1001 CRITICAL DAYS:
CHARITY GRANTS

We partner with charities who share our passion for improving outcomes for babies during their first 1001 critical days.

CHARITY GRANT FUNDING

We provide multi-year grants to charities demonstrating measurable impact on improving outcomes for babies, and those that deliver integrated services through family hubs and other ‘one-stop shop’ models across the UK.

While our long-term aim is to expand our support for 1001 days charities internationally, we currently support UK-based charities whose work takes place in the UK.

DELIVERING THE BEST OUTCOMES FOR BABIES 

We always prioritise projects and initiatives that deliver the greatest impact for babies. There are many services and causes available to children and parents, but we are focused on improving outcomes for as many babies as possible by supporting parents and caregivers, from pregnancy and throughout the whole perinatal period, to give every baby the best start in life.

OUR FUNDING FOCUS

We award grants to UK registered charities delivering work which supports babies during the 1001 critical days – from pregnancy to the age of two.

We currently support UK-based charities. In time, we will expand this to fund charities supporting babies around the world.

We hope to fund a variety of projects, reflecting the diverse ways in which babies and families might need additional support. This could include, but is by no means limited to:

  • Support during pregnancy such as antenatal education programmes

  • Infant feeding support

  • Parenting programmes

  • Parent-infant relationship support

  • Perinatal mental health support

You can apply for up to £100,000 per year for up to five years.  

Check out our guidelines for more information on what we are hoping to fund and our application process.

GRANT APPLICATIONS

The application window for our first round of charity grants has now closed and we have been overwhelmed by the number of submissions received.

This is an exciting time for the 1001 Critical Days Foundation and we look forward to reviewing each application with a view to awarding a total of £1 million in this funding round.

We will be launching a second funding round later in 2025, so watch this space for further updates.

The deadline for our first round has now closed.

A second funding round will open later in 2025. Watch this space for more information.

To see if your organisation is eligible, read our full guidelines.

A second funding round will open later in 2025. Watch this space for more information.

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  • “Over the past two decades, the importance of the 1001 Critical Days has been widely acknowledged. However, there is still a ‘baby blindspot’ in many children’s services and there is an urgent need for more research that demonstrates ‘what works’ in a cost-effective way. The 1001 Critical Days Foundation will provide funding for services and research that will shine a spotlight on ways in which to improve outcomes for all babies.”

    — Professor Jane Barlow, University of Oxford

  • “The Family Hubs and Start for Life programme has made a real and lasting difference to babies and their families here in Hull. It’s enabled us to create a welcoming space for every parent and baby, while also providing tailored support to those who need a little extra help. The programme really is helping us to support parents to give their babies the best start for life.”

    — Hull Family Hubs

INFORMATION & RESOURCES

WHY PARTNER WITH US?

Our team has a combined total of over 100 years of experience working in public policy, early development and at the highest levels of government and finance.

By building on our collective expertise, and through working collaboratively, we can bring about transformative change in the way support is delivered in the 1001 critical days across the UK and around the world.

We have a deep understanding of the unique needs of babies, and how to support parents and carers to give their baby the best start in life. That’s why we are the UK’s only grant-giving charity that is dedicated exclusively to babies from pregnancy to age two.

By partnering with us, we can bring about truly meaningful change in the way frontline services are delivered and help give more support to parents and carers to give their baby the best start in life.