Wolfson Foundation Grants: Capital Funding Guide

The Wolfson Foundation focuses on buildings and equipment, an area where, in its own words, there are few funders who provide significant funding for large-scale capital projects. It says its fundamental aim is to improve the civic health of society, mainly through education and research, and it supports excellence in education, science and medicine, health and disability, and heritage, humanities and the arts. If you are planning a capital project in one of those fields, Wolfson is worth understanding in detail. This guide covers who can apply, what it funds, how much it gives, how the process works and how to prepare. Everything here comes from Wolfson's own website, checked on the date shown on this page.

What Wolfson funds

Wolfson divides its work into funding for places and funding for people. About 85% of its funding is for capital infrastructure, meaning buildings (new build or refurbishment) and equipment. The other 15% or so funds people through scholarships and fellowships, but it does not accept unsolicited applications for those. It works with partner organisations that identify individuals.

Its funding for places is organised by type of organisation. When we checked, the categories were:

• charities working with disability
• charities working in mental health
• charities working with older people
• historic buildings and landscapes
• hospices and palliative care organisations
• places of worship
• libraries and archives
• museums and galleries
• performing arts organisations
• public engagement with science organisations
• secondary schools and sixth form colleges
• special needs schools and colleges
• universities and research institutions

Each category has its own criteria, grant range and exclusions. Read the page for yours before anything else. You can see the Wolfson programmes we list on our Wolfson Foundation funder page.

Who can apply

Wolfson says it only awards grants to charities or organisations with charitable status or equivalent. Its FAQs are explicit that it does not fund community interest companies. Most category pages say the applicant should be a registered charity or a local authority, and some accept exempt charities.

Over 95% of its funding is within the UK, and it welcomes applications from all parts of the UK. It says its emphasis is on excellence, not on any particular region. Charities in the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man can apply.

You do not have to own your building. Wolfson will consider organisations with a secure, long-term lease. For major refurbishment, it says there should generally be at least 15 years left on the lease when you apply.

If you are not yet a charity, our guide to CIOs and grants explains the most common charitable structure.

What it will not fund

Wolfson's FAQs say grants cannot cover VAT or buying land or property, and it does not fund feasibility studies or projects with a total cost below £15,000. The category pages add more exclusions. For historic buildings and for charities working with disability, the ineligible costs listed include:

• purchase of land or existing buildings, including a building's freehold
• grants direct to individuals or through conduit organisations
• overheads, maintenance costs and VAT
• non-specific appeals and endowment funds
• costs of meetings, exhibitions, concerts, conferences and similar events
• running costs, including vehicle fuel and maintenance
• film, websites or promotional materials
• projects already completed, or that will be by the time of the award

Some categories have specific exclusions too. The disability programme, for example, does not fund support and therapy centres, playgrounds and play equipment, respite accommodation, or sports, leisure, arts or music facilities.

Two examples: grant sizes and criteria

Grant sizes vary greatly by category, so check the "Need to know" section for yours. Two examples from when we checked:

	Historic buildings and landscapes	Charities working with disability
Who can apply	Registered or exempt charity (or equivalent) or local authority	Registered or exempt charity (or equivalent) or local authority, with at least a Good rating from a regulator such as CQC or Ofsted if applicable
Minimum grant	£15,000	£25,000
Usual grant range	£15,000 to £100,000	£40,000 to £75,000
Project size	Listed Grade I, II* or Scheduled Monument (England and Wales), or the equivalent in Scotland and Northern Ireland	Capital costs of at least £50,000, with a shortfall of at least £25,000
Match funding	Yes, if the project costs over £50,000	Some may be needed between £50,000 and £80,000; at least 25% above £80,000

For historic buildings, the site should be operated by a registered charity or local authority and open to the public for most of the year. Wolfson says that when demand is high, it prioritises Grade I, Category A, Grade A or Scheduled Monument sites, and projects focused mainly on public engagement. For places of worship, fabric repair grants for churches are run through the National Churches Trust, while other faiths and cathedrals can apply through the historic buildings programme.

Browse other heritage grants, disability charity grants and grants for older people if Wolfson is not the right fit.

Asking for an amount

Wolfson prefers that you do not ask for a specific sum. At Stage 1, it wants to know the total cost and how much you still need to raise. At Stage 2, you give a breakdown of costs. Our guide on how much to ask for in a grant covers how to present a shortfall.

How the process works

Most programmes use two stages. The secondary education programme uses a single stage in 2026.

Stage 1

You apply online with a short application. Wolfson publishes the questions, which include a background to your organisation (up to 250 words), a project title and summary (up to 400 words), a timetable, the location, details of ownership or tenure and planning permission, the total cost, funds raised and shortfall, and signed audited accounts for the last two years. You also confirm the support of the head of your organisation. Wolfson says it carries out a financial appraisal of all applications.

It does not comment on draft applications, but it is happy to answer questions by phone. It cannot give detailed feedback on every Stage 1 application.

Stage 2

Stage 2 is by invitation only. There is no form for most programmes: you present the application in your own way, following Wolfson's Stage 2 guidelines. Before you submit, it says you should usually have match funding in place and any planning permission secured. For historic buildings and disability projects, at least 25% of the capital costs must be raised before Stage 2, unless the project is below the threshold for that category.

Stage 2 applications go to independent expert reviewers, whose identities are confidential. You can nominate a reviewer, but you do not have to. If reviewers raise questions, you can respond. Expert panels then consider the applications and recommend to trustees, who assess the excellence of the organisation and project, the expected outcome, and financial viability, including value for money and provision for ongoing costs or maintenance. Wolfson says a large proportion of Stage 2 applicants do receive funding, and it gives feedback by phone if you are unsuccessful.

Deadlines and timescales

There are two rounds a year. For the historic buildings and disability programmes, the dates when we checked were:

	Round 1	Round 2
Opens to Stage 1	20 November	14 May
Stage 1 deadline	5 January, 23.59	1 July, 23.59
Stage 2 deadline	1 March, 23.59	1 September, 23.59
Decision	June	December

Wolfson says it takes at least five months from Stage 1 to hearing about Stage 2, and it advises applying as soon as you know your costs and timetable. Your project must not be completed before the decision. An invitation to Stage 2 normally stays open for three rounds.

Reapplying

After a grant, Wolfson asks you to wait five years from the date the award was offered before applying again, and the new application must be for a different project. If you were turned down at Stage 1, you can apply for a different project at any time. If you were turned down at Stage 2, wait at least a year before applying for a different project. It does not normally consider the same project twice.

Preparing a strong application

Wolfson describes its funding as a mark of excellence, and defines excellence differently for each field. A disability charity, for example, might show excellence through the real benefits it delivers and a high level of professionalism. A few practical steps help:

• Get your costs firm. Use recent estimates and include contingency. Our capital grants guide explains what capital funders expect.
• Line up match funding. Show what is committed and what is pledged. Our guide to finding match funding can help. Wolfson says match funding can include VAT and other capital costs it does not fund, but not staff or core costs.
• Sort permissions early. Planning permission and listed building consent should be in place by Stage 2.
• Plan for running costs. Trustees look at provision for ongoing costs and maintenance, so explain how you will pay for them. Our guide to project sustainability covers this.

When you are ready, compare Wolfson with other capital funders in our charity grants listings.