Local Community Skills Fund: grants for local projects
Empowering communities across the UK to deliver the skills they need locally.
About the
Fund
Funded
projects
Questions (FAQs)
Expressions of Interest are currently closed.
About the programme
The Local Community Skills Fund aims to support a wide range of initiatives that will make a positive impact on communities across the UK.
One key focus is to fund innovative local and community-led projects that may not be eligible for traditional funding sources. This could include anything from setting up a community garden to running a digital skills workshop. The fund also seeks to help disadvantaged people develop the skills they need to find employment by providing training and support.
Additionally, the fund will address specific skills gaps in local areas and reach out to communities where access to training and development opportunities is limited. By working with external organisations, the fund aims to create a sustainable model for delivering social impact through funding and match-funding.
Who can apply?
- Registered charities with a voluntary income of less that £1m. If your organisation had income of over £1m last year, we will ask for a matching contribution that will be tailored to your size
- Registered Social Enterprises, with clearly defined asset locks, with an income of less than £1m
- Colleges, FE providers and other City & Guilds customers, where the proposals are clearly additive to existing funding.
or
- Individuals and community groups, but only instances where they have a supporting organisation that is willing to act as the recipient of funds and meets one of the criteria above (for example a local college, Scout Group, charity etc.)
What types of projects will we fund?
The Local Community Skills Fund supports projects that are:
- Seeking funding for projects or activities that will be delivered in the UK
- Supporting people 16+ who are facing barriers
- Supporting the development of skills required to move towards or into employment
The Local Community Skills Fund will not be able to support:
- Individual appeals for bursary support or proposals that benefit an individual rather than wider members of the community (this is available through our bursary programme, find out more here).
- Long-standing capital appeals, where any donation would represent less than 10% of the total value
- Programmes or activity that have already taken place
- Religious activity (although we can fund religious organisations if their project benefits the wider community and doesn’t include religious content)
- Loan repayments.
Projects will also be viewed positively if they address any of the following:
- People with convictions, young people at risk of offending, refugees and displaced people, neurodiverse learners and lower socio-economic groups
- Can evidence that they are addressing local skills gaps and/or directly link to job outcomes
- Are in a community or region of defined social need (Indices of Multiple Deprivation, DofE cold spots)
What level of funding is available?
You can apply for a grant of up to £10,000 and most grants will be around £6,000.
Grant recipients will be required to sign an agreement which commits them to reporting the outputs and outcomes of any funding.
We aim to open our community grants programme at regular intervals throughout the year and we will review submissions on a regular basis.
Projects we’ve supported
To date, the Foundation has supported twenty projects across the UK.
4DGIMUSIC CIC
£10,000 funding awarded for outreach and employability support for black British youth in Hackney, providing skills training and mentorship to bridge employment gaps.
BCT N.I. C.I.C
£5,000 funding awarded for qualifications and CSR cards for skilled individuals in Belfast, enabling them to work in joinery and bricklaying.
Bright Futures NE
£9,650 funding awarded for Intensive Employment Support Project for women in South Tyneside, offering tailored support, skills development, and access to technology and qualifications.
Entrust Care Partnership CIC
£6,850 funding awarded for Traineeships in community cafes for young disabled people, providing work experience, mentoring, and support to gain paid employment.
Feathers Futures CIO
£7,650 funding awarded to support disadvantaged women in Great Yarmouth with a bespoke course on employability, confidence-building, and accredited training.
Forest of Hearts
£10,000 funding awarded for wellbeing coaching training for unemployed individuals, focusing on developing coaching skills, confidence, and employability in the health and social care sector.
The Inclusionists
£6,000 funding awarded for STEP Ahead which empowers neurodiverse youth in South Tyneside with skills development, work placements, and employment pathways in the hospitality sector.
Intergenerational Music Making
£9,650 funding awarded for workforce skills and mentorship programme for disadvantaged young people, combining creative skill-building with real-world experience.
Kilcooley Women's Centre
£6,500 funding awarded for training programme for disadvantaged women, including survivors of domestic abuse, to become classroom assistants, offering Level 3 qualifications and comprehensive support.
LoveWell
£7,000 funding awarded for employability programme for women who have experienced trafficking and exploitation, offering skills training, mentoring, and long-term support.
MYTIME Young Carers
£4,498 funding awarded for Employability Programme for young carers in Dorset and Isle of Wight, offering mentoring, career advice, and workshops to enhance skills.
