The Spectris Foundation

Charity Number: 1195233

Annual Expenditure: £0.9M
Geographic Focus: Northern Ireland, Scotland, Throughout England And Wales, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil ... [34 more]

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £750,000 - £1,000,000 per year
  • Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
  • Decision Time: Up to 4 months from application to decision
  • Grant Range: £10,000 - £50,000 (typical STEM grants, multi-year possible)
  • Geographic Focus: International (UK, USA, Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, China, Brazil, South Korea, Japan, India)

Contact Details

Website: www.spectrisfoundation.com

Email: spectrisfoundation@spectris.com

Phone: +44(0)7765 176535

Registered Address: 6th Floor, The Block, Space House, 12 Keeley Street, London, WC2B 4BA

Charity Number: 1195233

Overview

The Spectris Foundation was established in July 2021 with a £15 million endowment from Spectris Plc, a global precision instrumentation company. The Foundation's vision is “to engineer bright futures” by advancing education in STEM subjects with a specific focus on increasing diversity and improving representation of underprivileged students. The Foundation donated £1 million in 2023 and £750,000 in 2024. The Foundation operates with a small team led by Foundation Director Rebecca Levy and is governed by a diverse board of trustees with expertise spanning engineering, finance, education, and the charitable sector.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programmes

Large STEM Grants: £10,000 - £50,000 per year for one to three years

  • Primary focus (80% of funding): Quality education in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
  • Applications via online portal at www.GrantRequest.co.uk/SID_159
  • Multi-stage application process with rolling review
  • The Foundation focuses on building multi-year partnerships with charity partners in core Spectris Group locations

Employee-Nominated Grants: Smaller grants (20% of funding)

  • Support non-STEM charities meaningful to Spectris Group employees globally

Priority Areas

  • Access to STEM Education: Programmes that remove barriers and create opportunities for underrepresented groups in STEM subjects
  • Diversity and Inclusion: Initiatives targeting women, non-binary students, and disadvantaged communities (only 31% of core STEM subjects in UK studied by women/non-binary students)
  • Hands-on Learning: Tinkering labs, maker spaces, and practical STEM experiences
  • Digital Innovation: Technology skills development and digital literacy programmes
  • Global Reach: Programmes in Spectris operating regions, with flexibility for other beneficial jurisdictions
  • Sustainable Impact: Multi-year partnerships that create lasting change

What They Don't Fund

  • Political or religious organisations
  • Retrospective funding for activities that have already taken place
  • Grant-making organisations
  • Privately owned and profit-distributing companies or limited partnerships
  • Individual scholarships
  • University research projects
  • Capital costs
  • One-off events
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Governance and Leadership

Board of Trustees

Andrew Heath (Chair since December 2024)

  • CEO of Spectris plc
  • 30-year career at Rolls-Royce
  • Engineering background from Imperial College London

Angela Noon (Trustee since December 2024)

  • Chief Financial Officer at Spectris plc
  • Over 25 years finance leadership experience
  • Previously CFO at Royal Mail
  • OBE recipient

Karen Usher

  • Serial entrepreneur
  • Founded NMITE (New Model in Technology and Engineering)
  • Focused on equitable education access

Yasmin Ali

  • Chartered chemical engineer in energy sector
  • Promotes engineering careers
  • Media presenter and writer

Amit Agarwal

  • Background in finance and global business
  • Over 20 years with Thermo Fisher Scientific
  • Engineering degrees from India and US

Laura Hughes-Onslow

  • Associate Director of Donor Experience at UCL
  • Over a decade in third sector
  • Co-founded #FixtheForm campaign for accessible grant applications

Leke Oluwole

  • Mechanical engineer
  • Expertise in renewable energy and infrastructure
  • STEM education advocate

Priscilla Asirifi

  • Chartered management accountant
  • Over 10 years charity sector financial management experience

Foundation Staff

Rebecca Levy - Foundation Director

  • Over 12 years nonprofit experience
  • Specialist in grant-making and fundraising
  • MSc in philanthropy

Leadership Quote

Derek Harding (Former Chair, 2021-2024) stated: “We believe that every person should have an equal right to a quality education and, by working with like-minded partners, we will remove barriers and create opportunities for every student to fulfil their potential.”

