Grants for charities

We provide grants and wider support to charities that can deliver innovative, practical skills and employment opportunities for individuals facing barriers to work.

The programmes we fund are often experimental in nature, and help prove that through taking a creative, targeted approach to widening talent pools and supporting harder to reach groups, we can build a better, fairer, more productive society.

We are currently focused on:

  • Helping prisoners gain skills and move into lasting employment on release
  • Removing barriers faced by refugees to develop skills and get meaningful work
  • Supporting people at Critical Transition Points in their lives and careers

The latest Charity partner stories on the City & Guilds Foundation website:

What we learned about making applications more accessible – for refugee women and for all

What we learned about making applications more accessible – for refugee women and for all

Access to training and learning opportunities is one of the barriers for refugee women with experience of seeking safety to start or progress their professional lives in the UK. This includes financial barriers, as well as other barriers related to accessing education. City & Guilds Foundation have therefore started a partnership with Routes, to support women in accessing opportunities through the City & Guilds bursary. A significant step in overcoming the financial barrier of the...

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Eliminating barriers to employment in the green sector

Eliminating barriers to employment in the green sector

Creating and filling green jobs is crucial if the UK is to meet its target to deliver a net-zero economy by 2050 (Green Jobs Taskforce, 2021). Green jobs help to protect and restore the natural environment whilst also boosting economic growth, improving energy security, cutting household bills and promoting healthier communities. In essence, they benefit both people and the planet. However, the available workers and skill set required for these positions are increasingly falling short of what...

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Cockpit Awards open for applications on 01 September

Cockpit Awards open for applications on 01 September

Our partners Cockpit are excited to announce a number of fantastic awards that aspiring craftspeople can apply for this autumn. A Cockpit Award means a free studio space at Cockpit's London studios, plus one-to-one business coaching and a place on our world-class business training programme. Recipients are also invited to join a thriving creative community of world-leading craftspeople. Some Cockpit Awards are open to a craftsperson working in any discipline. Other awards are aimed at...

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Heritage Crafts training bursary for Black and ethnically diverse makers now open!

Heritage Crafts training bursary for Black and ethnically diverse makers now open!

This training bursary is targeted at Black and ethnically diverse makers, as this is an under-represented group in heritage crafts. It is sponsored by the City & Guilds Foundation and is one of a suite of awards and bursaries offered by Heritage Crafts to support and celebrate craftspeople. Apply for up to £4,000 to start training in a heritage craft or to further develop your skills. It is still the case that the UK craft sector does not accurately reflect the diversity of the UK as a...

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Seeing first hand the difference that our funding is making

Seeing first hand the difference that our funding is making

This is a guest post by Dick Palmer, Chair of City & Guilds Foundation and City & Guilds Group Trustee Being Chair of the City & Guilds Foundation is one of the jobs I am most proud of and privileged to undertake. There is so much social need in the world and so many people deserving of our support, so it’s a pleasure to be able to be a tiny part of making a difference – particularly in combating key societal issues through the work that is happening across the Foundation. Whilst...

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Delivering Green Skills Training with Greenworkx and Catch22

Delivering Green Skills Training with Greenworkx and Catch22

The City & Guilds Foundation is pleased to announce two new partnerships with Greenworkx and Catch22 to deliver green skills training. The partnerships will provide training and support to help people from disadvantaged backgrounds develop the skills they need to work in the green economy. Greenworkx is a climate EdTech startup that is tackling the green skills emergency and building the net-zero workforce. Their mission is to get 10 million people into green jobs in 10 years. They are...

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Unlocking a Waiting Workforce: launching the refugee recruitment toolkit in partnership with The Launchpad Collective

Unlocking a Waiting Workforce: launching the refugee recruitment toolkit in partnership with The Launchpad Collective

There is a whole waiting workforce among our refugee population in the UK, yet many companies may not realise the benefits of hiring refugees as part of their recruitment strategy. That's why we've partnered with The Launchpad Collective to bring you an Employer Toolkit e-module called 'Unlocking a Waiting Workforce'. The Employer Toolkit is an engaging e-module created by Kineo that is designed to help businesses successfully hire and integrate people with refugee backgrounds into their...

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Heritage Crafts Awards 2023 now open

Heritage Crafts Awards 2023 now open

The Heritage Crafts Awards are now open with six brand new awards for 2023. The Awards, which have been running since 2012, celebrate and highlight the traditional living crafts that contribute to British heritage.  New Awards this year include a new Lifetime Achievement Award supported by the Marsh Christian Trust, to recognise a heritage craftsperson who has demonstrated an outstanding contribution to their specific craft over 25 years or more. The Award celebrates a lifetime’s dedication to...

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Supporting young carers in employment

Supporting young carers in employment

Young carers provide unpaid care and support to family members or friends who have a disability, illness, mental health condition, or substance misuse problem. According to our partners the Carers Trust there were 177,918 young carers in England and Wales at the last census and additionally there are 29,000 young carers in Scotland. However, this is widely believed to be the tip of the iceberg, with some estimates suggesting that as many as one in five schoolchildren are young carers...

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