Kick Start Grants

Kick Start Grants help schools in challenging circumstances to organise their own activities and events as part of British Science Week.

Grant applications for British Science Week 2025 are now closed.


Our mission

Is your school keen to run events for British Science Week, but in need of a helping hand?

With the support of UK Research and Innovation, we provide Kick Start Grants to help schools in challenging circumstances organise their own activities and events during British Science Week. Usually opened in autumn, the grant scheme aims to engage children who might not otherwise choose to participate in science, and to promote cross-curricular learning. All kinds of events and activities are eligible for support!

About the Kick Start Grants

We have made some improvements to the Kick Start Grants.

Instead of having four grants of different amounts, we’ve simplified things and there is now one grant of £400 for your school to run science activities during British Science Week. The Kick Start Grant we gave out in previous years was worth £300, so the majority of recipients will receive more money!

This year, we also have an exciting opportunity with the CREST Awards scheme: CREST is the British Science Association’s flagship education programme for student-led project work in the STEM subjects. Once students complete CREST projects, they are recognised with CREST Awards certificates from the British Science Association. This year, successful Kick Start Grant applicants who do CREST projects in their school will be able to get up to £350 CREST Awards for free! That’s enough to recognise and reward a whole year group in many secondary schools, or even a whole primary school!

Including CREST in your British Science Week plans can be a great way to extend your students’ learning and help them think and behave like scientists and engineers. For suitable project ideas and inspiration to include in your plans, check out the free CREST resource library.

Find out about eligibility, our priorities and more

The opportunity to join British Science Association’s Engage Teacher Network

This year, applicants will be invited to join the British Science Association’s Engage Teacher Network, a community of teachers in schools in challenging circumstances who share ideas, access inspiring resources and apply for grants to help bring science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) to life for all young people.

Successful case studies and example activities

For more inspiration, check out our case studies of grant recipients from previous British Science Weeks:

Kick Start Grant – successful case studies and example activities

You can also refer to our latest video of tips we summarised on how to create a successful application.

Free webinar: the top tips for Kick Start Grant applications

Thinking of applying for a Kick Start Grant and want the best chance for success? Hear about the top tips for applications explained by British Science Association colleagues.

The webinar was held online via MS Teams on 9 October 2024. You can now watch the webinar recording.

Watch the webinar recording

If you have any questions, please contact us at [email protected]