Many Branches raise funds themselves in order to put on, or increase the scope of, their activity programme. With the support of Regional Officers and the fundraising team at central office in London, where appropriate, Branch representatives are encouraged to develop a strategy for raising funds locally for the support of activities, within the framework outlined below.

Activities might include an event run as part of National Science and Engineering Week, an annual events programme or lecture series, or perhaps a science communication training event such as a working lunch. 

The BA currently provides four sources of funds to branches to help meet these costs. 

a) Branches in the first two years of their existence receive a pump-priming or start-up fund of £500 p.a., to help get them started
b) Branches can apply for “strategic grants”, to meet the costs of their events programme; grants are allocated twice a year, and are based on the quality of the proposed programme, and its alignment with the BA’s strategic objectives
c) National Science and Engineering Week event grants, allocated once a year on the same basis as the strategic grants.
d) There are also occasionally other special grants which branches may apply to, such as Welsh Assembly or Scottish Executive Grants, and we are always looking for further sources of such grants.

These sources should enable a Branch to get up and running, and to organise a programme of events.  These sums alone, however, are unlikely to be adequate on their own – particularly when the pump-priming sums expire after the second year.  It is therefore essential to think about other sources of funds and income which will enable the Branch to sustain its activity.  By and large these sources will fall into four broad categories:

• Local businesses (in-cash and in-kind support)
• Local trusts
• National science grant-making bodies
• Charging for some or all Branch events (by ticket or a tin-shake for donations)

If you are planning on approaching local businesses or trusts for funding or sponsorship, please consult the following document first:

The BA Fundraising Process (Word 39K)


The following document was created for National Science and Engineering Week so the grant schemes advertised within this document may not be applicable, however, the sections on sponsorship and possible organisations to contact may also be useful.

Guide to finding funding 2008 (PDF 76K)