Summer Festival continues with the artsUCL Fringe Find a show

Jump to section

Grant Funding

In addition to your membership income, ticket income and any grant you are awarded, there are a number of potential extra sources of funding available from UCL and Students' Union UCL for your club or society. 

Please expand and read the sections below carefully when applying for funding.

Grant Fund

Who is eligible?

  • You can apply for grant funding as long as your account is not in deficit, and you charge a membership fee for your club/society! For societies that’s a minimum membership fee of £3, and for sports clubs that’s a minimum membership fee of £10.
  • If you are a newly affiliated society or club, in order to apply for grant funding, you need to have 30 paid members and have demonstrated you have attempted to raise funds through another method (for example, ticket sales for an event) before requesting grant funding.
  • If your club or society doesn’t meet these criteria, please email us at [email protected] to discuss your application before applying.
  • Applications can only be submitted by your president or treasurer.

What can you apply for?

  • You can request funding for:
    • Costs relating to core activity
    • Maintenance costs
    • Sports club playing kit (kit grants can only be used with our official kit partner, currently Akuma)
    • Equipment
    • Coaching/instructor fees
    • Facility hire
    • A specific event, activity or project
  • You cannot request funding for:
    • Food or drink
    • Non-specific general costs
    • Past expenditure
    • Stash/non-playing kit
    • Costs relating to BUCS or LUSL competitions (costs relating to these competitions are funded centrally)
    • Grant funding cannot be used to cover any non-grant debt
  • We particularly encourage you to apply for grant funding if your activities can’t take place without this funding, or if you don’t have sufficient financial reserves.

How can you apply?

  • You can apply for grant funding through our online Grant Application Form. We will release the dates applications are open by email – so keep an eye on your inbox!
  • If you have non-grant funds available, please clearly explain why you are not able to use these for the requested purpose. You should demonstrate that you have attempted to use any reserves your club/society has to subsidise purchases.
  • You can use our Annual Budget Plan Template to help you to outline your projected income and expenditure for the year, and submit it alongside your application.
  • Please make sure to submit your request at least 10 working days before you need the funds during term time. Outside of term time, please submit your request 3 weeks before you need the funds.
  • You must demonstrate you have taken value for money into consideration by providing alternative quotes where possible.
  • You must provide a full breakdown of what the funding will be used for, and where possible quotes for purchases.
  • You can apply as many times as you need throughout the year, as long as your request meets our criteria.

What happens once funding is granted?

  • Requests will be reviewed at the Finance Panel, where a decision on your application will be made by the Activities & Engagement Officer.
  • The Finance Panel may award you part of the amount you have requested, or the full amount.
  • If your request is approved, you can start processing payments related to the awarded grant - it may take up to two weeks for the funds to appear in your account.
  • You can make a purchase using a combination of grant and non-grant funding. When making your request, please specify exactly how much of the cost you would like covered from your grant funds.
  • Grant funding can only be used for what it was awarded for. The expenditure code can be seen on your financial statement under the description.
Welfare Fund

Who is eligible?

  • You can apply for grant funding as long as your account is not in deficit, and you charge a membership fee for your club/society! For societies that’s a minimum membership fee of £3, and for sports clubs that’s a minimum membership fee of £10.
  • If you are a newly affiliated society or club, in order to apply for grant funding, you need to have 30 paid members and have demonstrated you have attempted to raise funds through another method (for example, ticket sales for an event) before requesting grant funding.
  • If your club or society doesn’t meet these criteria, please email us at [email protected] to discuss your application before applying.
  • Applications can be submitted by your president, treasurer or welfare officer.

What can you apply for?

  • You can apply to the Welfare Fund to fund activities which focus on supporting the welfare of your members. This includes activities which:
    • Raise awareness of and support mental wellbeing
    • Improve student wellbeing
    • Support societies to deliver new physical activity initiatives
    • Promote an inclusive environment
    • Help include underrepresented student groups
  • You cannot apply for funding for:
    • Food and drinks
    • Non-specific general costs
  • If you have an idea and you’re not sure if it meets the above criteria or would like some advice, please get in touch – we’re be happy to chat through your ideas with you! 

