Core Costs Funding Stream
BBC Children in Need
What they fund
Core (essential running) costs for not-for-profit organisations working with children and young people aged 18 or under. Eligible costs include staff salaries, general office expenses, accountancy and audit, communications and outreach, monitoring and evaluation, and governance and compliance costs.
Who can apply
- Charities and not-for-profit organisations working with children and young people aged 18 or under, based in the UK, Isle of Man or Channel Islands, with a turnover under £1 million in the most recent complete financial year
- CICs can apply if they are limited by guarantee, have an asset lock naming a not-for-profit organisation, have at least three directors (one independent) and do not pay directors for sitting on the board
- CICs limited by shares cannot
- You can only hold one Core Costs grant at a time, and you must speak to your local team before applying
- The funder does not support: work that statutory bodies have a duty to fund
- Educational institutions (schools, universities, pupil referral units, or special schools)
- Local authorities, NHS bodies, hospitals or prisons
- Capital or building projects
Show all 22 exclusions
- Work promoting religion
- Trips abroad
- Medical treatment or research
- Pregnancy testing or counselling
- Awareness-raising except where targeted at at-risk children/young people
- Bursaries or fees
- Holidays with little project involvement
- Political activity
- Individual applicants
- Costs passed to other organisations
- General appeals or endowment funds
- Debt repayment
- Retrospective funding (work done before decision date)
- Expenditure unable to start within 12 months of award
- Unspecified expenditure
- Full cost recovery models
- Or duplicated activity already funded elsewhere
- CICs limited by shares and private limited companies
See how many funds you could apply for
Grant details
UK-wide, including the Isle of Man and Channel Islands.
Smaller, local organisations are prioritised. The funder seeks organisations working in the heart of their communities, putting children and young people at the centre of everything they do, addressing challenges they face, building their skills and resilience, and empowering them to extend their choices in life. Work that directly supports children affected by child sexual exploitation, child criminal exploitation, or serious youth violence is a particular focus area.
Up to £120,000 total (or £40,000 per year maximum). Applications of £15,000 or less per year receive faster decisions. Most grants are considerably less than the maximum. Work with children affected by child sexual exploitation, criminal exploitation, or serious youth violence cannot apply for less than £15,001 per year.
No application deadline—you can apply at any time. The funder aims to give quicker decisions for grants of £15,000 or less per year. Applications submitted between October and January may take longer to receive a decision. You must begin spending your grant within 12 months of the decision date.
First, speak with your local grants team. Complete an Expression of Interest (EOI) form, which you access in your online account. If the funder wishes to progress your EOI, you will receive a full application form. You must start the process well in advance of when you need the money to spend, as the funder does not fund retrospectively.
A strong application clearly articulates specific core costs being requested and demonstrates your organisation's impact on children and young people. You must have spoken with your local grants team before applying. Organisations should show they are working in the heart of their communities and committed to ongoing learning and development. Be specific about individual costs in your budget—the funder does not fund percentage-based or unspecified expenditure.
Plan your application timing carefully—if you need the grant to start in a specific month, apply early enough to receive a decision with time to spare. The funder receives very high volumes of applications between October and January, so earlier submission may speed up your decision. Be specific about what costs you need funding for; do not request a percentage of overheads. Ensure you have read the A-Z of eligibility policies, FAQs, and Minimum Standards before applying. Grants are restricted (tied to core costs), not unrestricted—use them for your organisation's essential running expenses only.