Activate Fund 2026
Activate Fund 2026
Activate Fund 2026
In April 2026, we will re-open the Activate Fund to award grants of up to £30,000, helping Churchill Fellows turn their Fellowship learning into practical action. Activate has been made possible as a result of our 60th Anniversary Appeal and the new Fund shares the Fellowship’s spirit of optimism and practicality. It will support Fellows with a clear vision and plan for the change they want to activate.
Who can apply
The Fund is open to Fellows who have completed their overseas learning, had their report approved for publication, and have not previously received an Activate grant. For the 2026 round, reports must be published by 27 March 2026. Eligible Fellows will be invited to apply each year, and repeat applications are welcome.
We also encourage joint applications to support interdisciplinary and intergenerational approaches, with one Fellow acting as lead applicant.
What Activate will support
Applications should reflect the breadth of the Fellowship and the issues Fellows are tackling across the UK. We expect projects to be focused on at least one of these pathways to change:
- Seed funding to set up a new organisation
- Pilot projects to test ideas
- Organising and mobilising to create change
“The Activate Fund gave me the resources to test our offer, learn through doing, and secure other sources of funding to help us develop the infrastructure and ultimately turn what was once a dream into a reality.” – John Harrison CF 2019, Activate grantee
Funding cycles and number of grants
The Fund will run for at least five annual cycles, giving Fellows time to plan their projects. We expect to award 20 grants in 2026, increasing to 30 by 2028. Three grants in each of the first three years will be awarded to nurses as part of our partnership with The Burdett Trust.
Turning ideas into action
Case studies from our 2020 pilot show how an Activate grant can help Fellows put their learning into practice and drive change.
If you have any further questions you can get in touch with our Head of Activate.
Who can apply
The Fund is open to Fellows who have completed their overseas learning, had their report approved for publication, and have not previously received an Activate grant. For the 2026 round, reports must be published by 27 March 2026. Eligible Fellows will be invited to apply each year, and repeat applications are welcome.
We also encourage joint applications to support interdisciplinary and intergenerational approaches, with one Fellow acting as lead applicant.
What Activate will support
Applications should reflect the breadth of the Fellowship and the issues Fellows are tackling across the UK. We expect projects to be focused on at least one of these pathways to change:
- Seed funding to set up a new organisation
- Pilot projects to test ideas
- Organising and mobilising to create change
“The Activate Fund gave me the resources to test our offer, learn through doing, and secure other sources of funding to help us develop the infrastructure and ultimately turn what was once a dream into a reality.” – John Harrison CF 2019, Activate grantee
Funding cycles and number of grants
The Fund will run for at least five annual cycles, giving Fellows time to plan their projects. We expect to award 20 grants in 2026, increasing to 30 by 2028. Three grants in each of the first three years will be awarded to nurses as part of our partnership with The Burdett Trust.
Turning ideas into action
Case studies from our 2020 pilot show how an Activate grant can help Fellows put their learning into practice and drive change.
If you have any further questions you can get in touch with our Head of Activate.