People Empowered CIC
£5,000 funding awarded for employment and educational skills workshops for homeless individuals in St Helens, addressing multiple barriers to employment.
Project Colt
£10,000 funding awarded to support vulnerable adults in Elland with recovery and employability skills development through a holistic recovery programme.
Sports Fun 4 all
£10,000 funding awarded for employment programme supporting NEET youth and adults with sports coaching qualifications, practical experience, and employability support.
The Stable
£5,000 funding awarded for Hospitality Futures training programme in Weston-super-Mare, equipping unemployed adults and young people with essential skills for careers in hospitality and tourism.
Veterans Response CIC
£6,000 funding awarded for digital skills training for veterans in South Tyneside, offering coding, web development, and career support to overcome employment barriers.
The Videobox
£5,850 funding awarded for confidence building and skills training for women with traumatic backgrounds in Bolton, including accredited basic skills training.
Volunteering Hebrides
£8,000 funding awarded for Social Learning Academy that provides NEET young adults with practical skills, work experience, and accredited training to increase employability on a remote island location.
Well Grounded
£9,200 funding awarded for 8-week barista training for unemployed individuals, covering technical skills, customer service, health and safety, with mentorship and job placement assistance.
Zink Project
£5,000 funding awarded for work placements in a community café for long-term unemployed individuals, offering mentoring and relevant skills to achieve career goals.
Frequently asked questions
Who can apply for a grant?
The Local Community Skills Fund accepts EoIs and applications from:
- Registered charities with a voluntary income of less that £1m. If your organisation had income of over £1m last year, we will ask for a matching contribution that will be tailored to your size
- Registered Social Enterprises, with clearly defined asset locks, with an income of less than £1m
- Colleges, FE providers and other C&G clients, where the proposals are clearly additive to existing funding.
or
- Individuals and community groups, but only instances where they have a supporting organisation that is willing to act as the recipient of funds and meets one of the criteria above (for example a local college, Scout Group, charity etc.)
It will not support:
- Individuals seeking support for their own learning
- For-profit companies aimed at generating profit for private distribution
- Community groups without a sponsor organisation that meets one of the other criteria above
- Organisations where observance of a particular faith or belief is a prerequisite for support
- Organisations which exist to promote any political party or are directly aligned with a political party
- Organisations based outside of the UK.
Will you consider match funding?
We would be happy to consider match funding as long as the project and applicant meet the criteria and the amount being asked for is under £10,000.
What is the timeline for grant decisions?
Most applicants will know if they are successful in being awarded a grant within two months of starting an EoI. Please note that this is only a guide and not a guarantee.
Will I need to report back to the City & Guilds Foundation on impact and progression?
The City & Guilds Foundation or our partner will be in touch about impact reporting
How much funding is available?
The fund will consider grants up to £10,000 with most grants around £6,000.
If I am successful can I apply again?
Successful applicants will be able to apply for a new project no sooner than twelve months after receiving funding. We will not provide funding for the same project more than once unless it has changed or there is a compelling need. Please make your reasoning clear on the application form.
I have previously applied and been rejected for a grant – can I apply again?
Yes. If your project meets the criteria we are more than happy to consider a new application.
Can a Further Education Institute apply?
Yes, a Further Education College or other educational institution can apply where the proposals are clearly additive to existing funding.
We are already working with City & Guilds in some capacity, can we apply?
Yes, but applicants are asked to declare the nature of their existing relationship with the City & Guilds of London Institute and any of its brands in the Expression of Interest form. The form has a specific section which addresses this point.
Are for-profit companies able to apply?
No, for profit companies are not permitted to apply unless they are jointly applying in partnership with an eligible entity such as a registered UK charity.
Can a charitable foundation linked to a for-profit company apply?
Yes, we will consider applications proposed by the charitable foundations of relevant for-profit companies where a project meets the stated objectives of the fund and meets the criteria.
Is work outside the UK eligible?
No, all proposed projects must be active in the UK.
Must our project be delivered in England?
No, projects across the UK, including Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland, the Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey will be considered. We are especially interested in areas with higher barriers and less access to skills development.
How will my application be assessed?
Your initial Expression of Interest will be reviewed by a panel of experts with extensive experience in grant making and impact measurement. Successful applicants will be contacted and asked to work up their proposal into a detailed submission for further consideration.
How do I apply?
