Ferdinando & Luigi Innocenti Foundation

Charity Number: 1201646

Annual Expenditure: £0.5M

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £534,553 (2024)
  • Success Rate: Highly competitive (Spark Awards: up to 10 awards from strong applicant pool)
  • Decision Time: 12-month programme for Spark Awards
  • Grant Range: £40,000 - £50,000 (Spark Awards total package)
  • Geographic Focus: England (with plans to extend to Italy)
  • Age Focus: Young people aged 11-25, particularly those experiencing disadvantage

Contact Details

Website: https://fli.foundation

Email: info@fli.foundation

Phone: 020 3350 1048

Charity Number: 1201646

Overview

The Ferdinando & Luigi Innocenti Foundation (F&LI Foundation) was established in January 2023 as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), exactly 100 years after the birth of Luigi Innocenti. Founded by Lorenzo Innocenti to honor the legacy of his grandfather Ferdinando and father Luigi—pioneers of the iconic Lambretta scooter company—the foundation embodies the family's tradition of innovation, entrepreneurship, and social responsibility. With total expenditure of £534,553 in 2024, F&LI Foundation supports young people aged 11-25, particularly those experiencing disadvantage, to discover new passions, have fun, find purpose in life, and experience the joy of leading their own personal growth. The foundation operates as an invitation-only funder, partnering with organizations that share its values of joy, invention, and youth-led design. Working with Trust Impact as its learning partner, the foundation is committed to measuring and understanding impact during its initial years in the UK before extending best practices to Italy.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

1. Spark Awards (with Big Change)

  • Amount: Up to £40,000 grant funding + £10,000 learning and development programme (total £50,000 per award)
  • Number of Awards: Up to 10 young entrepreneurs or teams of three annually
  • Eligibility: Individuals aged 18-25 in England with new projects ready for implementation
  • Timeline: 12-month tailored learning and development programme
  • Partnership: With Big Change and The Young Foundation
  • Application Method: Online application through Big Change website
  • Deadline: Sunday 20th April 2025 at 11:59pm (for 2025 round)

2. BBC Children in Need Partnership

  • Investment: 15 youth organisations across the UK
  • Focus: Youth-led decision making and invention
  • Approach: Enables young people to design and participate in activities they're passionate about

3. Agent Academy Partnership

  • Programme: Free 12-week programme in digital, creative, and technology careers
  • Target: Young people from disadvantaged backgrounds in Liverpool City Region
  • Outcomes: 95% of graduates find full-time positions
  • Cohort Size: 13 young people aged 18-26
  • Special Project: Creating video content telling stories of young people's life, skills, growth, and ambition

Priority Areas

The foundation prioritizes projects that:

  • Spark Joy: Activities that are meaningful and enjoyable for young people today, not just preparing them for the future
  • Are Youth-Led: Young people develop ideas that meet their own needs, wants, and values; the foundation seeks to share power with young people
  • Focus on Personal Growth: Supporting young people to experience the joy of leading their own development
  • Address Root Causes: Projects focusing on outcomes including purpose, agency, relationships, and growth
  • Support Disadvantaged Youth: Particularly those aged 11-25 who have experienced disadvantage
  • Demonstrate Invention: Early-stage ideas and innovative philanthropic approaches

What They Don't Fund

  • Unsolicited applications: The foundation is invitation-only and does not have capacity to respond to unsolicited funding proposals
  • Future-only focused programmes: They prefer activities meaningful in the present rather than solely preparing youth for future
  • Projects outside England: Currently only funding in England (plans to extend to Italy after learning period)
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Governance and Leadership

Board of Trustees

Lorenzo Innocenti, Chair & Co-Founder

  • Background: Finance professional and investment firm founder
  • Passionate about sports, car racing, and personal growth
  • Quote: “Committed to honouring the legacy of his grandfather, Ferdinando, and his father, Luigi”

Filippo Noseda, Trustee

  • Role: Partner at Mishcon De Reya, Visiting Professor at King's College London
  • Perspective: Believes “personal development of young people contributes to prosperity and equality”

Luca Colaianni, Trustee

  • Background: Chartered accountant based in Rome
  • Connection: Worked closely with Luigi Innocenti
  • Motivation: Helping “young people achieve their potential”

Ruth Pryce, Trustee (joined July 2024)

  • Current Role: Leads investments at Paul Hamlyn Foundation
  • Experience: Over 25 years championing youth
  • Focus: “Empowering young people to step into their identity”

Leadership Team

Andrea Cooper, Chief Executive Officer (joined June 2023)

  • Previous Roles: CEO of UpRising, Head of Foundation at Liverpool Football Club
  • Motivation: “Support young people and inspire them to find their unique purpose”

Federico Calafuri, Deputy Director & Co-Founder

  • Background: Hospitality management
  • Vision: “Create environments that allow young people to experience the joy of growth”

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process. The F&LI Foundation operates as an invitation-only initiative and does not respond to unsolicited funding proposals and requests.

