The Swire Chinese Language Foundation
At a glance
Key takeaways
- This funder fits best if your work is about Mandarin Chinese teaching in UK state schools, especially for disadvantaged pupils, or about school trips to China, since these are its stated themes.
- Its typical grants fall between £56,500 and £240,000, with a median of about £130,000 and a largest grant of about £520,000, but that band rests on only 11 grants to organisations, so treat it as a guide rather than a ceiling.
- No application process is published, so the sensible first step is to use the contact shown in the annual report, on the register entry or on its website.
- The Foundation says it trusts schools to design their own models and balances flexibility with accountability, so a proposal that explains how a school-led centre or partnership would work will speak to its stated approach.
- Nothing in the annual report says how competitive funding is or when decisions are made, so ask about timing when you make contact.
Overview
The Swire Chinese Language Foundation is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 1171995).
The Swire Chinese Language Foundation was created by the Group to expand Chinese language teaching in UK state schools, particularly for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Its sole benefactor has committed more than £30 million to the initiative. Its Chinese language programme is grouped around 11 centres established across the country.
What they fund
Priority Areas
The Foundation's focus is expanding Mandarin Chinese teaching in UK state schools, particularly for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, to raise aspirations and strengthen the UK's future China capability. It works through school-led Chinese language centres, primarily targeting state-funded schools and especially disadvantaged communities. Centres bring secondary schools together with partner secondary and feeder primary schools. The Foundation describes its approach as flexible and accountable, trusting schools to develop models suited to their circumstances while encouraging experimentation within a broad framework. It also supports the sharing of teaching resources and collaboration among Mandarin teachers, and funds school trips to China. Its stated emphasis is on quality, scale, reach and sustainable teaching structures.
Themes
- Chinese language education
- School trips to China
Geographic Focus
Priority: UK.
How to apply
No application process is published in the charity's annual report, its register entry or its website. The contact shown is for getting in touch.
Application success factors
What the charity says:
- The Foundation trusts schools to develop models suited to their own circumstances, encouraging experimentation within a broad and adaptable framework.
- The Programme has primarily targeted state-funded schools, particularly in disadvantaged communities.
- The Foundation balances flexibility with accountability and ongoing monitoring.
Where they fund
Where it says it funds
- United Kingdom
Similar funders
Funders supporting work similar to The Swire Chinese Language Foundation.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 11 grants in year to 31 July 2025 by size
Median £129k (year to 31 July 2025)
The largest grants to organisations in this funder’s latest annual report:
- Harris Federation · as lead school of the Swire Chinese Language Centre, London£517,971year to 31 July 2025
- Newcastle High School for Girls · as lead school of the Swire Chinese Language Centre, Newcastle£237,010year to 31 July 2025
- George Watson’s College · as lead school of the Swire Chinese Language Centre, Edinburgh£192,825year to 31 July 2025
- King Edward VI Aston School · as lead school of the Swire Chinese Language Centre, Birmingham£170,408year to 31 July 2025
- The Manchester Grammar School · as lead school of the Swire Chinese Language Centre, Manchester£158,860year to 31 July 2025
- St Peter’s College Radley · as lead school of the Swire Chinese Language Centre, Oxford£128,862year to 31 July 2025
- Norwich School · as lead school of the Swire Chinese Language Centre, Norwich£124,460year to 31 July 2025
- Jordanhill School · as lead school of the Swire Chinese Language Centre, Glasgow£109,515year to 31 July 2025
Grant examples taken from the funder’s filed accounts. Not included above: 1 with no amount stated.
Five years of accounts
| Financial year | Income | Expenditure | Grants paid | Accounts document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| year to 31 July 2021 | £1,216,660 | £2,912,677 | £2,899,383 | Accounts for year to 31 July 2021 |
| year to 31 July 2022 | £2,575,983 | £2,600,380 | £2,585,927 | Accounts for year to 31 July 2022 |
| year to 31 July 2023 | £2,410,312 | £3,148,676 | £3,119,665 | Accounts for year to 31 July 2023 |
| year to 31 July 2024 | £2,383,811 | £2,798,410 | £2,752,917 | Accounts for year to 31 July 2024 |
| year to 31 July 2025 | £246,154 | £1,818,939 | £1,716,996 | Accounts for year to 31 July 2025 |
Income vs grants paid
IncomeGrants paid
Total value each financial year
In 5 of the 5 years shown, grants paid exceeded income.
- Grants paid, year to 31 July 2021; year to 31 July 2022; year to 31 July 2023; year to 31 July 2024: grants to institutions, as reported on the charity register (Part B).
- Grants paid, year to 31 July 2025: the accounts do not say whether this is grants awarded or paid.
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
- swireclf.org · read on 30 October 2026
- swireclf.org/about · read on 30 October 2026
- swireclf.org/network · read on 30 October 2026
- swireclf.org/approach · read on 30 October 2026
- swireclf.org/resources · read on 30 October 2026
- swireclf.org/contact-us · read on 30 October 2026
- Annual report (year to 31 July 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 The Swire Chinese Language Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- 020 7834 7717source
- Swire House, 59 Buckingham Gate, London SW1E 6AJsource
- swireclf.org
Applying to The Swire Chinese Language Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- 020 7834 7717source
- Swire House, 59 Buckingham Gate, London SW1E 6AJsource
- swireclf.org