Upp Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £100,000 - £160,000
• Success Rate: 10-16% (5-8 awards from ~50 applications)
• Decision Time: Notified in August (summer awards)
• Grant Range: £5,000 - £25,000
• Geographic Focus: UK (England & Wales)

Contact Details

Website: https://upp-foundation.org/

Email: compliance@upp-ltd.com

Phone: 020 7398 7200

Registered Office: 12 Arthur Street, London, EC4R 9AB

Overview

Established in 2016 by University Partnerships Programme (UPP), the UK's leading provider of on-campus student accommodation, the UPP Foundation is an independent registered charity that has invested over £1 million across 34 pilot projects since its inception. The Foundation is solely funded by UPP but operates independently with its own Board of Trustees. Its mission is to enhance partnership and innovation in the higher education sector by awarding grants and providing a platform for debate. In 2021, the Foundation launched its “Belonging to the Future” strategy (running until 2025), focusing on student wellbeing, environmental sustainability, and higher education's public value. Annual grant giving typically ranges from £100,000 to £160,000, distributed through an annual competitive grants round that attracts approximately 50 applications for 5-8 awards.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Annual Pilot Projects Grant Programme: £5,000 - £25,000

• Fixed annual grants round with application deadline typically in June
• Awards announced in summer (August)
• Maximum individual grant: £25,000
• Online application via downloaded form submission

Priority Areas (Belonging to the Future Strategy 2021-2025)

1. Enable Students and Graduates to Succeed

• Student wellbeing and mental health initiatives
• Building social capital and networks
• Transition support from school/college to university
• Support for disadvantaged groups (care leavers, homeless students, students with convictions)
• Graduate employability, including international graduate employment
• Student retention initiatives

2. Develop Green and Sustainable Civic Universities

• Environmental sustainability projects
• Climate action led by universities
• Biodiversity and innovative environmental initiatives
• Community partnerships for sustainability
• Service-learning connecting students with local environmental challenges

3. Support Higher Education's Value to Society

• Civic university engagement
• Community partnerships and public engagement
• Local economic contribution of students and graduates
• Widening participation and access to higher education

What They Don't Fund

• Applications from individual students or persons (must apply through institutional bodies)
• Organizations directly affiliated to any political party
• Single-faith religious organizations where faith observance is prerequisite
• Organizations already receiving UPP Foundation funding for an existing project
• Purchase of land or buildings (including freeholds) or loan repayment
• Projects representing disproportionate percentage of organization's turnover
• Non-specific appeals, endowment funds, or conduit organizations
• Appeals by circular

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Governance and Leadership

Trustee Board

Richard Brabner - Executive Chair

• Appointed Executive Chair in 2023 after serving seven years as Director since 2016
• Quote: “We believe that everyone with the potential and ambition to go to and succeed at university should have the ability to do so.”

Lucy Haire - Trustee

• Director of Sector Engagement at UPP
• Former history teacher with extensive higher education experience

Dr David Duncan - Trustee

• Chief Operating Officer and University Secretary, University of Glasgow
• Previously Registrar at University of York
• PhD in history from Queen's University, Canada

Matt Burton - Trustee

• Executive Director Partnerships at UPP
• Over a decade of experience in higher education, property, and infrastructure

Juliana Quintero - Trustee

• Head of Portfolio Management at UPP
• Infrastructure finance specialist with 15 years experience
• MSc in Infrastructure Investment and Finance from UCL

Advisory Board

The Foundation maintains an Advisory Board comprised of university vice-chancellors, thought-leaders, policy experts, and politicians. Advisory Board Chair Chris Skidmore MP noted: “The UPP Foundation has been central to much that has been good in higher education in recent years.”

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

1. Download Application Form: Available from the UPP Foundation grants webpage during open application periods
2. Complete Application: Submit detailed project proposal addressing funding criteria
3. Deadline Submission: Typically mid-June deadline (17:00 deadline time)
4. Trustee Review: All applications reviewed and authorized by Trustee Board
5. Decision Notification: Applicants notified in August

Application Method: Fixed deadline (annual grants round, typically opening in spring)

Eligibility:

• Universities and registered UK charities (primary focus)
• Non-registered groups with clear social purpose
• Social enterprises
• Community groups
• Other charitable bodies

Decision Timeline

• Application Period: Typically opens in spring (April-May)
• Deadline: Mid-June (e.g., 17:00 on 17 June)
• Review Period: Summer (June-August)
• Decision Notification: August
• Grant Commencement: Following signing of Memorandum of Understanding

Success Rates

The Foundation receives strong interest with competitive success rates:

• 2019-2020 Round: 5 projects funded from almost 50 applications (~10% success rate)
• 2022-2023 Round: 8 projects funded from over 50 applications (~16% success rate)
• Richard Brabner commented on receiving “an unprecedented number of outstanding applications” in recent rounds

Reapplication Policy

No specific reapplication policy information is publicly available. Unsuccessful applicants should contact the Foundation directly for guidance on reapplying in subsequent funding rounds.

