The main way to access SHINE funding and support is through Let Teachers SHINE, our annual competition open to all practising teachers in England.

Applications are accepted from mid-October to mid-January.

Secondary schools in Sunderland can also apply for funding from SHINE Sunderland, our 10-year £11 million fund that is working to improve outcomes across the city.

SHINE is far more than just a funder. We also offer the teachers and schools we work with a comprehensive package of support.

Evaluating impact

All project leads are supported through hands-on workshops to understand how to effectively measure their impact. We will help you to develop a “Theory of Change”, which provides a clear explanation of how and why your project will achieve the desired outcomes. This process helps maintain focus and measure progress.

Networking opportunities

SHINE brings together innovative, like-minded teachers to foster collaboration and share best practice. For 25 years, we have worked alongside some of the brightest minds in education, building a network across the North and beyond. To strengthen these connections, we encourage our teachers to engage with one another through regular coffee meet-ups and other collaborative opportunities.

Specialist support

Our experienced grants team are on hand to offer support and advice to the teachers and schools we work with, throughout the life of a project. We also provide comms support and legal advice when needed. SHINE teachers can also take part in workshops on specific areas, such as scaling of projects,  delivering long-term impact and communicating your success.

You don’t need to be a SHINE grant recipient to get your school or setting involved in our projects.

SHINE has helped evaluate and develop high-impact interventions which are already scaling up across the North and are actively looking to expand into new settings.

Here are the details of some SHINE-recommended projects you could get involved with.