The Road Safety Trust

What The Road Safety Trust does

The Road Safety Trust is an independent UK grant-giving charity, founded in 2016 and registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (No. 1156300) and as a company limited by guarantee (No. 08837451), with a registered office in Manchester. It funds research and practical interventions aimed at reducing deaths and serious injuries on UK roads, with a stated long-term vision of zero road deaths and serious injuries. Its funds are sourced from surpluses gifted at the end of each financial year by its wholly-owned trading subsidiary UKROEd, which operates the National Driver Offender Retraining Scheme (NDORS) on a not-for-profit basis.

The Trust operates a tiered portfolio of four grant programmes — Large Grants (£50,000–£200,000 for themed projects), Small Grants (£10,000–£50,000), Police Road Safety Grants (£10,000–£30,000 over 18 months for UK police forces), and the Agile Fund (up to £20,000 for short, responsive projects). Applications are managed through an online Grantee and Applicant Portal built on Squarespace with Blackbaud Grant Making (Buzzacott) as the back-end grant management system. Supporting its core funding streams, the Trust publishes a Resource Guide of 20+ evidence-led outputs, an Impact Report structured around its proprietary Safe System Wheel framework, case studies, scoping reviews (e.g., Fitness to Drive 2022, Inequalities in Road Safety 2024), and a quarterly "Talk of the Trust" eBulletin via MailChimp. Distribution channels are direct-only via the portal, with no commercial resellers.

The Trust operates with a very small, predominantly home-based team and no central office, and is governed by a Board of Trustees. Recipients are UK-based public sector bodies, charities, universities, police forces and qualifying companies. Cumulative grant deployment is over £13 million across 130+ projects over a decade, with annual grant-out levels of £2–4M and four newly appointed Trustees plus a Deputy CEO since November 2025.

Name

The Road Safety Trust

Legal name

The Road Safety Trust

Website

https://roadsafetytrust.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Road Safety Trust is an independent UK grant-giving charity that funds research and practical interventions to reduce deaths and serious injuries on UK roads, awarding £10k–£200k grants across four programmes to public bodies, universities, charities and police forces.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Manchester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Gift of trading surplus from UKROEd: The Road Safety Trust's funds come from its trading subsidiary company, UKROEd, which operates the National Driver Offender Retraining Scheme (NDORS). UKROEd is a not-for-profit organisation that gifts any surplus to the Road Safety Trust at the end of the financial year. As a small charity with low running costs, the vast majority of this income is used to award grants to road safety initiatives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Road Safety Trust is an independent grant-giving charity that funds UK-based organisations to deliver road safety research, practical interventions, knowledge sharing and education. It operates four complementary grant programmes — Large Grants (£50k–£200k, themed), Small Grants (£10k–£50k), Police Grants (£10k–£30k over 18 months) and the Agile Fund (up to £20k) — delivered via a two-stage online application process. Funding flows from surpluses gifted by its trading subsidiary UKROEd, which operates the National Driver Offender Retraining Scheme (NDORS).

Product overview

The Road Safety Trust is an independent UK grant-giving charity that operates a platform-plus-modules portfolio of funding programmes and supporting knowledge products rather than a single unified product. Its core offering is a suite of four complementary grant programmes — the Large Grants Programme (£50k–£200k, themed), Small Grants Programme (£10k–£50k), Police Road Safety Grants Programme (£10k–£30k for forces), and the Agile Fund (up to £20k for short, responsive projects) — all delivered through the RST Applicant and Grantee Portal (Blackbaud/Buzzacott-backed). Surrounding these core funding streams are knowledge and impact resources: the Impact Report and RST Safe System Wheel impact framework, the Resource Guide (over 20 free evidence-based resources), the Case Studies Library, the Large Projects and Small Projects Portfolios, Grant Theme Scoping Reviews, and the "Talk of the Trust" eBulletin (delivered via MailChimp). Funding flows from the Trust's trading subsidiary UKROEd, which operates the National Driver Offender Retraining Scheme (NDORS).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• RST: Abbreviated form of The Road Safety Trust used internally in policy and document titles (e.g., 'RST Apply for funding 2025', 'RST Privacy Notice').

