THE NESTA TRUST

Charity overview
Activities - how the charity spends its money
The Nesta Trust works through its Trustee, Nesta (charity no 1144091), to bring great ideas to life, supporting individuals, charities, social enterprises, businesses and public organisations with financial and practical support. Nesta works to improve the conditions in which great ideas can flourish - addressing policy and structural conditions that can energise or stifle creativity.
Income and expenditure
Data for financial year ending 31 March 2024
Total income:
£16,359,000
Donations and legacies | £0 | |
Charitable activities | £0 | |
Other trading activities | £0 | |
Investments | £16.36m | |
Other | £0 |
Total expenditure:
£30,334,000
Raising funds | £412.00k | |
Charitable activities | £29.92m | |
Other | £0 |
£16,041,000 investments gains (losses)
Charitable expenditure
Charitable expenditure with investment gains
Charitable expenditure
Some charities generate all, or a substantial part, of their income from investments which may have been donated to the charity as endowment or set aside by the charity from its own resources in the past. Such investments usually take the form of stocks and shares but may include other assets, such as property, that are capable of generating income and/or capital growth.
In managing their spending and investments charities need to strike a balance between the needs of future and current beneficiaries. They also need to take account of spending commitments that may stretch over a number of future years. To do this, charities will normally adopt an investment strategy designed to generate both income and capital growth. To maximise returns trustees may commit to investment strategies for several years.
Investments can experience large swings in value so trustees may, in a particular year, decide to realise and spend part of their charity’s capital or to invest part of its income.
By clicking the investment gains checkbox the charitable spending bar is adjusted to take account of capital growth as well as income. This shows the balance the charity is striking, between spending on current beneficiaries and retaining resources for future beneficiaries.
Raising funds and other expenditure | £412.00k | |
Charitable expenditure | £29.92m |
Raising funds and other expenditure | £412.00k | |
Charitable expenditure | £29.92m | |
Retained for future use | £2.07m |
People

1 Trustee(s)
Employees with total benefits over £60,000
No information availableFundraising
Trading
Trustee payments
What, who, how, where
- General Charitable Purposes
- Education/training
- The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives
- The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty
- Arts/culture/heritage/science
- Environment/conservation/heritage
- Economic/community Development/employment
- Other Charitable Purposes
- Children/young People
- Elderly/old People
- Other Charities Or Voluntary Bodies
- The General Public/mankind
- Makes Grants To Organisations
- Provides Other Finance
- Other Charitable Activities
- Throughout England And Wales
Governance
- 16 November 2011: Standard registration
No other names
- Complaints handling
- Conflicting interests
- Investment
- Paying staff
- Risk management
- Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
Trustees
Trustees are the people responsible for controlling the work, management and administration of the charity on behalf of its beneficiaries. Generally trustees are treasurer, chair, board member etc. The trustees are responsible for keeping this list up to date and can do this by updating their details as they happen through the online service
1 Trustee(s)
Name | Role | Date of appointment | Other trusteeships | Reporting status of other trusteeships | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NESTA | Trustee | 22 September 2011 |
|
|
Financial history
Financial period end date
Income / Expenditure | 31/03/2020 | 31/03/2021 | 31/03/2022 | 31/03/2023 | 31/03/2024 | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Total gross income | £12.22m | £10.20m | £9.54m | £11.73m | £16.36m | |
|
Total expenditure | £21.96m | £29.32m | £38.47m | £26.55m | £30.33m | |
|
Income from government contracts | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
|
Income from government grants | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
|
Income - Donations and legacies | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | |
|
Income - Other trading activities | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | |
|
Income - Charitable activities | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | |
|
Income - Endowments | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | |
|
Income - Investment | £12.22m | £10.20m | £9.54m | £11.73m | £16.36m | |
|
Income - Other | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | |
|
Income - Legacies | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | |
|
Expenditure - Charitable activities | £20.85m | £28.48m | £37.72m | £25.77m | £29.92m | |
|
Expenditure - Raising funds | £1.11m | £833.00k | £749.00k | £780.00k | £412.00k | |
|
Expenditure - Governance | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | |
|
Expenditure - Grants institution | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | |
|
Expenditure - Investment management | £1.11m | £833.00k | £749.00k | £780.00k | £412.00k | |
|
Expenditure - Other | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 |
Assets and liabilities
Definitions for assets and liabilities
These are assets, other than investments, which are held for more than 12 months and used to run and administer the charity such as buildings, offices, exhibits and fixtures and fittings.
Long term InvestmentsInvestments are assets held by the charity with the sole aim of generating income which will be used for their charitable purposes such as deposit accounts, shares, rental property and unit trusts.
Investment assets are re-valued every year and included in the balance sheet at their current market value.
