Wolfson Foundation Grants 2026: Deadlines and Sizes

Grantsights' own grant search covers US funding only for now, so every link on this page that matters for your application goes to the Wolfson Foundation itself. If UK coverage from us would help, tell us you're in the UK.

Wolfson Foundation Programmes, Ranges and Rules in 2026

The Foundation's 13 "funding for places" programmes each publish a minimum grant, a usual range and a match funding rule. This table brings them together, as read on October 29, 2026.

Health and disability programmes add two project tests: capital costs of at least £50,000 and a capital shortfall of at least £25,000. The FAQs say no programme funds a project with a total cost below £15,000, and the eligibility quiz rules out shortfalls under £15,000.

Churches don't apply to Wolfson directly. Their fabric repair money is run by the National Churches Trust through its Medium and Large Grant programmes, as the places of worship page (opens in a new tab) explains. Cathedrals and places of worship of other faiths apply through historic buildings and landscapes.

What 307 Recent Wolfson Capital Grants Show

Grantsights analysis of the Foundation's 360Giving file covers grants dated July 1, 2024 to July 31, 2026, which spans 4 decision rounds: December 2024, June 2025, December 2025 and June 2026. The file holds 753 records in that window, but 412 of them are £0 entries listing how a partner grant was shared out (for example, medical schools receiving Intercalated Awards), so they aren't separate money. Of the 341 grants with an amount, 34 went to partner-run or one-off schemes you can't apply to, such as postgraduate scholarships, the Wolfson Music Awards and block grants to the National Churches Trust and Art Fund. That leaves 307 grants from the open capital programmes, worth £62.1 million.

Data: Wolfson Foundation 360Giving file "Grants awarded between 2014 and 2026", listed in the 360Giving Data Registry and downloaded October 29, 2026. Award dates July 1, 2024 to July 31, 2026. Excludes £0 sub-allocation records and partner-run schemes.

According to 360Giving data published by the Wolfson Foundation, the median grant in these 4 rounds was £80,000 and half of all grants were between £52,000 and £150,000. The smallest was £15,000 and the largest £2 million. The 39 grants of £500,000 or more, mostly research labs, science museums and universities, took 57% of the money.

Here's how that splits by programme:

Published ranges hold up. Grantsights compared each programme page's usual range with the amounts in the data. Disability and mental health charities had a median of £70,000 (published range £40,000 to £75,000), hospices £76,950 (£50,000 to £150,000) and museums £150,000 (£50,000 to £500,000). So the ranges on the programme pages are a fair guide to what you'll get.

By nation. Based on each recipient's postcode, 185 grants went to England outside London, 47 to London, 31 to Scotland, 23 to Northern Ireland, 19 to Wales and 2 to the Channel Islands. Wales had the lowest median, at £50,000. London's median of £200,000 reflects its national museums and research institutions.

By round. The December rounds were larger: 109 grants in December 2025 against 55 in June 2026. That's because all 71 secondary school grants were dated December, as the schools programme makes its decisions once a year.

A case in point: in June 2026, Kilbryde Hospice in East Kilbride received £50,000 for a sensory garden, Voluntary Action Leicester received £70,000 for an accessible lift, and Age Connects Torfaen received £53,200 to replace the roof of its wellbeing hub. In December 2025, Fort Hill Integrated College in Lisburn received £32,000 for design and technology equipment. All four are in the Foundation's published records.

Limits of this data. It records grants made, not applications turned down, so it can't give a success rate, and the Foundation doesn't publish one. Postcodes are the recipient's address, which isn't always where the project happens. The programme groups are Grantsights' mapping of the Foundation's own programme codes onto the 13 programme pages.

Who Can Apply to the Wolfson Foundation

The Foundation funds 13 kinds of place, and if your organisation isn't one of them, the eligibility quiz says it's very unlikely you'll qualify. The FAQs say grants go only to charities or organisations with charitable status or the equivalent, and individual programmes add local authorities, state schools, NHS hospices and universities.

Organisations it won't fund. The eligibility quiz and FAQs rule out:

• community interest companies (our grants for community interest companies guide covers funders that take them)
• individuals (scholarships and fellowships go through partners such as the Royal Society, the British Academy and Hospice UK)
• new organisations that haven't filed two years of annual accounts
• multi-purpose spaces such as community or multi-arts centres
• charities where support for older people, people with mental health problems or disabled people is only a minor part of what they do (for the health and disability programmes)
• projects outside the UK (charities in the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man can apply)

If you're an exempt charity, such as an academy trust or a university, the Charity Commission's guidance on exempt charities (opens in a new tab) explains your status.

