Apply for Cyber Security Skills Immediate Impact Fund!

Deadline: 2 March 2018

Applications are open for Cyber Security Skills Immediate Impact Fund that is designed to help and incentivise a range of organisations develop, scale up, or refocus initiatives that make an immediate impact on the cyber skills shortage in the UK.

The aim of this fund is to boost the employment and training skills development ecosystem to help individuals transition into a career in cyber security and encourage more individuals from underrepresented demographics into cyber security.

The Fund is open to organisations, such as training providers and charities, who can demonstrate their initiatives are not designed to fill internal vacancies, but rather service a range of employers. The Fund is not open to individuals seeking funding for their own study or upskilling.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligible applicants:
- Training providers (both in cyber security non-cyber security).
- Professional bodies and organisations offering cyber security qualifications/certifications
- Registered charities
- Social enterprises
- Further education institutions
Proposals must meet all three of the following essential criteria:
- Evidences strong likelihood the initiative can materially assist adults, who have not previously been employed as cyber security professionals, become ready for a career in cyber security within six months of initial award of funding.
- Represents a new, creative or innovative approach to tackling the skills shortage where there is a clear requirement for government funding to help develop the concept, or where there is a clear requirement for government contribution to the upscaling or re-focusing of a proven and successful existing model.
- Demonstrates a realistic prospect of becoming self-sustainable without government funding and the removal of funding from this pilot would not affect the continued viability of the applicant organisation.
The Fund is also focused on helping address underrepresentation of women and neuro-diverse candidates in the cyber security profession. Therefore, the assessment process will give additional weighting to initiatives that focus on helping more women (e.g. initiatives that help female returners to work who have been out of the labour market due to caring responsibilities) and neuro-diverse candidates.