Grants for Disability, SEND and Neurodiversity Projects in the UK
Funding for UK organisations working with disabled people, SEND, autism and ADHD: who funds this work, who qualifies, and how to apply well.
Organisations working with disabled people, children with special educational needs, and neurodivergent communities are doing some of the most needed work in the country. If you run this kind of project, whether it is ADHD peer support, autism-friendly activities, SEND family services, or accessible community spaces, there are funders who want to help you deliver it. This guide is for the organisations doing the work: charities, CICs, and community groups.
Much disability and neurodiversity funding sits within the health, social and charity sectors. Source: GrantMatch, updated daily.
What kind of work gets funded?
Funders in this area back a wide range of activity, including:
- Neurodiversity support, such as ADHD and autism peer groups, coaching, and family support
- SEND services for children and young people and the people who care for them
- Accessible activities and spaces, from inclusive sport to sensory rooms and adapted equipment
- Advocacy and independent living support for disabled adults
- Employment and skills projects that help disabled and neurodivergent people into work
If your work removes a barrier or opens something up for disabled or neurodivergent people, it is likely to fit.
Who funds disability and neurodiversity work?
Disability-focused charitable trusts are the natural first stop. Many exist specifically to fund work with disabled people, and some focus on a single condition or age group.
The National Lottery Community Fund supports a large amount of inclusive community work across the UK.
Motability, Family Fund and similar specialist funders support disabled people and families, often for equipment and practical help. Check their criteria carefully, as some fund individuals and others fund organisations.
Community foundations and local funds back accessible community activity in their area, usually with lighter paperwork.
To see what is live, browse health and social grants and charities and non-profit grants, then filter by your organisation type.
Who is eligible?
Most funders in this area will want to see:
- A clear purpose linked to disability, SEND, or neurodiversity
- A recognised legal form, or a route through a sponsor for newer groups
- Lived experience or genuine involvement of the people you serve, which funders increasingly expect
- An understanding of accessibility and safe, inclusive delivery
Involvement matters here more than in most areas. Funders want to see that disabled and neurodivergent people shape the work rather than only receive it.
How to make your application stronger
Show co-production. Say how the people you serve helped design the project. A quote from a group member or a note on how you consulted your community goes a long way.
Be specific about access. Explain what you do to make the work genuinely accessible, from the venue to the format to the language you use.
Use the right language. Match the terms your community uses. Getting this wrong signals to a funder that you may not be as close to the work as you claim.
Your next step
Write down who your project is for and how they helped shape it. That single point strengthens almost every application in this area. Then find one fund that matches your organisation and check the eligibility criteria before you commit an evening to it.
A free GrantMatch account will show you grants matched to your organisation. For the bigger picture, read our guide to grants for charities and community organisations, or the companion guide on grants for mental health and wellbeing projects.