Deadline: 11-Feb-21
Ufi VocTech Trust is currently inviting proposals for its 2021 VocTech Seed Program that encourages 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 them how the idea is novel – show them that you understand the market you are looking at and why this is better than anything that has been thought of before.
Ufi can support ideas for new tech, new markets, new communities of learners and they are happy to welcome new project teams. The emphasis here is on the ‘new’. VocTech Seed has been designed to support innovation and wthey are ok with risk. This is about sharing that risk in order to encourage the development of new digital vocational learning tools, enabling organisations to test new ideas and work out the next steps necessary to plan a route to market and long-term success.
Funding Information
- VocTech Seed provides grants of between £15,000 and £50,000 for projects lasting from 3 to 12 months.
What will VocTech Seed fund?
- The design, development and early stage testing of novel approaches to digital vocational learning; helping to take those ideas through basic prototyping to the next stage of ‘seeding the market’ by delivering a first proof of concept prototype and planning a route to market.
VocTech Seed Case Studies
Projects must:
- Focus on adult vocational learning in the UK (be aimed at adults (16+))
- Offer new learning tools, not just new learning content
- Show real innovation and risk to justify Ufi funding
- Show a clear understanding of the vocational learning market, have evidence of a defined learning need and describe how they expect the tech will improve outcomes for learners, in addition to the technical advances.
- Show real innovation and risk to achieve a step change beyond normal business development to justify Ufi funding.
- Have plans for testing with relevant learners/trainers/employers and for incorporating feedback from testing into product development.
- Show ambition and vision for how the project could get to market and be eventually scaled up to reach a large number of learners, if the proof of concept proves successful.
Eligibility Criteria
- The VocTech Seed funding is particularly suitable for early stage businesses, smaller digital innovators and other organisations looking to test new digital approaches on a small scale. It is also suitable for digital innovators currently working in other markets who can see opportunities to adapt their approach to vocational learning. It may be particularly useful to edtech businesses looking to expand their products and services to the VocTech market.
- However, it is open to all organisations, including charities, trade bodies, existing learning providers and employers who would like to test new approaches to using digital technology for vocational learning. Applications can be strengthened by demonstrating a collaborative approach, especially where employers and digital learning specialists are working together.
- The majority of organisations they fund are UK-based. They will consider applications from outside the UK if they can clearly demonstrate how they will address vocational learning challenges faced in the UK. They only fund projects that can demonstrate their impact in the UK.
For more information, visit https://ufi.co.uk/funding/voctech-seed-2021/