What is an expression of interest for a grant?

An expression of interest is the short first stage of a two-stage grant application. You describe your organisation, the work, who benefits and the amount you need, the funder screens it against its priorities, and only the organisations it invites go on to write a full application. The National Lottery Heritage Fund's guidance for grants of £250,000 to £10 million puts it directly: "You must first submit an Expression of Interest and, if you are successful, we will invite you to apply."

Why it matters when applying. The expression of interest is where most applications to large funders end. Esmée Fairbairn Foundation reported that 5% of the expressions of interest it received through its website in 2025 went on to a grant, so the first stage deserves the same care as a full bid, and the decision to submit one deserves the same research. How to apply to Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and how to apply to Garfield Weston Foundation, whose major grants of £100,000 or more start with an expression of interest, show two versions of the process.

Timing. Funders publish how long the first stage takes: the Heritage Fund aimed to respond within 20 working days and Esmée Fairbairn within four to six weeks on 26 October 2026. An invitation to the second stage then starts a longer clock, often three months or more to a decision. Rolling programmes remove the deadline but not these waits.

Example. A fictional heritage charity seeking £400,000 submits an expression of interest to the Heritage Fund in November, hears in December, and if invited writes its development-phase application over the following months. It records both dates in its grant application tracker.