Fort Foundation

Charity Number: 1028639

Annual Expenditure: £1.2M

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £1,214,908 (2024/25)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly available
  • Decision Time: Approximately 10-11 weeks (early September decision for June deadline)
  • Grant Range: Up to £4,000 (via Fort Vale Foundation Fund)
  • Geographic Focus: Pendle, Burnley, and Ribble Valley (Lancashire)

Contact Details

  • Email: info@fortvale.com
  • Phone: 01282 440000
  • Registered Address: Calder Vale Park, Simonstone Lane, Simonstone, Burnley BB12 7ND
  • Charity Number: 1028639
  • For Applications: applications@cflm.org.uk or 0330 440 4900 (Community Foundation for Lancashire)

Overview

The Fort Foundation was established through donations from Fort Vale Engineering Ltd by Edward S. Fort OBE LLD (Hon), founder and Chairman of Fort Vale Engineering Ltd. The foundation's official charitable object is to make grants to individuals and charitable institutions at the trustees' discretion. With an annual expenditure of over £1.2 million in 2024/25, the foundation operates through multiple funding streams. One key publicly accessible route is the Fort Vale Foundation Fund, administered through the Community Foundation for Lancashire, which focuses on supporting grassroots organizations and individuals in North East Lancashire. The foundation has five trustees, none of whom receive remuneration. Edward Fort, an entrepreneur who overcame dyslexia to build a global engineering business, received an OBE for services to British industry in 1987 and established two charitable foundations to support his local community.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Fort Vale Foundation Fund (administered via Community Foundation for Lancashire)

  • Amount: Up to £4,000 per grant
  • Capacity: Budget for approximately 11 grants per round (panel may award more for exceptional cases)
  • Application Method: Online application through Community Foundation for Lancashire website
  • Cycle: Annual fixed deadline (typically June, with decisions in early September)

Direct Foundation Grants

  • Amount: Not specified - determined at trustees' discretion
  • Application Method: No public application process for direct foundation grants

Priority Areas

The Fort Vale Foundation Fund specifically supports:

  • Children and young people
  • Training and education - particular focus on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) subjects
  • Sport
  • Environment and climate
  • Medical advancement
  • Community integration and cohesion

The fund prioritizes “project applications where the grant will improve outputs a group can achieve” through increased beneficiaries, reach, or delivery capacity. The foundation wishes to be the principal funder for projects and is unlikely to support applications where the grant would be a small contribution to a much wider project cost.

What They Don't Fund

  • Retrospective funding
  • Reclaimable VAT
  • Statutory responsibilities
  • National organizations lacking local control
  • Politically-connected activities
  • Exclusively religious activities
  • Private businesses
  • CICs limited by shares
  • Individual applicants (for Fort Vale Foundation Fund - though the main Fort Foundation does make grants to individuals at trustees' discretion)
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Governance and Leadership

Trustees: 5 trustees oversee the foundation

Key Figure: Edward S. Fort OBE LLD (Hon) - Founder and Chairman of Fort Vale Engineering Ltd

Edward Fort is an entrepreneur and inventor who established Fort Vale Engineering in 1967 in Colne, Lancashire. After overcoming dyslexia, he won an apprenticeship with Rolls Royce and worked with Lucas Aerospace and Drum Pumps before founding his own company. His revolutionary design of a T-port, three-way valve transformed safety in bulk liquid transportation. Fort Vale has won four Queen's Awards for Export Achievement and International Trading, with outlets in the USA, China, the Netherlands, Russia, and Singapore. A committed philanthropist, Edward Fort established two charities: the Fort Foundation and Beaulieu Beaufort Foundation.

No trustees receive any remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

For the Fort Vale Foundation Fund:

Applications are submitted online through the Community Foundation for Lancashire website. The process requires:

  • Governing document
  • Latest annual accounts or income-expenditure records
  • Recent bank statement
  • List of trustees/directors
  • Current safeguarding policy
  • Minimum 3 unrelated trustees/directors/management committee members
  • Bank account or nominated organization to hold funds
  • Current safeguarding policies and relevant procedures (CRB checks, health & safety)
  • Charitable status (excludes private businesses, CICs limited by shares, or individuals)

For Direct Fort Foundation Grants:

The foundation operates with trustees making discretionary grants to both individuals and charitable institutions. There is no public application process for these direct grants.

Fundable Costs (Fort Vale Foundation Fund)

  • Staffing and volunteer costs
  • Activity/operational expenses
  • Training costs
  • Small capital items (equipment, IT)
  • Partial organizational overhead

Decision Timeline

Fort Vale Foundation Fund Typical Cycle:

  • Opening Date: Mid-May (e.g., May 12, 2025)
  • Application Deadline: Late June (e.g., June 23, 2025)
  • Decision Date: Early September (approximately 10-11 weeks after deadline)

Success Rates

The Fort Vale Foundation Fund has a budget to award approximately 11 grants per funding round, though the panel has discretion to award more for exceptional cases. The total number of applications received is not publicly disclosed, so a success rate percentage cannot be calculated.

Reapplication Policy

No specific reapplication restrictions have been documented for the Fort Vale Foundation Fund.

Application Success Factors

Principal Funder Preference: The Fort Vale Foundation Fund explicitly states it “wishes to be the principal funder for a project” and is “unlikely to support applications where the grant would be a small contribution to a much wider project cost.” This is a critical factor - applicants should ensure the requested grant represents a significant portion of their project budget.

Local Grassroots Focus: The foundation emphasizes support for “local people and grassroots organisations” in North East Lancashire, particularly in Pendle, Burnley, and Ribble Valley. Applications should demonstrate local roots and community connection.

STEM Education Priority: While multiple priority areas exist, the fund is “keen to receive project applications from grassroots groups which focus on training and education, with a particular focus on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematic (STEM) subjects.”

Output Improvement: The fund prioritizes “project applications where the grant will improve outputs a group can achieve” - applications should clearly articulate how funding will increase beneficiary numbers, reach, or delivery capacity.

Governance Requirements: Organizations must have at least 3 unrelated trustees/directors/management committee members and current safeguarding policies. Ensure all governance documentation is complete and up-to-date before applying.

Contact for Guidance: The Community Foundation for Lancashire (applications@cflm.org.uk or 0330 440 4900) administers the Fort Vale Foundation Fund and can provide application support.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Be the main ask, not a top-up: Only apply if the £4,000 grant will be the principal funding source for your project, not a small part of a larger budget
  • Demonstrate measurable impact: Clearly show how the grant will increase beneficiary numbers, geographic reach, or delivery capacity
  • STEM gets special attention: If your project involves Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics education or training, emphasize this strongly
  • Think local, think grassroots: Your organization should have deep roots in Pendle, Burnley, or Ribble Valley and serve local people
  • Get your governance house in order: Ensure you have at least 3 unrelated trustees and current safeguarding policies before applying
  • Plan for the timeline: With decisions in early September for June deadlines, build in 10-11 weeks from submission to potential funding
  • Consider dual funding streams: While the Fort Vale Foundation Fund has specific criteria, the main Fort Foundation also makes discretionary grants - organizations with strong local connections may be considered through multiple routes

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