Ordnance Survey starts search for 2026-28 charity partner

Ordnance Survey is inviting charities to apply to become its next charity partner for a 2 year period from 2026 to 2028.

Britain’s national mapping service is looking for a charity that it can join forces with to tackle issues around digital exclusion in education.

Ordnance Survey wants to partner with a charity that works towards empowering individuals and communities from across the UK that need digital education the most.

Ordnance Survey will bring its location intelligence and expertise to the table. In return, Ordnance Survey seeks to work with a charity that supports one or more of the following criteria:

Access for underserved communities

Early careers, universities, and academics

STEM education

the use and/or development of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Ordnance Survey’s Chief People Officer, Hazel Hendley, explained Ordnance Survey had a long history of working in education, and wanted a charity partner to work alongside to better understand and shape what Ordnance Survey could offer to make it valuable in today’s modern world.

"We believe a charity partnership would be a great vehicle for addressing digital exclusion. We're open to hearing from any charity that has had experience in supporting their communities in digital inclusion within education. We'd love charities to come forward because we want to hear more from you. That’s the magic of our corporate charity partnership. We don't know what it is going to look like because the charity we partner with always brings so much to the table. We want to give charities the opportunity to get in touch and educate us about what groups we could support and where our help could be put to most use."

Hazel Hendley, OS Chief People Officer

Nomination criteria

To apply to become Ordnance Survey’s next charity partner for 2026 to 2028, the charity will:

Focus on education and digital inclusion

Be a registered charity, CIO or CIC in the UK, and independently audited

Be independent of state, political party, and religion

Support communities across the UK

Hazel said: “What we offer is a fully engaged community of staff committed to wanting to give back – it’s inherent in our culture. We possess high levels of expertise across a range of digital and technology skills, which we want to use creatively and innovatively to make this charity partnership work.

“OS has a decent budget, tons of commitment and the flexibility of being a small medium-sized enterprise that’s willing to come together with a charity and craft what this future partnership can be so both gain value from it.”

Running alongside the charity partnership, Ordnance Survey’s 1,400 employees participate in volunteering days where activities are utilised to benefit the charity partner it’s supporting. This extends to fundraising events and opportunities to take part in a work experience programme.

It can also provide access to Ordnance Survey’s peer mentoring network, monthly meetings with its partnership team and promoting innovative projects both organisations collaborate on.

Successful partnership with Mental Health UK

Ordnance Survey has raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for previous charity partnerships with Rose Road, Solent Mind, Southampton Children’s Hospital Charity, Southampton Neonatal Unit, Women’s Aid, and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI).

Its most recent charity partnership was with Mental Health UK. Between 2023 and 2025 achievements together included:

Raising over £35k for the charity through various fundraisers

Using OS Maps app to host the route for Mental Health UK’s flagship fundraiser the Glow Walk

Developing digital maps showing where the impact of Mental Health UK’s services reach

Training people at OS to become mental health champions.

Ordnance Survey helped Mental Health UK raise over £35,000 in its most recent charity partnership.

"Working with OS has been invaluable for Mental Health UK. We've raised vital funds for our programmes and services, engaged staff members in important conversations, and had an awful lot of fun along the way. From the very beginning of the partnership, the people of OS have championed our cause without fault, helping us to drive change both in the workplace and within the communities that need our support most."

Abby Clyndes, Mental Health UK's Head of Corporate Partnerships

How to apply to be the Ordnance Survey charity partner

Applications open on Tuesday, 4 November 2025. Charities interested in applying will be able to view the application form on Ordnance Survey’s website from that date onwards.