How can you apply?

  • You can apply for grant funding through our online Grant Application Form. We will release the dates applications are open by email – so keep an eye on your inbox!
  • If you have non-grant funds available, please clearly explain why you are not able to use these for the requested purpose. You should demonstrate that you have attempted to use any reserves your club/society has to subsidise purchases.
  • You can use our Annual Budget Plan Template to help you to outline your projected income and expenditure for the year, and submit it alongside your application.
  • Please make sure to submit your request at least 10 working days before you need the funds during term time. Outside of term time, please submit your request 3 weeks before you need the funds.
  • You must demonstrate you have taken value for money into consideration by providing alternative quotes where possible.
  • You must provide a full breakdown of what the funding will be used for, and where possible quotes for purchases.
  • You can apply as many times as you need throughout the year, as long as your request meets our criteria.

What happens once funding is granted?

  • Requests will be reviewed at the Finance Panel, where a decision on your application will be made by the Activities & Engagement Officer.
  • The Finance Panel may award you part of the amount you have requested, or the full amount.
  • If your request is approved, you can start processing payments related to the awarded grant - it may take up to two weeks for the funds to appear in your account.
  • You can make a purchase using a combination of grant and non-grant funding. When making your request, please specify exactly how much of the cost you would like covered from your grant funds.
  • Grant funding can only be used for what it was awarded for. The expenditure code can be seen on your financial statement under the description.
Cultural Fund

Who is eligible?

  • Any club or society
  • Applications can only be submitted by your president or treasurer.

What can you apply for?

  • You can apply to the Cultural Fund to fund cross-cultural activities for the benefit of the wider student community. This includes activities which:
    • Showcase the very best aspects of different cultures
    • Highlight and celebrate the diversity of the student community at UCL
    • Increase awareness of, understanding of, and exposure to different cultures
  • You cannot apply for funding for:
    • Food and drink (unless integral to your activity e.g. a food tasting session)
    • Non-specific general costs
    • An activity that is only being promoted to your own members
  • Applications are limited to up to £150 per request, or £350 for a joint initiative with another society.
  • You can apply as many times as you need, as long as your request meets our criteria.
  • If you have an idea and you’re not sure if it meets the above criteria or would like some advice, just get in touch with us via [email protected] – we’re more than happy to help.

How can you apply?

  • You can apply for grant funding through our online Grant Application Form. We will release the dates applications are open by email – so keep an eye on your inbox!
  • You must include the following information about your planned activity:
    • The date, time, and location
    • What you plan to deliver (e.g. performance, workshop, event)
    • The number of people you expect to reach
    • Whether this is a joint activity and, if so, with which society
    • How you will promote it to students who are not members of your society
  • You must also include the following information about your budget:
    • A full breakdown of costs, including quotes where possible
    • How much of the cost is being covered from your non-grant funds
    • If you have non-grant funds available, why they are not being used for this
    • How you have considered value for money, for example by providing alternative quotes
  • Please make sure to submit your request at least 10 working days before you need the funds during term time. Outside of term time, please submit your request 3 weeks before you need the funds.

What happens once funding is granted?

  • Requests will be reviewed on a rolling basis at the Finance Panel, where a decision on your application will be made by the Activities & Engagement Officer.
  • The Finance Panel may award you part of the amount you have requested, or the full amount.
  • If your request is approved, you can start processing payments related to the awarded grant - it may take up to two weeks for the funds to appear in your account.
  • You can make a purchase using a combination of grant and non-grant funding. When making your request, please specify exactly how much of the cost you would like covered from your grant funds.
  • Grant funding can only be used for what it was awarded for. The expenditure code can be seen on your financial statement under the description.
UCL East Campus Fund

Who is eligible?

  • Any club or society
  • Applications can only be submitted by your president or treasurer.

What can you apply for?