Application Success Factors

Key Evaluation Criteria:

1. Credible and Deliverable Project: Applications must demonstrate clear feasibility and realistic delivery plans

1. Innovation: The Foundation specifically looks for “innovative approach to advancing goals” and projects that tackle issues in new ways

1. Collaboration and Partnership: Strong commitment to partnership is essential. The Foundation values projects that bring together multiple stakeholders

1. Strategic Alignment: Projects must clearly align with one or more of the Foundation's three strategic goals under “Belonging to the Future”

1. Long-term Sustainability: Clear plans for project continuation after funding ends. The Foundation wants to fund pilot projects with potential for sector-wide impact

1. Measurable Impact: Projects must include plans to measure and evaluate impact with tangible outcomes

1. Sector-Wide Potential: The Foundation looks for pilots that could be scaled or replicated across the higher education sector

Recent Successful Projects Include:

• University of Chichester: Helping homeless students access university
• The Brilliant Club & Villiers Park Educational Trust: Transition support projects (£25,000 each)
• Student Minds: Research on mental health and climate change links
• Yorkshire Universities: Regional sustainability service-learning collaboration
• AGCAS: Survey of international graduate employment experiences
• Get Further: GCSE retake tuition for young people
• Goldsmiths, University of London: Public engagement in civic university agreements

What Makes Applications Stand Out:

• Addressing underserved student populations (care leavers, students with convictions, homeless students)
• Environmental and sustainability innovation aligned with civic university mission
• Evidence-based approaches with strong evaluation frameworks
• Cross-sector partnerships between universities, charities, and communities
• Projects that respond to emerging challenges (e.g., climate and mental health, post-pandemic student support)

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Pilot Projects Focus: The Foundation specifically funds pilot initiatives with potential for wider sector impact - emphasize scalability and replicability in your application

• Competitive Process: With only 10-16% success rates, ensure your application demonstrates exceptional innovation, clear strategic alignment, and measurable impact

• Partnership is Essential: Projects showing genuine collaboration between universities, charities, and communities are strongly favored - single-organization projects are less competitive

• Sustainability Matters: Clearly articulate how the project will continue beyond the grant period and what infrastructure or learning will remain

• Strategic Alignment is Critical: Ensure explicit connection to one or more of the three “Belonging to the Future” goals - don't make trustees guess how you fit

• Innovation Over Replication: The Foundation seeks new approaches to sector challenges, not continuation of existing programs - highlight what makes your approach distinctive

• Evidence of Need: Successful applications demonstrate clear understanding of the issue being addressed and why the proposed approach will make a difference

Similar Funders

These funders have a similar focus and geographic reach:

• THE WEAVERS' COMPANY BENEVOLENT FUND
• The Mercers' Charitable Foundation
• Man Group PLC Charitable Trust
• Sir Halley Stewart Trust
• BUPA Foundation
• The Danson Foundation
• Bernard Sunley Foundation
• The Peter Cruddas Foundation
• The Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation - London Division
• The Beatrice Laing Trust

References

• UPP Foundation Official Website: https://upp-foundation.org/
• UPP Foundation Grants Page: https://upp-foundation.org/grants/
• UPP Foundation About Us: https://upp-foundation.org/about-us/
• UPP Foundation Trustee Board: https://upp-foundation.org/about-us/trustees/
• UPP Foundation Belonging to the Future Strategy: https://upp-foundation.org/belonging-to-the-future/
• UK Charity Commission Register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regid=1166323
• UPP Foundation Grants Application: https://upp-foundation.org/grants/grants-application/
• “UPP Foundation awards over £160k in funding to outstanding pilot initiatives”: https://upp-foundation.org/upp-foundation-awards-over-160k-in-funding-to-outstanding-pilot-initiatives/
• “UPP Foundation awards £100,000 in grants”: https://upp-ltd.com/upp-foundation-awards-100k-in-grants/
• “UPP Foundation opens 2022 grants round”: https://upp-foundation.org/upp-foundation-opens-2022-grants-round/