Who can apply
Through this new grant programme we aim to support charities and organisations to make an immediate impact for disabled people, by awarding funding to improve and expand their access to good quality affordable wheelchairs. We are focussed on awarding grants in this area that:
- Fill current gaps in provision for groups of people who are excluded from receiving help from existing sources/providers.
- Enable charities and organisations to help individuals by topping up self-funding.
- Raise awareness of the challenges faced by disabled people in obtaining suitable, quality and affordable wheelchairs.
- Support programmes to help fund high quality and affordable equipment.
- Supports schemes, programmes and initiatives that already exist, and which provide best practice solutions, but need further support to remain operational or scale up the service they can provide to help more disabled people.
Please note, these grants are for charities and organisations only. Individuals cannot apply for help with wheelchair funding through this grant programme. If any of the above are relevant to your charity or organisation, please take some time to read further down this website page and review the documents included with our guidance for applicants section below.
Why are we doing this?
Using a wide range of research including insight from Motability Foundation grantees, other disabled people and representative organisations, wheelchairs have been identified as a priority area for focus and investment.
For people who use them, wheelchairs are absolutely necessary for access to basic mobility.
Challenges to accessing appropriate, quality and affordable wheelchairs can have a severe and longstanding impact on the lives of disabled people and their ability to access and use all forms of transport.
Our research has shown that up to two thirds of disabled people have struggled to find a suitable wheelchair.
Estimates from our research with NatCen and from NHS England suggest anywhere between 480,000 and 1.2 million disabled people use a wheelchair.
- Challenges include delays, poor information, fit and suitability
- Individuals and organisations also report that there is a ‘postcode lottery’ where each wheelchair service has differing eligibility criteria, which are in place to try to balance demand against the actual cost of running the service.
To help address this problem now, charities and organisations can apply for grants from £100,000 to £4 million at any point over the next three years.
To find out more about our research please read our reports.
Guidance for applicants
If you would like any of the following documents in an alternative format such as Easy Read, please complete our Grants to Organisations and Charities online form and an allocated Grant Manager will get back to you.