Programme-specific tests. Several programmes set a quality bar before you get to the project:

• Health and disability, special schools, hospices: at least a "Good" rating from a regulator such as the CQC or Ofsted, where one applies.
• Museums and galleries: full accreditation under the Museum Accreditation Scheme and a collection of national significance, generally a Designated or Recognised collection.
• Libraries and archives: archive accreditation, public access for most of the year and a collection of national significance.
• Historic buildings: Grade I, II* or a scheduled monument (England and Wales), Category A or B (Scotland), or Grade A or B+ (Northern Ireland), open to the public for most of the year. When demand is high, Grade I, Category A, Grade A and scheduled monuments come first. Privately owned heritage assets are excluded.
• Performing arts: professional performance must be the main activity, and the project must improve training and education facilities.
• Secondary schools: state funded, at least two years of exam results, an inspection outcome of "Good" or above, and a faith school must admit at least 10% of pupils of other faiths or none.
• Universities: research-intensive, with internationally competitive research and applications coordinated by the development office.

Costs it won't pay for. Every programme excludes buying land or existing buildings, overheads, maintenance, VAT, salaries, running costs, endowments, events, film, websites and promotional materials, loan repayments, and projects finished before the decision. The quiz also lists playgrounds, sports facilities, sensory rooms, respite breaks and facilities for primary or pre-school children (except palliative care).

Leases. You don't have to own the building, but the FAQs say a major refurbishment generally needs at least 15 years left on the lease when you apply.

Wolfson Foundation Deadlines and the Two-Stage Process

Most programmes run 2 funding rounds a year with fixed dates. Here they are, from the programme pages read on October 29, 2026:

If a deadline falls on a weekend, the Foundation accepts applications that arrive by 9am the following Monday. On October 29, 2026, the next Stage 1 window opens on November 20, 2026 and closes on January 5, 2027, for a decision in June 2027.

Stage 1 is short. The Stage 1 question list asks for a project title (25 words), a summary (400 words), a background to your organisation (250 words), the timetable, the project location, who owns the site and whether planning permission is in place, the total cost, funds raised and shortfall, and signed audited accounts for the last 2 years. Universities don't need to send accounts. The planning permission guidance on GOV.UK (opens in a new tab) helps if you're unsure what consent your project needs.

Stage 2 is by invitation only and has no set form: you write it in your own format, following the Stage 2 guidelines for your programme area. The invitation stays open for 3 funding rounds unless agreed otherwise. Before you submit Stage 2, health and disability projects costing over £80,000 need at least 25% of capital costs raised, and planning permission should be in place. The FAQs say a National Lottery Heritage Fund Stage 1 pass generally counts as match funding; the Heritage Fund's programme list (opens in a new tab) shows what's open.

Review. Stage 2 applications go to independent expert reviewers whose names aren't shared with you. You'll see their questions and can respond. You can also nominate a reviewer of your own, such as someone in your sector, though not your own architect or anyone you retain. Expert panels then recommend grants to the trustees, who look at the excellence of the organisation and project, the expected outcome, and financial viability, including value for money and how you'll pay for upkeep.

Secondary schools are different. The schools programme uses a one-stage application. Its 2026 round has closed, decisions are due in November 2026, and the Foundation expects to publish the next round's dates in spring 2027. A school in a multi-academy trust applies through the trust, and each trust can send only one application per round.

What the Wolfson Foundation Doesn't Tell You

The programme pages are precise about rules but say little about what the award pattern means for a first-time applicant. The published grant records help fill that gap.

The money is mostly mid-sized. Despite £2 million headline awards, 58% of open capital grants were under £100,000, and 42% sat between £50,000 and £99,999. A disability charity or hospice should plan around the published usual range, not the top grants. If you need less than £15,000, National Lottery Awards for All is a better place to start.

Five months is the floor, not the average. The FAQs say it takes at least five months from Stage 1 to a Stage 2 decision. If you miss the March 1 Stage 2 deadline, the next decision is December. Build a 6 to 12 month gap between your first application and any grant money, and don't start building work you need Wolfson to pay for.

A grant locks you out for 5 years. Most programmes won't take another application for five years from the date of an award offer, and the next bid must be a different project. The schools and special schools pages say the reason is that their programmes are oversubscribed. Apply for your top capital priority for the next five years, not the easiest one to write.

