Engage funding

To write the best possible application for either the Engage Grant or Engage Simply CREST schemes, we recommend that you consider these ABCs of advice for your grant submission:

A - Are you eligible?

Before applying, make certain you meet all the eligibility criteria. We will only assess applications from schools that are eligible. 

B - BSA priorities

Make sure your plans fit British Science Association (BSA) priorities and aligns with our vision and mission. 

Explain which parts of your planned activities address specific BSA priorities, and how they do so. 

Your activities do not have to meet all the BSA priorities; focus on demonstrating how you meet some of them rather than listing those you have considered, without explaining how they are being addressed.

Review all information in the Engage funding FAQs for other important details such as what the funding can be spent on and other grant conditions. 

C - Clear & credible planning

Describe your plans clearly but concisely.

Identify which activities you require the funding for, and any other additional funding you have secured.

Your budget does not have to be detailed but must be realistic and linked to the planned activities clearly. You do not need to provide receipts. 

You can see everything you will be asked for in your application in the linked document. 

The type of CREST activities you run is up to you and depends on the needs of your pupils and the resources at your disposal. We assess applications for the Engage Grant and Engage Simply CREST funding against the funding priorities below. 

You need not meet all these priorities, but your application(s) should identify the priorities your activity will address. You application will stand out more if you give specific details about how you will meet two or three of these priorities, rather than mentioning several without demonstrating how the planned activities address them. 

We aim for a broad geographical spread of funded schools and may prioritise one region over another, if necessary, to achieve this.  

There is still more work to be done to ensure equitable access and participation within STEM subjects. When science is not accessible to all, not only does society fail to benefit fully from a diverse science and innovation sector, but young people are excluded from the possibilities of a rewarding career in the sciences. 

The Engage funding aims to help UK schools in challenging circumstances run CREST Awards with students who are underrepresented in STEM, this includes: 

1. Young people from some ethnic minority backgrounds. 

2. Girls and non-binary young people. 

3.  Young people experiencing economic disadvantage. 

4. Young people with additional needs or disabilities. 

You can enter your school’s postcode at UK postcode check and check the census data. Any categorisation that contains ‘rural’ is eligible including:

'Accessible Rural Area'

'Rural Hamlet And Isolated Dwellings'

'Rural Village area'

'Rural Town And Fringe area'

If you are unsure if your school qualifies as rural please email us, including your school's postcode, at crest@britishscienceassociation.org.

The CREST Awards give young people the opportunity to do open-ended STEM project work. The number of hours of project work required to obtain a CREST Award differs for the six types (or ‘levels’) of the Award, reflecting the age and ability of the child or young person. So, for example, a Star CREST Award (typically for a child aged 3-7) requires the completion of 6-8 one hour project activities whereas a Gold CREST Award (a long-term project undertaken by young people typically 16+) requires a time investment of 70+ hours. Students don’t need to work through the different levels [i.e. gaining a Bronze Award before the Silver Award] – just choose the CREST Award most suitable for your learners. 

CREST activities/project work typically undertaken by primary pupils can be delivered all at once – for example with a CREST Discovery Day or a collection of challenges in a primary school ‘drop down day’. Alternatively, the activities can be delivered in curriculum time over a term or more, or in a science club. You will need to consider what will work best for your class. 

The CREST Silver and Gold projects are submitted to the BSA to be reviewed by a trained CREST Assessor. For all of the other Awards, you as the educator assess the pupils’ work and order the high-quality printed certificates to award to pupils and recognise their individual achievements. 

There is a wealth of project resources ready to pick up and go in the CREST Resource Library – the Getting Started Guides are particularly helpful. You can also hear the experience of other teachers who have run CREST Awards at their schools in the case studies here and read more tips about getting started with CREST Awards in this article in the CREST Help Centre.  

If you have any questions at all, reach out to us at crest@britishscienceassociation.org.

If you are awarded an Engage Grant you will receive £350 in grant money as well as up to £350 worth of CREST Awards.

Engage Simply CREST is a simpler application and successful applicants receive only the £350 worth of CREST Awards. There is no cash grant.

You can submit an application for both Engage Simply CREST and an Engage Grant in the same grant round, but we will not award both to the same school.

We urge you to consider what level of support is most appropriate for your needs and apply accordingly. The Engage Grant comes with the same value of free CREST Awards as Engage Simply CREST: £350.  The difference is whether or not your CREST activities rely on the additional cash sum available only from the Engage Grant. 

There are two grants rounds: one in the autumn term and one in the spring term.  In each round a school can submit a maximum of one application for Engage Simply CREST and one Engage Grant application. If more than one application per scheme is received from a school, we will discard all but the final application received before the deadline. A school will not be awarded both an Engage Grant and Engage Simply CREST support in the same round. 

The BSA also offers Kick Start Grants for British Science Week. Applications for Kick Start are open only in the autumn term. You can apply for a Kick Start Grant and Engage funding in the same grant round. 

We don’t currently offer a multi-school application. Please apply as an individual school but let us know if you are working in cooperation with other applicants. On your application indicate which activities in the joint plan you are seeking funding for. Each linked application will be judged on its own merits and eligibility.

