Thales Charitable Trust

The Thales Charitable Trust, a UK-registered charity established in 1990 and aligned with the Thales Group's global social responsibility agenda, supports a broad spectrum of charitable causes with a core mission to drive lasting impact through youth empowerment, technological advancement, and education. Rooted in promoting STEM opportunities for young people—especially inspiring future engineers—and providing care for those with permanent or terminal conditions, the Trust's values emphasize flexible grantmaking, sustainable change, and trustee discretion across themes like poverty relief, sickness, disability support, and general charitable purposes. Governed by six trustees, it balances specialized priorities with a generalist approach, funding initiatives that foster inclusive access to science and technical careers.

It prioritizes UK-wide organizations delivering youth STEM education, technology programs, welfare services, and support for health challenges, as evidenced by substantial grants like over £170,000 to the RAF Benevolent Fund for RAF family services. Funding covers project delivery, core costs, and general purposes, targeting national charities with proven impact in youth development, engineering inspiration, and care provision.

Eligible applicants are exclusively UK-registered charities operating nationally, with a preference for established medium-to-large organizations showing significant scale; unsolicited applications are not accepted, as grants are awarded at trustee discretion without public processes, deadlines, or advertised rounds. Typical grants range from £10,000 to over £100,000, reviewed ad hoc. Distinctively, the Trust avoids explicit exclusions beyond legal charitable requirements, standing out for its corporate STEM synergy, flexible support for both sector-specific and diverse causes, and focus on empowering the next generation amid health vulnerabilities.