Deadline: 31-Oct-2026
The Woodsmith Foundation is accepting applications for its Young and Talented Fund to support exceptionally talented young people who face financial barriers in progressing within their chosen discipline. Grants of up to £1,500 are available to help cover essential costs linked to advanced development in areas such as academics, sport, arts, music, drama, writing, chess, and other specialist fields.
Fund Overview
The Young and Talented Fund supports young people who have already demonstrated exceptional ability and need financial assistance to continue progressing in their chosen field.
The fund is managed by the Woodsmith Foundation and is designed to remove financial barriers that may prevent talented young people from reaching their full potential.
Support is available for young people normally residing in the Borough of Scarborough, the Borough of Redcar and Cleveland, and the North York Moors National Park area.
Purpose of the Fund
The purpose of the fund is to help talented young people access opportunities, training, resources, and progression pathways that may otherwise be unaffordable.
The fund focuses on essential costs directly linked to development, performance, training, competition, qualifications, or specialist support in the young person’s chosen discipline.
Grant Amount
The grant value is up to £1,500 per application.
Funding is intended only for essential costs that directly support the young person’s progression in their chosen field.
Key Focus Areas
The fund supports advanced development for young people who have already shown high-level ability.
Key focus areas include:
- Young people’s talent development
- Financial barrier removal
- Academic excellence
- Sports progression
- Arts development
- Music performance
- Drama and performing arts
- Writing and creative disciplines
- Chess and specialist skill areas
- Advanced coaching and tuition
- Competition and qualification costs
- Essential equipment and clothing
- Extra-curricular academic support
What the Fund Can Support
The fund can support essential costs that help a talented young person progress in their chosen discipline.
Eligible costs may include:
- Competition fees
- Transport costs
- Accommodation costs
- Specialist coaching
- Specialist tuition
- Exam fees
- Qualification fees
- Essential equipment
- Specialist clothing
- Extra-curricular academic support, where required
- Costs directly linked to advanced progression
What the Fund Does Not Support
The fund does not support general or non-essential participation costs.
Excluded costs include:
- General participation activities
- Retrospective costs
- Club-level general funding requests
- Activities already funded by other organisations
- General enrichment experiences
- Costs not directly linked to progression
- Activities where high-level ability has not yet been demonstrated
Activity Restrictions
Some restrictions apply to specific activities.
The fund gives stronger preference to advanced-level progression and competitive pathways.
Restrictions may apply to:
- Early-stage football academies
- Local performance competitions for artists
- Non-elite swimming participation
- Activities that do not clearly demonstrate advanced talent or progression potential
Applicants should clearly show how the requested funding will support high-level development rather than general participation.
Who Is Eligible?
Eligibility is limited to children and young people who have already shown exceptional ability in their chosen field.
Eligible young people include:
- Children and young people up to the age of 18
- Young people with special educational needs and disabilities up to the age of 25
- Care leavers up to the age of 25
- Young people normally residing in the eligible geographic areas
- Young people already operating at a high level in their discipline
- Young people who can demonstrate clear potential for continued progression
Geographic Eligibility
Applicants must normally reside within one of the eligible areas.
Eligible areas include:
- Borough of Scarborough
- Borough of Redcar and Cleveland
- North York Moors National Park area
The young person must have a clear connection to one of these areas through normal residence.
Who Can Submit an Application?
Applications may be submitted by parents, guardians, trusted adults, or organisations supporting the young person.
Eligible applicants may include:
- Parents
- Guardians
- Teachers
- Coaches
- Tutors
- Youth workers
- Other trusted professionals experienced in working with young people
- Schools
- Charities
- Local authorities
- Social enterprises
- Community groups
- Sole traders acting in a coaching or tutoring capacity
Organisations and professionals must meet safeguarding and governance requirements where relevant.
Safeguarding and Governance Requirements
Applications involving organisations, coaches, tutors, or other professionals must demonstrate appropriate safeguarding and governance arrangements.
This is important because the fund supports children and young people, including those who may have additional vulnerabilities.
Applicants should be able to show that the young person will receive safe, appropriate, and well-managed support.
Why This Fund Matters
Talented young people often need specialist coaching, equipment, travel, qualifications, or competition access to progress. These costs can become a major barrier for families with limited financial resources.
The Young and Talented Fund matters because it helps remove these barriers for young people who have already shown exceptional ability. By supporting essential progression costs, the fund enables young people to continue developing their skills, access higher-level opportunities, and move closer to their full potential.
The fund is especially important for young people whose talent is clear but whose financial circumstances may limit their ability to compete, train, perform, or gain qualifications.
How the Fund Works
The fund provides financial support for essential costs linked to a talented young person’s progression.
The process generally includes:
- A talented young person identifies a financial barrier affecting their progression.
- A parent, guardian, trusted adult, or eligible organisation prepares an application.
- The application explains the young person’s exceptional ability and progression potential.
- The applicant identifies the essential costs that need support.
