Open Door Fund
Opening the doors of evaluation for everyone
Opening doors to all voices and perspectives, so everyone who wants to contribute can take part in shaping the future of evaluation.
Opportunities in Participation, Evaluation and Networking, the Open Door Fund supports fairness, inclusion, and opportunity for all.
What is the Open Door Fund?
We believe evaluation should be open, inclusive, and accessible to all. Yet for some, the cost or additional requirements involved in attending our training, events or conferences can be a real barrier—particularly for those at the start of their careers, working in smaller organisations, or from under-represented communities.
That’s why we set up the Open Door Fund—opening up access to our training events and conferences for people who might otherwise be unable to take part.
- Support towards the cost of a ticket to our annual conference or a training course; or other support you may need to enable you to attend, for example, childcare/accommodation/travel.
- The Open Door Fund runs parallel to our special savings for certain member groups, such as charities and students.
- Applications are welcome from members and non-members.
- This fund is offered in addition to your statutory rights. The UK Evaluation Society is committed to meeting all legal requirements around reasonable adjustments.
- All applications are reviewed anonymously.
Opening Doors
To provide support to individuals facing barriers to professional learning and development opportunities.
Power of Giving
To enable individuals and organisations to help and support others on their evaluation journey.
Why it matters
Behind every decision that shapes our schools, hospitals, and communities lies a simple question: is it making a difference?
Evaluation helps us answer that—not with opinion, but with evidence grounded in people’s real lives.
The Open Door Fund helps remove barriers so that more people, from more backgrounds, can participate in shaping the evidence that improves public services, supports better decision-making, and ensures public money is used wisely.
At its heart, the fund is about fairness: opening doors to opportunity, learning, and professional growth.
Building a more inclusive evaluation community
The fund sits within our wider approach to diversity, equity and inclusion, focusing on access to training and professional development. We believe anyone—regardless of their background or circumstance—should be able to grow their skills and career in evaluation.
While we continue to develop programmes to support greater inclusion, the Open Door Fund is one way we can make participation possible for people with particular needs or challenges, above and beyond our statutory requirements.
How the fund works
The Open Door Fund provides additional support to help people attend training and conferences. Funding is limited and assessed on a case-by-case basis. All applications are anonymised before review to help ensure fairness and reduce bias.
It can cover:
Part or all of a registration fee or ticket cost
Travel, accommodation or childcare costs
Accessibility needs or adjustments
Other reasonable expenses that enable participation
- 31 December 2025
- 31 March 2026
- 30 June 2026
- 30 September 2026
Please note: The deadline for applying for support for the 2026 conference in Sheffield is 31st March 2026. However, we will consider any applications submitted by 31st December 2025 in the first round of awards from the Open Door fund.
We can only accept one application per person for each event or activity. In that one application, you can ask for help with a single cost (like a ticket) or several costs, such as travel and accommodation.
This scheme operates in addition to our existing discounts for charities, students and other member groups. It is open to anyone who meets the criteria.
Who is eligible?
The Open Door Fund is open to anyone who may face barriers to attending our conference or accessing our training. We particularly welcome applications from people:
from less privileged socio-economic backgrounds
with caring responsibilities
who experience physical or mental health barriers to participation
with a disability or neurodiversity requiring additional support
This list is not exhaustive. If your circumstances are not mentioned but you believe support would help you take part, we encourage you to apply. All applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis.
UK and international applicants
As a UK-registered charity, our support is primarily focused on applicants based in the United Kingdom where financial assistance can make a meaningful difference. We will, however, consider international applications where there is a clear opportunity to strengthen evaluation in the UK. If applying from abroad, please outline how you would contribute to UK evaluation practice, for example by sharing learning, expertise or experience with our community.
How applications are assessed
Applications are reviewed by a panel using the information you provide in the form, so please make sure every section is completed. The panel includes a lead trustee, a UK Evaluation Society volunteer from the conference committee, and a member of our staff team.
To help reduce unconscious bias, all applications are anonymised before being assessed.
Next steps
If you face barriers—financial, practical, or otherwise—that make it difficult to attend a training event or conference, you can apply for support through the Open Door Fund.
We particularly welcome applications from:
People from less privileged socio-economic backgrounds
Those with caring responsibilities
Individuals with disabilities, neurodiversity, or health-related barriers to participation
Anyone whose circumstances make attendance challenging
Applications are simple and confidential, and we aim to respond within three weeks of the closing date. Please read the application guide before applying.
Your support helps someone else walk through the open door—to learn, connect, and contribute to better evaluation and stronger public services.
You can:
Donate online as an individual supporter
Sponsor the fund as an organisation or partner
Raise awareness by sharing the fund across your network
Your contribution enables a peer to access learning, resources and networking that can strengthen their career, enrich our community, contribute to better evaluation and stronger public services, charity programmes or international development. Together, we can ensure talented evaluators get the opportunities they need to thrive.
To help launch the new Open Door Fund, Fiona Larner, Vice-Chair of the UK Evaluation Society, is taking on an extraordinary challenge—100km of Race to the Stones, following the UK’s oldest footpath to raise vital support for evaluators facing real-life barriers.
Discover the story
Read the story behind the Open Door Fund and what led to Fiona taking on this epic fundraising challenge.