Innovation Pilot Award
Seed funding to build and test a new idea properly before seeking larger investment.
About this programme
The Innovation Pilot Award is deliberately fast to assess, so a promising idea can be properly resourced and tested before you seek larger, longer-term investment. We fund the test, not just the idea: a good application tells us exactly what you'll try, how you'll know if it worked, and what happens next either way.
What this funding can cover
- Pilot delivery costs: staff time, contractors and participant costs
- Prototyping, tools and technology needed for the test
- Independent evaluation or data collection support
- Costs of publishing and sharing your learning
- Reasonable overheads for host organisations
Who can apply
- Individuals, startups and nonprofits with a genuinely new approach
- A testable idea with a defined pilot period of 6–18 months
- Willingness to publish what you learn, success or failure
- A basic measurement plan for the pilot
The application process, step by step
- 01
Submit a short concept note
Start with the guidance form: a page on the idea, the problem it addresses, and what you'd test. We respond within ten working days.
- 02
Develop the full pilot plan
With our support, turn the concept into a pilot design, measurement plan and budget ready for quarterly review.
- 03
Quarterly panel review
Complete applications are assessed at the next quarterly decision point. You'll know the date your application will be considered.
- 04
Award and check-ins
Successful pilots receive funding with light-touch check-ins and a final learning report shared openly.
How applications are assessed
- Originality and relevance of the idea
- Quality of the pilot design
- Learning shared with the wider community
- A credible path beyond the pilot if it works
Grant support
How we help you win the Innovation Pilot Award
You don't have to figure this out alone. Our grant professionals work with you at every stage — from first idea to final submission.
Turn your idea into a testable pilot
Most ideas arrive too big or too vague. We help you scope a pilot that can genuinely be delivered and measured within the award amount and timeframe.
Design your success measures
We help you set two or three indicators that will actually tell you whether the pilot worked — and define what 'worked' means before you start.
Sharpen the application narrative
Pilot awards are competitive. We review your draft for the things assessors look for: a clear hypothesis, honest risks, and a realistic plan for scale if the test succeeds.
Position yourself for follow-on funding
If the pilot shows promise, we help you use your results to approach larger funders — including our own Community Impact Grant where appropriate.
Applications are open now — deadline 20 Sept 2026
Start early. Applicants who request guidance at least four weeks before the deadline submit noticeably stronger applications.