the douglas bomford trust

What the douglas bomford trust does

The Douglas Bomford Trust is a UK-registered grant-making foundation (Company Limited by Guarantee no. 1121785; Registered Charity no. 6355202), founded in 1972 by Mrs Betty Bomford in memory of her husband Douglas Bomford, a former President of the Institution of Agricultural Engineers. Its charitable objective is to advance knowledge, understanding, practice, and competence in the application of engineering and technology to sustainable agricultural, food, and biological systems. The Trust serves UK-domiciled students, postgraduate researchers, and early-career engineers in the agricultural engineering sector, operating from The Bullock Building, University Way, Cranfield (MK43 0GH).

The Trust is not a commercial enterprise and develops no technology products. Its portfolio comprises funding instruments: Douglas Bomford Scholarships for undergraduates (up to £1,500 per year), postgraduate research awards (over £5,000, covering fees, stipend, materials, and overheads), travel awards for student group visits, the Audrey Lamden Travel Award (up to £5,000, established 2023 via bequest), annual university prizes at Harper Adams, Cranfield, and Royal Agricultural University, two Arkwright Scholarships, and sponsorship of approximately 300 IAgrE student memberships annually. Applications are submitted via the Trust website and evaluated by the Board of Trustees at General Management Meetings held in April and November.

Income is derived solely from investment returns on the Trust's endowment, which was materially augmented by a donation arising from the closure of the Silsoe Research Institute. The Trust is governed by a Board of Trustees chaired by Mr Nick August (with Dr Mark Moore as Vice Chair) and includes family representation through Jonathan Bomford; Dr David Llewellyn serves as the first Trust Patron. Distribution is channelled primarily through three partner universities (Harper Adams, Cranfield, Royal Agricultural University), the Institution of Agricultural Engineers, and the AgriFood Charities Partnership (AFCP), which the Trust co-founded in 2002. Marketing reach is via IAgrE Journal Landwards, LinkedIn, and the Brash Ag podcast, with an annual Strategy Summit convening sector stakeholders.

Name

the douglas bomford trust

Legal name

The Douglas Bomford Trust

Website

https://dbt.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Douglas Bomford Trust is a UK-registered grant-making charity, founded 1972, funding education, research, training, and travel in agricultural engineering through scholarships, postgraduate awards, and travel grants distributed via partner universities and IAgrE.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Grants for Agricultural Engineering Education

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Trusts, Estates, and Agency Accounts (52592)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDADAHAC

Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts

Education/Education Administration, Accreditation & Policy/Education Funding, Grants & Financial Aid Administration

SECONDARYBPADAOAB

Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors)

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/Donor Coordination, Grantmaking & Development Finance Programs

SECONDARYEDAIAOAJ

Research Grants, Fellowships & Stipends (International)

Education/International Education & Study Abroad/Scholarships, Funding & Financial Aid for International Study

SECONDARYEDAIAOAD

Field-of-Study & Discipline-Specific Funding

Education/International Education & Study Abroad/Scholarships, Funding & Financial Aid for International Study

SECONDARYFSAAANAI

Philanthropic & Charitable Trust Services

Financial & Insurance/Asset & Wealth Management/Trust & Fiduciary Services (Trust Companies, Estate & Custody Trusts)

Keywords

• Agricultural engineering grants
• Education scholarships
• Research funding
• Travel awards
• Charitable foundation

Headquarters

HQ city

Cranfield

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Investment Income: The Trust has no income other than that derived from investments in which the funds are held. All funds are distributed as grants, scholarships, and awards to support the Trust's charitable objectives in agricultural engineering education and research.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Douglas Bomford Trust is a UK registered charity and company limited by guarantee that funds education, training, research, and travel in agricultural engineering and related fields. It awards grants, scholarships, prizes, and travel bursaries to undergraduate and postgraduate students, researchers, and young engineers via direct applications reviewed by a Board of Trustees. The Trust's income is derived solely from investments, and all funds are distributed as charitable awards supporting the application of engineering and technology to sustainable agriculture.

