Fostering Innovation Fund - Market Engagement

The Fostering Innovation Fund provides £500,000 to £750,000 for projects that improve foster care services. You can use the money to increase the number and diversity of foster carers, especially from under-represented age groups. The fund also supports moving children from residential care to foster care when appropriate. Projects should speed up foster carer approvals and prevent placement breakdowns. You must deliver across a regional area, not just locally. This shows greater reach and provides better evidence of what works. The deadline is 14 April 2026.

This fund is for organisations that can deliver foster care improvement projects across a regional area in England. You need to demonstrate you can reach multiple local authorities or areas, not just work locally. The fund is not for small local projects or individual foster care agencies working in single locations.

This programme will seek bids which are designed to achieve the following outcomes: - Increased number and diversity of foster carers, particularly from under‑represented age groups - More children stepped down from residential care into foster care where this is in their best interests - Reduction and prevention of placement breakdown - Speed up the process of foster carer approvals We will seek bids for projects which can demonstrate reach, delivery and scalability across a regional footprint. Regional delivery provides greater reach, economies of scale, access to specialist provision, more robust evidence on scalability, alignment with wider reforms, and reduced delivery risk.