UK Overseas Territories Fund
The UKOTs Fund is now open for applications
The environments of the UK Overseas Territories (UKOTs) are of global significance. John Ellerman Foundation has been supporting land-based and marine-related work in the Territories since 2013 through our responsive environmental grantmaking. In 2021 and 2022, we ran two rounds of the UKOTs Fund and distributed circa £2m in 10 of the 14 UKOTS. The UKOTs Fund is a funder collaboration and you can find out more about how other funders are involved by clicking here for the funding guidelines for this fund.
Aim
We want to support transformative and locally-led change in the UKOTs through responsive environmental grantmaking. This includes capacity-building, policy work and practical conservation efforts, with partnerships and community empowerment playing a critical role in achieving positive environmental outcomes.
The UKOTs Fund aims to provide a strategic response to environmental needs in the UKOTs. We expect to make a variety of small, medium and larger grants depending on funding need, size of organisation and the scale of the project. We will consider short-term grants as well as multi-year funding for periods of up to three years.
What we will fund
We wish to support core costs funding, and we can support project funding requests too where an organisation has identified that this would be more beneficial for their environmental impact aims. Applicants should demonstrate a funding need and are not expected to hold excessive free reserves i.e. unspent and unrestricted funds that are outside of their organisation's reserves policy.
We welcome funding applications for practical conservation activities in support of the protection and restoration of habitats and species on land and in the sea. We will also consider funding organisational capacity building, policy related work, acquisition of land with intrinsic conservation value, and advocacy for the creation and implementation of legislative frameworks. We also provide grants which can be used by a successful applicant to cover core costs, salaries, overheads etc. as is most needed. Regardless of the specific nature of the funded work, we are always keen to fund work which has a legacy beyond the life of the grant.
What we don’t fund
We will not fund:
- capital developments and individual items of equipment
- land acquisition for financial or speculative purposes
- one-off events, such as conferences, trips, or seminars
- environmental educational projects.
Who can apply
We welcome applications from UK charities working in partnership with local Territory-based NGOs and from charities based in the UKOTs. UKOTs-based charities can apply either directly or through a conduit in the UK. More detail about this is provided in the FAQs for this Fund which are set out in the funding guidelines which can be accessed by clicking here. We are particularly interested in supporting organisations which:
- understand both the significance of habitats for human wellbeing and the impact of people on nature
- look for sustainable solutions by ensuring that the livelihoods and economic needs of local communities are integrated into their thinking and strategy
- work collaboratively with partners and other stakeholders in the Territories and/or the UK
- tackle causes as well as symptoms.
The organisation applying must also be able to demonstrate the following:
- commitment to impact and learning
- awareness of its role and legitimacy to operate in the Territories
- strong leadership and commitment from senior management, Board or governing body
- effective financial management
- the difference a grant would make, to the organisation and other relevant stakeholders, the natural environment and local community, and/or policy and legislative frameworks.
Applying to the Fund
The online application portal for the UK Overseas Territories Fund will be open from Monday, 16 March 2026. The application process is different from our main grantmaking fund.
We are operating a one-stage written process. All applicants are expected to submit a three-page proposal with supporting financial documents. In some cases we will decide whether to award a grant based on the written application alone. However, for larger grants, or where we need further clarifying information, we will arrange a virtual follow-up meeting.
Written applications must be received by 11am (UK time) on Tuesday, 5 May 2026. We expect to make decisions in May 2026, and so you should plan for the work funded by a grant to start from June 2026 at the earliest.
If you have any queries in the meantime about eligibility criteria or the application process, please refer to our funding guidelines and the FAQs within that are available by clicking here, in the first instance. You can also contact Sufina Ahmad, Director via sufina@ellerman.org.uk prior to applying. We will also hold the following virtual group question and answer sessions where the team will be on hand to answer questions from applicants and conduits:
Tuesday, 24 March 2026 at 11am (UK time) - Book by clicking here.
Thursday, 9 April 2026 at 1pm (UK time) - Book by clicking here.
Monday, 13 April 2026 at 1.30pm (UK time) - Book by clicking here.
Thursday, 16 April 2026 2pm (UK time) - Book by clicking here.
To apply for the UKOTs Fund, you can click here to access the online portal. We will not accept applications that are not submitted via our online application portal.
Stage 1
Your written application should include:
1. A description of what you are seeking funding for, on no more than three sides of A4. Please include:
- a brief description of your organisation, relevant track record, and your legitimacy to operate within the one or more Territories that the work relates to
- background information about the nature and importance of the local environment
- what you would like us to fund, including (where possible) a specific amount and number of years for which funding is sought
- how your proposal matches what we fund and are looking for (see above).
2. Financial information:
If you are a charity, a copy of your most recent annual accounts. If you are part of a larger organisation (such as a university) please provide an income and expenditure statement for the running costs of your department or unit, and explain how its funds are kept distinct from those of the wider institution. If your accounts show a significant surplus or deficit, high or low reserves, please explain this briefly, including your policy on their future use/replenishment. If the year-end date of your accounts is more than 10 months old, please include your latest management accounts. If you are planning to apply through a conduit, please get in touch prior to applying so we can discuss the financial information required from both parties.
Stage 2 (for larger and/or grants where more information is required only)
If we require a follow-up conversation to discuss the proposal in more detail, we will arrange to meet with you and, where relevant, the conduit organisation. This meeting will take place virtually and is intended to find out more about you and your work. It will include representatives from John Ellerman Foundation and other potential funders.
