FORD BRITAIN TRUST

Working with our local communities to sow the seeds of change.

We are committed to supporting the communities that we work and live in. That is why we created the Ford Britain Trust. Since April 1975 we have been able to help fund the education and advancement of our neighbours.

We pay special attention to projects focusing on education, environment, children, the disabled, youth activities and projects that provide clear benefits to the local communities close to our UK locations. The Ford Britain Trust particularly encourages applications supported by Ford employees, but is open to all, provided that the qualifying organisations meet our selection criteria.

There are two types of grants to apply for:

Small grants for amounts up to £250

We will be accepting applications for small grants from 1st April to 30th June 2024 for review in July 2024.

Large grants for amounts over £250 and up to a maximum of £3000

We will be accepting applications for large grants from 1st March to 31st July 2024 for consideration by our Board of Trustees in September 2024.

Please note applications received after these dates will not be accepted and will, instead, be put forward for inclusion in the next application cycles.

 

Download Brochure (PDF 4.2MB)

  • You must apply by completing our application form. Before completing the form, please read the Guidance Notes for Grant Applications which accompany the form.
    Once we have received your application, together with any supporting documents, we will assess whether it complies with the Trustee’s guidelines and acknowledge all eligible applications.

    Accepted applications are considered at Trustee meetings.
    Once the Trustees have made a decision, we will write to successful applicants.
    We receive many more applications than we unfortunately have resources for. So the number of applicants we are able to help is limited. Please bear in mind that the decision of the Trustees is final.

    As part of our decision-making process, we reserve the right to visit applying organisations to view the project first hand, or speak to those involved.
    Please note, if your application is successful, you will be required to confirm receipt of your grant. Failure to do so within three months of receipt of a grant cheque may result in your organisation becoming ineligible to receive further grants for up to five years.

  • You must apply by completing our application form. Send completed application form to: fbtrust@ford.com

    Please make sure you read our guidelines carefully before making an application.

    The guidelines will help you:

    • Determine if your school or charitable organisation is eligible to receive a grant
    • Understand how the application process works
    • Complete your application form

    Depending on the size of the grant you are seeking, not all of the questions on the form will be relevant to you.

  • How to fill in the form
    Please complete ALL questions

    If a question does not apply to your application, please state N/A.

    Please enter in the correct box your answer from the selection below:

    Location:

    • Essex (including East London)
    • Bridgend (South Wales)
    • Southampton
    • Daventry
    • Manchester
    • Liverpool
    • Other

    Category:

    • Community
    • Education
    • Engineering
    • Environment
    • Mainstream School
    • Special School
    • Youth

    Purpose:

    • New Capital Expenditure Project
    • Refurbishment
    • IT equipment
    • Contribution to vehicle purchase

    Answers may be continued on a separate sheet if necessary. Supporting documents (e.g. budget submissions, project outlines, quotations for equipment etc.) must be submitted with your application if appropriate. Large grant requests must submit a copy of their latest annual accounts – schools do not need to do this.

    Please submit copies of your organisation most recent Report and Accounts with all large grant applications, where available. Please bear in mind that we do not return any documents. However, if you request the return of specific items, we will do our best to comply.

    Applications are accepted on the understanding that successful organisations may appear in possible publicity that the Ford Britain Trust or Ford Motor Company Limited produce.

    The Trust encourages and welcomes any appropriate public acknowledgement of grants, including the use of the Trust logo on any publicity about the grant and/or on any relevant materials that the organisation may produce.

    A jpeg version of the Trust’s logo can be made available to successful applicants upon request

  • Grants cannot be provided to:

    • Individuals 
    • CIC 
    • Local Authorities, Councils, Government and Government Departments 

    Grant applications from the following organisations will be considered:

    • Registered charities
    • Schools/PTAs (Non-fee paying, state sector schools only. Independent/private; fee paying schools will not be considered)
    • Non-profit organisations (including small clubs and societies)

    Grant applications are considered for the following purposes:

    • Contributions to capital projects (e.g. refurbishments)
    • Capital expenditure items (e.g. furniture/equipment/computers)
    • Contribution towards the purchase of new vehicle (maximum grant £3,000*)

    Grant applications supporting the following activities will be considered:

    • Work that has clear benefits to the local community/environment
    • Work with young people/children
    • Education/schools (mainstream)
    • Special education needs
    • People with disabilities

    Grant applications are NOT considered if they support the following purposes or activities:

    • Core funding; General running costs
    • Major building works
    • Sponsorship or advertising
    • Research
    • Overseas projects ; Travel
    • Religious projects ; Political projects
    • Purchase of second-hand vehicles
    • Third party fundraising initiatives (exceptions may be made for fundraising initiatives by Ford Motor Company Limited employees and retirees)

    Grant applications will be considered for projects being undertaken/expenditure being made in all UK postcodes however locations near Ford Motor Company Limited / FCE Bank plc UK operations are given a higher weighting:

    • Essex (including East London)
    • Bridgend (South Wales)
    • Southampton
    • Daventry
    • Manchester
    • Liverpool

    Additional conditions:

    • Applications for IT equipment will be subjected to the list below:
      Colour printer (laser) £200
      Projector £250
      i-Pad / i-pad mini £400
      Desktop PC (inc software) £500
      Laptop (inc software) £500
      MacBook £1,000
      3D Printer £1,250
      Smart Board £2,200

    *Grants towards buying new Ford vehicles will be for a maximum of £3,000. If you are intending to buy vehicles, you will need to confirm that at least two thirds of the purchase price has been raised from other funding sources - Please supply evidence of this along with your application

    Eligibility to reapply for a Ford Britain Trust Grant:

    • If your organization has received a Ford Britain Trust small grant donation, your organization is eligible to reapply 12 calendar months following receipt of the grant award.
    • If your organization has received a Ford Britain Trust large grant donation, your organization is eligible to reapply 3 calendar years following receipt of the grant award.
  • E-mail at fbtrust@ford.com

    Ford Britain Trust
    15-02B D20-B
    Ford Dunton Technical Centre
    Laindon
    Basildon
    Essex
    SS15 6EE