  • You can apply to the UCL East Campus Fund to set up a new initiative to engage students at the UCL East campus.
  • There are around 2200 students living and studying at UCL East, and your activities could help to build a sense of community, have an educational impact, provide career benefits, or have a positive impact on wellbeing.
  • The spaces available at UCL East are large, modern and accessible - for more information or to arrange a tour, you can contact the UCL East team - [email protected]!
  • You cannot apply for funding for:
    • Food and drink (unless integral to your activity e.g. a food tasting session)
    • Non-specific general costs
    • An activity that is only being promoted to your own members
  • You can apply as many times as you need, as long as your request meets our criteria.
  • If you have an idea and you’re not sure if it meets the above criteria or would like some advice, just get in touch with us via [email protected] – we’re more than happy to help.

How can you apply?

  • You can apply for grant funding through our online Grant Application Form. We will release the dates applications are open by email – so keep an eye on your inbox!
  • You must include the following information about your budget:
    • A full breakdown of costs, including quotes where possible
    • How you have considered value for money, for example by providing alternative quotes
  • Please make sure to submit your request at least 10 working days before you need the funds during term time. Outside of term time, please submit your request 3 weeks before you need the funds.

What happens once funding is granted?

  • Requests will be reviewed on a rolling basis at the Finance Panel, where a decision on your application will be made by the Activities & Engagement Officer.
  • The Finance Panel may award you part of the amount you have requested, or the full amount.
  • If your request is approved, you can start processing payments related to the awarded grant - it may take up to two weeks for the funds to appear in your account.
  • You can make a purchase using a combination of grant and non-grant funding. When making your request, please specify exactly how much of the cost you would like covered from your grant funds.
  • Grant funding can only be used for what it was awarded for. The expenditure code can be seen on your financial statement under the description.
Canary Wharf Campus Fund

Who is eligible?

  • Any club or society
  • Applications can only be submitted by your president or treasurer.

What can you apply for?

  • You can apply to the Canary Wharf Campus Fund to set up a new initiative or event to engage students on our Canary Wharf campus.
  • The UCL School of Management, based in the heart of Canary Wharf, is home to one of the fastest-growing schools in the university. Your activities could help create a sense of community, build connections between campuses, and grow your club or society to include students from all corners of the UCL community.
  • The spaces at the School of Management are flexible and include some of the most incredible views in London. For details or even a tour, just reach out to the team at [email protected].
  • But there’s more to Canary Wharf than the campus... if you want to visit a local attraction, or use local facilities including sports halls and arts spaces, we’d love to support that as well. Once again, reach out to [email protected] if you’d like to explore some local options. 

How can you apply?

  • You can apply for grant funding through our online Grant Application Form. We will release the dates applications are open by email – so keep an eye on your inbox!
  • You must include the following information about your budget:
    • A full breakdown of costs, including quotes where possible
    • How you have considered value for money, for example by providing alternative quotes
  • Please make sure to submit your request at least 10 working days before you need the funds during term time. Outside of term time, please submit your request 3 weeks before you need the funds.

What happens once funding is granted?

  • Requests will be reviewed on a rolling basis at the Finance Panel, where a decision on your application will be made by the Activities & Engagement Officer.
  • The Finance Panel may award you part of the amount you have requested, or the full amount.
  • If your request is approved, you can start processing payments related to the awarded grant - it may take up to two weeks for the funds to appear in your account.
  • You can make a purchase using a combination of grant and non-grant funding. When making your request, please specify exactly how much of the cost you would like covered from your grant funds.
  • Grant funding can only be used for what it was awarded for. The expenditure code can be seen on your financial statement under the description.
Grand Challenges Fund

Who is eligible?

  • All Students' Union clubs and societies can apply for this fund!
  • Applications can only be submitted by your president or treasurer.

What can you apply for?

To celebrate UCL’s 200th birthday, we’re excited to launch a new fund, designed to support clubs and societies to run activities and events that address one of the five UCL Grand Challenges.

We’re inviting student groups to deliver innovative, engaging, and inclusive activities which raise awareness and inspire the UCL community through the lens of the Grand Challenge themes:

You can apply for up to £2500 to bring your Grand Challenge project to life.

