Who is eligible to apply for an award?

To be eligible to apply, your charity must have:

• A registered charity number
• At least one paid full-time member of staff in a leadership position
• Delivered a service for at least two years
• Income of less than £5 million per year
• Provide direct services to beneficiaries or take practical action on the environment 
• A degree of financial stability that enables full engagement in the programme 
• A majority of activity or beneficiaries based in the North or Midlands of England or Wales. To check that your area is eligible to apply to the Awards, take a look at our full location list here.
• A willingness to meet in person for three out of eight meetings (two in London and one at your charity's location).

Your charity must also be working to alleviate disadvantage in one or more of the following fields:

• Community: This includes volunteering work, practical projects to improve an area, running community centres and providing a range of services for their local community, especially for those who may be vulnerable or in need.
  
  
• Environment: This includes practical action around sustainable land use and fishing, renewable energy, recycling schemes, biodiversity, species preservation, marine life, education, climate change science and conservation.
  
  
• Welfare: This includes helping adults experiencing exclusion, social or economic hardship; people experiencing homelessness; people who are at risk of offending or reoffending; and charities supporting older people or people with disabilities.
  
  
• Youth: This includes providing services to children and young people up to the age of 25, such as offering advice and guidance, work experience, training and coaching. Schools are not eligible to apply to the Awards.

Charities that have applied previously can apply again, but only if there has been significant changes in their circumstances.

Winners will be selected based on their willingness to benefit from Pilotlight 360. The leader of the charity applying must be willing to travel to central London for a minimum of four out of ten meetings.