A B Charitable Trust — Open Programme
What they fund
Unrestricted, multi-year funding for organisations working in the trust's four priority areas: the human rights framework; access to justice; the criminal legal system and penal reform; and migrants and refugees. Grants run from one to four years.
Who can apply
- Charities registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales, OSCR or the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland, working in one of the four priority areas
- Income must be between £150,000 and £1.5 million in each of the last three years, with at least one year of audited or independently examined accounts
- Single-focus organisations are strongly preferred
- A project inside a broader charity, or a subsidiary of a larger one, is rarely prioritised
- CICs and other non-charities cannot apply to the Open Programme
- Individuals
- The promotion of religion
- Capital appeals
- Academic research
Show all 10 exclusions
- Charities working outside the UK
- Organisations that are not UK-registered charities, including CICs
- Income under £150,000 or over £1.5 million
- Organisations whose work is broader than the four priorities
- University legal clinics, which are invitation only
- Only one Open Programme grant can be held at a time, and a declined applicant waits 12 months before reapplying
See how many funds you could apply for
Grant details
Geographic focus not specified in available content; applicants should check the Trust's priority areas page or contact directly.
The human rights framework; access to justice; the criminal legal system and penal reform; migrants and refugees. Choose one priority on the apply page and follow its four-step eligibility check before applying.
Usually £10,000 to £40,000 a year (the FAQs say £30,000 as the top of the usual range, and the largest 2024/25 grant was £30,000 with an average of about £20,000), for one to four years and most often three, unrestricted wherever possible. You do not name an amount on the form.
Deadlines 23 October 2026 (decisions January 2027), 29 January 2027 (decisions April) and 30 April 2027 (decisions July). Applications are longlisted by the team, shortlisted with two board members, then decided by the Grants Committee or Board.
Pick a priority on the apply page, work through its four-step eligibility check, then complete the online form; the questions can be downloaded as a PDF first. Email applications are possible if the form is a barrier. Call 020 7243 9486 or email mail@abcharitabletrust.org.uk with questions.
Organisations that learn from their work, respect agency and talents of the people they work with, and put community interests front and centre. The Trust values partners who are experts in their field and can demonstrate impact.
Pick one priority and apply under it; the choice does not affect your chances. Do not invent a project: most grants are unrestricted and applying for core costs does not reduce your odds. Save your answers locally, since a saved-and-resumed form is lost after 30 days and attachments do not persist between sessions. Expect a decision letter about three months after the deadline, and a call or meeting if shortlisted.