The Pa Foundation

Charity Number: 1196581

Annual Expenditure: £2.0M

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £2,000,000
  • Success Rate: Approximately 29% (based on 150 enquiries and 43 organisations funded in 2024)
  • Decision Time: 6 weeks
  • Grant Range: £20,000 - £150,000
  • Geographic Focus: UK, US, Netherlands, and Nordics

Contact Details

Website: https://www.paconsulting.com/the-pa-foundation

Email: PAFoundation@PACONSULTING.COM / enquiries@pafoundation.org

Phone: +442077309000

Ingenious Investment Fund: https://www.paconsulting.com/the-pa-foundation/ingenious-investment-fund

Note: Register interest for future grant opportunities via the website when applications are closed.

Overview

THE PA FOUNDATION is an independent charity established in late 2021 as the charitable partner of PA Consulting. Registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 1196581), the foundation has distributed over £5.3 million to 56 charitable organisations since its launch. With PA Consulting committing £10 million to be dispersed through 2027, the foundation typically distributes around £2 million annually. The foundation's mission focuses on expanding access to quality education, skills, and career opportunities—particularly in STEM fields—and breaking down barriers to social mobility for people from disadvantaged backgrounds. In 2024, the foundation won the British Diversity Awards' 'Social Mobility Initiative of the Year', Third Sector Business Charity Awards' 'Professional Services' category, and the Social Mobility Awards' 'Innovation' category.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Ingenious Investment Fund: £20,000 - £150,000

The flagship funding programme supporting small charities and non-profits. While marketed as offering grants up to £20,000, typical awards range between £20,000 and £150,000. Applications operate on a fixed annual cycle (currently closed for the year with sign-up available for future rounds). The foundation receives approximately 150 enquiries annually but only invites organisations to submit full proposals when funds are available and applicants show strong alignment with criteria. Grants are typically distributed in advance of project start dates.

Priority Areas

  • Education: Widening access to quality education for disadvantaged groups
  • Skills Development: Building practical skills, particularly in STEM and digital technology
  • Employment: Supporting pathways to employment and career opportunities
  • Social Mobility: Breaking down barriers for people from disadvantaged backgrounds
  • Women and Girls: Over 50% of portfolio supports women and girls in STEM
  • Refugees and Migrants: Approximately 10% of funding supports refugees and asylum seekers
  • Technology Innovation: Projects using technology to improve intervention experiences
  • Partnership Models: Collaborative approaches between organisations

What They Don't Fund

The foundation has broad and flexible criteria, with specific exclusions not publicly detailed. However, funding must align with education, skills, and employment outcomes for disadvantaged groups.

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Governance and Leadership

Trustees: The PA Foundation is governed by a Board of Trustees comprising both independent trustees and current PA Consulting employees.

Current Trustees:

  • Jo Scarlett - PA's Chief Marketing Officer
  • Kully Janjuah - Group Company Secretary at PA
  • Jason Robson - Partner in PA's Defence, Security and Public Services practice
  • Martin Tillisch - Independent Trustee, Fintech Advisory Board member and former PA Partner

Jack McMahon - Global Head of Communities and The PA Foundation - provides strategic leadership and emphasises relationship-building: “Talent is evenly distributed, but opportunity is not.”

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

  1. Initial Enquiry: Organisations express interest through the PA Foundation website
  2. Screening: Foundation team reviews enquiries against available funds and strategic fit
  3. Invitation to Apply: Only organisations with strong alignment are invited to submit full proposals
  4. Full Application: Invited organisations submit detailed proposals (specific format not publicly detailed)
  5. Decision: Foundation team conducts due diligence and makes funding decisions

Application Method: Applications accepted through the Ingenious Investment Fund on a fixed annual cycle. When applications close, organisations can register interest to be notified of future opportunities.

Contact for Enquiries: enquiries@pafoundation.org

Decision Timeline

6 weeks from application submission to final decision. The foundation aims to balance thorough due diligence with efficient processing and distributes grants in advance of project start dates.

Success Rates

  • Annual Enquiries: Approximately 150
  • Organisations Funded (2024): 43
  • Estimated Success Rate: 29% (though this may include multi-year partnerships)
  • Total Organisations Supported to Date: 56 since 2021

The foundation pre-screens enquiries and only invites proposals from organisations they believe have strong chances of success.

Reapplication Policy

Specific reapplication policies for unsuccessful applicants are not publicly detailed. However, the foundation emphasises building “meaningful relationships” beyond individual transactions, suggesting ongoing engagement is welcomed.

Application Success Factors

What The Foundation Values

Relationship-Building: Jack McMahon advises “focusing on building meaningful relationships, where both sides understand the value they can bring to improve society, rather than just looking at financials.” The foundation seeks partners, not just grant recipients.

Innovation and Technology: Projects demonstrating innovative use of technology to improve outcomes for disadvantaged groups are favoured.

Collaborative Approaches: Partnerships between organisations that amplify impact are valued.

Measurable Impact: Clear pathways to improved education, skills, or employment outcomes.

Sustainability and Replicability: Projects with potential for long-term impact and scalability.

Examples of Funded Projects

The Poppy Factory (2024): Building employment services for UK Armed Forces veterans in the Midlands region

Start Lighthouse (2024): Engaging 600+ students from disadvantaged backgrounds in Literacy Hub sessions in New York

Coding Pirates (2024): Running in-person and online technology and coding clubs for children in Denmark

UAF (2024): Providing employability guidance to 800+ refugee students through 'En route to Work' programme in the Netherlands

Stemettes (2022-2023): Raising visibility for STEM careers among girls and women in the UK

Ada, National College for Digital Skills (2022-2023): Supporting inclusive recruitment processes for digital apprenticeships

The Economist Educational Foundation: Partnership creating STEM-themed educational resources and teaching workshops

Strategic Fit Indicators

  • Focus on STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, maths)
  • Serving disadvantaged populations with clear barriers to overcome
  • Supporting women and girls in STEM
  • Assisting refugees and migrants with integration
  • Geographic presence in UK, US, Netherlands, or Nordics
  • Small to medium-sized charities and non-profits
  • Flexible criteria that strike balance between funding level and due diligence requirements

Additional Value Beyond Funding

The foundation offers more than financial support:

  • Volunteer Support: Access to PA Consulting volunteers
  • Expertise: Technical and strategic guidance from PA professionals
  • Networking: Connections to role models, speakers, and mentors
  • Capacity Building: Support for organisational resilience (60 social enterprises supported in 2024)

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Build relationships early: Don't wait until application windows open. The foundation values ongoing engagement and partnership approaches over transactional grant seeking.
  • Align with STEM and social mobility: Strongest applications demonstrate clear links to STEM education, skills development, or employment for disadvantaged groups. Over half the portfolio supports women and girls.
  • Emphasise innovation: Highlight innovative uses of technology, novel partnership models, or scalable approaches that could inspire wider sector change.
  • Be prepared to demonstrate impact: With only 6 weeks from application to decision, have clear metrics, evaluation frameworks, and evidence of organisational capability ready.
  • Leverage the full value proposition: In your application and conversations, explore how PA Consulting's volunteer expertise, networks, and strategic guidance could enhance your project beyond just funding.
  • Geographic focus matters: Priority goes to UK-based work, followed by US, Netherlands, and Nordic countries. Projects outside these regions are unlikely to succeed.
  • Think partnership: The foundation supports 43 organisations annually (2024 figures) and has funded 56 in total—suggesting multi-year relationships. Position your organisation as a long-term partner, not a one-off grant recipient.

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