These financial statements have been prepared and delivered in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime.

The directors of the company have elected not to include a copy of the income and expenditure account within the financial statements.true

United Kingdom National Commission for UNESCO is a private company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is Suite 98, 3 Whitehall Court, London, SW1A 2EL.

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with FRS 102 “The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland” (“FRS 102”) and the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 as applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime. The disclosure requirements of section 1A of FRS 102 have been applied other than where additional disclosure is required to show a true and fair view.

The financial statements are presented in pounds sterling, which is the functional and presentational currency of the company.

The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention.

The financial statements have been prepared on the going concern basis.true

The company's activities are principally funded through grants awarded by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and other programme partners.

In assessing the appropriateness of the going concern basis, the directors have considered the organisation's forecasts, expected grant income, committed project funding and available unrestricted reserves for a period of at least twelve months from the date of approval of these financial statements.

At 31 March 2026, the company had net assets of £88,122 (2025: £101,723), including cash balances of £294,205 (2025: £929,725) and net current assets of £87,796 (2025: £100,156). During the year, the company incurred a deficit of £13,601 (2025: deficit of £21,192), reflecting planned expenditure in support of its strategic objectives and grant-funded activities.

The directors have reviewed projected cash flows, expected grant receipts and contractual commitments, including funding received from the FCDO, DCMS and other programme partners. Based on this review, the directors are satisfied that sufficient financial resources are available to enable the company to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Accordingly, the directors continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements.

Income comprises grants, donations and other income receivable in furtherance of the company's objectives.

Grant income is recognised when there is entitlement to the grant, receipt is probable and any performance-related conditions attaching to the funding have been satisfied. Where grant funding is received in advance of the relevant performance conditions being met, the income is deferred and recognised in the period in which the related expenditure is incurred or the related performance obligations are fulfilled.

Donations are recognised when the company becomes entitled to the funds, receipt is probable and the amount can be measured reliably.

Expenditure is recognised on an accruals basis as liabilities are incurred. Irrecoverable VAT is charged as part of the related expenditure because the company is not registered for VAT.

Tangible fixed assets are initially measured at cost and subsequently measured at cost or valuation, net of depreciation and any impairment losses.

Depreciation is recognised so as to write off the cost or valuation of assets less their residual values over their useful lives on the following bases:

The gain or loss arising on the disposal of an asset is determined as the difference between the sale proceeds and the carrying value of the asset, and is credited or charged to surplus or deficit.

At each reporting period end date, the company reviews the carrying amounts of its tangible assets to determine whether there is any indication that those assets have suffered an impairment loss. If any such indication exists, the recoverable amount of the asset is estimated in order to determine the extent of the impairment loss (if any). Where it is not possible to estimate the recoverable amount of an individual asset, the company estimates the recoverable amount of the cash-generating unit to which the asset belongs.

Recoverable amount is the higher of fair value less costs to sell and value in use. In assessing value in use, the estimated future cash flows are discounted to their present value using a pre-tax discount rate that reflects current market assessments of the time value of money and the risks specific to the asset for which the estimates of future cash flows have not been adjusted. If the recoverable amount of an asset (or cash-generating unit) is estimated to be less than its carrying amount, the carrying amount of the asset (or cash-generating unit) is reduced to its recoverable amount. An impairment loss is recognised immediately in surplus or deficit, unless the relevant asset is carried at a revalued amount, in which case the impairment loss is treated as a revaluation decrease.

Recognised impairment losses are reversed if, and only if, the reasons for the impairment loss have ceased to apply. Where an impairment loss subsequently reverses, the carrying amount of the asset (or cash-generating unit) is increased to the revised estimate of its recoverable amount, but so that the increased carrying amount does not exceed the carrying amount that would have been determined had no impairment loss been recognised for the asset (or cash-generating unit) in prior years. A reversal of an impairment loss is recognised immediately in surplus or deficit, unless the relevant asset is carried at a revalued amount, in which case the reversal of the impairment loss is treated as a revaluation increase.

