PetPlan Charitable Trust
Overview
There are two grant rounds each year – WELFARE and SCIENTIFIC.
Last year, the Petplan Charitable Trust awarded over £850,000 in grants to animal welfare charities and institutions both in the UK and abroad. You can find out about some of the many projects they support, here.
You must be a charity or scientific institution to apply.
Welfare Grants
Funding size - £5,000 to £25,000.
- Applications for WELFARE grants are now CLOSED.
- The next round of grant applications will open in autumn 2025.
Criteria
1. Applicants must have registered charity status. Grants will not be given to enable charities to attain registered status.
2. Grant applications must demonstrate:
- A direct benefit to one or more of the species supported by Petplan Ltd (i.e. dogs, cats, horses and rabbits). Grants to human charities will be considered when it can be clearly demonstrated that the grant will enhance/give support to the animals’ best interests.
- Education is seen as an important role for the welfare arm of the Charitable Trust and requests for funding for education in animal welfare will be considered.
- Animal ‘assisted therapy’ charities will be considered, however there is a requirement to detail the current and future (long term) welfare needs of the animals. Staff abilities and training will be an important factor.
- Applications are given preference when the animal welfare benefit is clearly demonstrated.
- Frequency of grants – charities receiving grants should not expect to be successful in their applications every year. If a charity has been successful in two consecutive years there will be a requirement for a two year break before applying again.
- Large charities with multiple branches should co-ordinate and send one application only.
3. Applicants must include:
- EXTRACTS from most recent audited annual accounts (only the pages specified – please do not include full accounts)
- labelled photographs of buildings (inside and out) where the animals are housed
- name and contact number of veterinary surgeon as a reference.
Failure to include the above WILL result in the application being rejected.
4. All applicants for grants must complete the grant application form in full and must supply any other information requested by the Committee. In some cases a personal visit may be made
5. Applicants should ensure that they are aware of and comply with all guidance issued by the Fundraising Regulator.
6. Successful applicants must send a report on progress of any funded work by the end of January in the year following the award, along with details of any resulting publicity.
7. Grants for new animal housing and repairs:
- The land on which the buildings stand must be owned by the receiving charity, not by one of the officers or committee members.
- There must be adequate staffing of such animal housing to allow liberal access to those who are considering giving an animal a home.
- Those requesting funding for a building programme will be expected to produce planning permission acceptance and to submit copies of the appropriate drawings.
- If a grant is requested for building repair, the charity should be able to show funds available for normally 12 months running costs. Sufficient salaried staff should be employed to run the kennels properly and to comply with the requirements of the law as outlined in the Animal Welfare Act, Boarding Establishment Act 1983, Riding Establishment Act and any future appropriate legislation.
8. Applicants for grants must be able to demonstrate a reasonable record for rehoming. Grants will not be made to those rescues that want to keep rescued animals permanently as their own, nor to those who take in more animals that they can reasonably cope with. Personal visits may be made to rescue/rehoming centres to check on the conditions of rescued animals.
9. Charities operating in the UK will be given priority, but on occasion applications from charities working overseas will be considered, providing they are registered in the UK.
WELFARE GRANT Terms and Conditions
Scientific Grants
These are scientific study awards for dogs, cats, horses and rabbits.
There are two categories: PUMP PRIMER and INITIAL SCIENTIFIC. The next round of applications opens in October 2025.
- Pump Primer is for pilot studies. These usually run for 1 year. It is envisaged that some of these pilot studies will lead to larger research projects. They have increased the PUMP PRIMER grant to £12,500.
- Initial Scientific. These awards are for larger studies that may run for 1 to 3 years. They require an initial application form. Successful initial applications will lead to full application and interview.
Applicants in private practice must provide ethical approval for the proposed study from the RCVS.
- Applications for 2024 INITIAL SCIENTIFIC grants are now CLOSED.
- Applications for 2024 PUMP PRIMER grants are now CLOSED.
ALL SCIENTIFIC APPLICANTS MUST COMPLY FULLY WITH THEIR ETHICS POLICY AS FOLLOWS:
The Petplan Charitable Trust will support studies on natural disease conditions in companion animals, to prevent their occurrence, provide a cure or eliminate suffering.
Its support is limited exclusively to subjects of accepted clinical importance and of concern to the general public and studies must be of a non-invasive nature.
The Trust will under no circumstances make grants for studies that use experimental animals.