Caretech Charitable Foundation

Charity Number: 1182567

Annual Expenditure: £4.7M

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £4,733,169 (2022/23)
  • Partnership Grants Committed: £3,845,675 (2022/23)
  • Decision Time: 3 months (Partnership Grants); 3 weeks (Community/Match-Funding)
  • Grant Range: Partnership Grants vary widely (up to £300,000); Community Grants £500-£2,500; Match-Funding up to £350
  • Geographic Focus: UK-based (with some international reach in UAE, Saudi Arabia, Germany, USA)
  • Total Beneficiaries: 1,871,443 (2022/23)

Contact Details

Website: www.caretechfoundation.org.uk

Email: info@caretechfoundation.org.uk

Phone: 01707 601800

Pre-application support: For Partnership Grant enquiries, contact via email with subject line 'Partnership Grants Enquiry'

Overview

The CareTech Charitable Foundation was established in 2017 as an independent grant-making corporate foundation by CareTech Holdings, one of the UK's leading social care providers. The Foundation describes itself as “the leading corporate foundation in the social care sector” and received the Trustee Board of the Year award in 2021. In 2022/23, the Foundation distributed £4.7 million across four grant streams to support over 1.8 million beneficiaries. Following CareTech Holdings being delisted from the London Stock Exchange, the Foundation received a £7.5 million windfall which will provide a sustainable income stream for future grant-making. The Foundation's strategic approach combines significant multi-year partnerships with credible charities, staff engagement through match-funding, and direct support to CareTech employees and their communities. CareTech Ltd donates 2.5% of its pre-tax profits to the Foundation annually.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Partnership Grants: Variable amounts (examples include £120,000 over 3 years to The Care Workers Charity; highest single grant of £300,000 recorded). Medium- to long-term investments in innovative, high-impact programmes. Applications reviewed on a rolling basis. Note: The Foundation currently indicates they hope to accept new partnerships in the future—contact them to confirm current status.

Community Grants: £500-£2,500 (maximum). Small grants to support communities, families, and friends of CareTech staff facing significant financial hardship or local community issues. Rolling applications with 3-week decision timeline.

Match-Funding Grants: Up to £350 per year. Available to CareTech staff and service users for individual fundraising efforts for UK-registered charities. Rolling applications with 3-week decision timeline.

Staff Hardship Fund: Up to £1,500 per application. For CareTech staff facing significant financial hardship. One grant per calendar year. Rolling applications.

Priority Areas

The Foundation focuses on three key impact areas:

  1. Physical and Learning Disabilities and Mental Health: Supporting disabled people and those with long-term health difficulties, including mental health conditions and complex physical and learning disabilities
  1. Skills Development for the Care Sector: Investing in skills development for UK care professionals, particularly those from deprived and disadvantaged backgrounds seeking careers in social care; supporting international unpaid carers
  1. Supporting Local Communities: Assistance for family and friends of CareTech employees facing significant financial challenges, and addressing issues affecting local communities where CareTech operates

Current Partnerships Include

  • The Care Workers Charity (£120,000 over 3 years)
  • EY Foundation (employability training for care leavers)
  • Barnardo's Journey Programme
  • Depaul UK (mental health support for homeless care leavers)
  • 17 significant partnerships committed £2.4M supporting 1.5M beneficiaries

What They Don't Fund

For Staff Hardship Fund specifically (exclusions may apply broadly):

  • Luxury items or expenses (e.g., family holidays)
  • Loss of or damage to personal property that doesn't impact safety, housing, or ability to meet monthly expenses
  • Financial assistance not obligated to be repaid
  • Elective services (e.g., cosmetic procedures, fertility treatments)
  • Debt management
  • Grants are not a replacement for funds owed by CareTech Holdings Limited
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Governance and Leadership

Board of Trustees

  • Haroon Sheikh - Chair of Trustees and Founder Trustee (2017)
  • Farouq Sheikh OBE - Trustee, Chair of Remuneration Committee, Founder Trustee (2017)
  • Hamza Sheikh - Trustee, Member of Grants Committee and Investment Committee
  • Jessica Taplin - Trustee, Chair of Grants Committee
  • Richard Kramer - Chief Executive of Sense and Sense International (appointed 2023)
  • Bhavna Keane-Rao - Trustee (appointed 2023)
  • Helen Burton - Trustee (appointed 2023)
  • Mike Adams OBE - Trustee (appointed 2017), Chair of Advisory Council

Leadership

Former CEO: Jonathan Freeman MBE served as founding CEO from 2017 until stepping down in 2024. Under his leadership, the Foundation serviced over 1.8 million direct beneficiaries and distributed in excess of £4.7 million.

Jonathan Freeman on sustainability: “Do not come to these issues reluctantly or half-heartedly. Seize the initiative. Be at the front of the race rather than at the back.”

