Apply now for Social and Criminal Justice Grant Programme (UK)

Deadline: 18-Sep-2026

The Social & Criminal Justice Grant Programme supports UK-registered charities working to prevent people from entering the criminal justice system and to help individuals already involved in it rebuild their lives. Grants range from £15,000 to £25,000 per year for projects lasting one to three years. The programme funds early intervention, youth diversion, rehabilitation, alternatives to custody, mentoring, accommodation support, employment pathways, and family relationship work across the British Isles.

Overview

The Social & Criminal Justice Grant Programme provides funding to UK-registered charities delivering targeted interventions for people affected by, or at risk of entering, the criminal justice system.

The programme supports practical, locally responsive projects that address complex needs and improve long-term outcomes for individuals, families, and communities.

It prioritises sustainable, well-planned interventions that reduce offending behaviour, strengthen community resilience, and support rehabilitation and reintegration.

Purpose of the Grant

The purpose of the programme is to support charities working in two main areas:

• Preventing vulnerable individuals from entering the criminal justice system
• Supporting rehabilitation and reintegration for people already in contact with the criminal justice system

The programme is designed for projects that provide meaningful support over an appropriate period of time and help people make lasting changes in their lives.

Key Focus Areas

The programme focuses on social justice, criminal justice, early intervention, vulnerable families, youth offending prevention, diversionary programmes, support for girls and young women, rehabilitation, prison-based support, community-based reintegration, accommodation, employment pathways, mentoring, family relationships, alternatives to custody, reducing offending behaviour, and long-term community resilience.

What the Programme Supports

The grant supports projects that address multiple and complex needs through tailored interventions.

Supported project areas include:

• Early intervention programmes for vulnerable families
• Preventative projects for young people at risk of offending
• Diversionary programmes for young people
• Tailored support for girls and young women
• Prison-based rehabilitation support
• Community-based reintegration programmes
• Accommodation support for people leaving prison
• Employment and training pathways
• Mentoring and personal development support
• Programmes that help maintain family relationships
• Schemes offering viable alternatives to custody
• Partnership-based local interventions involving families and communities

Projects should be practical, evidence-informed, and designed around the needs of the people they serve.

Funding Amount

Grants range from £15,000 to £25,000 per year.

The funding may support projects lasting from one to three years.

Applicants should request an amount that is realistic for the scale, duration, and intensity of the proposed project.

Project Duration

Projects may run for one, two, or three years.

The programme prioritises projects with appropriate duration and intensity. This means the project should be long enough and structured enough to create meaningful change for participants.

Short-term or one-off interventions are unlikely to be suitable.

Who Is Eligible?

Eligible applicants must be UK-registered charities.

Applicants must also have an annual income between £350,000 and £4,000,000.

The programme is intended for charities with the capacity to deliver, monitor, and sustain high-quality social and criminal justice interventions.

Organisations Less Likely to Be Supported

Some organisations are unlikely to receive support, even if they meet the basic charity registration requirement.

These include organisations with:

• Large reserves
• Significant endowments
• Major government contracts
• Grant-making functions
• Weak alignment with the programme’s social and criminal justice priorities

Applicants should demonstrate that they need the funding and that the proposed project fits the programme’s priorities.

Geographic Coverage

The programme funds projects operating across the British Isles.

The quality and effectiveness of the project are more important than the specific location.

Applicants should focus on demonstrating strong need, clear impact, appropriate delivery methods, and good value for money.

Activities Not Funded

The programme does not fund:

• Policy work
• Research work
• Short-term interventions
• Trips
• Youth volunteering activities
• Uniformed organisations
• Generic youth programmes
• Capital projects
• Immigration support
• Legal advice services

Applicants should avoid submitting proposals that fall mainly within these excluded areas.

Why It Matters

People at risk of offending, or already involved in the criminal justice system, often face multiple barriers, including unstable housing, unemployment, family breakdown, trauma, poor mental health, low confidence, and limited access to support.

This grant matters because it funds interventions that address these complex needs in practical and personalised ways.

By supporting prevention, rehabilitation, and alternatives to custody, the programme helps reduce offending behaviour, strengthen families, support reintegration, and improve long-term community safety.

How to Apply

Applicants should prepare a clear and well-structured project proposal that demonstrates eligibility, need, delivery capacity, impact, monitoring, and sustainability.

Step 1: Confirm Organisational Eligibility

The applicant must be a UK-registered charity with annual income between £350,000 and £4,000,000.

Applicants should also consider whether their reserves, endowments, government contracts, or grant-making functions may make them less likely to be supported.

Step 2: Confirm Project Fit

The proposed project should clearly fit one or more of the programme’s priorities.

Eligible project themes may include:

• Early intervention with vulnerable families
• Youth offending prevention
• Diversionary support for young people
• Support for girls and young women at risk of offending
• Prison and community-based rehabilitation
• Accommodation support
• Employment pathways
• Mentoring
• Family relationship support
• Alternatives to custody

Step 3: Define the Need

The application should explain the problem the project will address.

