NOCN Group Foundation
Funding Innovation in Skills Development
The NOCN Group Foundation supports innovative approaches to skills development that help tackle skills gaps, widen access to learning and create better opportunities for learners.
- Grants of between £500 and £15,000
- For pilots that test new approaches to vocational training and skills development
- Applications for 2026 open on 6th October 2026
The 2026 Skills Innovation Grant Programme
Through our Skills Innovation Grant Programme, we provide funding for projects that explore new ways of engaging, training and supporting people to succeed.
Since launching in 2025, the NOCN Group Foundation has supported nine Skills Innovation Grant projects designed to tackle skills challenges and improve opportunities for learners. As we enter our second funding round, we continue to invest in innovative ideas that can help shape the future of skills development.
The 2026 Skills Innovation Grant Programme
Applications open on 6th October 2026. You can apply for a grant of between £500 and £15,000 to pilot a new approach to vocational training and skills development.
We back projects that tackle real skills challenges and produce learning the wider sector can use.
Why was the NOCN Group Foundation established?
The Foundation was established to support NOCN Group's charitable objectives by identifying, funding and promoting innovative approaches to skills development. Through grant-funded projects, we aim to understand what works, share learning across the sector and contribute to the future development of qualifications, skills policy and vocational education.
Our purpose
We support projects that have the potential to create meaningful and measurable impact for learners, employers and communities. We are particularly interested in projects that:
- Engage hard-to-reach young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET)
- Support innovative approaches to green skills retraining
- Use technology in new ways to enhance engagement, learning or assessment
Projects should demonstrate innovation, scalability and the potential to create lasting benefits for skills development.
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Building on success
In March 2026 we celebrated the first nine recipients of NOCN Group Foundation Skills Innovation Grants.
Their projects tackle some of the UK's most pressing skills challenges: helping young people and adults into training and work, building green skills, and using new technology to improve learning, guidance and assessment. They range from immersive VR training and AI learning support to retrofit programmes and practical routes into construction jobs.
As the next round opens, we're building on what we learned in year one and looking for the next ideas that can make a lasting difference for learners, employers and communities.
2026 Grant Recipients
“These nine projects reflect the ambition and creativity our sector needs. By supporting innovation that directly benefits learners and employers, the Foundation is helping to shape a stronger, fairer and more future-ready skills system. This first year is only the beginning.”
Foundations to Futures: creating pathways into construction careers
O'Halloran & O'Brien is a UK-based construction and civil engineering company delivering building and infrastructure solutions across a wide range of sectors. Alongside its construction operations, the business runs a dedicated Training Academy focused on developing talent and helping address skills shortages across the industry.
Recognising the need to create more accessible routes into construction careers, O'Halloran & O'Brien developed Foundations to Futures, an employer-led pre-employment programme aimed at unemployed adults, young people not in education, employment or training (NEET), and individuals from underrepresented groups.
Supported by a Skills Innovation Grant from the NOCN Group Foundation, the project was designed to connect untapped talent with real employment opportunities in construction.
Why apply?
A Skills Innovation Grant can help your organisation
Pilot new approaches
Test new approaches to skills delivery.
Secure funding
Secure funding to test and develop innovative ideas.
Measure impact
Measure and demonstrate impact.
Share learning
Share learning with the wider sector.
Influence the sector
Influence future skills development and vocational education.
Who can apply?
Applications are welcomed from eligible NOCN Group customers delivering in England, Scotland and Wales, including approved centres, EPA customers, CPCS centres, endorsed centres and employer centres.
All projects must support learners aged 16 or above and align with at least one of the programme themes.
Key dates
The 2026 grant programme timeline
6th October 2026
Prospectus launch and application portal opens
3rd November 2026
Information webinar for applicants
11am to 12pm, online via Microsoft Teams. Register using the button below.
15th December 2026
Application deadline
January to February 2027
Panel review of applications
March / April 2027
Grant awards announced
1st June 2027
Funded activity begins
Activity to run until no later than 31st August 2028, unless agreed on an exceptional basis.
Tuesday 3rd November 2026, 11am to 12pm, Microsoft Teams
Join our applicant webinar
Thinking of applying? This one-hour online webinar gives an overview of the 2026 funding cycle and walks you through the application process.
We'll cover the key eligibility criteria, funding levels and how to submit your application, followed by a live Q&A where you can ask your questions.
How to apply
Applications are submitted through our GoodGrants portal
Before submitting an application, please read the prospectus, eligibility criteria, FAQs and grant terms and conditions. Applications include an initial eligibility check.
Governance
NOCN Group Foundation Committee
The Foundation is guided by a dedicated committee that oversees the grant programme, assesses applications and helps ensure funding decisions align with NOCN Group's charitable objectives and vision. The committee also reviews project outcomes and learning to help shape future funding rounds and wider sector insights.
Stephen Evans
Chief Executive of Learning and Work Institute
Trustee of NOCN Group | Chair of the Committee
Mike Blakeley
Executive Director of Apprenticeships and Future Skills at Exeter College
Charitable Member of NOCN Group
Research, insight and sector learning
Innovation is at the heart of the NOCN Group Foundation. By supporting new approaches to skills development, we can identify what works, evaluate impact and share learning with the wider sector. Insights generated through Foundation-funded projects contribute to NOCN Group's wider research, policy and skills development activities, helping inform future qualifications, vocational learning and workforce development.
Media pack
Help us give back
Use the media pack below to raise awareness of the NOCN Group Foundation across your network.
Ready to apply?
Pilot an innovative idea with a Skills Innovation Grant
Applications for the 2026 programme open on 6th October 2026 and are submitted through our GoodGrants portal.