Ufi VocTech Activate eligibility checker | Ufi VocTech Trust

1.

Do you have a project that uses digital technology to help adult learners in the UK aged 16-65 to gain or improve the skills they need for work?

YesNo

We’re looking for projects that have the potential to transform how vocational learning happens; solve a defined vocational learning problem, and projects that are rooted in a real world understanding of the needs of the workforce.

2.

Think about the target learner group who will benefit from your project. Are they already well served by existing mainstream provision? Or are they learners who do not have many opportunities to learn skills for the workplace?

Well servedNot well servedNot sure

We are interested in projects that help fill a gap in learning provision for learners who are not well-served by existing vocational provision. We’d like to hear about projects which could help people who are a long way from the skills that they need for work, or which could improve people’s skills and enable them access better quality jobs.

3.

Have you got evidence to show that your proposed project addresses a real-world, proven problem faced by learners or their teachers/trainers?

YesNoSome

We want you to tell us how you know that this is a problem. What evidence have you got from learners, employers or teachers/trainers? Show us how you know. Are there recent surveys or statistics that strengthen your case?

Think about what you don’t know and what evidence you can gather to strengthen your case. Knowing more about the scope and depth of the problem will help you build a better solution.

4.

Is your digital project genuinely innovative?

YesNoNot Sure

Show us that you understand the market and explain how your solution is better than what currently exists. You’ll need to explain where the innovation lies – is it in the approach, technology or are you applying existing technology to a community of learners who otherwise don’t have access to it?

Sounds like you need to find out more about existing solutions and how they are being used (or not) in the sector you want to target. Think about what you don’t know. What makes existing solutions inappropriate in this situation? What makes your solution different?

5.

Do you have access to your group of target learners or users?

YesNo

That’s great. You’ll need access to your target learner group to test and refine your ideas. Think about how you will enthuse them and organise sufficient numbers to test your project ideas effectively.

6.

Has your project got the potential to scale up? Can you see how it could reach broader audiences once Ufi funding finishes?

YesNo

We want to fund organisations which have ambition and vision for how the project could eventually be scaled up to reach a large number of learners. We want to see results and work with projects which will continue to roll out and make a difference at scale, long after Ufi funding has finished. We’d like to work with organisations who are as committed as we are to making a difference, both immediately and in the longer term. If this is you...

Sorry

Unfortunately, you’re not eligible to apply for funding from VocTech Activate. We don’t fund projects for school age children, or projects which are not focused on helping adults of working age gain or improve their skills for work. Your learners must be in the UK.

Sorry

We are not looking to fund projects for learners who are already well-served by current mainstream provision. For example we are not looking for projects aimed at graduates or providing graduate level learning.

Sorry

It doesn't sound like your project is one for us. We want to fund projects that tackle a real vocational learning problem. We aren’t looking for research projects. We are interested in innovative projects that can tackle a real world problem.

Sorry

Projects must be genuinely innovative to be eligible for VocTech Activate grant funding. We want to fund projects which are innovative in their overall approach, their technology, or the sector or community of learners to which they will be applied.

Sorry

Without access to your target learner group you’re unlikely to be awarded funding. A good relationship with the target learner group is one of the keys to project success. You'll need access to the learner group so that your ideas can be refined and tested. We are not interested in speculative technologies developed in isolation from the user group. If you don’t currently have access, could you partner with an employer or learning provider who could provide access to the learner group?

Sorry

We’d like to work with organisations who are as committed as we are to making a difference, both immediately and in the longer term. You don't need a fully worked up plan at this stage but you do need a vision for the change you want to see and the ambition to make it happen. We want to see results and work with projects which will continue to roll out and make a difference at scale, long after Ufi funding has finished.

Think about the opportunities currently available to your learners. Is there easily accessible suitable training available to them? If not, why not? Why is it not suitable? Can you define the gap and what would it take to meet the need?

Great news!

You could be eligible for grant funding from VocTech Activate.

Apply via MyUfi at https://ufi.force.com/myufi/s/login/

We recommend visiting https://ufi.co.uk/grant-funding/voctech-activate where you can find out more information and also sign up to attend a pre-funding workshop.

VocTech Activate Eligibility Checker

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