To be eligible to apply, your project must:

  • Address one or more of the Grand Challenge themes
  • Be open to all UCL students
  • Take place this academic year

Examples of activities could include:

  • A spoken word night on climate justice and UCL’s role in sustainability
  • A sports tournament themed around global cooperation and community
  • A podcast series on the future of education and technology

Got questions or want to chat about your idea? Drop us an email at [email protected] – we’d love to hear from you!

How can you apply?

  • You can apply for grant funding through our online Grant Application Form. We will release the dates applications are open by email – so keep an eye on your inbox!
  • If you have non-grant funds available, please clearly explain why you are not able to use these for the requested purpose. You should demonstrate that you have attempted to use any reserves your club/society has to subsidise purchases.
  • You can use our Annual Budget Plan Template to help you to outline your projected income and expenditure for the year, and submit it alongside your application.
  • Please make sure to submit your request at least 10 working days before you need the funds during term time. Outside of term time, please submit your request 3 weeks before you need the funds.
  • You must demonstrate you have taken value for money into consideration by providing alternative quotes where possible.
  • You must provide a full breakdown of what the funding will be used for, and where possible quotes for purchases.
  • You can apply as many times as you need throughout the year, as long as your request meets our criteria.

What happens once funding is granted?

  • Requests will be reviewed at the Finance Panel, where a decision on your application will be made by the Activities & Engagement Officer.
  • The Finance Panel may award you part of the amount you have requested, or the full amount.
  • If your request is approved, you can start processing payments related to the awarded grant - it may take up to two weeks for the funds to appear in your account.
  • You can make a purchase using a combination of grant and non-grant funding. When making your request, please specify exactly how much of the cost you would like covered from your grant funds.
  • Grant funding can only be used for what it was awarded for. The expenditure code can be seen on your financial statement under the description.
  • If your club or society receives funding, you will need to submit a Grant Funding Story by the end of the academic year.
Taster Session Fund

Who is eligible?

  • All Students’ Union clubs and societies can apply for the Taster Session Fund!
  • Applications can only be submitted by your president or treasurer.

What can you apply for?

  • This fund has been created to grow the number of taster sessions available to students throughout the year (not just during the Welcome period)!
  • The grant is designed to support clubs and societies to run taster sessions for non-members, so we can help a wider range of the student body engage in extra-curricular activities, help students find a new hobby, and help promote your club or society.
  • Your application must include:
    • A detailed outline of the taster session you plan to run, including how this session is different taster sessions your group has run previously.
    • The number of people your activity will reach.
    • The location of the activity (e.g. UCL East, off campus etc.)
    • A full breakdown of what the funding will be used for.
  • We particularly encourage applications to help run taster sessions that have a high cost, or sessions which are not targeted at beginners!
  • If you are selling tickets for the taster session, they must be capped at 50% of the full ticket cost per person. Full ticket cost is defined as the cost per person for the taster event without any subsidy from this grant fund.
  • The taster activity must be catered to non-members of the club/society; however, some regular members can attend to facilitate the event and welcome new members.
  • You cannot apply for funding for food and drinks unless integral to your activity, e.g. a food tasting session, baking session.
  • Applications are limited to £500 per request.
  • If you have an idea and you’re not sure if your taster session meets these criteria, or would like to chat through your ideas, drop us an email at [email protected].

How can you apply?

  • You can apply for grant funding through our online Grant Application Form.
  • If you have non-grant funds available, please clearly explain why you are not able to use these for the requested purpose. You should demonstrate that you have attempted to use any reserves your club/society has to subsidise purchases.
  • You can use our Annual Budget Plan Template to help you to outline your projected income and expenditure for the year, and submit it alongside your application.
  • Please make sure to submit your request at least 10 working days before you need the funds during term time. Outside of term time, please submit your request 3 weeks before you need the funds.
  • You must demonstrate you have taken value for money into consideration by providing alternative quotes where possible.
  • You must provide a full breakdown of what the funding will be used for, and where possible quotes for purchases.
  • You can apply as many times as you need throughout the year, as long as your request meets our criteria.

What happens once funding is granted?

