The Pirbright Institute

Analysis

The Pirbright Institute is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Surrey. It was registered in July 1977, 49 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training, which this site groups under education and training. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 00559784). It says it sponsors or undertakes research.

In the financial year ending March 2025, The Pirbright Institute reported income of £52.7m and spending of £59.5m, spending 113% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income fell from £80.7m to £52.7m (-35%), an average of -10% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2022, when income dropped by 27%. Over the whole period it spent 91% of the income it received.

Among 21,402 England and Wales charities whose main cause is education and training and that reported income, The Pirbright Institute sits at the 100th percentile: it is one of the largest 1% in its cause. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 100th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include The Education Endowment Foundation (£52.4m), The King's School of the Cathedral Church of Canterbury (£52.8m) and Coleg Sir Gar (£51.9m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 57%, donations and legacies 34%, trading 5.1% and investments 3.7%. Charitable activities took 100% of spending and raising funds 0.0%. Reserves of £13.2m would cover about 3 months of spending at that rate. It employed 398 people.

Data notes from the register: Spending has exceeded income in each of the last three reported years, so the charity has been drawing on reserves or other funds.