Grants and funding to run CREST

Grants and funding to run CREST

OPEN: Funding from the Greater London Authority (GLA) for CREST Awards in London

The Mayor's London Scientist scheme is funded by the GLA. CREST SuperStar, Discovery and Bronze Awards are free for all pupils who attend a state school in Greater London which meets at least ONE of the four criteria below. The scheme runs until July 2021 but there are a limited number of funded awards available. You will need a voucher code to access the funded awards.
  1. Over 30% pupils receiving pupil premium funding
  2. Over 75% pupils from ethnic minority backgrounds
  3. All pupil referral and alternative provision units   
  4. All SEND schools
Get a voucher code: To receive a voucher code for the Mayor's London Scientist project, please send us an email from your school email account with your name, school name, school postcode and the criteria which your school meets.

More information 

OPEN: Mewburn Ellis funding for CREST Awards in 4 x cities


Mewburn Ellis LLP, one of Europe’s leading intellectual property firms, is offering free Awards and funding for schools serving disadvantaged students in each of its four UK office locations: Bristol, Cambridge, London* and Manchester.

      *We have multiple funding opportunities in London. To access the most relevant funding for a school in London, please get in touch with Primary Science Education Consultancy.

The funding will cover Award fees at all levels (Star/SuperStar, Discovery, Bronze, Silver & Gold) for eligible schools between October 2020 – August 2021. In addition to supporting around 1,000 students through the free Awards scheme, Mewburn Ellis is also providing £100 additional funding to invest in resources for the first ten schools per region to register.

If your school is in Bristol (with a school postcode beginning with BS), Cambridge (with a school postcode beginning with CB or PE) or Manchester (with a school postcode beginning with M) and you meet one of the following criteria, then you can register your interest by getting in touch with your Regional CREST Support Organisation (RCSO). You will need a voucher code to access the funded awards. The voucher code will be valid until the 31 August 2021.
  1. Over 30% pupils receiving pupil premium funding
  2. Over 30% pupils from ethnic minority backgrounds
  3. All pupil referral and alternative provision units   
  4. All SEND schools
  5. Schools who have a rural postcode*
*In a postcode listed as any type of “Rural” area under their government’s Rural Urban classification system. You can look up the Area Type for any UK postcode at https://www.ukpostcodecheck.com/

Claim your voucher code - please fill in the relevant form linked below and your Regional CREST Support Organisation will get in touch with you directly.
      Bristol: Fill in this form via STEM Works
      Cambridge: Fill in this form via STEMPOINT East
      London Fill in this form via Primary Science Education Consultancy
      Manchester: Fill in this form via All about STEM

CLOSED: Funding to run CREST Awards with underrepresented audiences 
If registration and support costs are a barrier to running CREST, grants of up to £600 are now available to support and enable schools and organisations to run CREST Awards with young people underrepresented in STEM. More information 

CLOSED: British Science Week funding
This scheme offers grants for schools in challenging circumstances to organise their own events as part of British Science Week, including CREST Award related activities. There are three options available:

  • Kick Start grant: A grant of up to £300 for your school to run an activity
  • Kick Start More grant: A grant of up to £700 for your school to host a science event or activity which involves your students and the local community
  • Kick Start Youth grant: A grant of £150 for your school to run an activity during British Science Week organised by students

More information 

Funding from external organisations

If none of the above are suitable for your needs, one of the following grants from other organisations might be suitable: 

  • Royal Society Partnership Grants of up to £3000 are available to schools to enable students, aged 5 – 18, to carry out science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) projects;

  • Institute of Physics, School Grants Scheme provides schools with grants of up to £600 for projects or events linked to the teaching or promotion of physics or engineering;

  • Engineering education grant scheme provides support for UK-based educational projects that aim to increase engineering knowledge in young people aged 5 – 19. Supported by the IMechE and IET;

  • Institute of Mathematics: Education Grant Scheme Individuals in secondary schools, Colleges of Further Education (FE) and Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) in the United Kingdom can apply for a grant to help with the costs of running or attending an educational activity relating to mathematics. Grants can be made up to £600;

  • Royal Society of Chemistry: Educational Grants Scheme funds small educational projects in schools and colleges enhancing the learning (and teaching) experience in relation to chemistry for students (and teachers);

  • The Raspberry Pi Education Fund funding to foster and support projects that help advance the education and understanding of computing of children aged between 5 and 18 years of age. 


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