Engineering a safer world funding call

Lloyd’s Register Foundation has recently launched its new strategy for 2024-2029.

Our new strategy focuses on three interconnected priority areas, which are listed below along with their main objectives. To support us in delivering this strategy, we are calling for proposals aimed at enhancing safety across these priority areas.  

Priority area objectives: 

• Safer Maritime Systems: Harm is reduced and prevented for those working in growing maritime economies. Everyone across the maritime system is motivated to work together towards an ocean economy that keeps people safer on land and at sea.

• Safer, Sustainable Infrastructure: New technologies and methodologies are developed and used safely within broader engineering practices, without causing harm elsewhere. Critical infrastructure is resilient and fit for purpose to meet the changing needs of society.

• Skilled People for Safer Engineering: Development of skills for safety, knowledge, leadership, and processes where they are most needed. Numbers and diversity of engineers, and those in engineering-related professions, are increased, especially in sectors and geographies where we can have the most impact 

In our strategy, we are also responding to common global challenges that need collective action. Within our three interconnected priority areas we will make a positive difference across these challenges:

In line with our “Grant Eligibility and Grant Funding Guidelines,” Lloyd’s Register Foundation does not restrict the types of organisations eligible for funding. However, funding is primarily directed towards, but not limited to, the following types of organisations: 

• Registered Charities: Non-profit organisations with a clear public benefit focus, registered with appropriate charity regulators.

• Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs): Independent organisations that operate internationally or locally to promote social or environmental causes.

• Academic Institutions: Universities and research centres engaging in education, research, or public engagement activities aligned with Lloyd’s Register Foundation’s goals.

• Non-Profit Organisations: Organisations that reinvest profits into their operations to advance their mission, without distributing earnings to stakeholders.

• Social Enterprises: For-profit businesses with a clear social or environmental purpose, where profit is reinvested into achieving that purpose. 

In line with government guidelines, Lloyd’s Register Foundation adheres to the following principles when granting funds to non-charitable organisations: 

• Lloyd’s Register Foundation grants must only fund activities, services, or outcomes aligned with its charitable mission.

• Funding for support costs is restricted to specified activities, services, or outcomes.

• Grant terms require recipients to adhere to purpose-related restrictions.

• Grants must not provide personal benefit to individuals involved.

• Lloyd’s Register Foundation and its Trustees must justify each funding decision as serving the Foundation’s best interests.
• Recipients must use funds for the stated purpose, ensuring public or organisational benefit, not profit.
• These principles ensure that all grants to non-charitable organisations remain aligned with Lloyd’s Register Foundation s mission and are compliant with relevant regulatory standards. 

With a funding pool of £15 million, we aim to support impactful groups or networks who demonstrate relevant expertise and understanding of local, in-country need, particularly within developing economies. 

Activity will be focused on an identified challenge or opportunity for change within the three interconnected priority areas and across the global challenges stated above.  

We will consider proposals that:  

• Conduct research 

• Advance skills and education at scale 

• Generate new evidence or interpret existing data sets 

• Mobilise maritime heritage as a driver for change

• Support new innovation  

• Support the creation of new regulations, standards, codes methods or ways of working.  

The activity must support our strategic objectives.

Evidence  

The Foundation is an evidence-led organisation. Evidence allows us to identify where there is greatest opportunity for change and demonstrates the difference our work has made. A key part of your proposal will be the evidence that supports the specific problem or opportunity that you are asking us to support you with.   

What we will not fund:  

We want to fund activity that is original. We will not support activity that we are already funding in our major programmes or work that could be more easily funded by others. Lloyd’s Register Foundation will specifically not fund: 

• Profit-making Activities: Grants must not be used to generate profit for the recipient organisation.

• Political or Religious Campaigning: Activities that promote a specific political or religious agenda are ineligible.

• Retrospective Costs: Expenses incurred prior to the grant award date.

• Debt Repayments: Grants cannot be used to pay off organisational debts or liabilities.

• Capital Expenditures: Funding is not provided for capital expenditures, such as costs incurred to acquire, upgrade, or maintain physical assets, including property, buildings, technology, or equipment, unless explicitly justified as essential to achieving project outcomes.

• VAT: Grants are not subject to VAT, and Lloyd’s Register Foundation does not cover VAT costs for organisations that can recover VAT on its expenditure. However, if the organisation is unable to reclaim VAT, VAT on eligible expenditure may be included in the grant budget with clear justification.

To understand our major programmes of work, please see links to current and former projects, including: 

• Lloyd’s Register Foundation Maritime Decarbonisation Hub

• EngineeringX

• Data-centric engineering at the Alan Turing Institute,   

• Assuring Autonomy

• Public Understanding of Risk

• Discovering Safety 

With a funding pool of £15 million, we aim to support impactful groups or networks who demonstrate relevant expertise and understanding of local, in-country need, particularly within developing economies in the Global South. It is expected that individual proposals will request up to £1 million.

Should potential applicants have an idea that aligns with any of our priority areas and is worth more than £1m, they are invited to contact us for an informal, exploratory discussion.

Duration of grants is up to 5 years.

We offer access to existing networks of relevant knowledge and expertise and will be eager to work with successful applicants to disseminate and publicise outputs and outcomes of our funding.