All applicants must complete an initial Expression of Interest from which will include details of the nature and scale of your organisation, any existing relationship with the City & Guilds of London Institute and a broad sketch of your proposed grogramme. This on-line form has been designed to allow interested parties to share an initial picture of their proposal without the need for a time-consuming detailed submission at the first stage.
Can I apply by post or fax?
No, all expressions of interest must be submitted through the online form.
Will I receive a receipt for my submission?
Yes, all applicants will receive an automated response to acknowledge receipt of their Expression of Interest.
Will applicants receive feedback if they are not selected through the next stage?
Due to the volume of applications, the City & Guilds Foundation is not able to provide feedback to individual applicants. Unsuccessful applicants will be informed via email.
If our project is selected, what are the next steps?
Successful applicants will be contacted directly and asked to complete a detailed submission. This would request granular detail about the proposed project, the schedule of work, detailed budget and timeline.
Why do you have a two-stage application process?
The process has been designed to help save applicants time through initial screening to ensure relevant projects are invited to develop a more in-depth stage 2 application. This is intended to help ensure only eligible organisations are invited to stage 2 and overall the process is as efficient as possible. Note – being invited to make a second stage application does not necessarily mean your organisation will gain funding.
How do I register?
- Go to the City & Guilds Foundation Applications and Nominations Platform
- Click Register
- Choose to register to SurveyMonkey Apply (recommended) or using a Social Media Account (this will redirect you to the social media platform to complete your registration)
- Click Create Account
- You will then receive an email asking to verify your account, click Confirm email address within this email
How do I reset my Password?
- Go to the City & Guilds Foundation Applications and Nominations Platform
- Click Log In
- Underneath the Email/Password fields, click “Forgot your password?“
- Enter the email address that you use to login to the site
- Click Send Instructions
- You will be sent instructions to the email you entered to reset your password. If you aren’t to locate the email in your inbox, we recommend checking your Spam/Junk folder
- Click on the link within the email
- Enter a new password and confirm the password
- Click Reset Password
Why am I not receiving any emails from the site?
- Ensure that noreply@mail.smapply.net is added to your safe sender list within your email account.
- Ensure that your email is verified within the site. If you’re receiving this notification at the top of your page, then it’s possible that you won’t receive other emails from the site.
- Ensure that you’re subscribed to receive emails from the site.
- Check your Spam Folder to verify whether the email was sent to your Spam/Junk folder.
- Depending on the email(s) you’re expecting to receive, reach out to the administrators to ensure that an email was sent out.
How do I create a new application?
- Click View Programmes
- Find Community Skills Fund (note that at certain times of the year, other programmes will show here) and select MORE >
- Click Apply
The City & Guilds Foundation reserves the right to exclude any application that it deems outside its criteria. Funding will be subject to The City and Guilds of London Institute’s discretion and the successful applicant entering into a separate contract with The City and Guilds of London Institute on completion of the application and due diligence process.
City & Guilds Foundation’s Rights
The City & Guilds Foundation reserves the right to:
- waive or change the requirements of the Community Skills Fund from time to time without prior notice;
- withdraw the Community Skills Fund at any time, or re-invite applications on the same or any alternative basis; and
- choose not to award funding as a result of the application process.
Applicant costs
The City & Guilds Foundation will not in any circumstances be liable for any costs, expenditure, work or effort incurred by an applicant in applying to the Community Skills Fund.
Data Protection
The personal data of applicants (and any other personal data contained in an application) will be managed by City & Guilds in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation and Data Protection Act 2018. City & Guilds will collect personal data at the time of submission of each application, and as is otherwise necessary in order to administer the Community Skills Fund and all associated activities. By submitting an Expression of Interest you agree that any personal data provided by you to the City & Guilds Foundation may be held and used by the City & Guilds Foundation and its agents to administer the Community Skills Fund. Applicants may contact the City & Guilds Foundation at any time to update their details and/or preferences regarding the use of personal data.
Liability
While the information contained on this website is believed to be correct at the time of issue, City & Guilds and the City & Guilds Foundation accepts no liability in any circumstances for its accuracy, adequacy or completeness, nor is any express or implied warranty given. No representations or warranties are made in relation to these statements, opinions or conclusions.
Insofar as is permitted by law, City & Guilds and its agents accept no responsibility for any damage, loss, liabilities, injury or disappointment incurred or suffered as a result of submitting an application to the Fund.
The City and Guilds Institute of London is a registered charity in England and Wales (312832).