Arthritis UK

Registered charity 207711 · since 1962arthritis-uk.org·United Kingdom·Updated 31 October 2026

At a glance

£14.4M

Annual giving, year to 31 March 2025

From filed accounts

Open to applications

Fixed application deadlines · unsolicited applications welcome

Key takeaways

Arthritis UK funds research rather than direct services, so an application should be a research project on arthritis that a UK institution can lead or host, and it should say how people with arthritis will shape the work.
The stated ceilings are up to £150,000 for the Bridging Fellowship, up to £250,000 for the Research Facilitation Fund and up to £3,000,000 for the Osteoarthritis Treatments Research Consortium, so a request should sit within the limit of the programme it targets.
Applications go through the online Grant Tracker, and each funding call has its own closing date, so check the published date for the call you want; the Bridging Fellowship opens in October and closes in January.
Funding is by open competition, with independent expert review and funding panels that include experts by experience, so a strong research proposal matters more than any existing link with the funder.
Groups seeking direct support rather than research do not fit its stated work.

Overview

Arthritis UK is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 207711).

Arthritis UK is a charity registered in England and Wales (charity number 207711) that exists to advance research into the causes, treatment and cure of arthritis and related musculoskeletal disorders, and to relieve the needs of people who suffer from them. Over the last 20 years it has invested more than £367M into research. It is currently investing £99M across 160 projects and has funded £16.6M into 20 new research projects. Its research funding runs from discovery science to health and social care research, and includes Centres of Excellence, the Advanced Pain Discovery Platform and Research Consortia.

What they fund

Priority Areas

Arthritis UK funds world-class, cutting-edge research projects led by dedicated researchers, supporting institutions across the UK. Its portfolio spans discovery science and laboratory-based work, clinical studies, and projects affecting health services and self-management of arthritis. Research is intended to help adults, young people and children with arthritis live well, while charting a path towards cures. Its stated priorities include early detection, targeted treatments, living well, and people and partnerships; it also supports research addressing health inequalities. People with arthritis are involved throughout the funding process so their experiences help define research paths. Funding opportunities normally use open competition: applications are validated and may receive independent expert review, then funding panels recommend whether to make an award.

Themes

Early detection
Targeted treatments
Living well
People and partnerships
Health inequalities

Geographic Focus

The UK.

How to apply

Submit research award applications through the online Grant Tracker system. Applications are validated and, where appropriate, receive independent expert review. Funding Panels consider applications and recommend to the Arthritis UK executive whether to make an award or reject the application.

Deadlines: Each funding call has its own published closing date.

Application windows:

Bridging Fellowship
- Opens in October, closes in January
- Opens in October, closes in January

Application success factors

What the charity says:

People with arthritis are involved at every stage of funding, so their experiences define which research paths are followed.
Funding Panels include experts in the field and experts by experience, and reviewers are assessed for conflicts of interest before review.
Each award is subject to proportionate review and an award management plan to monitor it.

Where they fund

Where it says it funds

United Kingdom

Similar funders

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Five years of accounts

Financial year	Income	Expenditure	Grants paid	Accounts document
year to 31 March 2021	£25,438,000	£83,897,000	£57,591,000	Accounts for year to 31 March 2021
year to 31 March 2022	£30,614,000	£46,348,000	£19,535,000	Accounts for year to 31 March 2022
year to 31 March 2023	£29,425,000	£29,996,000	£10,867,000	Accounts for year to 31 March 2023
year to 31 March 2024	£31,731,000	£32,604,000	£13,645,000	Accounts for year to 31 March 2024
year to 31 March 2025	£30,018,000	£40,976,000	£14,415,000	Accounts for year to 31 March 2025

Income vs grants paid

IncomeGrants paid

Total value each financial year

YE 2021

£57.6M grants

YE 2022

£19.5M grants

YE 2023

£10.9M grants

YE 2024

£13.6M grants

YE 2025

£14.4M paid

In 1 of the 5 years shown, grants paid exceeded income.

Grants paid, year to 31 March 2021; year to 31 March 2022; year to 31 March 2023; year to 31 March 2024: grants to institutions, as reported on the charity register (Part B).
Grants paid, year to 31 March 2025: grants paid out in the year.

Figures from the charity’s filed accounts and its register entry. The document icon links to the charity’s entry on the Charity Commission register, where its filed accounts can be found.