Eligibility Checker

We’re looking for projects that use technology as a core part of the solution to transform how vocational learning happens; solving a defined vocational learning problem. We are looking for projects that are rooted in a real world understanding of the needs of the workforce. We want to fund projects which can reach at least 1,000 learners over the funding duration.

These challenges have been identified by our work to date with many organisations. They encapsulate areas where the current skills system does not serve learners and employers as well as it could. We understand that these challenges do not exist in isolation - that is partly why they are so complex and hard to solve. Successful applicants will be expected to explore and consider connected issues as part of our work together. However you must concentrate on one challenge question for the application. 

We understand that these challenges do not exist in isolation - that is one of the reasons they are so complex and hard to solve. Can you think more broadly about how your issue connects into one of our themes? Successful applicants will be expected to explore and consider connected issues as part of our work together. However you must concentrate on one challenge question for the application.

We want you to tell us how you know that this is a problem. What evidence have you got from learners, employers or teachers/trainers? Show us how you know. Are there recent surveys or statistics that strengthen your case? Are you able to articulate why your solution would be an improvement?

For this funding round the technology to be deployed must be developed to at least MVP. You will need to explain how much further development will be needed to make it work in context, and how soon it could start to make an impact. 

That’s great. You’ll need access to your target learner group to test and roll out at scale. You may also need access to employers and/or training providers, and of course an organisation who can deliver the technology.  

That’s good. Our Green and White papers found that complexity, fragmentation and too many ‘systems inside a system’ were major barriers to change. We are looking for projects that deliver simplicity and make the skills system better able to deliver the outcomes that learners and employers need.

That’s great. We want to work with organisations who believe that change is possible and for whom improving the skills system is a strategic priority. We ask for organisations to make a contribution – whether in cash or kind – to show that you have ‘skin in the game’ and as a sign that that you are as committed as we are to making a change. Making time to work within our Impact Network shows you understand how working alongside others contributes to a wider movement for change - and makes for better projects.

Unfortunately, you’re not eligible to apply for funding. We don’t fund projects for school age children, or projects which are not focused on helping adults of working age gain or improve their skills for work. Your learners must be in the UK. In this funding round we are looking for projects which can create a large scale impact.

We appreciate that there are many challenges facing learners and employers in the UK. Think about how the specific problem you have identified fits in with the wider theme. Can you look beyond Ideas for a single problem and solution, and think of ideas which create connections between different organisations and processes to demonstrate how people and structures could work together to address the challenge? 

It doesn't sound like your project is one for us. We want to fund projects that tackle a real vocational learning problem, where there is evidence and understanding that this is an issue. We aren’t looking for research projects. We are interested in projects that can roll out and tackle a real world problem at scale. 

Think about what you don’t know and what evidence you can gather to strengthen your case. Knowing more about the scope and depth of the problem will help you roll out a better solution and understand the system issues better.

It doesn’t sound like your technology is at a suitable stage of readiness for this grant call. We are looking for technologies that can roll out quickly and start making a difference. Can you revisit your tech solution? Maybe you need to find out more about alternative existing solutions and how they are being used (or not) in the sector you want to target. 

Without access to your target learner group you’re unlikely to be awarded funding.  A good relationship with the target learner group is one of the keys to project success. If you don’t have access to employers and/or training providers you are unlikely to be able to show how a combination of people, process and technology can deliver a skills system that improves outcomes. 

It sounds like you need to do some more research into the context of the current system; dig into how it works and explore how delivery could be improved. We don’t want to fund projects which inadvertently add complexity and further barriers.

Think about whether this fund is for you. We want to work with organisations who believe that change is possible and for whom improving the skills system is a strategic priority. If funded you’ll need to make a contribution – whether in cash or kind – to show that you have ‘skin in the game’ and as a sign that that you are as committed as we are to making a change. You’ll also need to factor in time to contribute to our Impact Network – so this will need to be a strategic priority for you.

That’s understandable. Thanks for being honest. We know that money is tight. We’d like to work with organisations who are as committed as we are to making a difference, both immediately and in the longer term. You don't need a fully worked up plan at this stage but you do need a vision for the change you want to see and the ambition to make it happen. We know from experience that one of the things that makes a difference is when organisations work together, spot opportunities, spark ideas and learn from each other. Organisations we have worked with in the past tell us it’s more than just the money – it's the connections they make that make the difference. We want to see results and work with projects which will continue to roll out and make a difference at scale, long after Ufi funding has finished.