Before applying for any award, please read our Frequently Asked Questions
Applications now open
The Barry Amiel and Norman Melburn Trust welcomes funding applications from individuals or institutions for projects that fall within the funding remit of the Trust. Applications for funding awards are considered twice a year when the trustees meet in January and July. Applications for major funding awards (over £7,350, and up to £15,750) are only considered once a year at the January meeting.
The deadline for this funding round is midnight on Monday 9 December 2024
If you wish to make an application for Regular or Major award funding, please download the application form. All applications must be submitted online by the deadline via the upload facility indicated below. We no longer accept applications by post. Please read the grant giving guidelines carefully before applying. Any applications that do not meet the guidelines will not be accepted.
If you have any further queries please contact the Coordinator at apply(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)amielandmelburn.org.uk
As a small trust we do not have the resources to comment on individual applications.
Please note that the Trust does not award funds to: subsidise the continuation or running of university or college courses; cover transportation costs to or from conferences; or subsidise fees/maintenance for undergraduate or postgraduate students.
Once you have completed your application form, please upload it to the website here.
Thematic funding
From time to time the Trust sets aside some of its funding, specifies a theme or issue, and invites applications addressing it. Applicants who wish their grant to be considered under such a theme should tick the box marked “X” in the application form. Applications considered for thematic funding which are not successful will also be considered for funding as a normal application.
Building the Left, countering the far-right
Following the wave of violent far-right disturbances across England in summer 2024, the Trust encourages applications concerned with research and analysis on the drivers of the ‘riots’, as well as educational work that provides alternatives to racist, anti-immigration and Islamophobic politics. The Trust is especially interested in work in places most affected, which are often areas of multiple deprivation and with limited access to political education.
Please note:
The Trust will aim to ringfence 50% of funds for applications for projects with a strong focus on popular political education and on engagement with non-academic and non-activist audiences, especially those focused on reaching people and communities across the UK who are likely to face barriers to accessing education, learning and knowledge about the philosophy of Marxism, the history of socialism, the working class movement and other social movements seeking to bring about non-exploitative and egalitarian societies. These barriers could include educational, financial, geographical, or political cultural barriers.
Relevant Links and Documents
Grant Giving Guidelines>
Application Form>
Online submission form>
New: Urgent Small Awards
From May 2024, the Trust is trialling a new funding scheme: Urgent Small Awards. We have created this scheme in recognition of the fact that small and grassroots organisations can face unforeseen circumstances in which a small amount of support can go a long way. The maximum award for Urgent Small Awards is £500 and with a limited funding pot, we urge applicants to think carefully before applying and to do so because an unexpected need has arisen. As with all our other awards, the Trust does not award funds to: subsidise the continuation or running of university or college courses; cover transportation and costs attached to attending conferences; or subsidise fees/maintenance for undergraduate or postgraduate students. Find out more about Urgent Small Awards>