Sofronie Foundation

Charity Number: 1118621

Annual Expenditure: £2.0M

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £1,966,420 (2024)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly available
  • Decision Time: Up to 3 months
  • Grant Range: £8,625 - £1,811,176
  • Geographic Focus: UK, France, Netherlands

Contact Details

Address: 16 Great Queen Street, London WC2B 5DH

Phone: 020 7421 3330

Email: enquiries@sofronie.org

Website: www.sofronie.org

Application: Online application form available on website

Overview

The Sofronie Foundation was established in January 2007 as a UK-registered charity (No. 1118621) with the aim of making a difference to young people's lives. The foundation's overriding aim is to promote social mobility by improving educational opportunities and providing pathways out of poverty for children and young people disadvantaged by a lack of opportunity. While historically funding projects worldwide, the foundation has in recent times focused more on tackling disadvantage and improving social mobility in the UK, France, and the Netherlands. In 2024, the foundation awarded 6 grants totalling £1,966,420 (€2,280,000), with grants ranging from £8,625 (€10,000) to £1,811,176 (€2,100,000). The foundation is closely connected to TomTom founders, with co-founder Corinne Vigreux serving as Chair of Trustees.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation provides flexible funding with no fixed grant amounts specified. Recent grants have varied significantly:

  • Small Grants: From £8,625
  • Large Strategic Grants: Up to £1,811,176
  • Multi-year Support: Available for projects demonstrating strong progress
  • Application Method: Rolling basis via online application portal; decisions take up to 3 months

Priority Areas

Educational Opportunities:

  • Educational programmes for young people that raise aspirations, build confidence, and develop skills in preparation for university
  • Projects increasing access to higher education
  • Academic programmes supporting disadvantaged students

STEM Skills Development:

  • Particular emphasis on Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) skills
  • Digital learning programmes and coding colleges
  • Technical skills development for future employment

Vocational Training:

  • Initiatives providing young people with practical skills
  • Work experience opportunities in preparation for future employment
  • Non-formal interventions offering preparation for education, training, skills development or work

Target Beneficiaries:

  • Young people struggling in school
  • Those at severe disadvantage lacking opportunity to improve educational attainment
  • Young people with difficult and challenging family lives
  • Unemployed young people
  • Those seeking to improve employment prospects through academic and vocational programmes

What They Don't Fund

The foundation is unable to fund projects which do not meet their criteria and cannot respond to grant applications outside of the online application process. While specific exclusions are not explicitly listed, the foundation's narrow focus means projects not addressing educational or vocational opportunities for disadvantaged young people in their three target countries (UK, France, Netherlands) will not be funded.

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Governance and Leadership

Board of Trustees:

  • Corinne Goddijn-Vigreux (Chair, appointed 2007): Co-Founder and CMO of TomTom, the mapmaker and location technology company. Recognized as one of Forbes top 50 women in tech. Has served as Chairman of the Board since January 2006.
  • Hendricus Goddijn (appointed 2007): Chief Executive Officer of TomTom.
  • Ajay Soni (appointed 2016): CEO of Rinkelberg Capital Ltd.
  • Boris Walbaum (appointed 2017): President of Article 1, a French educational equality organization.
  • Robert Wilne (appointed 2022): Director.

No trustees receive any remuneration, payments or benefits from the charity. The charity does not have any trading subsidiaries.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Applications must be submitted through the online application form available on the Sofronie Foundation website (www.sofronie.org/how-to-apply/). Guidance notes and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) are provided on the website.

Key Requirements:

  • Applicants must be registered charities or not-for-profit organisations
  • Must work with young people from disadvantaged backgrounds
  • Must operate in the UK, France, or the Netherlands
  • Should apply well in advance of funding requirements
  • The foundation will not respond to applications submitted outside the online process

Decision Timeline

  • Application acceptance: Rolling basis (no fixed deadlines)
  • Decision timeframe: Up to 3 months from submission
  • Notification method: Through the online application system

Success Rates

Specific success rate data is not publicly available. However, in 2024, the foundation made only 6 grants, suggesting a highly selective approach. It's worth noting that in 2024, all awards were made to organisations in France or the Netherlands, with no awards made to UK organisations, indicating strategic focus areas may shift periodically.

Reapplication Policy

The foundation will consider further funding after reviewing progress reports and evaluations. This indicates that organizations can reapply for continued support, particularly if they have demonstrated strong outcomes from previous grants.

Application Success Factors

Strategic Funding Focus:

The foundation appears to favor substantial, multi-year strategic investments in organizations addressing educational inequality. Their flagship support of Codam Coding College demonstrates their willingness to make significant long-term commitments to projects aligned with their mission.

Examples of Funded Projects:

  • Codam Coding College (Netherlands): Major investment in a coding college that opened in Amsterdam in 2019, offering free digital learning to young adults. Uses the ground-breaking curriculum of French school “Ecole 42” with peer-to-peer learning. Supported 300 students in 2022, with 31% female representation. Celebrated 5th anniversary with Queen Máxima of the Netherlands.
  • The Prince's Trust (UK): Supported mentoring and buddy programmes helping young people who struggle at school, are in or leaving care, long-term unemployed, or have been in trouble with the law.
  • IntoUniversity (UK): Supported the inspirational and academic work of IntoUniversity's focus projects, including the Mentoring and Buddy Programme in 2014.
  • Social Mobility Foundation (UK): Funded programmes helping young people from low-income backgrounds find places at university and join top employers.
  • Article 1 (France): Supporting activities in the Lyon region targeting high school students to provide tools for choosing future studies after baccalauréat.
  • TechMeUp (Netherlands): Established 2020 to provide loans for computer software training for those seeking to improve employment prospects.
  • ESSEC Foundation (France): Supporting educational programmes in France.

Current Geographic Focus:

  • UK: Currently supporting projects based in London, Manchester, and coastal areas that serve wider networks
  • Netherlands: Working with programmes that engage directly with schools to target young people and connect them to further education and work
  • France: Supporting educational equality programmes

Key Terminology and Language:

The foundation uses specific language including “social mobility,” “educational opportunities,” “pathways out of poverty,” “STEM skills,” “vocational programmes,” “aspirations,” and “disadvantaged by lack of opportunity.”

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Think big and strategic: The foundation makes both small grants (£8,625) and very large strategic investments (£1.8m+), suggesting they value transformational projects with significant impact potential.
  • STEM emphasis is critical: Particular interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths skills, especially digital learning and coding programmes.
  • Multi-year support available: Demonstrate how your project could benefit from sustained funding over multiple years, and be prepared to provide progress reports for continued support.
  • Geographic targeting: Recent data shows shifting geographic priorities (2024 saw no UK awards). Consider the foundation's current strategic focus areas.
  • Apply well in advance: With up to 3-month decision times and no fixed deadlines, plan your application timeline carefully.
  • Social mobility focus: Frame your work in terms of improving social mobility and creating pathways out of poverty, not just delivering services.
  • Use the online system: The foundation explicitly states they cannot respond to applications outside the online process—follow the prescribed application route.

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