  • A decision on your application will be made by the Activities & Engagement Officer.
  • The Activities & Engagement Officer may award you part of the amount you have requested, or the full amount.
  • If your request is approved, you can start processing payments related to the awarded grant - it may take up to two weeks for the funds to appear in your account.
  • You can make a purchase using a combination of grant and non-grant funding. When making your request, please specify exactly how much of the cost you would like covered from your grant funds.
  • Grant funding can only be used for what it was awarded for. The expenditure code can be seen on your financial statement under the description.
  • You will be asked to fill out a feedback form after you’ve delivered your taster session, where you’ll have a chance to upload any photos and share the impact of the taster session on your over membership numbers.
Departmental Societies Fund

Who is eligible?

  • This fund is open to all Students' Union UCL departmental societies!
  • You can apply for grant funding as long as your account is not in deficit, and you charge a membership fee for your club/society! For societies that’s a minimum membership fee of £3, and for sports clubs that’s a minimum membership fee of £10.
  • If you are a newly affiliated society or club, in order to apply for grant funding, you need to have 30 paid members and have demonstrated you have attempted to raise funds through another method (for example, ticket sales for an event) before requesting grant funding.
  • If your club or society doesn’t meet these criteria, please email us at [email protected] to discuss your application before applying.
  • Applications can only be submitted by your president or treasurer.

What can you apply for?

Your initiative must fall into at least one of the following categories:

  1. Building a sense of community

    Your activity should bring together students from a range of backgrounds. It should be accessible to students in your department, faculty and the wider UCL community.

    Examples might include social events like quizzes, film nights or book clubs, group activities such as personalising hoodies, or tickets for group trips or visits.

  2. Making an educational impact 

    Your project should have an academic or educational objective. It might also be a project that introduces students to a new area of learning, or develops their knowledge and awareness of a certain issue.

    Examples might include panel or Q&A events with external speakers (e.g. UCL alumni or professionals in the field), language classes, skills workshops, or a celebratory event such as a dissertation showcase. 

  3. Providing career prospects

    Your project should seek to facilitate the career aspirations and goals of a wide range of students. Throughout your activities, you should aim to introduce students to lots of potential career paths related to the field.

    Examples might include a department careers fair, or an alumni networking event. You can also seek help from the UCL Careers team in planning and delivering your project (if you'd like to be connected to the relevant careers representative in your department, get in touch with us).

  4. Positively impacting wellbeing

    Your activity should focus on improving the wellbeing and mental health of students in your society, and promote a diverse and inclusive environment.

    Examples might include fitness classes or physical activity initiatives, mindfulness exercises, or themed awareness campaigns. 

You cannot request funding for:

  • Food or drink
  • Non-specific general costs
  • Past expenditure
  • To cover any non-grant debt

How can you apply?

  • You can apply for grant funding through our online Grant Application Form. We will release the dates applications are open by email – so keep an eye on your inbox!
  • If you have non-grant funds available, please clearly explain why you are not able to use these for the requested purpose. You should demonstrate that you have attempted to use any reserves your club/society has to subsidise purchases.
  • You can use our Annual Budget Plan Template to help you to outline your projected income and expenditure for the year, and submit it alongside your application.
  • Please make sure to submit your request at least 10 working days before you need the funds during term time. Outside of term time, please submit your request 3 weeks before you need the funds.
  • You must demonstrate you have taken value for money into consideration by providing alternative quotes where possible.
  • You must provide a full breakdown of what the funding will be used for, and where possible quotes for purchases.
  • You can apply as many times as you need throughout the year, as long as your request meets our criteria.

What happens once funding is granted?

  • Requests will be reviewed at the Finance Panel, where a decision on your application will be made by the Activities & Engagement Officer.
  • The Finance Panel may award you part of the amount you have requested, or the full amount.
  • If your request is approved, you can start processing payments related to the awarded grant - it may take up to two weeks for the funds to appear in your account.
  • You can make a purchase using a combination of grant and non-grant funding. When making your request, please specify exactly how much of the cost you would like covered from your grant funds.
  • Grant funding can only be used for what it was awarded for. The expenditure code can be seen on your financial statement under the description.
UCL200 Student Engagement Fund

Who is eligible?