How to Apply to The Spectris Foundation

How to Apply

Three-Stage Process:

  1. Pre-application Questionnaire: Initial screening to determine basic eligibility
  2. Expression of Interest: Short form taking approximately 30 minutes for those who pass pre-screening
  3. Formal Application: Detailed application taking up to 2 hours for organisations meeting initial funding criteria

Application Portal: www.GrantRequest.co.uk/SID_159

Important Note: The Foundation focuses on building multi-year partnerships with existing charity partners in core Spectris Group locations. Check the website for current application availability.

Decision Timeline

  • Total Process: Up to 4 months from initial application to final decision
  • Post-Board Meeting: Foundation aims to contact all applicants within 2 weeks of board meeting date
  • Applications reviewed by Foundation Staff and Spectris plc Ambassadors
  • Shortlisted applications presented to The Spectris Foundation Board for final decision

Success Rates

Success rates not publicly disclosed.

Reapplication Policy

No specific reapplication policy is publicly disclosed. Applicants should contact the Foundation directly at spectrisfoundation@spectris.com for guidance on resubmitting unsuccessful applications.

Application Success Factors

Recent Funded Projects (Examples of What They Support)

India STEM Foundation: Multi-year grant funding a Tinkering Lab at The Bharat English School in Pune, providing hands-on science and technology learning

African Gifted Foundation: £100,000 over two years providing full scholarships to young women across Africa, reducing the gender gap in STEM learning

CompTIA Spark: $100,000 over two years supporting TechGirlz programme for young girls in technology

Technovation: Two-year project targeting 1,426 young women to empower girls in technology

Apps for Good: Supporting “Apps for Social Action” programme equipping students with digital innovation skills

Lightyear Foundation: Unrestricted grant for inclusive STEM education for disabled students, including creation of youth-led STEM podcast “Squar3roots”

Engineering Education Scheme Wales (EESW): Partnership supporting expansion of Sustainable Farming project

STEM Learning: £100,000 to create five new ENTHUSE Partnerships supporting 200 teachers and 22,500 students

Key Success Factors

  • Clear STEM Focus: Strong alignment with science, technology, engineering, or mathematics education
  • Diversity and Inclusion: Demonstrable impact on underrepresented groups (women, disadvantaged communities, disabled students)
  • Measurable Impact: Ability to track reach (students impacted, teachers trained)
  • Innovation: Creative approaches to STEM learning (hands-on labs, digital platforms, youth-led initiatives)
  • Geographic Alignment: Location in or benefit to Spectris operating regions
  • Sustainability: Multi-year partnerships preferred; potential for lasting change
  • Values Alignment: Quality, inclusion, and permanency (Foundation's core values)

Foundation Terminology and Language

The Foundation uses language emphasising:

  • “Engineering bright futures”
  • “Removing barriers” and “creating opportunities”
  • “Equal right to quality education”
  • “Increasing diversity” and “improving representation”
  • “Hands-on learning” and “practical experiences”
  • “Sustainable partnerships”

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • STEM is Essential: 80% of funding is exclusively for STEM education—your project must have clear STEM focus for large grants
  • Show Diversity Impact: Explicitly demonstrate how your project increases participation from underrepresented groups, particularly women and disadvantaged communities
  • Geographic Fit Matters: Priority given to programmes in UK, USA, Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, China, Brazil, South Korea, Japan, and India
  • Multi-Year Thinking: Foundation prefers partnerships of 1-3 years; demonstrate sustainability and long-term impact
  • Be Prepared for Long Process: Allow up to 4 months from initial application to decision; start early
  • Quantify Your Reach: Be specific about numbers (students impacted, teachers trained) as Foundation tracks metrics carefully
  • Check Application Status: Monitor website for current application availability before investing time in application
  • Values Alignment Critical: Demonstrate commitment to quality, inclusion, and creating permanent change rather than one-off events

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