£900k VocTech Activate grant fund opens for early-stage projects in January 2025

Ufi VocTech Trust’s next grant fund, VocTech Activate 2025, supports the design, development, testing, and adoption of innovative digital tools and approaches that have the potential to transform vocational learning for adults.

Opening for applications on 6th January 2025, the grant fund provides support of between £30,000 and £60,000 for projects lasting from three to 12 months.

Ufi believes that vocational technology has the power to transform lives and build a better future where everyone is included, skilled and empowered. Yet much of this potential remains untapped, especially for those in sectors or locations furthest from opportunity. VocTech Activate supports our ambition to demonstrate the art of the practically possible, to support innovators and innovation, to inspire action and to grow impact and evidence.

VocTech Activate is our test bed, where the first spark of an idea can be developed and tested in the supportive environment that Ufi funding provides. This grant call supports early-stage projects that use technology to address real-world problems in UK adult vocational learning.

We encourage ideas which have the potential to transform how vocational learning happens, rooted in a real-world understanding of the problems, issues and opportunities in the vocational sector. Projects will need to show us how the idea is novel, that they understand the market they are looking at and why this is better than anything that has been thought of before.

Interested in applying for the VocTech Activate grant fund? Try our two-minute eligibility checker to see if the fund could be right for your project.

To assist in the application process, we are running a series of workshops designed to introduce the fund and provide guidance. Attending these workshops has been shown to increase the likelihood of a successful application. If you think your project could be eligible for VocTech Activate funding, register to attend one of our workshops here.

Successful applicants will join a cohort of projects, forming connections with innovators from across the UK and supported by experts in the Ufi community.