Product overview

The Douglas Bomford Trust operates as a grant-making charitable organization rather than a commercial product company. Its portfolio consists of various funding programmes including undergraduate scholarships (up to £1,500), postgraduate research funding (over £5,000), travel awards for student groups, the Audrey Lamden Travel Award (up to £5,000), university prizes at Cranfield, Harper Adams, and RAU, Arkwright Scholarships, and IAgrE student membership sponsorship. These awards support education, training, and research in agricultural engineering and technology across the UK.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Douglas Bomford Scholarships
• Postgraduate Research Funding
• Research and Innovation Awards
• Travel Awards for Student Group Visits
• Audrey Lamden Travel Award
• University Prizes
• Arkwright Scholarships
• IAgrE Student Membership Sponsorship
• Current Research Projects

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,500 awards distributed since founding in 1972
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Agricultural Universities Council (AUC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Through AFCP, the Trust supported an AUC Summer School in June 2025 for undergraduates to learn about opportunities within the agricultural sector through visits to farms, universities and businesses.
• Agrifood Charities Partnership (AFCP)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2002Established in 2002 through an initiative by the Perry Foundation working with other AgriFood Charities including the Douglas Bomford Trust, to improve the effectiveness of charities in the food and farming sectors. The Trust participates in joint activities including the AFCP Student Forum and collaborative funding initiatives.
• Institution of Agricultural Engineers (IAgrE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Trust funds student membership of IAgrE for approximately 300 undergraduates and postgraduates annually while they are studying relevant courses or undertaking research within agricultural engineering. The Trust also sponsors IAgrE publications and the Paper Award.
• Harper Adams UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner university for Douglas Bomford Scholarships. The Trust supports Harper Adams University students with annual studentship awards and prizes for academic achievement in agricultural engineering.
• Royal Agricultural UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner university for annual prize awards to students demonstrating excellence in agricultural studies. Students apply for Trust scholarships through the university.
• Cranfield UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner university hosting multiple prize categories (Environmental and Agricultural themes) awarded at graduation ceremonies. Major recipient of postgraduate research funding from the Trust.
• Arkwright ScholarshipsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Trust sponsors two Arkwright Scholarships annually to support future engineers. The Trust arranges industry visits for its Arkwright sponsored scholars.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• Harper Adams University: UK university specialising in agriculture and agricultural engineering. Functions as a partner and channel for DBT scholarship and prize distribution rather than a competitor.
• AgriFood Charities Partnership (AFCP): Umbrella partnership co-founded in 2002 by the Perry Foundation, Douglas Bomford Trust, and other AgriFood charities to coordinate funding and joint activities. Not a direct grantmaking competitor but a closely related ecosystem platform in which DBT participates.
• Institution of Agricultural Engineers (IAgrE): UK professional engineering institution for the land-based sector. Not a grantmaking charity itself, but a core strategic partner of DBT which funds ~300 IAgrE student memberships annually. Related through shared mission and beneficiary base.

Broad incumbents

• Royal Agricultural Society of England (RASE): Long-established UK charitable society promoting the development of British agriculture through education, events, and awards. Broader in scope than DBT but operates in the same funding/award space for agricultural advancement.

Direct peers

• The Perry Foundation: UK charitable trust funding education and research in agriculture and food production. Co-founded the AgriFood Charities Partnership (AFCP) with the Douglas Bomford Trust in 2002, making it the closest functional peer with overlapping mandate, geography, and beneficiary base.
• The Studley College Trust: UK grant-making charity (formerly Studley College) providing funding for education and training in agriculture, horticulture, and related land-based disciplines. A small, focused UK grantmaking peer with similar beneficiary profile.
• Chadacre Trust: UK grant-making charity funding education, research, and training in agriculture and the food industry, primarily through grants to individuals and institutions. A direct peer within the AFCP network with overlapping funding programmes for agricultural students and researchers.
• The Felix Cobbold Trust: UK charitable trust providing funding for agricultural education and training, including grants to students at UK agricultural colleges and universities. A small, niche agricultural grantmaking trust with a similar model of awarding scholarships and training grants.
• John Oldacre Foundation: UK charitable trust funding education and research in agriculture, particularly through postgraduate studentships at UK universities. Highly comparable in scale, model (postgraduate research awards), and target beneficiaries.
• Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust: UK charity providing scholarships and travel awards to individuals working in agriculture and land-based industries. Comparable in that it funds individual scholarships and professional development travel for agricultural practitioners and students.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=2OMzLWMNW08
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-douglas-bomford-trust

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about the douglas bomford trust