Opportunity Grants

 

Social Policy Association Opportunity Grants

Please find information below about the Social Policy Association’s Opportunity Grants programme for Autumn 2025.

Deadline for applications: 10 October 2025 (Decisions to be communicated by 31 October.)

As previously, this scheme is designed to enable events to happen which promote social policy by – for example – helping to showcase research, exploring issues in learning and teaching, beginning conversations, making connections between different academic perspectives, and bringing together academics, students, practitioners, service-users, policymakers and others with a stake in social policy.  They may be UK-focused, or comparative between different national contexts.[1]

For the Autumn 2025 round, the grants will again be split into two tiers:

Category A

Up to £1000

Category B

Up to £5000

Splitting them in this way is designed to help maximise the range of events, and – through Category A – to make it easier for smaller, early-stage exploratory projects to take their place alongside those whose scale necessitates a greater level of support (Category B).  Each of these can play a differently vital role in forging partnerships, sharing knowledge, setting agendas and bringing together different perspectives.  Hence we regard both categories as being of equal value.  Category B applications may involve a series of events rather than a single one – or (for example) the establishment and initial stages of a network.  The amount of funds provided under either category will depend on the distribution of applications received.

We should stress that this particular stream of SPA funding is not intended to facilitate fresh research, and may not, for legal reasons, be spent on the hiring of staff.  (See also note below on what the funding may be spent on.)

 WHO MAY APPLY?

 Any member of the Social Policy Association may apply.  You may join the SPA for the purposes of applying.  We encourage applications from people not based in universities.

 THEMES AND TOPICS

The subject-matter of the programme is open.  Events addressing any issue in social policy broadly construed will be considered.  However as with previous rounds, we have three priority areas:

  • Participation by early career researchers
  • Involvement of the third sector
  • Engagement with local public sector organisations

While none of these is a strict requirement, preference may be given to applications which clearly incorporate these aspects.  Clearly third and public sector involvement will be more pertinent to some themes and topics than others.

 APPLICATION AND ASSESSMENT 

Applications should consist of a plan for the proposed event of no more than two pages.  The plan should include

  • The background and rationale for the proposed event
  • The content of the event
  • Details of planned participants
  • Any outputs or follow-on activity
  • The costs involved (see below)

Opportunity Grant applications are assessed by members of the SPA executive.  We apply these criteria:

  • Is this event well-planned and deliverable?
  • Is there clear evidence of the need or demand for this event?
  • Will this event have lasting or ongoing benefits or outputs?
  • Does this event align with the strategic goals and priority areas of the SPA?
  • Does the application offer value for money?

View past examples of successful applications

 

ELIGIBILITY AND REQUIREMENTS

Recipients of SPA Opportunity Grants will be expected to

  • Publicise their event as widely as possible, including through SPA channels
  • Write a short report after the event for the SPA website
  • Use this as an opportunity to advertise the SPA to potential new SPA members (including marketing via other channels, distribution of SPA leaflets, use of SPA logo, etc.)
  • Make the event as inclusive as possible (attendance need not be limited to SPA members)
  • Raise the profile of the SPA to external agencies (government, independent sector, research centres, etc.) in the UK and other countries as appropriate
  • Share the outcomes of their event via blogs, podcasts and other appropriate media

 

For recipients of Category B grants, there are two additional expectations:

  • The grant holder is strongly encouraged to provide an article based on their event(s) for the Social Policy Review, or the SPA website.
  • The event should be translated into a contribution to the SPA’s annual conference.

Applicants must be members of the Social Policy Association

View reports provided by previous Opportunity Grant holders

 

WHAT MAY OPPORTUNITY GRANT FUNDING BE SPENT ON?

 Typically, Opportunity Grants funding is directed towards items such as venue hire, catering, travel expenses and publicity.  Please note that this funding cannot be used for hiring staff, though in some circumstances it could be spent on consultancy fees, up to a given limit.  In case of any queries on appropriate use of funds, please contact the SPA Grants Officer – see below.

TIMEFRAME

This scheme runs twice yearly, opened for application each spring and autumn. As a general rule, we ask that events funded under each round fall within that timeframe – so that those funded in this round take place in the window up to April 2026. But of course, this boundary is adaptable where there is good reason.

 PAYMENT

It is expected that the applicant’s host institution will cover the cost of individual items involved in staging the event and will then invoice the Social Policy Association for this amount. If this poses problems in your case, please contact the SPA grants officer prior to application.

Please send your application or any enquiries to the SPA Grants Officer, Gideon Calder, via email. Gideon will be very happy to discuss ideas and give feedback on what may be most suitable for the scheme, as well as receiving applications.