The Betty Lawes Foundation

Charity Number: 274025

Annual Expenditure: £1.1M

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Quick Stats

  • Charity Number: 274025
  • Annual Income: £832,338 (year ending 31 December 2024)
  • Total Expenditure: £1,262,053 (year ending 31 December 2024)
  • Charitable Expenditure: £1,126,744 (year ending 31 December 2024)
  • Grant Range: £30,000 - £1,000,000 (programme-dependent)
  • Geographic Focus: England and Wales, with emphasis on agriculture/dairy sectors
  • Application Process: No public application process - invitation only

Contact Details

Address: C/O Volac International, 50 Fishers Lane, Orwell, Royston, SG8 5QX, Hertfordshire

Note: The foundation does not currently accept unsolicited applications. Contact through established programme partners (AHDB, AberInnovation) may be more productive.

Overview

The Betty Lawes Foundation (registered charity 274025) is a private grant-making trust established by Betty Lawes, wife of Dick Lawes who founded Volac, a leading animal nutrition company. The foundation honours Dick Lawes' entrepreneurial legacy in the dairy and nutrition industries. With annual charitable expenditure exceeding £1.1 million and total income of £832,338 (primarily from investments), the foundation focuses on strategic partnerships rather than open grant-making. The foundation made headlines in 2018 with a £1 million commitment to AHDB's Strategic Dairy Farm Network, demonstrating its capacity for substantial single investments. The foundation prefers smaller charitable institutions and specialised branches of larger organisations where donations will have “real and immediate impact.” The foundation operates through the Dick Lawes Legacy Fund for specific entrepreneurship and innovation initiatives.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

LEAP (Legacy Entrepreneurship Acceleration Programme): £30,000 - £50,000 per project

  • Operated through AberInnovation in Aberystwyth
  • Supports up to 8 projects annually (2024-2025)
  • No match funding required
  • Application periods are fixed with virtual briefing events
  • Contact: leap@aberinnovation.com

AHDB Strategic Dairy Farm Network: £1,000,000 (strategic partnership)

  • Multi-year funding commitment (2018)
  • Partnership with AHDB and Welsh Government
  • Supports network of 25 farms across Great Britain
  • Focus on knowledge exchange and best practice demonstration
  • No application process - strategic partnership model

Dick Lawes Legacy Fund: Variable amounts

  • Supports projects in agriculture, food, nutrition and life sciences
  • Focus on innovations with potential for significant impact
  • Invitation-only basis

Priority Areas

  • Agriculture & Dairy Innovation: Particularly dairy farm-to-fork processes, productivity improvements, and knowledge exchange
  • Food Entrepreneurship: Early-stage food and nutrition innovations with commercial potential
  • Animal Nutrition: Research and development in animal feed and nutrition products
  • Life Sciences: Projects at the intersection of agriculture, food and nutrition
  • Smaller Charitable Institutions: Preference for smaller organisations and specialised branches of larger charities where impact is immediate and measurable

What They Don't Fund

  • Unsolicited applications from organisations not already known to the foundation
  • Large national charities (unless specialised branches)
  • Projects outside agriculture, food, nutrition, and life sciences sectors
  • General charitable appeals without strategic alignment
  • Organisations outside England and Wales
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Governance and Leadership

The foundation operates with 3 trustees and 1 employee. One or more trustees receive payments or benefits for providing services to the charity. The foundation is closely connected to Volac International, with its registered address at Volac's headquarters in Royston, Hertfordshire.

The foundation honours the legacy of Dick Lawes, described as a “pioneering entrepreneur” and “visionary” who founded Volac and L.E. Pritchitt & Co (now part of Lakeland Dairies). Dick Lawes was known for his ability to “see opportunities” in the dairy and nutrition industries, developing innovative products that transitioned from animal to human nutrition applications.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process. The foundation explicitly states: “At present unsolicited applications are not being considered.”

The foundation operates through:

  • Strategic partnerships with established organisations (e.g., AHDB, Welsh Government)
  • Managed programmes through intermediary organisations (e.g., LEAP through AberInnovation)
  • Trustee discretion for other grants to smaller charities

For the LEAP programme specifically:

  • Applications open in fixed rounds (e.g., Round II opened August 2024)
  • Virtual briefing events held for potential applicants
  • Application pack available from AberInnovation
  • Contact leap@aberinnovation.com for information

Getting on Their Radar

Engagement through AberInnovation's LEAP Programme: The most accessible route for food and agricultural entrepreneurs. The LEAP programme runs annual competitions with clear application processes. Virtual briefing events are held each August for the subsequent year's round. Contact leap@aberinnovation.com to join the mailing list for future rounds.

