Deadline: 4 August 2025
The Shackleton Foundation is seeking applications for its Seed Funding to support aspiring individuals and social entrepreneurs who exemplify the spirit of Shackleton with seed-funding to help them start their venture.
Benefits
- Seed-funding
- Mentoring by existing Leaders
- Access to quarterly advice surgeries and an annual Leaders Forum
- Awareness building for your venture
- Introductions to potential second stage funders
Funding Information
- Funding is generally made by means of a single grant or loan of £15,000 to provide the funding needed to get an idea started.
Eligibility Criteria
- Eligible ideas must:
- Work solely or mainly (at least 75% of your beneficiaries) benefit children and young people (0-25 years) based in the UK
- Be in the first year of development
- Be innovative and fresh
- Fulfil a clear need and demand
- Have a real social impact
- Have well-defined outputs and goals
- Have the potential for real growth and sustainability
- Trustees are looking for:
- Leaders with entrepreneurial ideas/inspirational projects capable of making a difference
- Opportunities to support Leaders setting up their own social ventures with financially sustainable projects with the potential to provide solutions to the problems faced by disadvantaged young people in the UK
- Early-stage ‘social enterprises’ (not more than 12 months old)
- Leaders that they believe have the potential to make their ideas work
- Leadership qualities sought by Trustees include:
- Innovation
- Enterprise
- Inspiration
- Ambition
- Endurance
- Courage
- Passion
- Energy
- Dedication
Application Requirements
- Applicants will be required to undertake the following:
- Attend the annual Shackleton Leaders Forum in the first two years of your award, and try to attend additional forums thereafter.
- Speak at a Shackleton Leaders Forum, if asked
- Sign up for their mentorship program. In the first two years of your award, you agree to be mentored by an alumni Shackleton Foundation Leader. Three years after your award, they request that you become a Mentor for a new intake of Leaders for their first two years. They anticipate each mentoring session will be up to 60 mins per quarter.
- Attend at least two of the three Leaders Information and Advice Surgeries in the first year of your award (approx. 45-60 mins per event).
For more information, visit Shackleton Foundation.
