UK funding preparation guide
Core costs and unrestricted funding for UK charities
Core costs describe expenditure; unrestricted describes the conditions attached to money. A grant can support salaries or rent while still being restricted to a particular service. Read the award terms rather than using these labels interchangeably.
Guide reviewed:
Teams deciding where to spend application time
UK organisations and advisers checking a specific funding route before committing application time.
Make the first review more concrete
Distinguish unrestricted awards, core-cost grants and project overheads, then prepare accounts, a cost case and a funder-specific enquiry.
Review workflow
What FundingLens helps you do
Keep source facts, caveats and next actions together so your team can decide what deserves attention before application work starts.
Prepare a whole-organisation cost picture: governance, premises, finance, safeguarding, management and service delivery. Explain how the central functions support charitable outcomes and which costs are already covered by restricted project income.
When a programme allows a contribution to overheads, show an allocation method that is consistent and explainable. Avoid charging the same rent, salary or management time to two funders; reconcile the proposed budget to existing restricted grants and management accounts.
Build a funder shortlist using charitable purposes, geography, organisation size and the type of request. Trusts such as Garfield Weston and Esmée Fairbairn have distinct priorities and application routes. An organisation's name or broad charitable status is not enough to establish fit.
Use current accounts, reserves policy and a forward cash forecast to explain the need for flexible support. Be clear whether the request stabilises an existing service, develops capacity or covers a time-limited transition, and record what happens when the award ends.
Readiness checks
- Restricted and unrestricted income separated.
- Core-cost allocation reconciled to budgets.
- Current accounts and reserves explanation ready.
- Request fits the named funder's priorities.
- Continuation and monitoring plan prepared.
Eligibility caveats
- A core-cost award may still be restricted.
- Foundation priorities and application routes change.
- FundingLens organises evidence; it does not guarantee an award or provide accounting advice.
Source references
Follow Core costs and unrestricted funding for UK charities funding
Create your profile to follow relevant opportunities and prepare your evidence. Future rounds and notification timing depend on published scheme information and your account settings.
Related FundingLens pages
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