£900k grant fund launched to help kickstart early ideas using technology to improve adult skills for work

Ufi’s VocTech Activate grant fund offers up to £60k for projects to develop new ideas

Ufi’s VocTech Activate grant fund is designed to support the development of early-stage digital tools and approaches with the potential to tackle vocational learning problems and transform how people gain skills for work.

Grants between £30,000 and £60,000 for projects lasting up to 12 months are available.

VocTech Activate provides a supportive environment to scope and test early-stage ideas, helping to prototype designs and work out the next steps necessary on the journey to long-term success. We are focused on supporting sectors, locations, skills levels and individuals who are less well served by existing training and tools.

We are delighted to launch our first VocTech Activate grant fund. We welcome ideas from across the UK which can help solve challenges in vocational learning.

Jane Holmes, Head of Grant Programmes at Ufi VocTech Trust

Previously called VocTech Seed, recent recipients of the grant include a gaming application to develop the skills of prosthetic/orthotic support workers; a scenario-based simulator for trainee train drivers, and a VR platform helping carers gain insight into the experiences of people facing mental health problems. You can read more about previous grant recipients here.

Two people looking at a tablet computer

How to apply

Applications open on 11 January and close on 8 February.

We encourage all applicants to attend a grant workshop before applying to the fund. Our workshops provide an opportunity to find out more about the fund and help ensure it is right for you and your idea. Applicants who attend our workshops are much more likely to be successful.

Select a workshop and register your attendance

Find out more about VocTech Activate

  • VocTech Activate

    Two care students learning on a mobile phone in a training ward.

    Our test bed where the first spark of an idea can be scoped and tested in the supportive environment that Ufi funding provides. Applications open 6 January 2025.

  • About the fund

    Student helping a woman use a VR headset in a college.

    Find out about the VocTech Activate Grant Fund.

  • Eligibility Checker

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    Check if you are likely to be eligible.