The grant process
The Alumni Association Initiative Grants are currently open to applications.
Your application will be reviewed and you’ll be informed of the outcome following the review calendar below. If successful, a member of the team will be in touch to arrange transfer of funds. Grants are not capped; the average award is between £500 and £1000.
You are welcome to discuss your ideas at any stage of the process, and you will be supported in delivering your activity with advice from the Civic and Alumni Engagement Office (CAEO). Get in touch at alumni-volunteers@bristol.ac.uk.
Alumni Association Initiative Grant Review Calendar, 2025/2026
Application Window |
Submission Deadline |
Committee Review Period |
Applicant Notification |
Payment Processing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
July 2025 |
31 July 2025 | 1–10 August 2025 |
By 15 August 2025 |
Mid–Late August 2025 |
|
August 2025 |
31 August 2025 |
1–10 September 2025 |
By 15 September 2025 | Mid–Late September 2025 |
| September 2025 | 30 September 2025 |
1–10 October 2025 |
By 15 October 2025 | Mid–Late October 2025 |
| October 2025 | 31 October 2025 | 1–10 November 2025 | By 14 November 2025 | Mid–Late November 2025 |
| November 2025 | 30 November 2025 | 1–10 December 2025 | By 15 December 2025 | Mid–Late December 2025 |
| December 2025 | 20 December 2025 | 5–15 January 2026 | By 20 January 2026 | Mid–Late January 2026 |
| January 2026 | 31 January 2026 | 1-10 February 2026 | By 13 February 2026 | Mid-Late February 2026 |
| February 2026 | 28 February 2026 | 1-10 March 2026 | By 15 March 2026 | Mid-Late March 2026 |
| March 2026 | 31 March 2026 | 1-10 April 2026 | By 15 April 2026 | Mid-Late April 2026 |
| April 2026 | 30 April 2026 | 1-10 May 2026 | By 15 May 2026 | Mid-Late May 2026 |
| May 2026 | 31 May 2026 | 1-10 June 2026 | By 15 June 2026 | Mid-Late June 2026 |
| June 2026 | 30 June 2026 | 1-10 July 2026 | By 15 July 2026 | Mid-Late July 2026 |
Applications should:
- be inclusive and open to all University of Bristol alumni from your target audience e.g. all alumni of the University of Bristol Badminton Club
- be for initiatives that are primarily for alumni
- help build an engaged and supportive alumni community
Alumni Association Initiative Grants cannot be used to run activities which directly support other charities or entrepreneurial projects, and unfortunately, no retrospective funding can be granted.
The Alumni Association Committee will prioritise new ideas and activities in its decision making, and cannot usually provide repeat funding. Alumni Association Initiative Grants are primarily intended to support new initiatives and events. We encourage organizers to make efforts toward long-term sustainability, rather than relying on ongoing grant funding.
We recommend developing a plan to cover future costs—for example, by introducing ticket sales or exploring alternative funding sources.
Your application should
- be clear and easy to understand
- include details on what the grant will be used for, for example, venue deposits or digital services
- include a breakdown of expected costs, for example, venue hire at £400 or catering at £10 per head
If successful, the grant awarded should be used for the purposes included in your application. Please keep the Alumni Association Committee informed if circumstances change. If your activity does not go ahead, you must return the funds. Following the event, grant awardees are kindly requested to provide us with a list of attendees, a brief report on the activity, and details of any alumni who played a role in organising the event.
Contacts
If you have any questions, please get in touch in advance of making your application either by email: alumni-volunteers@bristol.ac.uk or telephone: +44 (0)117 394 1046.