UKSPF Skills Innovation Accelerator Programme: Employer-Led Skills Challenges

Grant funding available now. Apply for funding to help solve real world problems your organisation is facing and give young people the opportunity to learn industry related skills.

What’s the purpose of this funding?
The Employer-Led Skills Challenges fund invites Doncaster employers to bid for funding to construct hand-on skills/learning challenges related to real world problems their organisations are facing. Applications are very much welcomed from any sector within the local economy but are particularly welcomed from those industries which align to Doncaster’s Centres of Excellence (Engineering, Creative & Digital, Health & Care, and Green Tech).

This is to encourage employers to engage in delivery of learning opportunities (including hands-on work experience opportunities), and to enable residents aged 16+ to engage with real-world scenarios and issues affecting industry, and in turn to develop industry-related skills, and greater knowledge and understanding of the workplace.

The activities you run is limited only by your imagination, but here’s some examples of the types of activities you could run:

Example activities might include:

• An engineering business collaborating with schools to invite young people to work together with their parents/carers to build a wind turbine that can generate power made from recycled materials. The employer would provide the technical materials, and families would present their entries for the employer to judge and award prizes. The award event would highlight the skills entrants had gained as well as possible careers related to this challenge.
• A marketing agency opening their doors to invite groups of people interested in a career change to work in teams of three to six to develop a branding identity for a new start up and to pitch their ideas in a ‘Dragon’s Den’ style event.
• A tech company creating a social gaming online ‘hackathon’ for those interested in a career in the digital sector.

How much can I apply for? 

Applications are invited for any amount up to a maximum value of £2000. If you would like to put forward a proposal for an amount in excess of this value please contact us at the email address below. Grants are available on a rolling basis, until either March 2025 or the funding has been exhausted.

Am I eligible, what do I require?

• Evidence you have undertaken appropriate safeguarding training within the last two years
• DBS Certificate of individuals running the Event/Activity 
• Risk Assessments for the Activity 
• Public Liability insurance certificate
• Health and Safety Policy
• Bank Statement dated within the last 6 months

This project is funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

I’m interested – what do I need to do?

Please click find out more to locate the expression of interest form. We will then be able to send you the relevant documentation to apply for the funding.