Igen Trust

The Trust funds work that addresses unemployment barriers, youth employability, skills training for disadvantaged groups (including disabled people and socially excluded youth), lifelong learning and transitions to work. They support education, economic and community development, and employment initiatives benefiting children, young people, charities and the general public. The Trust gives for project work, core costs or capacity-building, and prioritises scalable, evidence-based or innovative efforts delivered by experienced institutions. Geographically, grant-making is focused on England and Wales, with no regional limits within those nations.

Eligible applicants are exclusively UK-registered charities operating in England and Wales. The Trust shows a preference for medium-to-large organisations that can demonstrate capacity in employability outcomes, though no strict income thresholds apply. Beneficiary groups prioritised include children, young people, disabled people, socially excluded youth and the general public. There is no religious restriction on beneficiaries or organisations.

The Trust does not accept unsolicited applications and avoids peripheral activities, capital projects, emergency funding, gift aid or non-core purposes. They also do not support small-scale or individual aid, focusing instead on substantial interventions delivered by proven, experienced organisations.

Igen Trust makes multi-year grants and operates on an invite-only basis; trustees assess strategic alignment quarterly. Funding can cover project work, core costs or capacity-building. The Trust is investment-led and trustee-driven, providing targeted, substantial support to proven deliverers rather than one-off or small-scale contributions.