Jonathan Freeman on caring: “Caring for a family member is an honour and can bring so many rewards but, for so many, the effort and cost involved is just not properly recognised or respected.”

Advisory Council

Brings together high-profile individuals to provide expertise on the Foundation's core impact areas, ensuring programmes deliver the highest quality and impact.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Partnership Grants:

  • Submit preliminary online application form after answering initial eligibility questions
  • Contact info@caretechfoundation.org.uk with subject 'Partnership Grants Enquiry' for enquiries
  • Must demonstrate organization is UK-registered charity or have relevant registration number for UAE, Saudi Arabia, Germany, or USA

Community Grants:

  • Online application available on Foundation website
  • Must be full- or part-time employee of CareTech Holdings Limited
  • Not available to staff who have resigned or are working notice period

Match-Funding Grants:

  • Online application for CareTech staff and service users
  • For fundraising activity supporting UK-registered charities

Decision Timeline

Partnership Grants:

  • Acknowledgment of receipt within 1 week
  • Feedback on application within 1 month
  • Approximately 3 months from acknowledgment to final decision
  • If application demonstrates good fit, given preliminary consideration by Board of Trustees
  • If passes 2nd stage, may request additional supporting documents before final Board review
  • No need to contact Foundation after acknowledgment unless requested

Community Grants and Match-Funding Grants:

  • Application reviewed within 2 weeks
  • Decision within 3 weeks of application
  • Application put forward to grant panel for consideration against fund guidelines

Staff Hardship Fund:

  • Similar timeline to Community Grants

Success Rates

Between December 2017 and October 2022, the Foundation made 950 grants to 878 recipients, totaling £2,650,449. In 2022/23 alone:

  • 812 Staff Hardship Grants
  • 202 Community project grants
  • 209 staff match-funding grants
  • 17 active significant partnerships

Reapplication Policy

For Staff Hardship Fund: Can apply multiple times as needed, but only eligible for one grant per calendar year (January-December) unless exceptional circumstances apply. Preference given to those who have not previously received support when over-subscribed.

For Partnership Grants and Community Grants: Specific reapplication policies for unsuccessful applicants not publicly detailed. Contact the Foundation directly for guidance.

Application Success Factors

Foundation's Direct Guidance for Applicants

1. Demonstrate Clear Alignment with Priority Areas

"Detail how the work you are seeking funding for aligns with the Foundation's objective and impact areas, giving clear examples of how your project will do so."

2. Provide Strong Evidence of Need

“Provide detailed information, including facts and figures and any supporting research, that demonstrates the need for your project, which will allow the Foundation to further determine how it can support your work.”

3. Showcase Your Track Record

“Detail your track record in delivering similar projects, describing what your organisation does and demonstrating your track record, including examples of successful partnerships that have resulted in positive and impactful projects being delivered.”

4. Explain CareTech Staff Involvement

"Detail how CareTech Holdings Limited staff can support the project, as one of the Foundation's key objectives is to provide wider in-kind support through the expertise of CareTech's staff, supply chain and wider network, explaining the advantage of having access to CareTech's staff and wider network with specific examples where possible."

5. Include Clear Outcomes and Targets

“Describe the change that the project will deliver, including specific targets, details of specific outputs and outcomes of the project, and highlight the services or activities you plan to deliver over the full grant period requested.”

Examples of Funded Projects

  • The Care Workers Charity: £120,000 over 3 years to provide hardship grants to 360 care workers and relaunch Champions programme
  • EY Foundation: Supporting Beyond Your Limits and Smart Futures programmes offering employability training and mentoring to care leavers
  • Barnardo's Journey Programme: Digital resource for positive pathways planning
  • Depaul UK: Mental health and wellbeing support for homeless care leavers

Key Requirements

  • All partnerships must involve medium- to long-term investments (not one-off funding)
  • Projects must be innovative and high-impact
  • Must demonstrate how you will leverage CareTech's network and expertise (in-kind support)
  • Strong emphasis on measurable outcomes and impact on beneficiaries

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Corporate foundation model: Understand the Foundation's close relationship with CareTech Holdings and how your project could involve their staff, services, or network—this is a key objective for the Foundation
  • Long-term partnerships preferred: The Partnership Grants programme seeks sustained, multi-year relationships rather than one-off funding, with emphasis on innovation and scalability
  • Evidence and outcomes critical: Applications must be data-driven with clear metrics, specific targets, and demonstrable impact aligned with the three priority areas
  • Sector alignment essential: Strongest fit for organizations working in social care, disability support, care workforce development, or supporting care leavers and vulnerable populations
  • Contact before applying: Given the note about hoping to accept new partnerships in the future, reach out to confirm they are currently accepting Partnership Grant applications before investing significant time in an application
  • Three-month timeline: Factor in the 3-month decision process when planning project timelines and funding requirements
  • Clear strategic direction: The Foundation sees itself as a thought leader in UK social care—frame your work in the context of sector transformation and systemic impact

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