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:

Invitation to take part: Improving Diversity in Craft Businesses with Cockpit

by Michael Osbaldeston | 20 Sep 2022 | Charity partners, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Heritage crafts, News

Calling all craft businesses. The craft world has a diversity problem – let’s change that. Craft businesses are invited to get involved in a new project to help improve diversity in the craft workforce. Our vision is a future industry where anyone, from any background, can get in and get on. Help us make it happen. Between October 2022 and July 2023, we will work with five businesses to explore and develop new approaches to improving workforce diversity. The opportunity is open to companies...

City & Guilds Foundation & The WOW Show release new wellbeing resources for students

by Lauren Roberts | 12 Sep 2022 | Awareness Raising, Charity partners, Funding, News, Resources, Youth engagement

With the new school year in full swing and student wellbeing a priority, the City & Guilds Foundation have teamed up with The WOW Show and partners Votes for Schools to launch an exciting new film and classroom resources to help young people build self-confidence. The animated film - The skills you didn’t know you had! - features a cast of near-peer characters in everyday situations underlining messages about the skills that are inside us all – if only we recognise them: Resilience,...

Widening participation in heritage crafts: training bursary for Black and ethnically diverse makers

by Lauren Roberts | 2 Aug 2022 | Charity partners, Critical transition points, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Funding, Heritage crafts, News

The City & Guilds Foundation sponsors the Heritage Crafts training bursary targeted at Black and ethnically diverse makers, which is an under-represented group in heritage crafts. This guest post is by Daniel Carpenter of Heritage Crafts. For more information, see their website: heritagecrafts.org.uk. It is still the case that the UK craft sector does not accurately reflect the diversity of the UK as a whole and, for this reason, we are taking positive action to target this grant at Black...

Applications for the London Creative Network (LCN) Programme at Cockpit open until 08 August 2022

by Stuart Tucker | 22 Jul 2022 | Charity partners, Heritage crafts, News, Our networks

The London Creative Network (LCN) Programme at Cockpit is a professional development programme designed to provide free creative business support to craftspeople who have talent and aspiration to succeed. They are now inviting applications to join them from September to December 2022. What's included Whatever stage you are in business or practice, confident communication is key to success. This autumn, our workshop programme will focus on advancing your business practice through communication...

Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST) Applications for funding opening 11 July 2022

by Stuart Tucker | 6 Jul 2022 | Bursaries, Charity partners, News, Our networks

The Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST) awards scholarship and apprenticeship funding of up to £18,000 to talented and aspiring craftspeople working in a broad range of traditional and contemporary skills, from farriery and thatching to jewellery design, glassblowing and millinery. Our next application round is open 11 July - 15 August 2022 and we are looking for more talented applicants - would you be able to help us spread the word to your members, followers and network?...

City & Guilds Foundation supports new bursary for Black and minority ethnic trainees

by Lauren Roberts | 26 May 2022 | Charity partners, Critical transition points, Funding, Heritage crafts, News

The City & Guilds Foundation and Heritage Crafts are delighted to announce a new bursary for Black and minority ethnic trainees in heritage crafts. The first bursary is being awarded to Nkosi Kerr, who moved to the UK from Tobago in 2019. An incredible talent, he was taught carpentry by his father, a well-respected craftsman. With the support of the bursary, Nkosi will complete a Level 3 Bench Joinery course at the Building Crafts College in London setting himself up to make...

Connecting Communities: new free service to support London residents into full time employment

by Lauren Roberts | 22 Apr 2022 | Awareness Raising, Campaigning, Charity partners, Critical transition points, Digital poverty, News, Our networks

Connecting Communities: Your Bridge to Success Connecting Communities is a free service that can support eligible individuals* into full time employment. There are lots of jobs in the City of London, and Connecting Communities can help individuals by: Improving basic skillsLearning new skillsPreparing for a jobPutting together a CVGaining work experienceAccessing and applying for local jobs To arrange a meeting with one of their experienced Caseworkers, email...

[Podcast] Lost Opportunities: The Hidden Cost of Caring

by Lauren Roberts | 16 Mar 2022 | Awareness Raising, Campaigning, Charity partners, Critical transition points, Lived Experience, Our networks, Podcasts

To celebrate Young Carers Action Day, Lauren Roberts, our Foundation Advocacy lead invited Rosario Waterlow, Corporate Partnerships Executive to talk about her lived experience of being a young carer and navigating the education system and employment. Listen to hear about what more educators and employers can do support young carers to tackle the growing issues of isolation. At the City & Guilds Foundation we are all about removing the barriers that less advantaged members of our...

No Going Back: City & Guilds Foundation supports The Livery Company initiative

by Polly Rowe | 2 Mar 2022 | Charity partners, Livery companies, News, Prisoners and ex-offenders

There are few occasions since setting up City & Guilds some 144 years ago when the Livery Companies have worked together towards a single objective. And that’s why we’re delighted that through the City & Guilds Foundation we’re able to support the new and exciting Livery ‘No Going Back’ initiative supporting offender rehabilitation. At the City & Guilds Foundation supporting the rehabilitation of offenders and former offenders has been a priority for some time. We recognise that...

Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST) Applications for funding opening 12 July 2021

by Stuart Tucker | 30 Jun 2021 | Charity partners, Heritage crafts, News, Our networks

We are delighted to announce that our friends at the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust will be accepting new applications for funding between 12 July and 16 August 2021. Talented and aspiring candidates can apply for up to £18,000 to further their education through traditional college courses, vocational training, apprenticeships or one-to-one training with master craftsmen. Please note this information is out of date. For 2022 information see the new post. The Queen Elizabeth Scholarship...

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