Long term investments are held for more than 12 months.
These are assets held generally for less than 12 months such as cash and bank balances, debtors, investments to be sold within the coming year and trading stock.
Defined benefit pension scheme asset or liabilityThis is a surplus or deficit in any defined benefit pension scheme operated and represents a potential long-term asset or liability.
Total liabilitiesThese are all the amounts owed by the charity at the balance sheet date to third parties such as bills due but not yet paid, bank overdrafts and loans and mortgages.
Asset / Liability | 31/03/2020 | 31/03/2021 | 31/03/2022 | 31/03/2023 | 31/03/2024 | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Own use assets | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | |
|
Long-term investments | £393.45m | £458.06m | £460.33m | £416.20m | £420.97m | |
|
Other assets | £9.58m | £14.47m | £9.23m | £11.10m | £8.42m | |
|
Defined benefit pension scheme asset or liability | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | |
|
Total liabilities | £1.10m | £1.04m | £993.00k | £1.09m | £1.11m |
Accounts and annual returns
Title | Reporting year | Date received | Received | Download |
---|---|---|---|---|
Annual return | 31 March 2024 | 31 January 2025 | On Time | |
Accounts and TAR | 31 March 2024 | 31 January 2025 | On Time | Download Open in new window |
Annual return | 31 March 2023 | 30 January 2024 | On Time | |
Accounts and TAR | 31 March 2023 | 30 January 2024 | On Time | Download Open in new window |
Annual return | 31 March 2022 | 10 January 2023 | On Time | |
Accounts and TAR | 31 March 2022 | 10 January 2023 | On Time | Download Open in new window |
Annual return | 31 March 2021 | 16 December 2021 | On Time | |
Accounts and TAR | 31 March 2021 | 17 December 2021 | On Time | Download Open in new window |
Annual return | 31 March 2020 | 29 October 2020 | On Time | |
Accounts and TAR | 31 March 2020 | 29 October 2020 | On Time | Download Open in new window |
Governing document
It is not the full text of the charity's governing document.
TRUST DEED DATED 22 SEP 2011 AS AMENDED BY SCHEME DATED 16/03/2016
Charitable objects
THE OBJECTS OF THE NESTA TRUST ARE FOR THE PUBLIC BENEFIT: 9.1 TO ADVANCE EDUCATION, AND IN PARTICULAR THE STUDY OF INNOVATION, BY THE PROMOTION OF RESEARCH AND THE PUBLICATION OF THE USEFUL RESULTS THEREOF, IN: 9.1.1 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY; 9.1.2 THE ARTS; 9.1.3 THE EFFICIENCY OF PUBLIC SERVICES; 9.1.4 THE VOLUNTARY SECTOR AND SOCIAL ENTERPRISE; AND 9.1.5 INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE. 9.2 TO ADVANCE: 9.2.1 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY; 9.2.2 THE ARTS; 9.2.3 THE EFFICIENCY OF PUBLIC SERVICES; 9.2.4 THE VOLUNTARY SECTOR; AND 9.2.5 INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE AND SOCIAL ENTERPRISE WHICH (A) RELIEVES POVERTY; (B) RELIEVES UNEMPLOYMENT; (C) ADVANCES HEALTH; (D) ADVANCES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION OR IMPROVEMENT AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT; AND (E) ADVANCES CITIZENSHIP OR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT THROUGH OR BY ENCOURAGING AND SUPPORTING INNOVATION. "THE VOLUNTARY SECTOR" MEANS CHARITIES AND VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS. CHARITIES ARE ORGANISATIONS, WHICH ARE ESTABLISHED FOR EXCLUSIVELY CHARITABLE PURPOSES IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAW OF ENGLAND AND WALES. VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS ARE INDEPENDENT ORGANISATIONS, WHICH ARE ESTABLISHED FOR PURPOSES THAT ADD VALUE TO THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE, OR A SIGNIFICANT SECTION OF THE COMMUNITY, AND WHICH ARE NOT PERMITTED BY THEIR CONSTITUTION TO MAKE A PROFIT FOR PRIVATE DISTRIBUTION. VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS DO NOT INCLUDE LOCAL GOVERNMENT OR OTHER STATUTORY AUTHORITIES. "SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT" MEANS "DEVELOPMENT THAT MEETS THE NEEDS OF THE PRESENT WITHOUT COMPROMISING THE ABILITY OF FUTURE GENERATIONS TO MEET THEIR OWN NEEDS".
Contact information
- Address:
-
58
VICTORIA EMBANKMENT
London
London
EC4Y 0DS
- Phone:
- 02074382500
- Email:
- information@nesta.org.uk
- Website:
-
nesta.org.uk
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