  • All Students' Union UCL clubs and societies can apply for this fund.
  • Applications can only be submitted by your President or Treasurer.
  • To ensure we are able to distribute funds evenly across to students, we are only able to award one application from each club and society, although clubs and societies are able to submit multiple applications. 

What can you apply for? 

From February to December 2026, UCL200 will bring our community together through a vibrant programme which celebrates UCL’s founding values and highlights the breadth of UCL’s ground-breaking work showcasing our local and global impact. 

The UCL200 Student Engagement Fund has been developed to empower students and provide further support to enhance grassroot activities and events organised by student clubs and societies across UCL’s bicentennial year and to allow them to add a unique UCL200 perspective to their activities.

We’re inviting all Students' Union UCL clubs and societies to apply for:

  • Up to £500 of funding to enhance the delivery of an annual activity traditional to your club or society during UCL200.
    • Example: Funds could be used to cover equipment and catering for a outreach activity delivered in collaboration with other UCL clubs and societies.
  • Up to £1,500 of funding to deliver something new for the UCL community with your club or society during UCL200.
    • Example: Funding for an outdoor cinema event to engage with society members and extending the invite to the wider UCL community (e.g. non-members or alumni).

To be eligible to apply for either fund, your activity must:  

  • Have a clear purpose and rationale. We also ask you to consider how your activity or event could be impactful to others and align to UCL’s bicentenary.    
  • Involve either cross-community collaborations and/ or provide opportunities for new audiences to engage with your club or society.
  • Align with and demonstrate one of UCL’s Cross-Institutional Lenses:
    • Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI)
    • Sustainability
    • London
    • Global
  • All funded activities and events will need to be delivered between February and December 2026. 

Funding can be requested for food and non-alcoholic drinks. However, costings should be appropriate and relevant to the activity. 

What cannot be funded by the UCL200 Student Engagement Fund?

  • UCL200 cannot accept claims for costs relating to any events, activities or resources that have taken place before funds have been awarded.
  • Non-specific general club, society or event costs.
  • Salaries for students, staff or volunteers. 

How can you apply? 

  • You can apply for grant funding through the online Grant Application Form. Within your application, please indicate which tier you’re applying for and ensure you have a clear rationale for your activity which demonstrates the eligibility criteria outlined above.
  • If you have non-grant funds available, please clearly explain why you are not able to use these for the requested purpose. You should demonstrate that you have attempted to use any reserves your club/society has to subsidise purchases.
  • You can use the Annual Budget Plan Template to help you to outline your projected income and expenditure for the year and submit it alongside your application.
  • Please make sure to submit your request at least 10 working days before you need the funds during term time. Outside of term time, please submit your request 3 weeks before you need the funds.
  • You must demonstrate you have taken value for money into consideration by providing alternative quotes where possible.
  • You must provide a full breakdown of what the funding will be used for, and where possible quotes for purchases.
  • To ensure we are able to distribute funds evenly across to students, we are only able to award one application from each club and society, although society and clubs are able to submit multiple applications.

What happens once funding is granted?

  • Requests will be reviewed at the Finance Panel, where a decision on your application’s feasibility will be made by the Activities & Engagement Officer and UCL200 team.
  • The Finance Panel may award you part of the amount you have requested, or the full amount.
  • If your request is approved, you can start processing payments related to the awarded grant - it may take up to two weeks for the funds to appear in your account.
  • You can make a purchase using a combination of grant and non-grant funding. When making your request, please specify exactly how much of the cost you would like covered from your grant funds.
  • Grant funding can only be used for what it was awarded for. The expenditure code can be seen on your financial statement under the description.
  • If your club or society receives funding, you will be asked to complete a feedback form after your activity has been delivered. You will have a chance to upload any photos, testimonials, and share the impact of the activity on your society or club.

Knowledge base

Last updated 1 day ago
How would you rate this page?

Please note feedback is not actively monitored and will not receive a direct reply.