Sheila Coates Foundation

The Foundation funds projects that improve the education and wellbeing of autistic young people in mainstream secondary schools and colleges across England. They support creative and innovative solutions that are quick to implement and show impact within six months. Priority is given to projects co-produced with autistic young people, that go above and beyond statutory provision, and have whole-school or whole-college impact. They also look for scalable and sustainable approaches. The fund covers costs for project delivery, equipment, training, capital works, and salaries. Specific examples include sensory aids, laptops, therapeutic tools, music/art therapy, bespoke counselling, staff and parent training, extra staffing for clubs, peer support, transition programmes, inclusive events, and safe spaces like sensory rooms or gardens.

Only mainstream secondary schools and colleges in England (including embedded resource provisions) are eligible to apply. The Foundation prioritises projects that benefit autistic young people in these settings. Applications must be from the organisation itself, not individuals. The Foundation welcomes unsolicited applications and does not require match funding. Projects should be co-designed with autistic young people and demonstrate a clear gap in existing statutory provision. The Foundation does not fund primary schools, special schools, alternative provision, charities, or individuals.

The Foundation does not fund core costs, organisational overheads, or running costs that the school would incur regardless of the project. They also exclude grants that would be passed on to other establishments, requests where a statutory agency has assessed a need but failed to fund, projects promoting religion, political activity or campaigning, bursaries, sponsored places, fees or equivalent, individuals (unless an eligible organisation applies on their behalf), general appeals, endowment funds, help with budget shortfalls or debt repayments, projects with unspecified expenditure, and indoor safe or sensory spaces.

The Foundation provides grants through its Rapid Impact Fund, which supports projects that can be implemented quickly and show measurable impact within a short timeframe. They fund a range of costs including project delivery, equipment, training, capital works, and salaries. Grants are one-off and do not require match funding. The Foundation welcomes unsolicited applications from eligible schools and colleges. They work collaboratively with grant recipients, expecting projects to be co-produced with autistic young people and to demonstrate clear outcomes.