Travel grant funding opportunity

UK secondary schools with established partnerships with French schools are invited to apply for a one-off grant of up to £5,000 to support international travel for young people. Applications are open until 31 January 2025.

The Lefèvre Trust is offering grant funding to support reciprocal visits between young people and educators from schools in the UK and France engaged in sustainable, curriculum-based partnerships. These visits enable young people to experience the culture and language of another country and provide educators with opportunities to learn from different educational practices. This collaboration leads to improvements in teaching and better learning outcomes for young people.

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Key details

  • The deadline for applications is 31 January 2025.
  • The maximum grant per partnership is £5,000.
  • International travel funded through this grant must include young people.
  • This is a one-off opportunity; there will not be any further grant rounds in the future.
  • Grants will be distributed between January and March 2025. 
  • Travel must take place between 1 February 2025 and 1 July 2025.
  • To apply for this funding, you must be a state-funded UK secondary school and have an existing partnership with a school in France.

Additional information

Grant money will only be disbursed to the UK partner school in pounds sterling. The funds are intended to facilitate meaningful travel experiences but cannot be used for entrance fees to tourist attractions or the purchase of equipment such as laptops or mobile phones. However, they can support passport or visa costs for young people who might not otherwise be able to participate. Travel can occur in either direction, from the UK to France or from France to the UK, if reciprocal visits are not possible.

Recipients are required to follow a two-step reporting process, submitting an interim report three months after funding is awarded and a final report with financial reconciliation upon completion of the travel activities. 

About the Lefèvre Trust

The Lefèvre Trust was set up to enable groups of young people aged 11 to 19 from the UK and France to work together on joint projects. This programme from the Lefèvre Trust supports collaboration between the UK and France through education partnerships that offer young people an international and intercultural experience. By supporting school partnerships and collaborative curriculum projects between the UK and France, the programme aims to give more young people the knowledge, skills and understanding to work not only bilaterally but in a global context. It also encourages them to contribute responsibly to society, both locally and globally. It recognises that young people require high-quality education and international opportunities, and that countries that provide these are more likely to offer stable societies and economic opportunity.

For any enquiries, please email: Rachel.Flatman@britishcouncil.org