The Engage Grant is £350. Successful applicants will also be provided with a voucher that will cover up to £350 of CREST Award fees due when you apply for the CREST Awards.

When planning your CREST Award activities, we encourage you to prioritise local suppliers and partners and plan with sustainability in mind; investing in equipment and materials that are reusable, limiting the use of single-use plastic, and avoiding food and other waste. 

Here are some suggestions and restrictions on how you can spend the Engage Grant funds: 

Engage Grant funding CAN be used for:
Equipment, materials and consumables.
Field trips.
Speakers or presenters (We are unlikely to fund plans where the whole budget is for an external speaker or show as it is not in the spirit of the CREST Awards designed for young people to take ownership of their project work.).
A delivery partner to conduct CREST activities with pupils.

Engage Grant funding CANNOT be used for:
Competition prizes.
Large equipment such as microscopes, laptops.
Journal subscriptions.
Salary costs.
Costs associated with an activity or event that has already taken place.
Costs already covered by other funding.
Costs for activities not essential to the delivery of activities toward pupils’ CREST Awards. 

We don’t tend to fund proposals in which the whole grant will be used to pay for a show or speaker as we feel the benefits of the CREST Awards are more likely to be realised when young people take the lead on their project work. 

However, you might consider arranging a visit from a STEM Ambassador, or inviting family members who work in science-related professions, to support CREST activities. It is a great opportunity to consider how your choice of speaker(s)/helper(s) can introduce pupils to careers they might never have encountered before and demonstrate diversity in STEM.  

The deadline for Engage Grant applications in the spring round round is 5 pm on Tuesday 04 February 2025.

Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application by email in March. If successful, payments will be made into the nominated bank account in April 2025.

If you wish to start planning your activities in advance of knowing the outcome of your application, please note that the British Science Association is not liable for any lost deposits or payments if your grant application is unsuccessful.

The Engage Grant scheme is popular and regrettably we must turn down many applications each year.  

Although we realise that this will be disappointing, we encourage applicants to have a back-up plan for a smaller scale approach to the CREST Awards if their application for a grant is unsuccessful. There are many things which can be done at low cost or even for free, for example inviting a STEM Ambassador volunteer to your school to support classroom activities. There are lots of great ideas in the CREST Resource Library, including ‘On a Shoestring’ collections. If you are unsuccessful this year, we encourage you to try again in the next round! 

Unfortunately, we are unable to provide feedback on individual applications, but you may find it helpful to refer to this 5 minute top tips video.

By applying for a grant, you are agreeing to the following conditions: 

1. The funding must be used for costs associated with projects/activities which enable young people to work toward CREST Awards.  

2. The students’ CREST Awards must be submitted before the end of the academic year (31 July 2025). 

3. You must complete two online organiser evaluation surveys (provided by the BSA); one before and one after completing the CREST Awards and contribute to additional grant programme evaluation such as participating in a focus group. 

4. You must distribute two short feedback forms (provided by the BSA) to the pupil participants, before and after completing the CREST Awards, and return these forms to BSA before the end of the academic year (31 July 2025) 

If for whatever reason you are not able to run the CREST Award activities within the 2024/2025 academic year, the grant money will have to be returned to the British Science Association.  For these reasons, please ensure you have contingency plans in the case of health and safety restrictions or partial school closure. 

If the feedback forms and organisers survey are not completed and returned to us or if your activities differ greatly to those specified in your application, the British Science Association reserves the right to ask for the funding to be returned. 

We know that chick hatching services – that provide an incubator and chicken eggs – are a popular choice for school groups. Similar to butterfly-rearing activities; they provide an opportunity for young people to get up close to animals and learn to make scientific observations. Ethical concerns remain, however, as to the appropriateness of a school setting as a hatching environment and about the aftercare of any hatched animals. 

The British Science Association refers to CLEAPSS on all matters health and safety related. Their student safety sheets provide guidance on how to work in a safe and ethical manner in schools. All CREST projects to be compliant with relevant legislation, and any CREST activities that are considered unsafe or unethical - including those that potentially cause harm or distress to animals - will not be awarded. 

In your grant application you should demonstrate your understanding of the relevant CLEAPPS advice on keeping and handling animals in science practical work, and explain your rationale for selecting live animal handling compared to alternatives (e.g. live nest camera footage from reputable organisations). 

Successful applicants for the spring round of Engage Simply CREST will receive emailed confirmation in March 2025. Shortly thereafter we will provide a voucher code that can be used when submitting your students’ CREST Awards on our online platform (before 31 July 2025). This voucher code will cover up to £350 of CREST Award fees

By applying for Engage Simply CREST support, you are agreeing to the following conditions. 

1. The students’ CREST Awards must be submitted before the end of the academic year (31 July 2025). 

2. You must complete two online organiser evaluation surveys (provided by the British Science Association); one before and one after completing the CREST Awards and contribute to additional grant programme evaluation such as participating in a focus group. 

3. You must distribute two short feedback forms (provided by the British Science Association) to the pupil participants, before and after completing the CREST Awards, and return these forms to British Science Association before the end of the academic year (31 July 2025).