Skills for work: £3,000,000 In Tech Innovation Grants awarded

Seventeen projects will receive funding thanks to a series of funding calls by Ufi VocTech Trust throughout 2019. 

The Ufi VocTech Trust is a charity that champions the power of technology to improve skills for work and deliver better outcomes for all, which it does by being a funding partner and supporter of innovators in skills development, looking to help people progress in the workplace. 

Each year, Ufi looks to support a range of organisations through grant-funding and support to nurture innovative vocational technology that has the potential to provide real change and impact in the vocational education sector.

During 2019 Ufi used a range of different funding types to support areas of need, encouraging innovation in both the adult education sector and in-work learning.

These were:

• VocTech Impact
• VocTech Manufacturing
• VocTech Specialist 
• VocTech Seed 

As a result, a total of £2,976,000 has been awarded to 17 projects from across the UK. As well as the financial support, each project will also receive a tailored package of expert support to help them nurture the development of their idea.

Rebecca Garrod-Waters, CEO Ufi VocTech Trust said:

We are very pleased to be supporting these projects: we actively look to support a portfolio of projects that deliver positive change for learners across a wide range of sectors, job roles, geographies and access points and our 2019 cohorts are exciting in that they meet this set of criteria.

The organisations we have chosen to fund in 2019 have ideas that demonstrate the positive opportunity that VocTech represents, delivered at scale, as well as having immediate impact on the lives of large numbers of individuals, education providers and employers and enable us to extend our reach into communities currently under-served by existing learning opportunities.

We’re excited to see how each project develops – congratulations to all for their successful applications.

The Ufi VocTech Trust believes that every individual and employer can benefit from the acquisition of new skills, so that everyone has the opportunity to progress, to know the satisfaction of a job well done and to positively contribute to a better future for all. 

Ufi’s first funding call of 2020, VocTech Seed, opens on January 21st. VocTech Seed provides grants of between £15,000 and £50,000 for projects lasting from 3 to 12 months. This is our testbed where the first spark of an idea can be scoped and tested in the supportive environment that Ufi funding provides. 

Ufi hosts pre-application workshops and webinars to support applicants to develop their ideas and decide if Ufi funding is right for them. Full details and how to apply can be found at ufi.co.uk

Rebecca added:

I would encourage organisations and consortia keep in touch with Ufi and look out for our 2020 funding calls as a possible way for them to launch their ideas through our unique, flexible enrichment and project management approaches.