Stage 1 declines come with little explanation. The FAQs say the Foundation gets hundreds of applications a year and can't give detailed feedback at Stage 1. Detailed feedback, usually by phone, is only for unsuccessful Stage 2 applications. The good news is that, by the Foundation's own account, a large proportion of Stage 2 applicants do receive funding, so the first stage is the real filter.

"Excellence" is the test, and it's defined per programme. The FAQs say a university shows excellence through internationally competitive research, while a disability charity shows it through real benefits to the people it supports and a high level of professionalism. A strong Stage 1 summary says plainly why your organisation meets that bar, with inspection ratings, accreditation, collection status or research standing.

Don't ask for a figure. The FAQs say the Foundation prefers you not to request a specific amount at Stage 1. Give the total cost and the shortfall and let the programme range guide expectations.

Common Reasons Wolfson Applications Fail

The Foundation doesn't publish a list of rejection reasons, but its rules make 7 failure points clear. Each one below comes from the programme pages, FAQs or quiz.

• Asking for running costs. Salaries, overheads, maintenance and VAT are excluded in every programme. A capital bid that quietly includes staff time is a common mistake.
• Too small a project. Under £15,000 total cost is out everywhere, and health and disability programmes want capital costs of at least £50,000 with a £25,000 shortfall.
• The wrong place type. Community centres, multi-arts centres and general support or therapy centres fall outside the programmes. Check the 13 categories first.
• Missing the quality bar. No "Good" regulator rating, no museum accreditation, or a listed building that isn't Grade I or II* will fail before the project is weighed.
• Not enough match funding by Stage 2. Projects above £80,000 in the health and disability programmes need 25% raised.
• Work that's already finished. Grants aren't made retrospectively, so a project that ends before June or December can't be funded.
• Applying too soon after a grant. The five-year wait catches organisations that were funded recently for a different project.

When the Wolfson Foundation Is the Wrong Fit

The Foundation funds buildings and equipment for established organisations that can show excellence in their field. If that isn't you, look elsewhere first:

• Running costs or a project, not a building: the Garfield Weston Foundation funds core costs, projects and capital for UK registered charities, with a median grant of £20,000.
• Small community groups and CICs: National Lottery Awards for All offers £300 to £20,000, and our grants for community interest companies guide lists funders that take CICs.
• Church repairs: apply to the National Churches Trust, not Wolfson. Our guides to church roof repair grants, grants for churches and the places of worship renewal fund cover the main routes.
• Museums in England with a Designated collection or Arts Council funding: the DCMS/Wolfson Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund 2025-27 (opens in a new tab) offered up to £400,000. According to GOV.UK, that £4 million round closed on November 14, 2025, with decisions expected in March 2026 and money to be spent from April 2026 to March 2027.
• Smaller charities looking for their first big grant: see our guide to grants for small charities and the charity grants UK overview.
• Scottish charities: see funding for charities in Scotland.

Sources Checked

All sources were read or downloaded on October 29, 2026:

• Wolfson Foundation, apply for funding (opens in a new tab), funding for places (opens in a new tab), funding for people (opens in a new tab) and funding FAQs (opens in a new tab)
• Wolfson Foundation, application guidance (opens in a new tab), Stage 1 application questions (opens in a new tab), review process (opens in a new tab) and eligibility quiz (opens in a new tab)
• Wolfson Foundation programme pages for disability (opens in a new tab), mental health (opens in a new tab), older people (opens in a new tab), hospices (opens in a new tab), special schools (opens in a new tab), historic buildings and landscapes (opens in a new tab), libraries and archives (opens in a new tab), museums and galleries (opens in a new tab), performing arts (opens in a new tab), public engagement with science (opens in a new tab), secondary schools (opens in a new tab), universities (opens in a new tab) and places of worship (opens in a new tab)
• Wolfson Foundation, what we do (opens in a new tab) and strategy (opens in a new tab)
• 360Giving Data Registry: Wolfson Foundation file "Grants awarded between 2014 and 2026" (last modified August 27, 2026); 360Giving GrantNav (opens in a new tab) carries the same records
• Charity Commission for England and Wales, register entry for the Wolfson Foundation (charity 1156077) (opens in a new tab) and exempt charities (CC23) (opens in a new tab)
• GOV.UK, DCMS/Wolfson Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund 2025-27 (opens in a new tab) and planning permission in England and Wales (opens in a new tab)
• National Lottery Heritage Fund, funding programmes (opens in a new tab)