Bates Wells Foundation
About This Funder
The Bates Wells Foundation, established in 2015 as an independent UK-registered charitable incorporated organisation by the law firm Bates Wells, honours the legacy of charity lawyer Stephen Lloyd by funding and championing innovative projects driving sustainable social change. Rooted in values of innovation, equity, collaboration, and public benefit, it identifies trailblazing UK initiatives through the Stephen Lloyd Awards, providing not just grants but expert mentoring, capacity-building, and networking to scale impact. Its focus is on creative, systemic solutions addressing root causes in areas like education, health, community cohesion, social justice, and support for vulnerable groups, with past grantees including Fat Macy's (homeless youth employment), Open Age (active ageing), and Blue Light Champions (emergency services mental health).
It prioritises UK-registered charities, social enterprises, and community groups—especially small, early-stage, or grassroots organisations and startups—with a preference for those under established income thresholds, operating UK-wide without regional or beneficiary restrictions. No religious limits apply, but it favours emerging ideas over mature projects from larger charities.
Grants range from £2,500 (development support for finalists) to £25,000 (core project funding for winners), occasionally higher in exceptional cases, covering seed funding, project costs, and capacity-building. Unsolicited applications are accepted annually via online form during advertised windows (e.g., March-May 2025 for the latest round), involving two-stage assessment, interviews for ~20 shortlisted, a development phase, and a live judging event in October. Unlike standard funders, it uniquely blends financial aid with strategic expertise to back high-risk, high-reward innovators, excluding non-UK entities, applications outside windows, and non-scalable or symptomatic interventions.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How much funding does Bates Wells Foundation provide?
Bates Wells Foundation typically provides grants ranging from £25,000 - £25,000.
Where does Bates Wells Foundation fund charities?
Bates Wells Foundation funds charities operating in UK.
How do I apply for funding from Bates Wells Foundation?
With Fundermatcher, you describe your charity once and see your compatibility score with Bates Wells Foundation. If you're a good fit, you can start drafting your application immediately using our AI co-pilot — paste each question and word limit, and the co-pilot writes a tailored first draft using your charity's real data and Bates Wells Foundation's priorities. You review and edit every answer before submitting.
Will funders know my application was drafted with AI?
No. The co-pilot uses your charity's real name, numbers, and impact data — not generic filler or templates. Every draft reads like it was written by someone who knows your charity inside-out, because it's built on your actual profile. You edit and refine every word before it goes anywhere, so the final application sounds like you — because it is.
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