we cannot make grants to individuals.

How much can we ask for? Do you have a maximum grant?
There is no maximum or minimum grant amount. At the first stage of the application process you don't have to specify how much you are looking for, unless you want to; if your application reaches the second stage we will discuss your funding requirements in more detail then. Our average grant in 2008/2009 was for £54,808, though it is important to remember that this average covers both one-off grants and grants awarded over a number of years. Looking at our recent grants lists may be helpful in giving you an idea of typical grant levels as well.

What sort of grants do you make? Do you cover core costs?
Tudor makes grants towards:

  • Core funding (including salaries and running costs)
  • Project costs
  • Development work
  • Capital costs of buildings or equipment

Do you make capital grants?
Yes, we can make grants towards the capital costs of new premises, building improvements and equipment. However it is important to note that we will only consider making a capital grant towards a building when the organisations using the building display some of the key characteristics we are looking for in the groups we fund. Good buildings which contribute positively to their environment are important, but we are most interested in what goes on inside the building and the difference building improvements would make to your work. 

Do you award grants over a number of years?
We make one-off grants and grants over a number of years - often two or three -  as well. You do not need to specify how long you are looking for funding for when you complete your first-stage proposal, though you can do so if you wish. Looking at our recent grants lists will give you an idea of the period of time our grants cover. Occasionally we can make grants over longer periods, but this is something that will be discussed as your proposal is developed into a second-stage application. In some situations we may also offer loans.

Can I speak to someone about my idea for a first stage proposal?
We can’t give you individual advice about how you should present your first-stage proposal, or on how likely it is that the trustees will be interested in your ideas. We can only make a judgement about whether we will take your proposal forward if you send it to us for assessment; we need all the information contained in the proposal to reach a decision.

If you think you display the characteristics we are looking for in the organisations we fund the best advice we can give you is to complete a first-stage proposal; we will tell you within a month whether we can take your application on to the next stage.

Although we can’t give individual advice on your proposal we are happy to help if you have questions about the application process or need further guidance on issues like filling in the organisation details sheet. Please call the Information Team on 020 7727 8522 and we will do our best to help you.

My organisation’s annual turnover is more than £1 million; does this mean we can’t apply for a grant?
Tudor is primarily interested in funding smaller, under-resourced groups, which means that we are more likely to fund organisations with a turnover of less than £1 million a year. However, there are exceptions to this rule and we do occasionally fund larger organisations if their work is of particular interest to our trustees. If you feel that your organisation’s work and ethos is in tune with Tudor’s approach you may still apply for funding even if your turnover is more than £1 million, but of course there can be no guarantees as to whether we will take your application forward.

If we have funded you recently and your turnover is now more than £1 million, please contact your Grants Manager for advice as to whether we can consider continuing our support.

Can you give me an idea of how likely we are to receive a grant?
We can’t give individual advice on how likely you are to receive a grant. This is because we can’t give you an ‘in theory’ answer but need to see your completed first-stage proposal to reach a decision. However, we are being open about the fact that only around one in ten applications will get through to the second stage. This is because we aim to make around 350 grants each year, but expect to receive thousands of first-stage proposals.

Can you give me some advice on filling in the organisation details sheet?
Click here for advice on how to complete this sheet. If you have any other questions which aren’t covered here please call the Information Team on 020 7727 8522.

How should I present my first-stage proposal?
It is best if you simply secure the pages of your proposal with a paper clip. Please do not use ring-binders or plastic wallets. These folders make photocopying, processing and filing your proposal more difficult and as a result we usually remove and recycle any that are received as it is not cost or energy efficient for us to return them.

We’ve been refused a grant from Tudor; when can we reapply?
If you have received a refusal we ask you not to reapply until at least 12 months after the date of the refusal letter.

We’ve had a grant from Tudor before; can we reapply for a different area of work?
You can submit a new first stage proposal once our support for a previous area of work has ended – usually 12 months after the date of the final payment of our grant.

We have a grant from Tudor at the moment; can we reapply for funding to develop this work?
If you want to apply for continuation funding to develop the same area of work please write to us well before your current funding runs out. We can consider requests for continuation funding from three months after the final payment of your current grant. If you have any specific questions about continuation funding please contact your Grants Manager directly.

Can we have more than one grant from Tudor at the same time?
No, an organisation can normally only have one grant at a time from Tudor.

Is there a deadline for sending in our first-stage proposal?
There are no deadlines for submitting first-stage proposals; they are assessed as part of a rolling programme and our Grants Committees meet every three weeks to consider applications.

Where do I send my first-stage proposal?
Address your proposal to ‘The Trustees’ and send it to:

The Tudor Trust
7 Ladbroke Grove
London
W11 3BD

Please send us your application by post; we do not accept applications by fax or email.

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