Grant Directories

The Cheshire Community Foundation exists to benefit disadvantaged communities by making grants to support relevant charitable or voluntary organisations, which make a difference to their local communities. Through the SWEF Enterprise Fund the foundation provides grants of up to £2,000 to young entrepreneurs in Cheshire and Warrington, aged between 18-30.  These grants can be used on costs to support a newly formed business, including equipment, training, specific marketing costs, and product development.

The Leathersellers' Company is one of the ancient livery companies of the City of London. It makes grants in the areas of Education, Disability, Children and young people and the relief of need. Through the Leather Tannery Apprenticeship programme the foundation provides grants of between £5,000 and £10,000 per annum, for a maximum of a three-year apprenticeship. This should contribute towards the business’ costs of training the apprentice (where possible to gain recognised qualifications) or the apprentice’s salary.

The Degree Apprenticeships Development Fund (DADF) provides funding to support new degree apprenticeships by: Creating new higher-quality apprenticeships; establishing capacity and expertise to deliver them and making broader educational opportunities available to learners. This funding is available for the development of degree apprenticeships courses only.

The Higher Apprenticeship Fund is available to businesses and training providers to help them improve the skills of their apprentices and thereby drive growth in key sectors of the economy; including Aerospace / Aviation and Renewable Technologies / Micro-generation; etc..   Small businesses are particularly being targeted to set up apprenticeships. The government has asked the Skills Funding Agency to support 20,000 higher apprenticeships by July 2015 and has announced an additional £40m to fund places up until July 2015, and an extra £20m to fund the higher educational element to the end of March 2016.