- The request is assessed against eligibility, talent level, financial need, and direct link to progression.
- Successful applications may receive up to £1,500.
- Funding is used for approved costs that help the young person move forward in their chosen field.
How to Apply
Applicants should prepare a clear application showing the young person’s talent, financial need, and progression pathway.
Application Preparation Steps
- Check geographic eligibility
Confirm that the young person normally resides in the Borough of Scarborough, the Borough of Redcar and Cleveland, or the North York Moors National Park area. - Check age eligibility
Confirm that the young person is up to 18 years old, or up to 25 years old if they have special educational needs and disabilities or are a care leaver. - Demonstrate exceptional ability
Provide evidence that the young person is already performing at a high level in their chosen discipline. - Explain the progression opportunity
Describe how the funding will help the young person move forward, improve performance, access training, compete, qualify, or develop specialist skills. - Identify essential costs
Clearly list the costs that need support, such as coaching, equipment, travel, accommodation, competition fees, or qualification fees. - Show financial barrier
Explain why the cost is difficult to meet without support and how this barrier affects the young person’s progression. - Avoid retrospective requests
Do not apply for costs that have already been paid or activities that have already taken place. - Provide safeguarding information where relevant
If an organisation, coach, tutor, or professional is involved, include appropriate safeguarding and governance details. - Submit a focused application
Keep the application directly linked to talent, progression, essential costs, and impact.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Applicants should avoid submitting requests that do not clearly show exceptional ability or direct progression.
Common mistakes include:
- Applying for general participation costs
- Applying for retrospective costs
- Requesting club-level general funding
- Not showing that the young person is already operating at a high level
- Failing to explain financial barriers
- Requesting support for activities already funded by another organisation
- Providing weak evidence of talent or progression potential
- Submitting requests for general enrichment rather than essential development
- Not linking the cost directly to the young person’s chosen discipline
- Ignoring safeguarding and governance requirements where relevant
Tips for a Strong Application
A strong application should clearly show talent, need, and impact.
Applicants should:
- Provide strong evidence of exceptional ability
- Explain the young person’s current level of achievement
- Show how the requested funding supports clear progression
- Keep the request focused on essential costs
- Include realistic and specific cost details
- Explain why financial support is needed
- Describe the opportunity the funding will unlock
- Highlight long-term potential
- Demonstrate that the activity is advanced rather than general participation
- Include safeguarding information where needed
Key Terms Explained
Young and Talented Fund
The Young and Talented Fund is a Woodsmith Foundation grant programme that supports exceptionally talented young people facing financial barriers to progression.
Exceptional Ability
Exceptional ability means that a young person has already demonstrated a high level of skill, achievement, or potential in a specific field.
Financial Barrier
A financial barrier is a cost that prevents or limits a young person’s ability to access training, competition, equipment, qualifications, or other progression opportunities.
Progression
Progression means moving forward in a chosen discipline through higher-level training, competition, performance, qualifications, coaching, or specialist development.
Essential Costs
Essential costs are necessary expenses directly linked to the young person’s development in their chosen field, such as equipment, coaching, travel, accommodation, or exam fees.
Retrospective Costs
Retrospective costs are expenses that have already been paid or activities that have already taken place. These are not covered by the fund.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Woodsmith Foundation Young and Talented Fund?
The Young and Talented Fund supports exceptionally talented young people who face financial barriers to progressing in their chosen discipline.
How much funding is available?
Grants of up to £1,500 are available per application.
Who can benefit from the fund?
Children and young people up to age 18 can benefit. Young people with special educational needs and disabilities, and care leavers, may apply up to age 25.
Which areas are eligible?
Young people must normally reside in the Borough of Scarborough, the Borough of Redcar and Cleveland, or the North York Moors National Park area.
What fields can the fund support?
The fund can support talent development in fields such as academics, sports, arts, music, drama, writing, chess, and other specialist disciplines.
What costs can be covered?
Funding can cover essential costs such as competition fees, transport, accommodation, specialist coaching, tuition, exam fees, qualification fees, equipment, clothing, and extra-curricular academic support.
What costs are not covered?
The fund does not cover general participation, retrospective costs, club-level general funding, activities already funded elsewhere, or general enrichment experiences.
Who can submit an application?
Applications may be submitted by parents, guardians, trusted adults such as teachers or coaches, or eligible organisations including schools, charities, local authorities, social enterprises, community groups, and sole traders acting in a coaching or tutoring role.
Does the young person need to show exceptional ability?
Yes. Applicants must demonstrate that the young person is already operating at a high level and has clear potential for continued progression.
Conclusion
The Woodsmith Foundation Young and Talented Fund helps exceptionally talented young people overcome financial barriers that could limit their development. By offering grants of up to £1,500 for essential progression costs, the fund supports young people in eligible areas to advance in academics, sports, arts, music, drama, writing, chess, and other specialist fields where high-level ability has already been demonstrated.
For more information, visit Woodsmith Foundation.