APPLICATION GUIDELINES

APPLICATION FORM

2026 Applications are now closed. The next round will open on 4th January 2027 and will close on 15th February 2027 at 6pm

ELIGIBILITY

Please read these guidelines before starting your application. Your organisation is eligible to apply if you can answer yes to all the following questions: 

• Are you a registered charity that is registered in and working solely in the UK, AND has 12 months’ accounts and report filed with the relevant charity regulator?
• Is your charity’s income between £150k-£600k as shown on the accounts published on the charity regulator's website?
• Is the amount requested 15% of your income, up to a maximum of £40,000?
• Do you have at least one year's track record of having run the activity you are applying for?
• Is your beneficiary group aged 16+?
• Does your project directly provide learning, training, qualifications and work experience that leads participants into the job market?
• Does your charity have at least 3 unrelated trustees on the charity register relevant to your region?
• Do your trustees, the CEO and Senior Managers live at separate addresses?
• Does your charity have public liability insurance?
• Amongst your policies, does your charity have a Health and Safety Policy, Safeguarding Policy and Equality and Diversity Policy? .

GRANT SIZE

Grants of up to £40,000 a year are available for one year, subject to monitoring and availability of funds. You may only apply for up to 15% of your charity's income as shown on its accounts published by the charity regulator. For example, and income of £150k means you can apply for £22,500. Organisations with income of less than £150k or more than £600k are not eligible. 

FUNDING AIMS

Our charity  enables  learning and development that empowers young people aged 16+ and adults to gain additional skills and confidence to enter the labour market. Our aim is to fund projects that get people into employment. 

FUND THEMES and priorities

Your project is more likely to be shortlisted if it:

• has a proven track record of at least a year in working with individuals with barriers to employment, and getting them into training, education, and employment. You will need to show these previous outcomes on the application form.
• provides meaningful work placements
• provides nationally recognised qualifications
• provides ongoing support to get participants into education, training and employment

We are also interested supporting the following groups, but funding is not necessarily restricted to these groups:

• ex-service personnel and ex-offender
• those considering work in the water, utilities  and construction industries

WHAT WE FUND

As a funder we seek to be flexible in our approach to grant applicants, and fund both project and/or core costs. We are also fund Living Wage salaries.

Regardless of whether you are applying for core or project costs, we want to know how your work addresses our themes and priorities, and the outcomes you seek to achieve for your beneficiaries. We look for SMART outcomes- specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. We will also want to know how you will monitor and evaluate your work during the lifetime of the grant.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO APPLY?

• Your organisation must be a registered charity.
• It must be based in, and deliver its services solely in the UK.
• It must work directly with young people 16+ and adults who are not in education, employment, or training.

TIMELINE

APPLICATION FORM

2026 Applications are now closed. The next grants round opens on 4th January 2027