Duchenne UK
At a glance
Key takeaways
- The fund suits innovative Duchenne projects that can progress rapidly through clinical development, rest on strong evidence and address needs not well served by existing clinical activity, and its stated priorities include therapeutic development, advanced therapies and clinical care research.
- The grant range is not stated, and the annual report gives a total of £3,100,701 awarded with £1,967,516 paid, which may include grants to individuals, so the size of a realistic request cannot be read from the annual report and is worth raising in the enquiry.
- Start by sending an enquiry about the fund; Duchenne UK assesses alignment with its priorities and charitable objectives before inviting aligned applicants to an expression of interest, and applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
- Value for money and time horizon to impact are key in choosing projects for an expression of interest, and the foundation welcomes co-funding, so state both clearly.
- Organisations whose project is basic science or early drug discovery, a well-resourced area already in late clinical development, or a novel exon skipping or novel microdystrophin technology should not apply to the Breakthrough Innovations Fund, as it excludes these.
Overview
Duchenne UK is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 1147094).
Duchenne UK is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 1147094). It was started by families affected by the disease, and its mission is to find a cure for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). The charity says it has invested over £15M in research. Its strategic priorities are underpinned by four flagship programmes: Duchenne Hub UK, Duchenne Care UK, HERCULES and Duchenne UK Connect.
What they fund
Priority Areas
The foundation's research funding supports innovative Duchenne projects with the potential to make a meaningful difference for patients. It is open to not-for-profit institutions and SMEs, based in the UK or abroad. Its priorities include therapeutic development, including small-molecule and biologic approaches and advanced therapy medicinal products, as well as project-focused research that advances standards of care and clinical research infrastructure. Proposals are expected to progress rapidly through clinical development, rest on strong evidence and address needs not well served by existing clinical activity. Care projects may involve suitably powered interventional studies or technology-enabled approaches that improve care, research access or efficiency, or reduce the burden on patients and families. Through collaborations with researchers, clinicians, industry and patient organisations, it aims to accelerate treatments and improve clinical care for people with Duchenne.
Themes
- Therapeutic development
- Advanced therapies
- Clinical care research
- Clinical research infrastructure
Geographic Focus
The UK.
What they don't fund
- Breakthrough Innovations Fund only:
- Basic science or early drug discovery/technology development activities
- Well-resourced therapeutic areas already in late clinical development
- Novel exon skipping technologies
- Novel microdystrophin technologies
How to apply
Send an enquiry about the fund. Duchenne UK assesses alignment with its priorities and charitable objectives, then invites aligned applicants to submit an expression of interest (EoI).
Who can apply:
- Breakthrough Innovations Fund: Our funding is open to not-for-profit institutions and SMEs, whether based in the UK or abroad.
Application success factors
What the charity says:
- Value for money and time horizon to impact are key considerations in prioritising projects for an expression of interest.
- It focuses on research that can progress rapidly through clinical development, rests on strong evidence and addresses needs not well served by existing clinical activity.
- The foundation welcomes and actively supports co-funding opportunities.
Where they fund
Where it says it funds
- United Kingdom
Similar funders
Funders supporting work similar to Duchenne UK.
Five years of accounts
| Financial year | Income | Expenditure | Grants paid | Accounts document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| year to 31 December 2021 | £1,619,240 | £2,071,228 | — | Accounts for year to 31 December 2021 |
| year to 31 December 2022 | £3,757,736 | £2,352,988 | — | Accounts for year to 31 December 2022 |
| year to 31 December 2023 | £3,940,704 | £2,994,201 | — | Accounts for year to 31 December 2023 |
| year to 31 December 2024 | £3,102,031 | £3,473,904 | — | Accounts for year to 31 December 2024 |
| year to 31 December 2025 | £3,913,525 | £4,663,300 | £1,967,516 | Accounts for year to 31 December 2025 |
- Grants paid, year to 31 December 2025: grants paid out in the year.
— No grants figure for those years.
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.
Sources
Registers and filings
Other sources
- duchenneuk.org/what-we-do/accelerating-research/duchenne-uk-breakthrough-innovations-fund · read on 30 October 2026
- duchenneuk.org/what-we-do/accelerating-research/strategy · read on 30 October 2026
- duchenneuk.org · read on 30 October 2026
- duchenneuk.org/what-we-do/accelerating-research · read on 30 October 2026
- Annual report (year to 31 December 2025)
This profile draws on the funder’s own website as well as its filed accounts.
Sources last checked on 30 October 2026.
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At a glance
Applying to Duchenne UK?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- info@duchenneuk.orgsource
- duchenneukconnect@duchenneuk.orgsource
- Duchenne UK, Unit G24 Shepherd’s Building, Charecroft Way, Hammersmith, W14 0EEsource
- duchenneuk.org
Applying to Duchenne UK?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- info@duchenneuk.orgsource
- duchenneukconnect@duchenneuk.orgsource
- Duchenne UK, Unit G24 Shepherd’s Building, Charecroft Way, Hammersmith, W14 0EEsource
- duchenneuk.org