Young Futures Fund

We welcome applications supporting vulnerable, disadvantaged teenagers with projects that focus on:

• Offering emotional and mental health support, i.e. counselling and therapy.
• Providing essential items, i.e. hygiene supplies and clothing.
• Driving awareness of the key issues facing teenagers, i.e. educational workshops.
• Rehabilitation, recovery, and shelter, i.e. addiction support and youth homelessness reintegration.
• Activities and events that build connections and improve wellbeing and physical health . (event funding, kit and equipment may be capped at £500).

Funding Priorities:

• Groups who are promoting inclusivity and access to activities for individuals facing barriers to participation
• Projects addressing prevalent social issues in their community such as knife crime, gangs, bullying, personal safety etc

We are unable to consider applications from:

• Organisations based outside the UK or benefitting people/communities outside of the UK
• Third party grant making organisations (grantees must directly deliver the service/activity)
• Religious organisations whose services are only open to people of a particular faith
• Public / Government bodies (incl. schools and academy trusts, although PTAs can apply)
• Groups who have a clear affiliation with a particular political party
• Animal charities or groups which have animal welfare as their main focus
• Projects which could negatively impact the reputation of Asda Foundation
• Groups whose core support and activities are aimed at those outside of the 13-18 age range.
• Groups whose services and activities involve alcohol.

All criteria below must be met in order to be eligible to apply and to be considered for this grant.

Groups must have:

A total annual income of £250,000 or below

• What we need:
  • If we can’t verify your group’s annual income is £250,000 or below, we will request this information.
  • If your group is a branch or project of a parent organisation with an income over £250,000, you must show a separate bank account in the name of the applying group, independent annual accounts, and your own constitution to be eligible.
• Why we need it:
  • Asda Foundation prioritises supporting grassroots organisations, and the income limit ensures our funding has the greatest local impact.

Governing Documents

• What we need:
  • A finalised copy of your organisation’s Constitution (or Articles of Association/Memorandum, if applicable), outlining your group’s name, charitable aims and non-profit status.
• Why we need it:
  • To ensure groups receiving our funding have proper governance in place. For guidance, refer to the NCVO’s governing document guide.

A Safeguarding Policy specifically for children

• What we need:
  • An up-to-date Safeguarding policy specific to children and young people. This policy must outline how your organisation would handle a safeguarding issue. You must also be able to name 2 safeguarding leads in your application. See our safeguarding guidelines here.
• Why we need it:
  • To ensure the protection of service users and understand your processes for handling concerns.

A bank account in your group’s name that accepts cheques

• What we need:
  • Proof of your group’s bank account payee name (e.g. bank statement, paying-in slip, or bank letter). Ensure your bank accepts cheques before applying.
• Why we need it:
  • We can only pay by cheque, made payable to your group (not individuals or personal accounts).

We welcome applications from groups offering services to support teenagers’ mental health and wellbeing. We expect high volumes from the following group types. If your group is listed, please review the additional criteria carefully to avoid disappointment.

PTAs

• We can support PTA/PTFA/Friends of groups linked to secondary schools and colleges for activities that improve mental health and raise awareness of key issues.
• We do not fund: social events (proms, award ceremonies, end-of-year celebrations), core school/college activities, equipment (including playground items), or general costs.

Amateur Sports Clubs

• Eligible if projects specifically engage and improve wellbeing of marginalised or disadvantaged teenagers. Evidence should be visible on your website or social media.
• Sports kit/equipment capped at £500.
• One application per club; no funding for multiple age-group teams.
• We do not fund: award ceremonies, trophies, medals etc

Uniformed Groups (Guides, Scouts & Cadets)

• Eligible if projects specifically engage and improve wellbeing of marginalised or disadvantaged teenagers. Evidence should be your website or social media.
• Equipment capped at £500 (e.g. Camping equipment)
• We do not fund: applications from Cubs or Brownies (or any other group whose age range is outside of the target audience).
• We do not fund: residential costs, badges, certificates.

Youth Clubs

• Eligible if projects specifically engage and improve wellbeing of marginalised or disadvantaged teenagers. Must demonstrate existing provision for this age group.

The following groups are not eligible to apply for this programme:

Foodbanks

• Asda Foundation are committed to supporting foodbanks and do this through a dedicated programme later in the year. For this reason, we won’t accept Foodbank applications through the Young Futures Programme.

If your organisation has more than one branch or sub-group in the same community, Asda Foundation can only support one of these groups.

We encourage applications from groups with free to access services that are inclusive to many; we are less likely to fund groups / activities with fees that prevent participation.

Where we can’t find strong evidence on your website or social media of your support of teenagers, your application will be automatically unsuccessful.

The following lists provide some examples of the items and services that we would fund. This list is not exhaustive.

• Workshops
• Equipment or activities
• Essential items for crisis support, e.g. clothes and hygiene items
• Delivery of specialist support or services or speakers
• Peer support events, and activities that bring teenagers together
• Resources for recreational activities, e.g. craft materials and board games
• Sports kit and/or equipment (capped at £500 and must be essential playing kit)
• Volunteering costs, e.g. training (cap £100 per person)

The following lists provide some examples of the items and services that we wouldn’t fund. This list is not exhaustive.

• Fundraising, sponsorship or contribution to larger projects
• Equipment which will be kept by individuals, rather than the organisation applying for funding
• Activities that are not inclusive and which would be prohibitive to those on a low income
• Projects or items which will only benefit one person
• Trips, meals out and excursions

Read Guidance

It’s important that your project or activity meets the aims and criteria of the Fund, therefore we recommend that you read this guidance document in full before applying, to make sure your project and group are eligible.

Gather your supporting documents

Before completing and submitting your application, you will need to upload copies of your group’s governing document, your safeguarding policy, and proof of your group’s payee name – we recommend that you gather these documents prior to starting your application.

Register

Complete the Eligibility Check on our website – we want to make sure that your group is eligible to apply. Upon completion, you will be directed to our grant management system, hosted by SmartSimple, where you will be able to log in or register if you are new to the system. New users will receive an email to verify their email address and set up a password.

Complete Application

You will find the grant application form in the ‘Funding Opportunities’ section of your homepage portal.

Await Outcome

Once you submit your application, you’ll receive an email confirming receipt. Throughout the review, we may send status updates or request more information, so please keep your contact details current. You can also track progress in your SmartSimple account.

Successful applications:

If successful, you’ll be notified by email within 12 weeks, with your local Asda Community and Customer Champion copied in. They’ll be excited to visit and celebrate with you. A cheque will be mailed to the address you provide. Funding must be used in the year it is received.

Unsuccessful applications:

Due to the volume of applications, sometimes we must make difficult decisions. The decision of Asda Foundation is final and at our discretion. If unsuccessful, you’ll be notified by email within 12 weeks. You cannot reapply but can apply for future funding if any concerns are addressed and new criteria are met.

Complete Follow-Up Activity

Following a successful funding award, we want to know how our funding was used and the impact it’s made in your local community. You will receive an email link to a post-award impact report for you to complete within our grant management system. We may also ask to see receipts, so please keep these safe!

Incomplete and overdue report submissions may affect future funding opportunities.