Through the City & Guilds Foundation’s bursaries, funding for skills development is delivered to those who really need it, supporting the hardest-to-reach groups to develop skills for employment.

The City & Guilds Foundation’s strategic social investments ensure the provision of funding for training to displaced people, former offenders and people from lower socio-economic groups. Our aim is to change lives and meet the needs of society by providing the financial means to enhance opportunities for securing and sustaining meaningful employment.

Our funding activities include our bursary programme which supports individuals in genuine financial need to access training programmes to upskill, our Future Skills Commission for Prisons which aids organisations delivering employment support for offenders, and other socially-centred programmes such as pro bono work.

We have recently established two new funding streams to reach those facing barriers to education and employment. Our Transitions Commission funds organisations working with young people at risk of falling out of education, training and employment. Our Local Community Skills Fund is empowering communities across the UK to deliver the skills they need locally.

Through an assortment of prestigious awards that honour employers, learners and tutors, and exceptional individuals, the Foundation seeks to promote the acknowledgement, appreciation and celebration of individuals and organisations who demonstrate commitment and investment in skills development.

Through our campaigns, we endeavour to eliminate barriers and challenge perceptions which adversely affect work and skills development opportunities for marginalised groups.

Our extensive and influential campaigns champion inclusion & diversity, neurodiversity, youth engagement and underline the challenges of digital poverty.