Grant News

The Nuffield Foundation has opened its new Essential Employment Skills Fund, offering grants of up to £500,000 to build evidence on how best to help young people facing significant barriers to work develop employment skills and access good jobs.

The Foundation funds research and innovation to support a fairer and more inclusive society.

The Essential Employment Skills Fund will support UK programmes for 16 to 24-year-olds, combining frontline delivery with robust independent impact and process evaluation.

Delivery organisations could include third-sector organisations, education or training providers, employers, and organisations working with young people, while evaluation partners need the expertise to conduct robust, impartial impact and process evaluations.

The Fund generally does not fund brand-new programmes, but tests and evaluates existing programmes to determine whether they improve young people’s essential employment skills and employment outcomes.

Applicants are expected to form partnerships between delivery organisations and independent evaluators before applying. Most evaluation grants are expected to be between £200,000 and £400,000, with up to £500,000 available. Additional programme delivery funding may also be considered.

Key points:

• UK-wide; beneficiaries aged 16–24 facing significant barriers to employment.
• Outline deadline: 10 December 2026.
• Shortlisted applicants submit full proposals in spring 2027.

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Funding to Boost Youth Employment (England, Scotland and Wales)