EEF Apply for Funding Funding FAQs

Funding FAQs

Funding FAQs

What outcomes do EEF projects need to achieve?

We want to fund projects that have a clear focus on raising attainment or another related, tangible goal. We recognise there are many different factors which impact on attainment but applicants must be able to establish a clear link between their project and attainment itself.

What types of project will the EEF fund?

The EEF will fund, develop and evaluate cost effective and replicable projects which address educational disadvantage. Our focus is on supporting innovation and on scaling up projects which have a measurable impact on attainment or a directly related outcome, and we are open to a wide range of project approaches to meet this goal. EEF funding must significantly advance the project or support a genuine innovation. 

The EEF is not intended to replace funding lost from other sources or to enable the continuation or straightforward expansion of established programmes. The EEF is not able to provide funding for capital only projects (e.g. building a new classroom). However, in the context of a project clearly and directly linked to boosting attainment, some capital expenses can be covered.

Does the EEF provide continuation funding?

The EEF has a focus on innovation and the scaling-up of existing projects which have previously only been tested on a relatively small-scale. EEF funding is not intended simply to replace other funding or to allow the straightforward continuation of existing activity. However, EEF funding may be available for pre-existing projects which plan to introduce innovation in the intervention itself, or the method of delivery or evaluation.

What size is the average EEF grant?

The EEF is flexible about the type of support we give. However, we tend towards making fewer, larger grants. We would typically expect our smallest grant to be in the order of £50,000 a year and our smallest projects to reach at least 100 students. This will enable us to carry out statistically meaningful project evaluations and devote enough of our time to your project to give it the best possible chance of success. As such, it is unlikely that we will award grants to small-scale projects. There is no maximum level of grant; however, as with all applications, the funding requested should be commensurate with the scale and nature of the project and the capacity of the host organisation. Please see our Scale of Support section for more information.

What is the average length of an EEF grant?

There is no standard EEF grant length; we welcome applications for multi-year grants. We are keen that projects be as effective as possible and recognise that some successful projects may require a development phase and a substantial intervention period before their success can be evaluated.

Do you support projects outside England?

No – EEF funds are intended for schools and students in England. We are very open, however, to innovative ideas from overseas that are applicable to schools in England.

Do you offer more than funding support?

You can expect the EEF to be engaged with your project and to help you develop and evaluate it for maximum impact. The extent of the non-financial support we offer will vary depending on the nature of the project and organisation running it.

Can I make or participate in more than one application?

Organisations and schools are free to participate in multiple bids (e.g. as a named school), but we would advise against a single organisation leading more than one bid.

The EEF will only be making a limited number of relatively large scale grants throughout the year and we would like to see these spread across a range of organisations, areas and approaches. As a result, if you are considering leading multiple applications, we would encourage you to consider a) consolidating your project ideas into a single approach or b) focusing on developing the single idea which you believe has the most potential. If your application is not approved in one review of funding, you would be welcome to submit a more developed proposal in future rounds or we may speak to you about carrying-over your project to a future round.

When should I apply for funding?

The EEF intends to spend £200m over its 15-year lifespan. There is no benefit in rushing to apply in the early rounds.

Given the scale and ambition of the projects that the EEF hopes to fund, we would expect that strong applicants would have taken time to at least begin to develop the relationships which are central to their proposal and plan the delivery model for the project before applying.

The EEF will accept initial applications all year round and will review them at specified points. There is no advantage in submitting applications early. The number of grants we are able to approve and support at each review point is limited as we wish to spread the funding over the lifetime of the Foundation.

My project is aimed at children outside the 5-16 age group. Am I eligible for EEF funding?

EEF funding is primarily focused on children aged 5-16 eligible for free school meals. While we would be willing to consider projects which start or end beyond the limits of this age range in some cases, we would expect the project to have a measurable impact on student attainment within the 5-16 age range.

Does the EEF fund university overheads?

The EEF does not fund university overheads. Applicants working in universities can apply for funding for all ‘directly incurred’ costs (eg, salary costs of research assistants) and, subject to certain conditions, ‘directly allocated’ costs (eg, the costs of support staff where these are specifically needed for the project). The EEF does not fund indirect university costs (eg, estate costs of permanent university staff).

University applicants will be aware that the government has established a revenue stream (the Charity Support Fund, distributed by HEFCE) to contribute towards the indirect costs of research activity funded by charities at universities. The current rules governing eligibility for the Charity Support Fund require higher education institutions (HEIs) to confirm that the research income from grants awarded to them by charities satisfy certain conditions that are set out in guidance issued by HESA.  It is the responsibility of the HEI in question to assure itself that income from each and every research grant satisfies all of these conditions before reporting the income to HEFCE in its annual survey. EEF funding meets HEFCE’s eligibility criteria.

The rules also prescribe that income awarded by bodies from grants made to them by the UK Government to be disbursed on its behalf are excluded, regardless of whether the other eligibility criteria are met. Income awarded from non-government sources are eligible where the HEI has received confirmation from the awarding body that the grant or contract was not government-funded.

What is meant by 'disciplined innovation'?

EEF funds are intended to support 'disciplined innovation'. This means we will prioritise innovative projects that build on either robust evidence or some compelling educational theory or logic. This might mean projects that take a proven approach and extend it in some way - for example, by testing a new delivery model, or incorporating new pedagogical elements. Alternatively, it might mean projects that aim to deepen and secure the evidence for interventions that have shown promise but are not fully proven. Finally, it may be trialling an entirely new and innovative approach, provided it tackles a clear defined problem with a logical and compelling strategy.

Share this page.

The Education Endowment Foundation: About