International Projects

BFSS supports projects to improve the quality, sustainability, and access to education for young people within international marginalised and deprived communities.

BFSS supports work which improves the quality, sustainability, and access to education for young people up to the age of 25 within international marginalised and deprived communities.
*Funding is available for one to three years. *We will fund between £5,000 to £60,000 per project (maximum £30,000 per year). *Annual grant payments cannot exceed 50% of an organisation’s 3-year average income. *Funding is available for new or pilot projects. We do not fund existing programmes. *BFSS will fund between 25% to 100% of the total project costs, but will give preference to projects with some degree of matched funding.

We will fund projects which:
*Improve access to education – including increasing the number of educational opportunities, especially for girls, (including construction of classrooms or latrines), increasing the number of qualified teachers trained in inclusive, non-discriminatory practices and improving community attitudes to educating children who are often excluded or overlooked. *Improve the quality of education – including enhancing the quality of teaching and learning, improving access to extra-curricular support, increasing child friendly resources, and increasing access to aspirational vocational training opportunities including STEM and IT. *Improve the sustainability of education projects – including encouraging educational projects with integrated community management or ownership, self-generating income and minimising their environmental impact.

BFSS currently has two priority areas, and particularly welcomes applications which focus on: *Re-establishing education where the provision of education has suffered from conflict or natural disaster. *Enhancing the opportunities and reducing barriers for girls to access education.

Applying organisations must: *Have UK charitable status and be registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales, Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator or the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland. *Have an annual income normally between £25,000 and £2.5 million. *Have at least three years of continuous accounts submitted to the relevant UK Charity Commission or Regulator.
*Organisations must be directly involved in the provision of the project activities. *We do not fund non-UK based organisations, Community Interest Companies (CICs) or individuals. *We do not fund organisations whose primary purpose is fundraising.

BFSS does not usually fund: Services which are available through the state-sponsored education system; existing projects, summer camps; bursaries or scholarships; expeditions, volunteering trips and conferences; international travel; feeding programmes; and projects where salaries, transport or running costs are the main expense.