The Permira Foundation

Charity Number: 1175061

Annual Expenditure: £4.8M
Geographic Focus: China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, South Korea, Spain, Sweden ... [2 more]

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Income: £4.3 million (2023)
  • Annual Expenditure: £4.8 million (2023)
  • Success Rate: Not applicable (invite-only)
  • Grant Duration: 1-4 years
  • Grant Range: Not publicly disclosed (varies by fund)
  • Geographic Focus: UK, US, mainland Europe, and Asia
  • Total Organisations Supported: 250+ nonprofits worldwide

Contact Details

Phone: 020 7632 1000

Website: https://www.permira.com/sustainability/permira-foundation

Note: The Permira Foundation operates on an invite-only basis and does not accept unsolicited applications.

Overview

Founded as the charitable arm of Permira (private equity firm), The Permira Foundation (Charity Number 1175061) is a global foundation with a mission to “multiply the potential of our local communities by catalysing non-profits to drive social impact.” The Foundation's vision is “a society in which everyone has the chance to realise their full potential.” Primarily funded by contributions from Permira Partners, the Foundation reported total income of £4,337,299 in 2023. To date, it has supported over 250 nonprofits worldwide, focusing on organizations that tackle social exclusion and disadvantage. The Foundation provides both unrestricted grants (1-4 years) and ongoing pro-bono support, leveraging Permira's business expertise to help nonprofits scale their impact.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Permira Foundation operates two distinct funds, both invite-only:

The Spark Fund

  • Smaller grant sizes (specific amounts not publicly disclosed)
  • 1-2 year funding terms
  • Aims to invest in diverse, high-impact nonprofits delivering tangible community progress
  • Investment programme delivered by local Permira teams
  • Application method: Invite-only

The Growth Fund

  • Larger grant sizes (specific amounts not publicly disclosed)
  • 4-year funding terms
  • Supports growth-stage nonprofits to scale their impact and become pioneers of social change
  • Comprehensive support from both local and global Permira teams
  • Application method: Invite-only

Additional Initiatives:

  • Digital Impact Fund (partnership with Social Business Trust): Recent round invested over £190,000 across seven social enterprises
  • Crisis Relief Fund: Emergency response grants (activated during crises)
  • Matched Giving Programme: 3:1 matching for Permira employee donations

Priority Areas

The Foundation focuses on three core areas:

  • Access to Education: Supporting young people's educational opportunities and outcomes
  • Access to Employment: Helping individuals, particularly those facing barriers, find and maintain employment
  • Health and Wellbeing: Advancing physical and mental health outcomes in communities

All supported organizations must demonstrate work toward tackling social exclusion and disadvantage in communities.

What They Don't Fund

  • The Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications from the general public
  • Organizations outside their geographic focus areas (UK, US, mainland Europe, Asia)
  • Projects not aligned with their three core priority areas
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Governance and Leadership

The Permira Foundation is governed by a Board of Trustees, all drawn from Permira. The Board oversees the Foundation's strategy and governance as a global charity. No trustees receive remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity.

Key Leadership Structures:

  • Board of Trustees: Responsible for governing The Permira Foundation and overseeing strategy
  • Foundation Investment Leads: Permira colleagues who lead partnerships with nonprofits, working alongside the core Foundation team
  • Investment Committees:
  • Spark Fund Investment Committee: Builds portfolio for 1-2 year terms; comprises Permira colleagues from global offices
  • Growth Fund Investment Committee: Focuses on 4-year social impact investments; globally represented with senior Permira colleagues

Leadership Perspective:

Dr. Ingmar Hornke noted: “Permira teams have helped us set up our foundation, craft our strategy.”

Partner organization feedback from Irene Shih (Minds Matter Bay Area): “The Permira investment lead team have been there on our journey.”

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Critical Note: Both the Spark Fund and Growth Fund are invite-only. Organizations cannot submit unsolicited applications.

The Foundation proactively identifies and invites nonprofits to participate based on strategic fit with the Foundation's mission and focus areas. There is no public application portal or form.

Organizations interested in partnership would need to be identified and approached by the Permira Foundation team directly.

Grant Structure

  • Unrestricted grants: 1-4 years depending on fund
  • Pro-bono support: Ongoing consultative support from Permira professionals leveraging expertise in working with market-leading management teams
  • Strategic partnership approach: The Foundation takes a partnership model with 30+ strategic partner nonprofits

Decision Timeline

Not publicly disclosed due to invite-only model. Decisions are made by fund-specific Investment Committees comprising Permira colleagues from global offices.

Success Rates

Not applicable - the Foundation operates on an invitation model rather than competitive application process.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable due to invite-only model. Partnerships are relationship-based rather than application-based.

Application Success Factors

Given the invite-only nature of the Foundation's grants, traditional application success factors do not apply. However, the following characteristics appear to attract Foundation attention:

Organizational Characteristics:

  • Growth-stage nonprofits ready to scale impact (particularly for Growth Fund)
  • High-impact organizations delivering tangible, measurable progress in communities
  • Strong alignment with one or more of the three priority areas (education, employment, health/wellbeing)
  • Geographic presence in UK, US, mainland Europe, or Asia
  • Mission focused on tackling social exclusion and disadvantage

Example Funded Organizations:

  • AllChild: Supporting underserved UK neighbourhoods to help children build social, emotional, and academic skills
  • LEYF (London Early Years Foundation): Partner since 2020; supported Doubling Down programme reaching 97 children and families
  • Hestia: One of London and South East's largest domestic abuse refuge providers
  • Twining Enterprise: Supporting people with mental health problems across London to find and keep work
  • Speech and Language UK: Helping children and young people develop communication skills
  • The Brilliant Club: Supporting less advantaged students to access competitive universities
  • Minds Matter Bay Area: Education-focused nonprofit receiving Permira partnership support

Partnership Approach:

The Foundation values long-term relationships and provides not just funding but strategic support. Organizations benefit from Permira's business expertise, connections, and pro-bono consulting support throughout the grant term.

Digital Transformation Focus:

Recent initiatives like the Digital Impact Fund suggest interest in helping nonprofits modernize operations and scale through technology.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Invite-Only Model: Direct application is not possible. The Foundation identifies and approaches potential partners rather than accepting applications.
  • Relationship-Based: Building visibility and reputation in the social impact space (particularly in education, employment, and health/wellbeing sectors) may increase chances of being noticed.
  • Growth Focus: The Foundation appears particularly interested in organizations ready to scale impact, especially through the Growth Fund's 4-year partnerships.
  • Geographic Presence Required: Organizations must operate in UK, US, mainland Europe, or Asia.
  • Unrestricted Funding Philosophy: The Foundation provides unrestricted grants, suggesting they value organizational autonomy and trust in nonprofit leadership.
  • Value-Add Beyond Money: The Foundation's model includes significant pro-bono support and strategic partnership, not just funding.
  • Network Connections: Partnerships with organizations like Social Business Trust suggest that being connected to the Foundation's existing network may create visibility.

Alternative Pathways:

  • Consider partnership opportunities like the Digital Impact Fund (through Social Business Trust) which may offer more accessible entry points
  • Build relationships with Permira portfolio companies or Permira professionals involved in community work
  • Establish strong track record in priority areas to increase visibility for potential invitation

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