British Science Week Community Grant Scheme
British Science Association
What they fund
Pilot Grants to use research to test small projects about how research can make a difference to local communities; Incubator Grants for projects co-designed with researchers. Projects must connect to science, including STEM and social sciences.
Who can apply
- Charities, CICs, constituted community groups, unincorporated associations, faith organisations and other community-led organisations in the UK working with people from ethnic minority backgrounds, communities facing deprivation, disabled people or people with long-term health conditions, remote and rural communities, or girls and women (prioritised when working with another of these groups)
- Incubator Grants also accept broker organisations such as festivals
- Applying for both grant types
- Projects with no connection to science
- Organisations not working with an under-represented community
- Full exclusions in the 2027 guidelines
See how many funds you could apply for
Grant details
UK.
Under-represented communities, and community leadership of research.
Pilot Grants £2,500; Incubator Grants £5,000 to £8,000. £250,000 in total.
Applications close at 5pm on 4 November 2026; successful applicants notified by 14 December 2026.
Read the FAQs, the 2027 Community Grants guidelines and the terms, then apply online through the Pilot or Incubator form. The community engagement team will discuss ideas first.
For Incubator Grants, show a named researcher and how the project was co-designed and will be delivered in partnership; for both, show how research will make a real difference to the community.
Choose one grant type only: an organisation can apply for a Pilot or an Incubator Grant, not both. Pilot applicants do not need a researcher; Incubator applicants must name one.