Active funds

There are currently no funds open for application. Please check back soon for more opportunities, see our investment resources for more options or get in touch to be added to our mailing list and receive notifications when new funding opportunities become available.

Please note: these funds are now being delivered and are no longer accepting applications.

Careers & Enterprise Fund 2018

The Careers and Enterprise Fund 2018 has invested £4.2 million in supporting the delivery of Employer Encounters through 12 Careers Hubs and in 25 disadvantaged areas (Part A) and programmes supporting disadvantaged groups (Part B).

Part A: Employer Encounters

Goal: To support employer encounters for young people aged 11-18 in England through 12 Careers Hubs and 25 disadvantaged areas.
Investment: £2.5m
Timeline: Fund delivery until August 2020.
Supporting publication: £2.5m fund to help disadvantaged young people prepare work

We invested a total of £2.5 million in programmes selected by schools and colleges in 37 areas of need. Of this, £1.25 million has been invested into 12 careers hubs, selected through disadvantage measures, and a further £1.25 million has been invested in 25 disadvantaged areas, with each school being offered on average £5,000.

The following areas are virtual wallet recipients: • Black Country Consortium (HUB) • Cornwall and the Isle of Scilly (HUB) • East Sussex (HUB) • Greater Manchester (HUB) • Lancashire (HUB) • Leeds City Region (HUB) • Leicester and Leicestershire (HUB) • Liverpool City Region (HUB) • North East (HUB) • Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire (HUB) • Tees Valley (HUB) • West of England (HUB) • Birmingham • County Durham • Coventry • Croydon • Great Yarmouth & Waveney • Knowsley & Halton • Lambeth • Leeds • Leicester • Lewisham • Liverpool • Manchester • Medway • Newham • Nottingham • Peterborough • Rotherham • Salford • Sandwell • Sheffield • Southampton • Tameside • Wakefield • Walsall

Part B: Disadvantaged Groups

Goal: To test new approaches for disadvantaged groups to broaden aspirations and raise awareness of pathways into training and work.
Investment: £1.7m
Timeline: Fund delivery until August 2020.
Supporting research: Careers and Enterprise Fund 2018 - Disadvantaged Groups

For Part B, we've invested £1.7 million for disadvantaged groups. The areas of focus are SEND students, Looked After Children and Care Leavers, Gypsy, Roma and Traveller young people. As part of the £1.7 million, £200,000 has been specifically invested in activity around employer engagement and support to improve confidence of both employers and SEND students.

Mentoring Fund and Mentoring Extension Fund

Goal: To support year 8-10 students at risk of disengaging from education by scaling up proven mentoring organisations.
Investment: £4.2m
Timeline: Fund delivery until August 2020.
Supporting research: Mapping Disengagement research, Effective Employer Mentoring

Opportunity Areas Fund

Goal: To support the delivery of employer encounters for young people from disadvantaged areas in the second wave of the Government’s Opportunity Areas.
Investment: £1.5m
Timeline: Fund delivery until September 2019.
Supporting research: Year one impact report [PDF]

Opportunity Areas Extension Fund

Goal: To sustain the delivery of employer encounters for young people from disadvantaged areas in the first and second wave of the Government’s Opportunity Areas.
Investment: £2.2m
Timeline: Fund delivery until August 2020.
Supporting publications: Next six opportunity area plans launched

Personal Guidance Fund

Goal: To support the development of innovative, cost-effective models for personal careers guidance in schools and colleges, harnessing learning and best practice that can be disseminated to the sector.
Investment: £2.5m
Timeline: Fund delivery until September 2020.
Supporting research: Personal Guidance. What Works?

Careers Leaders Fund

Goal: To deliver 1,300 bursaries by August 2020 to train Careers Leaders so that they are equipped with the knowledge, behaviours and skills that they need to succeed in their role and ensure their school or college is making progress against the Gatsby Benchmarks. In addition, the Company will launch online training for careers leaders which will be available to all schools and colleges.
Investment: Fund delivery until August 2020.
Timeline: Fund delivery until August 2020.
Supporting research: Careers Leaders in secondary schools - The first year, Understanding the role of the Careers Leader: a guide for Colleges, Understanding the role of the Careers Leader: A Guide for Secondary Schools

There are still places available to apply. Please register your interest here:

Primary Fund

Goal: To build the evidence base to better understand the impact of career-related learning activities with primary school children, including good practice to be promoted at primary level.
Investment: £2.0m
Timeline: Fund delivery until August 2020.
Supporting research: Career-related learning in primary. What works?

> Visit Primary Fund page