NOCN Group Awards Nine Grants In First Year Of New Skills Foundation

Skills charity NOCN Group has marked a major milestone in its commitment to supporting innovation across the UK skills system, celebrating nine organisations at the inaugural NOCN Group Foundation Awards Evening last night. The winners – representing colleges, charities and specialist training providers – have been selected as the first recipients of funding through the Foundation’s 2026 Skills Innovation Grant Programme.

The launch of the NOCN Group Foundation is the realisation of a long‑standing ambition, now made possible by the organisation’s strengthened financial position. It comes at a critical moment for the sector, as providers and employers adapt to rapidly evolving green, digital and labour‑market demands. The Foundation aims to stimulate new thinking, test fresh approaches, and support scalable ideas that can meaningfully improve outcomes for learners and communities.

The 2026 Skills Innovation Grant Programme focuses on innovative solutions to three urgent skills challenges: supporting NEET young people into training and work; advancing high‑quality green skills and retraining; and using technology in new and impactful ways across engagement, learning and assessment. The nine funded projects span AI‑driven literacy tools, green skills training, retrofit delivery, personalised employment pathways and specialist construction training.

2026 Grant Recipients

The nine award winners are:

• City of Liverpool College – AI‑powered literacy assistant to support GCSE English resit learners
• Bedford College – VR training for renewable energy and sustainable construction
• Chameleon School of Construction – Retrofit and green skills training hub across the Midlands
• Handcrafted – Bespoke training and employment pathways for care‑experienced young people
• Volunteer It Yourself – Live community retrofit project engaging disadvantaged young people
• The Sheffield College – Eco House teaching environment and green‑skills advocacy programme
• HETA – Virtual AI mentors delivering accessible careers guidance across apprenticeships
• Frameworks Training – Modern Methods of Construction training for NEET young people
• O’Halloran & O’Brien – Pre‑employment construction bootcamp with guaranteed interviews

Commenting on the awards, Graham Hasting‑Evans, CEO of NOCN Group, said: “These nine projects reflect the ambition and creativity our sector needs. By supporting innovation that directly benefits learners and employers, the Foundation is helping to shape a stronger, fairer and more future‑ready skills system. This first year is only the beginning.”

Stephen Evans, Chair of the NOCN Group Foundation Committee, said: “This first grant cycle saw an impressive response, and we are delighted to award nine grants to projects that demonstrate real ambition, creativity and a commitment to delivering measurable impact for learners and communities. The quality of applications has set a high benchmark and made this first year truly inspiring.”

The NOCN Group Foundation will use learnings from its inaugural year to refine and expand its future programmes. The next round of funding is expected to open for applications later in 2026.