Cash and cash equivalents are basic financial assets and include cash in hand, deposits held at call with banks, other short-term liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less, and bank overdrafts. Bank overdrafts are shown within borrowings in current liabilities.

The company has elected to apply the provisions of Section 11 ‘Basic Financial Instruments’ and Section 12 ‘Other Financial Instruments Issues’ of FRS 102 to all of its financial instruments.

Financial instruments are recognised in the company's balance sheet when the company becomes party to the contractual provisions of the instrument.

Financial assets and liabilities are offset, with the net amounts presented in the financial statements, when there is a legally enforceable right to set off the recognised amounts and there is an intention to settle on a net basis or to realise the asset and settle the liability simultaneously.

Basic financial assets, which include debtors and cash and bank balances, are initially measured at transaction price including transaction costs and are subsequently carried at amortised cost using the effective interest method unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the transaction is measured at the present value of the future receipts discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial assets classified as receivable within one year are not amortised.

Financial liabilities and equity instruments are classified according to the substance of the contractual arrangements entered into. An equity instrument is any contract that evidences a residual interest in the assets of the company after deducting all of its liabilities.

Basic financial liabilities, including creditors, bank loans, loans from fellow group companies and preference shares that are classified as debt, are initially recognised at transaction price unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the debt instrument is measured at the present value of the future payments discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial liabilities classified as payable within one year are not amortised.

Debt instruments are subsequently carried at amortised cost, using the effective interest rate method.

Trade creditors are obligations to pay for goods or services that have been acquired in the ordinary course of business from suppliers. Amounts payable are classified as current liabilities if payment is due within one year or less. If not, they are presented as non-current liabilities. Trade creditors are recognised initially at transaction price and subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method.

Changes in the fair value of derivatives that are designated and qualify as fair value hedges are recognised in profit or loss immediately, together with any changes in the fair value of the hedged asset or liability that are attributable to the hedged risk.

The tax currently payable is based on taxable profit for the year. Taxable profit differs from net profit as reported in the profit and loss account because it excludes items of income or expense that are taxable or deductible in other years and it further excludes items that are never taxable or deductible. The company’s liability for current tax is calculated using tax rates that have been enacted or substantively enacted by the reporting end date.

Payments to defined contribution retirement benefit schemes are charged as an expense as they fall due.

Government grants are recognised at the fair value of the asset received or receivable when there is reasonable assurance that the grant conditions will be met and the grants will be received.

A grant that specifies performance conditions is recognised in income when the performance conditions are met. Where a grant does not specify performance conditions it is recognised in income when the proceeds are received or receivable. A grant received before the recognition criteria are satisfied is recognised as a liability.

Comparatives

There were no changes in comparative figures during the year.

In the application of the company’s accounting policies, the directors are required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying amount of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and associated assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.

The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised where the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods where the revision affects both current and future periods.

The estimates and assumptions which have a significant risk of causing a material adjustment to the carrying amount of assets and liabilities are as follows.

Management reviews the useful lives and residual values of the items of tangible fixed assets on a regular basis. During the financial year, the directors determined no significant changes in the useful lives and residual values.

The monetary liability for employees' accrued holidays and management approved bonus at the reporting date is recognised as an expense accrual.

Management applies judgement in determining whether the conditions attaching to grant funding have been satisfied and, consequently, whether grant income should be recognised in the period.

Management applies judgement in assessing whether grant income received in advance should be recognised as deferred income and released to income in future periods.

The directors apply judgement in assessing the appropriateness of the going concern basis of preparation, having regard to forecast cash flows, available resources and anticipated future funding arrangements.

The average monthly number of people (including Chief Executive) employed by the company during the year was 10 (2025 - 9).

Included in other creditors is deferred grant of £138,749 (2025: £790,005).

The company is limited by guarantee, not having a share capital and consequently the liability of members is limited, subject to an undertaking by each member to contribute to the net assets or liabilities of the company on winding up such amounts as may be required not exceeding £1.