Exception: Spark Awards

The Spark Awards programme (in partnership with Big Change) is the only publicly accessible funding opportunity. Applications are submitted through Big Change's online portal at www.big-change.org/spark-awards.

For the Spark Awards:

  1. Review eligibility criteria (aged 18-25, based in England, new project ready to implement)
  2. Submit application through Big Change website
  3. Deadline: Sunday 20th April 2025 at 11:59pm (for 2025 round)
  4. Awards announced following review process
  5. Successful applicants join 12-month programme

Decision Timeline

Spark Awards: Applications close in April, with successful applicants beginning their 12-month tailored learning and development programme following the selection process.

Invitation-Only Partnerships: The foundation works with a small number of partners during its initial years, adding further projects to its portfolio over time based on learning and evaluation with Trust Impact.

Success Rates

Spark Awards: Highly competitive programme with up to 10 awards available annually. Big Change reported receiving many “inspiring applicants” and officials described the applicant quality as “phenomenal” with “outstanding ideas,” suggesting strong competition for limited places.

Reapplication Policy

Not specified for invitation-only partnerships. For Spark Awards, the programme runs annually, suggesting reapplication may be possible in subsequent years, though this is not explicitly stated.

Application Success Factors

Given the foundation's invitation-only model and specific Spark Awards criteria, success factors include:

For Spark Awards Applicants:

  1. Youth-Led Innovation: Projects must demonstrate that young people are driving the ideas and decision-making. The foundation believes “young people are best placed to develop ideas that meet their needs, wants, and values.”
  1. Focus on Joy and Purpose: Applications should emphasize how the project will help young people “discover new passions, have fun, find purpose in life.” The foundation values activities that are meaningful today, not just preparing for the future.
  1. Address Root Causes: Projects should focus on outcomes including purpose, agency, relationships, and growth, as stated in the Spark Awards criteria.
  1. Potential for Lasting Change: The foundation seeks projects “ready to be implemented that have the potential to spark lasting change for young people.”
  • Joy: Young people deserve to have fun and pursue passionate activities
  • Youth-Led: Empowering young people to develop their own ideas
  • Invention: Supporting early-stage ideas and innovative approaches
  • Impact: Commitment to measuring and understanding organizational impact
  • Respect: Valuing every young person's potential for growth

Key Quote from Foundation:

“Young people want to be part of the solution, but too often, are not given access to funding or networks to make their bold ideas a reality.”

For Organizations Seeking Partnership:

The foundation partners with organizations that:

  • Share values of “joy, invention and youth-led design”
  • Enable young people to design and participate in activities they're passionate about
  • Support youth from disadvantaged backgrounds
  • Demonstrate commitment to learning and sharing effective approaches

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Spark Awards is the primary accessible route: Unless invited directly, the Spark Awards partnership with Big Change represents the only public application opportunity for engaging with F&LI Foundation funding.
  • Youth voice is paramount: Any application must demonstrate genuine youth leadership and decision-making, not tokenistic involvement. The foundation's entire philosophy centers on sharing power with young people.
  • Emphasize joy and present-day impact: Applications should focus on activities that are meaningful and enjoyable now, not just preparing young people for the future. This differentiates F&LI from more traditional education-focused funders.
  • Innovation and early-stage projects welcomed: The foundation values “invention” and supports early-stage ideas, making this an excellent opportunity for pilot projects and new approaches.
  • Competition is significant: With up to 10 Spark Awards from a “phenomenal” applicant pool, applications must be exceptionally strong, clearly demonstrating potential for lasting change.
  • Long-term commitment expected: Spark Awards include a 12-month learning and development programme, indicating the foundation values sustained engagement and growth, not one-off interventions.
  • Learning and impact measurement valued: Partnership with Trust Impact demonstrates commitment to evaluation; successful applicants should be prepared to participate in learning and impact assessment processes.

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