Innovation fund offers up to £125k to transform assessment and vocational education
The latest round of funding from NCFE has opened today, 17 February, looking for ideas to improve assessment within vocational education.
Supported by NCFE and Ufi VocTech Trust, the Assessment Innovation Fund will enable the testing of assessment solutions that can adapt and respond to the needs of the changing UK economy and help get more adults learning.
This includes encouraging the deployment of learner-centric and adaptable solutions, harnessing digital technology to create a more inclusive, robust, fairer, and reliable assessment experience.
Dr Rebecca Conway, Director of Research and Innovation at NCFE, said:
“We’re dedicated to promoting and advancing learning – it’s our core purpose. This drives our commitment to deliver world-class educational services that enable learners to achieve their potential.
“We also believe that great innovation needs great collaborators. That’s why we launched our Assessment Innovation Fund in 2021 to support more organisations to test different approaches and grow the evidence base for what works. We’ve invested over £1 million already and are excited to see the latest ideas as part of this funding window.”
To date, more than 3,000 learners and over 200 educators have participated in 12 Assessment Innovation Fund projects. The findings are helping to support innovators, showcase new digital approaches to assessment, and champion the need for change in assessment practices – including as part of NCFE’s submission to the recent Curriculum and Assessment Review.
Jane Holmes, Associate Director of Grants at Ufi, said:
“Driving change and reform in the assessment of vocational training and skills is a core part of Ufi’s ongoing partnership with NCFE.
“The Assessment Innovation Fund is helping support the development of more learner-centric, inclusive, agile and responsive assessment solutions able to help learners and employers gain the skills they need. We’re looking forward to seeing some truly innovative ideas with the potential to transform the future of assessment.”
This funding window is prioritising grant applications and projects that aim to demonstrate significant improvement in assessment at scale, with a goal of reaching at least 1,000 learners. Projects should demonstrate measurable outcomes and align with the needs of the changing UK economy and adult learners.
Successful applicants will be eligible for funding of up to £125,000, with projects expected to be delivered over a 12–18-month timeframe. As part of the funding window, NCFE is holding two applicant webinars to provide guidance on how to apply and the chance to ask questions.
For more information or sign up to a webinar, visit www.ncfe.org.uk/help-shape-the-future-of-learning-and-assessment