As the income statement has been omitted from the filing copy of the financial statements, the following information in relation to the audit report on the statutory financial statements is provided in accordance with s444(5B) of the Companies Act 2006.

The auditor's report is unqualified and includes the following:

In our opinion the financial statements:

• give a true and fair view of the state of the company's affairs as at 31 March 2026 and of its deficit for the year then ended;

• have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; and

• have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.

The nature and amounts of the grants received during the year are listed below:

Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) Grant of £355,000 for 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026.

The Accountable Grant from FCDO was awarded from 1 August 2022 to 31 March 2025. The Grant was extended for a further year from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026.

The grant is used:

• To advise HM Government, devolved governments, overseas territories and crown dependencies in the fields of UNESCO’s competence (policy briefs, advice summaries, advice for the UNESCO Executive Boards and General Conference, etc.)

• To support HM Government to achieve its objectives through UNESCO, and to support UNESCO to be a competent and relevant UN agency.

• To provide advice to UK society and communities to maximise the benefits of UNESCO’s mission and programmes through UNESCO accreditation, and to support those UK UNESCO designations.

By the year ended 31 March 2026, the FCDO grant has been fully utilised in accordance with the terms under which they were granted and have been fully expended on revenue items in the course of the company’s business.

Department for Culture, Media & Sports (DCMS) Grant of £1.5m from July 2023 to March 2026 (July 2023 to March 2024 £138,861.99; April 2024 to March 2025 £917,775.67; and April 2025 to March 2026 £498,875.52)

The Climate Change and UNESCO Heritage Project, was funded by the HM Treasury Shared Outcomes Fund through DCMS. The project set out to test new ways of building participatory governance in UNESCO Sites to develop integrated responses to the interconnected impacts of climate change on cultural and natural heritage, and brought together public and private organisations and their data. Using three UK UNESCO Sites as pilots, it tested new models of collaboration, and developed innovative approaches and geodata tools to support the effective sharing and analysis of information.

Funding supported three dedicated staff members, specialist consultants, and grants to the three UK UNESCO Sites to run pilot testing and data gathering. It also enabled the organisation of workshops, the establishment of a research and innovation group, the production of legacy toolkits and resources hosted on the UKNC website, and the commissioning of the touring Futurescapes Exhibition. By the year ended 31 March 2026, the DCMS grant had been fully expended on revenue items in the course of the project, except for an underspend of £20,430.57 being returned to DCMS on 27 March 2026.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Grant Living Heritage Website Project of £117,500 from January 2025 to March 2029 (January 2025 to March 2025 £59,000; April 2025 to March 2026 £37,000; April 2026 to March 2027 £7,000; April 2027 to March 2028 £7,000; April 2028 to March 2029 £7,000)

DCMS, as State Party to the 2003 UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, on behalf of HM Government, requires the UKNC to build and host the website for the Inventory of Living Heritage in the UK. This is the new national platform for identifying and recognising the cultural practices, traditions, skills and knowledge that communities across the United Kingdom continue to pass from generation to generation.

The project requires UKNC to externally commission a visual identity, from a brief approved by DCMS, and to externally commission a website for five separate inventories (England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the UK). The UKNC will host the website on its UKNC servers and manage the technical setup and launch of the website, and continue to host and manage the technical administration of the website throughout the timespan of the agreement. DCMS will be the primary content managers.

Operating lease payments represent rentals payable by the company for certain of its properties. Leases are negotiated for an average term of 1 year and rentals are fixed for an average of 1 year.

At the reporting end date the company had outstanding commitments for future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases, as follows:

Deferred grant income represents funding received in advance of the satisfaction of the related grant conditions and performance obligations. Such amounts are recognised as income in the period in which the related expenditure is incurred and the associated grant conditions are met.

The directors of the company received no remuneration or benefit for their service.

The directors are reimbursed for out-of-pocket expenses in respect of carrying out duties based on behalf of United National Commission for UNESCO.

There were no loans received from or advanced to related parties during the year.

Other than the expense reimbursements referred to above, there were no reportable related party transactions during the year.