Frequently Asked Questions

No. The Foundation is the grant-giving initiative of CM Beyer Limited, funded entirely by the business’s commercial activities. It is not a registered charity and is not funded by public money. This structure keeps things fast and light — no public funding cycles, no grant committee delays. You do not need to be a charity to apply.

The Foundation receives its grant budget from CM Beyer Limited’s commercial activities. Every grant is funded by CM Beyer — there are no third-party donors, no fundraising appeals, and no public funds involved.

Yes. Grant decisions are made independently on the merits of each application. We do not grant-fund CM Beyer clients, employees, or connected parties. There is no commercial relationship required or expected.

Yes — in time. The Foundation currently operates as an initiative of CM Beyer Limited at cmbeyer.co.uk. We plan to establish a standalone Foundation presence when the volume of activity justifies it.

UK small businesses, social enterprises, charities and community groups of any size. You do not need to be formally registered as a company or charity — you just need to be able to receive a bank transfer and provide a brief completion report.

Maximum depends on the programme: £3,000 (Bright Ideas), £5,000 (Green Shoots), £7,500 (Skills & Futures), £10,000 (Community Enterprise). There is no formal minimum, but given our review process, applications below £500 are unlikely to be cost-effective for either party.

Apply to the one that fits best. If your project genuinely spans more than one, say so in the form and we’ll work out the right home for it. Do not submit multiple applications for the same project.

Yes. We can fund ongoing projects as long as the grant pays for costs not yet incurred. We cannot reimburse costs already spent before we’ve made a grant decision.

Yes. If you were unsuccessful, you can reapply in the same or following cycle. We give brief feedback with every rejection so you can strengthen a reapplication.

Email [email protected] with a brief description of your project. We’re not able to offer detailed pre-application advice to every enquirer, but if your question is quick, we’ll answer it.

About five minutes. We ask for your name, organisation, which programme you’re applying to, roughly how much you’re requesting, and a short description of what you’re trying to do.

We aim to give every applicant a clear answer within four weeks of receiving their application. If we need more time, we’ll tell you and give you a revised date.

We’ll email you to confirm and send a short grant letter (one to two pages) covering what the grant is for and what we ask in return. Funds are transferred by bank transfer within 10 working days of both parties signing the letter.

We’ll tell you clearly, by email, with a brief explanation of why — not a template rejection. You’re welcome to reapply. We also try to point unsuccessful applicants towards other potential funders where we know of a good fit.

No. We ask that you let us share what you achieved (so we can tell the story and fund more good work), and we offer — never require — mentoring from the CM Beyer team.

Anything that genuinely advances the project you describe — equipment, materials, people’s time, training, or getting an idea off the ground. We agree the scope in a short, plain-English grant letter.

Grants received by companies may be subject to Corporation Tax as income. For sole traders and partnerships, they may be treated as trading income. We recommend checking with your accountant. The Foundation cannot provide tax advice.

No. VAT registration is not required to apply or receive a grant.

Deliver your project. When it’s complete, send us a brief update — what you achieved, how the money was used, what you’d do differently. It’s not a formal evaluation; it’s a short note. We may ask to share what you achieved (with your permission) so we can tell the story and fund more good work.

We offer grantees optional access to the CM Beyer team for practical support in marketing, strategy and operations. This is an offer, not a condition of the grant. If you’d like it, we arrange a call; if not, there is no obligation or expectation.