Motability Foundation is asking organisations interested in applying for funding to submit their Stage One application by 8 October 2024. New Stage One applications for this round of funding cannot be accepted beyond this date.
Grants are available to local not-for-profit groups for projects which develop, expand and improve community transport options for disabled people in the UK.
The Motability Foundation is a national charity that has been supporting the travel needs of disabled people across the UK since 1977.
In 2022, Motability launched a new grant programmes to provide more support to disabled people through other charities and organisations who provide transport, help to access it, or research how to make transport accessible. Motability is using £50 million of the donations received in 2021 to expand its support for charities and other organisations for the next three financial years ending March 2025.
In December 2023, the Board of Motability Operations announced a £250 million donation to the Motability Foundation. The Foundation will use £50 million to extend the Foundation’s Grants to Charities and Organisations portfolio for a further three years, beyond March 2025. During 2024, the Foundation will determine the priorities for the next round of funding.
Grants of £100,000 to £4 million are available until March 2025.
They can be split over one, two or three years.
The final payment date can be beyond 31 March 2025.
Medium and large charities and not-for-profit organisations with well-established ways of working may apply.
To be eligible, applicants must:
- Be based in the UK.
- Have been active for at least three years.
- Have had an annual income of at least £150,000 per annum over the last three years.
- Hold reserves equivalent to at least three months of operating costs.
- Be working in the field of transport for disabled people.
The grants can be used for the following:
- Continuation funding for schemes, programmes and initiatives that already exist, and who provide best practice solutions, but need further support to remain operational or scale up the service they can provide to help more disabled people.
- Staff or volunteer training and costs.
- To increase the number of vehicles available to help organisations support disabled people access the wider community. This would not include a shuttle service taking clients to and from a specific service only.
- Full cost recovery grants which includes indirect costs.
- Local, regional, or national initiatives to increase awareness of community transport and influence its inclusion in transport strategy and policy
Priority will be given to organisations who:
- Have well-established ways of working that make a demonstrable difference to the lives of disabled people.
- Are making both an immediate and longer term impact on the lives of disabled people.
- Can demonstrate that their application takes into account the views and needs of their beneficiaries and that they will continue to be involved during the delivery of the work.
Both direct and indirect costs of supporting the transport needs of disabled people will be considered.
Motability Foundation is asking organisations interested in applying for funding to submit their Stage One application by 8 October 2024. New Stage One applications for this round of funding cannot be accepted beyond this date.
There will be a new application round in 2025. Information on the application window will be provided when it becomes available.
Applications may be submitted at any time.
There is a two-stage application process:
- Stage One application form – decisions expected within around eight weeks.
- Stage Two application form – issued to successful applicants, with a timeframe for decisions confirmed by a member of the Grants Team.
The time taken to assess an application will vary depending on the amount of funding requested. All decisions to award grant-funding are made by dedicated sub-committees, and applications will be tabled at the next available opportunity once checks have been completed.
Applications for grant-funding of:
- Less than £1 million are assessed by a sub-committee that meets on a monthly basis.
- More than £1 million are assessed by a sub-committee that meets quarterly