Applicants should describe:

• Who the project will support
• What challenges participants face
• Why the intervention is needed
• How the project responds to local conditions
• How families or communities will be involved

Step 4: Describe the Intervention

The proposal should clearly explain what the project will do.

This section should include:

• Project objectives
• Main activities
• Target participants
• Referral pathways
• Delivery model
• Partnerships
• Staffing approach
• Participant journey
• Expected outcomes

The intervention should be tailored, practical, and suitable for people with complex needs.

Step 5: Explain Duration and Intensity

Applicants should show that the project length and level of support are appropriate.

The proposal should explain:

• How long participants will receive support
• How often activities will take place
• Why the chosen delivery model is suitable
• How the project will maintain engagement
• How the intervention will support lasting change

Step 6: Prepare the Budget

Applicants may request between £15,000 and £25,000 per year.

The budget should be clear, realistic, and directly linked to project activities.

Applicants should avoid including ineligible costs, capital costs, or unclear expenditure.

Step 7: Show Monitoring and Evaluation

The programme prioritises projects that are properly monitored and evaluated.

Applicants should explain:

• What outcomes will be measured
• How progress will be tracked
• What data will be collected
• How participant feedback will be used
• How learning will improve delivery
• How success will be reported

Step 8: Provide a Sustainability and Exit Strategy

Applicants must show how the project will create continued impact beyond the funding period.

A strong exit strategy may include:

• Partnership development
• Referral pathways
• Mainstreaming successful activities
• Training staff or volunteers
• Building community capacity
• Securing future funding
• Supporting participants to maintain progress independently

Step 9: Submit the Application

The application should be complete, clear, and aligned with the programme priorities.

Applicants should ensure that all required organisational, financial, project, monitoring, and sustainability information is included.

Evaluation Considerations

Applications are likely to be assessed based on quality, relevance, impact, and sustainability.

Key assessment factors may include:

• Fit with social and criminal justice priorities
• Clear rationale for the project
• Understanding of participant needs
• Quality of the intervention model
• Appropriate project duration and intensity
• Strength of partnerships
• Ability to address complex needs
• Monitoring and evaluation approach
• Long-term sustainability
• Value for money
• Potential to reduce offending behaviour
• Contribution to rehabilitation and reintegration

Tips for a Strong Application

A strong application should clearly show how the project will support prevention, rehabilitation, or reintegration.

Applicants should:

• Focus on a clearly defined target group
• Explain the criminal justice need being addressed
• Show how the project is tailored to participants
• Include family and community involvement where relevant
• Demonstrate strong local partnerships
• Provide a realistic delivery plan
• Include measurable outcomes
• Show how progress will be monitored
• Present a clear sustainability plan
• Avoid generic youth or general community development framing
• Explain how the project reduces risk, supports change, or improves reintegration

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Applicants should avoid submitting proposals that are too broad, short-term, or weakly connected to criminal justice outcomes.

Common mistakes include:

• Applying without meeting the charity income requirement
• Proposing generic youth work without a clear offending prevention focus
• Submitting a short-term or one-off intervention
• Failing to explain participant needs
• Not showing how the project addresses complex needs
• Providing a weak monitoring and evaluation plan
• Missing a clear exit strategy
• Proposing excluded activities such as research, legal advice, or capital projects
• Not explaining partnerships or referral pathways
• Requesting funding outside the permitted annual range
• Failing to show long-term impact

FAQ

1. What is the Social & Criminal Justice Grant Programme?

The Social & Criminal Justice Grant Programme funds UK-registered charities working to prevent entry into the criminal justice system and support rehabilitation and reintegration for individuals already involved in it.

2. Who can apply?

UK-registered charities with annual income between £350,000 and £4,000,000 can apply.

3. How much funding is available?

Grants range from £15,000 to £25,000 per year.

4. How long can projects last?

Projects may last from one to three years.

5. What types of projects are supported?

The programme supports early intervention for vulnerable families, youth offending prevention, diversionary projects, tailored support for girls and young women, rehabilitation programmes, accommodation support, employment pathways, mentoring, family relationship work, and alternatives to custody.

6. Where can funded projects operate?

Funded projects may operate across the British Isles. The programme places more emphasis on the quality and effectiveness of the project than on its specific location.

7. What activities are not funded?

The programme does not fund policy or research work, short-term interventions, trips, youth volunteering activities, uniformed organisations, generic youth programmes, capital projects, immigration support, or legal advice services.

Conclusion

The Social & Criminal Justice Grant Programme supports UK charities delivering practical, high-impact interventions that prevent offending, reduce reoffending, and help individuals rebuild their lives. With grants of £15,000 to £25,000 per year for one to three years, the programme prioritises tailored, well-managed projects that address complex needs through early intervention, diversion, rehabilitation, mentoring, accommodation support, employment pathways, and family relationship work. Applicants should present a clear rationale, strong delivery model, measurable outcomes, and a realistic sustainability plan that ensures lasting impact beyond the funding period.

For more information, visit Charles Hayward Foundation.