What British Skin Foundation does

The British Skin Foundation is a UK charitable incorporated organisation founded in 1996 and headquartered at 4 Fitzroy Square, London. It is the UK's only charity dedicated to funding research into all types of skin disease and skin cancer, and since founding has cumulatively raised £22.8 million and supported more than 500 research projects, with 70% of funded researchers remaining in dermatology afterwards. The organisation operates with a lean team of 1–10 employees and is governed independently, with funding decisions driven by expert peer review and scientific merit rather than external influence.

Its core offerings fall into three functional areas. First, a research funding platform comprising a ladder of grant programmes (Studentships, Young Investigator Awards, Fellowships, Small Grants, Large Grants, Research Awards) plus disease-specific joint grants run with the British Society for the Study of Vulval Disease, the British Society for Paediatric and Adolescent Dermatology, the Skin Health Alliance, and the Royal Society of Medicine. Second, public-facing educational resources including an A-Z of Skin conditions database, a Skin Stories content library, and a Find Your Nearest Clinic tool (built on Google Maps) covering the UK and Republic of Ireland. Third, a donor and fundraising infrastructure supporting one-time and recurring donations, tribute gifts, and event-based fundraising such as the London to Brighton cycle ride. Digital delivery is provided via the britishskinfoundation.org.uk website, newsletter subscription, and social media channels; the website is partially compliant with WCAG 2.2 AA.

The business model is donation-led philanthropy. Revenue is generated from individuals, corporate partners (including Andrex, Cetraben, Garnier Ambre Solaire, Persil, Sanex, and the British Association of Dermatologists), and fundraising events, with the resulting funds disbursed as charitable research grants. No products or services are sold, no pricing models apply, and the organisation holds no patents, trademarks, or AI/technology assets of note. Customer segments comprise UK-based dermatology researchers (primary grant recipients), patients and the general public (information users), donors and supporters (funding source), and healthcare professionals (referral ecosystem).

Name

British Skin Foundation

Legal name

British Skin Foundation

Website

https://britishskinfoundation.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The British Skin Foundation is a UK charity founded in 1996 that funds dermatology and skin cancer research through grants, public education, and awareness campaigns, serving UK researchers, patients, donors, and healthcare professionals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Skin Disease Research Charity

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Dermatopathology (HLAKACAC), Workforce Development & Training Grants (Public Health) (HLAJALAM)

Keywords

• Skin disease research
• Dermatology research funding
• Skin health charity
• Skin condition education
• Dermatology research grants

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: The British Skin Foundation generates revenue primarily through donations from individuals, corporate partners, and fundraising events. Donors can make one-time or recurring donations, participate in fundraising activities such as the London to Brighton cycle ride, and leave tribute gifts in memory of loved ones.
2. Charitable Grants: The organization awards grants to UK-based dermatology researchers for skin disease and skin cancer research projects, funded by the donations received from supporters and partners.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The British Skin Foundation is the UK's only charity dedicated to funding research into all types of skin disease and skin cancer. It awards grants to UK-based dermatology researchers (Small Grants, Large Grants, Studentships, Fellowships, Young Investigator Awards, and disease-specific awards), provides an evidence-based A-Z of Skin educational resource, operates a clinic finder for dermatologists, runs public awareness campaigns, and accepts donations and fundraising to support its research mission.

Product overview

The British Skin Foundation operates as a charitable organization offering a unified platform of educational resources, research funding programs, and community support services. The core offerings include the A-Z of Skin educational resource covering skin conditions, a clinic finder tool for locating dermatology specialists, and a comprehensive portfolio of research grants (Small Grants, Large Grants, Studentship Awards, Fellowship Awards, Young Investigator Awards, and disease-specific grants). Additional services include Skin Stories patient narratives, donation and fundraising platforms, and a newsletter subscription. Together, these products form a cohesive ecosystem supporting skin health education, research funding, and community awareness.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• A-Z of Skin A comprehensive educational resource providing evidence-based information on common and rare skin conditions, including symptoms, causes, treatments, and self-care guidance, aimed at the general public and patients.
• Find Your Nearest Clinic
• Research Funding Programs
• Research Award
• Young Investigator Award
• Fellowship Award
• Studentship Award
• Small Grant Award
• Louis Forman RSM Fellowship Award
• British Skin Foundation / Skin Health Alliance Renal Transplant Research Award
• British Skin Foundation / British Society for Paediatric and Adolescent Dermatology Small Grant
• British Skin Foundation / British Society for the Study of Vulval Disease Small Grant
• Donation Platform
• Fundraising Tools

Quantifiable outcome

• 500+ research projects funded since 1996
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• British Society for the Study of Vulval Disease (BSSVD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint small grant award program supporting research into skin disease of the vulva. Maximum award of £20,000 per project. Collaboration aims to address under-researched conditions affecting patients with vulval skin disease.
• British Society for Paediatric and Adolescent Dermatology (BSPAD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint small grant program funding research into skin disease affecting children and adolescents. Maximum award of £15,000 per project. Addresses the need for pediatric dermatology research.
• Royal Society of MedicinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLouis Forman RSM Fellowship Award provides funding for a six-month period of training in a specialty allied to Dermatology. Supports clinicians in extending skills beyond dermatology curriculum and fostering collaborative working between complementary disciplines.
• Skin Health AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint award program supporting research into skin disease or skin cancer affecting renal transplant patients. Two-year research award addressing increased skin cancer risk in immunocompromised patients.
• British Association of DermatologistscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate donor and strategic partner in skin health advocacy. Collaborates on public education and awareness campaigns for skin conditions and skin cancer.
• AndrexminorOthersCorporate donor supporting British Skin Foundation research funding initiatives.
• CetrabenminorOthersCorporate donor supporting skin health research and patient education.
• Bond & CoyneminorOthersWebsite development and digital services provider for the British Skin Foundation website.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• British Heart Foundation: UK's largest disease-specific research charity, illustrating the scaled-incumbent UK charity-funding model BSF operates within. Comparable in structure (donation-funded, multi-grant types, retail fundraising), different in disease scope.
• Cancer Research UK: UK's largest cancer research charity, which (unlike BSF) funds cancer research broadly including skin cancer. Comparable as a UK research-funding charity but at much larger scale and broader disease scope.
• Wellcome Trust: Major UK-based biomedical research charity with a fellowship and grant program portfolio that overlaps with BSF's studentship and fellowship grants, but operates at far greater scale across all medical research.

Direct peers

• National Psoriasis Foundation: US non-profit funding psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis research while providing patient education - directly comparable to BSF in mission and structure for a specific skin condition.
• National Alopecia Areata Foundation: US disease-specific research charity funding alopecia areata research and supporting patients - directly comparable as a condition-specific skin-disease research charity.
• National Eczema Association: US-based patient-advocacy and research-funding charity dedicated to eczema, one of the conditions BSF funds. Highly comparable as a skin-disease research charity with patient-facing education programs.
• Psoriasis Association: UK-based charity working specifically on psoriasis, providing patient support and funding psoriasis research - directly comparable to BSF as a smaller UK skin-disease charity with overlapping beneficiary base.
• Skin Cancer Foundation: International non-profit focused on skin cancer education, prevention, and research funding. Direct analog to BSF's skin-cancer pillar with overlapping audiences, grant programs, and corporate partnerships.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bsfcharity
• Facebookfacebook.com/leadingthefightagainstskindisease
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/british-skin-foundation

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about British Skin Foundation