Portal Trust

The trust funds scholarships, bursaries, and targeted interventions such as literacy catch-up and aspiration-raising programmes. It supports capacity-building for schools and charities, and innovations in STEM, arts, life skills, teaching, and mentorship. Work is concentrated on primary, secondary, and post-16 education, with a systemic aim to level the playing field. Priority is given to Black and ethnic minority youth, care-experienced individuals, and those with disabilities or special needs. All funding is within Greater London, supporting individual aid through institutions, projects, and occasional core or capital costs for education infrastructure.

Eligible organisations are UK registered charities, academic institutions (including maintained schools and colleges), and community groups. Applicants must be based in or serve residents of Greater London. There are no fixed income thresholds, but the trust prefers organisations that demonstrate local impact, from small grassroots entities to larger ones. Beneficiaries are children and young people under 25, particularly those with financial barriers, from ethnic minorities, care-experienced, or with disabilities. The trust has no religious restriction.

The trust does not fund non-educational activities, emergency relief, or projects outside Greater London. It does not accept unsolicited applications, as it operates by invitation only.

The trust works by invitation, approaching organisations through its networks. It offers multi-year options and supports projects, occasional core costs, and capital costs for education infrastructure. Funding is characterised by a focus on scalable, measurable impact and stable, strategic partnerships.