Products and services

• Large Grants Programme Annual themed grant programme providing funding of over £50,000 up to £200,000 for innovative and high-impact road safety research and intervention projects in the UK. Operates a two-stage application process (Expression of Interest followed by full application). Available to UK-based legally constituted organisations.
• Small Grants Programme Grant programme for projects over £10,000 and up to £50,000 over two years. Targets innovative, practical-based projects that strengthen the evidence base for road safety and influence policy, practice or legislation. Eligible applicants include UK-based charities, public sector bodies, universities, companies and professional organisations.
• Police Road Safety Grants Programme Dedicated programme trialing, testing and developing innovative roads policing interventions to reduce harm on UK roads (£10k–£30k over 18 months). Two-stage application process; supports police-led pilots, evaluations and dissemination of effective practice. Available to UK police forces.
• Agile Fund Dedicated grants programme for smaller, time-limited projects (up to £20k over one year) that can deliver practical road safety benefits within a short timeframe. Funds pilots, evaluations, training, stakeholder engagement, communications, translation and dissemination activity.
• RST Applicant and Grantee Portal Online application portal where applicants set up accounts, submit Expressions of Interest and full applications for Large, Small, Police and Agile Fund grant rounds. Backed by Blackbaud/Buzzacott grant making software to manage applications, assessments and grantee data.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over £13 million awarded in grants across 130+ projects over a decade (2014/15–2024/25)
• +5 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability8 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

27 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship / core, core and minor.

• UKROEd (UK Road Offender Education)flagship / coreOthersUKROEd is the trading subsidiary company of The Road Safety Trust. It operates the National Driver Offender Retraining Scheme (NDORS) and is a not-for-profit organisation that gifts any surplus to the Road Safety Trust at the end of the financial year. This surplus is the sole funding source for The Road Safety Trust's grant programmes.
• PACTS (Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Road Safety Trust and PACTS convened and led the Road Safety Strategy Summit bringing together leaders from across the UK road safety community. Multiple PACTS-related research projects have also been funded by The Road Safety Trust (e.g., standardised mature driver assessments, e-scooter safety).
• SustranscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunded project partner on School Streets closure traffic displacement and road safety concerns research with Birmingham City Council.
• The Bikeability TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple funded projects include An Immersive VR Intervention to Improve Child Cyclists' Looking Behaviour (2023) and A Virtual Rider Training Tool to Improve Children's and Parents' Cycling Awareness.
• Sussex PoliceminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerRecipient of a 2024 Police Road Safety Grant (£28,000) for The Rider Resilience Programme - establishing a Motorcycle Training Syllabus based on common motorcycle collision causes.
• Lancashire ConstabularyminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerRecipient of a 2024 Police Road Safety Grant (£25,000) for evaluating Operation Virage, an intelligence-led approach to targeting impaired driving.
• Hampshire and IOW ConstabularyminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerRecipient of a 2024 Police Road Safety Grant (£25,000) for the development and trial of a Hot Spot Policing approach to reduce road casualties and traffic offences.
• Imperial College LondoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor academic grant recipient with multiple funded projects including Pedestrian Interactions with Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (PedICAV), Rating bicycle helmets, Children Cycle Helmet Rating, and Enhancing Road Safety: Automatic Vehicle Triage in the NHS Ambulance Service.
• University of LeedscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple funded projects including e-SAFE, Autistic Children Matter, Enhancing Novice Drivers' Safety hazard anticipation training, and 20mph speed compliance research.
• Nottingham Trent UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing research partner with multiple projects: Motorised Mobility Devices safety, Tractor Driver Training VR course, mindfulness for HGV drivers, mobility scooters, hazard perception VR, sleep-related driving risk prediction.
• University College London (UCL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple funded projects including Maximising learning from child road fatalities, Evaluating the role of telematics in delivery sector, and cycling near-miss research in London.
• Loughborough UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple funded projects including UNECE Regulation 167 amendment for HGV safety, dementia driving screening, and caffeine-nap intervention for driver sleepiness.
• University of OxfordcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunded the Safe-SEND project mapping road safety challenges to independent mobility for children with SEND (in collaboration with Swindon SEND Families Voice, Living Streets and the Council for Disabled Children).
• Road Safety FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple funded collaborations including Understanding road safety for neurodivergent children (with UCL, Royal College of Art, Oxfordshire County Council), iRAP investment plans, Active Travel Tool, telematics speed data with The Floow.
• Transport ScotlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject PRIME - motorcycle safety in Scotland using applied psychology to influence rider behaviour. Award-winning initiative continuing to save lives on Scotland's trunk road network.
• Lincolnshire PoliceminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFunded project on disqualified driver electronic monitoring technology and digital evidence submissions with Keele University.
• Brake (The Road Safety Charity)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunded Brake's Police property boxes and bags initiative to support compassionate return of loved ones' belongings following fatal road traffic collisions.
• National Young Rider Forum (NYRF)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunded the Young Riders Matter project and Ready for the Road film on motorcycle safety for young riders.
• VauxhallminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on a study in Oxfordshire with The Road Safety Trust to evaluate Vauxhall's Intelli-Lux HD adaptive LED headlights - finding participants felt 43 per cent more comfortable driving at night.
• Devon Air Ambulance TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunded IMPACT - the centre for post-collision research, innovation and translation.
• Keele UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunded joint research with Lincolnshire Police on digital evidence submissions from dash cam and head cam technology.
• University of WestminsterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunded Reducing cycling injuries research project - looking at key route environment factors associated with reduced or elevated injury risk in the UK.
• Brunel UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunded immersive reality intervention to improve young cyclists' ability to detect hazards at junctions, in partnership with London Borough of Hillingdon and The Bikeability Trust.
• Microsoft 365coreTechnology or IntegrationCore productivity, email, file storage, instant messaging, and IT account management platform used by The Road Safety Trust staff (including Microsoft Teams for messaging with 30-day retention).
• Buzzacott (Blackbaud Grant Making)coreTechnology or IntegrationTool used to manage grant applications as part of the Trust's grantee management and application processes.
• MailChimpcoreTechnology or IntegrationEmail marketing platform used to operate the Trust's 'Talk of the Trust' eBulletin service.
• Lynne DickensminorOthersWeb designer credited with building the Road Safety Trust website (per website footer).

