The Royal Academy of Engineering

Analysis

The Royal Academy of Engineering is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in London. It was registered in November 1985, 41 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training and economic/community development/employment, which this site groups under community and economic development. It says it makes grants to individuals, makes grants to organisations and provides advocacy/advice/information.

In the financial year ending March 2026, The Royal Academy of Engineering reported income of £61.0m and spending of £62.2m, spending 102% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2022 to March 2026, income grew from £48.3m to £61.0m (+26%), an average of +6.0% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2024, when income rose by 264%. Over the whole period it spent 66% of the income it received.

Among 1,869 England and Wales charities whose main cause is community and economic development and that reported income, The Royal Academy of Engineering 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 Liverpool Hope University (£56.9m), The Lofthouse Foundation (£82.3m) and The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (£53.1m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 85%, investments 11%, trading 2.8% and donations and legacies 1.1%. Charitable activities took 96% of spending and raising funds 3.9%. Grants to other organisations totalled £30.2m. Reserves of £6.6m would cover about 1 months of spending at that rate. It employed 251 people.