AHDB Dairy Sector Engagement: Organizations working in dairy productivity, knowledge exchange, or farm-to-fork innovation may benefit from engagement with AHDB programmes that the foundation co-funds. Participation in AHDB Strategic Dairy Farm events or initiatives demonstrates sector commitment.

Volac Network Connections: Given the foundation's origins with Volac International and its focus on dairy/nutrition innovation, connections within the Volac business network or the broader animal nutrition sector may provide introduction opportunities.

Sectoral Conferences: The foundation's focus on dairy farming, animal nutrition, and food innovation suggests trustees may attend key industry events such as Dairy-Tech, British Society of Animal Science conferences, and food innovation showcases at AberInnovation.

Decision Timeline

LEAP Programme: Virtual briefing in August, with selection decisions typically made within 2-3 months for projects starting in the following calendar year.

Strategic Partnerships: Multi-year commitments made through direct negotiation with established sector bodies. Timeline varies based on strategic priorities.

Success Rates

LEAP Programme: Up to 8 projects selected from all UK applicants annually. Success rates not publicly disclosed but competitive given the substantial funding (£30,000-£50,000 per project with no match funding required).

General Grants: Not applicable given invitation-only model.

Reapplication Policy

LEAP Programme: Organizations may reapply in subsequent rounds if unsuccessful. No published restrictions on reapplication.

Other Grants: Given the invitation-only nature, reapplication is not a standard concept for this foundation.

Application Success Factors

Since the foundation operates primarily through invitation and strategic partnerships, “success factors” differ from typical grant applications:

For LEAP Programme Applicants:

  • Early-stage focus: LEAP is specifically for “very early stage enterprises” needing proof of concept funding. The programme seeks projects that can “materialize early-stage ideas” and be positioned for future investment within 12 months.
  • Dairy/farm-to-fork alignment: Emphasis on “agriculture, human food and nutrition - particularly with a focus on dairy—farm-to-fork processes, and animal nutrition.”
  • Entrepreneurial vision: Projects should embody Dick Lawes' entrepreneurial spirit - someone who “could see opportunities” and pioneered transitions from animal to human nutrition products.
  • UK-wide eligibility: Open to entrepreneurs throughout the UK, not just Wales despite AberInnovation's Welsh location.
  • Transformative potential: Projects should have “potential to make a significant impact” in their fields.

For Strategic Partnership Opportunities:

  • Scale and reach: The £1m AHDB partnership demonstrates interest in initiatives with national reach across 25 farms in Great Britain.
  • Knowledge exchange focus: AHDB partnership emphasizes “robust research onto farms quickly” and “farmer-to-farmer learning.”
  • Multi-year value: Foundation states it wants to “see more collaborations like these” multi-year relationships.
  • Sector leadership: Partners should be established sector bodies (AHDB, Welsh Government) with credibility.

For Smaller Charity Grants:

  • Immediate impact: Foundation seeks donations that “will have a real and immediate impact.”
  • Smaller institutions: Explicit preference for “smaller charitable institutions and specialised or local branches of larger charitable institutions.”
  • Pre-existing awareness: Given unsolicited applications are not considered, trustees must already be aware of the organisation through personal or professional networks.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Not a traditional grant-maker: This foundation operates through strategic partnerships and invitation-only grants, making it unsuitable for most standard grant applications.
  • LEAP is the accessible route: For agricultural/food entrepreneurs, the LEAP programme at AberInnovation provides a clear, competitive application process with substantial funding (£30,000-£50,000).
  • Focus is hyper-specific: Agriculture, dairy, nutrition, and life sciences only. The foundation honours Dick Lawes' legacy in animal nutrition and dairy innovation.
  • Scale matters: The foundation can deploy significant funds (£1m to AHDB) for strategic initiatives but prefers smaller charities for direct grants.
  • Network-driven: Connections to Volac, the dairy sector, or food innovation networks at AberInnovation/Aberystwyth University increase visibility.
  • Patient capital: Multi-year partnerships (AHDB, Welsh Government collaborations) suggest interest in sustained impact rather than one-off grants.
  • Entrepreneurship valued: Dick Lawes' entrepreneurial legacy permeates the foundation's approach - they seek visionaries who can “see opportunities” in food and agriculture.

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