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• FIA Foundation: International philanthropy focused on road safety, sustainable mobility and motorsport safety. Comparable as a much larger, internationally focused road safety grant-maker with similar mission of funding research and interventions, but broader global scope.
• Department for Transport (UK): UK government department owning the National Road Safety Strategy and commissioning major road safety programmes. Comparable as the dominant funder of UK road safety policy and research, with whom the Trust strategically aligns its themed grant rounds.

Emerging players

• Sustrans: UK charity enabling walking and cycling; co-partner with the Trust on Birmingham School Streets research. Comparable as a road safety-adjacent UK non-profit with overlapping policy interests (active travel, school streets) but a broader active-travel remit.

Direct peers

• PACTS (Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety): UK charity providing evidence-based advice to Parliament on transport safety; co-convened the Road Safety Strategy Summit with the Trust and is itself a recipient of multiple Trust-funded research projects. Directly comparable as a UK road/transport safety non-profit influencing policy.
• Road Safety GB: National road safety body for local authorities and practitioners in Great Britain, host of the National Road Safety Conference and Annual Awards where the Trust's former CEO was honoured. Comparable as the UK's principal road safety professional community body.
• Rees Jeffreys Road Fund: UK charitable trust funding research and education on highways and road-related matters, with grants to researchers and institutions. Comparable as a UK road/highways grant-giving charitable trust with similar applicant base (researchers, academics).
• Brake (The Road Safety Charity): Major UK road safety charity supporting victims and campaigning for safer roads. Funded by the Trust on projects including Police property boxes and bags for bereaved families. Comparable as a UK road safety non-profit engaging police forces, families, and policymakers.
• Road Safety Foundation: UK charity that publishes the international Road Safety Index and runs the iRAP programme; an active co-funding partner with the Trust on telematics, iRAP investment plans and active travel tool projects. Closest comparable UK road safety non-profit in mission and target stakeholders.

Regional players

• The Bikeability Trust: UK charity delivering the national cycle training programme; a repeat co-funding partner on Trust projects (VR hazard perception, immersive cycling interventions). Comparable as a UK road safety non-profit focused specifically on cycling training and education.

Others

• Wellcome Trust: Large UK charitable foundation funding research and policy across health, including road collision trauma research. Comparable as a major UK grant-giving charity using Blackbaud-style grant management infrastructure, though operating at much larger scale and across a broader thematic remit.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-road-safety-trust

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Road Safety Trust