Funding

This is the latest issue of the Learning Partnership funding update part of the funding eXchange service we will be rolling out to partners.

Below we have listed all of the new funding initiatives connected to learning and skills. If you would like more information about any of these schemes please contact Nick Bray quoting the relevant reference number.

This service is offered to partners who are involved in the design or delivery of learning opportunities within Bedfordshire and Luton.

Grantfinder searches over 8,000 funding sources and is the UK’s largest and most comprehensively supported database of its type.  We are pleased to work in partnership to bring you access to the very latest funding opportunities that affect the learning and skills sector.

Grantfinder is the UK’s largest and most comprehensively supported database of its type.  For more information or to arrange a demonstration please call 0844 8740 739.

Whilst the majority of the funding opportunities are from the Grantfinder database we are now also providing details of other funding opportunities.

1. Awards of €10,000 for Cultural Heritage Achievements

The European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage (Europa Nostra Awards) celebrates excellence in cultural heritage conservation, ranging from the restoration of buildings and their adaptation to new uses, to urban and rural landscape rehabilitation, archaeological site interpretations, and care for art collections.

Each year, up to six prizes of €10,000, and up to 25 non-financial awards are given to architects, craftsmen, volunteers, schools, local communities, heritage owners and media.

Prizes are awarded in the following categories:

• Category 1 – Conservation
• Category 2 – Research
• Category 3 – Dedicated Service by Individuals or Organisations
• Category 4 – Education, Training and Awareness-raising

The deadline for submissions to the 2014 Awards is 9 September 2013.

3. INDUSTRIAL CASE STUDENTSHIPS – 2013 CALL NOW OPEN (UK) UGDF45

Industrial CASE (Co-operative Awards in Science and Engineering) Studentships enable companies to take the lead in defining and setting up research projects with a HEI research organisation of their choice.

Applicant companies choose which academic partner will host the studentship, and then select suitable, eligible students in consultation with the partner. Projects must be in engineering or physical sciences and are jointly supervised by the academic and industrial partners.

Up to 40 awards are expected to be made in each academic year. The company must make a contribution of at least one third of that provided by the EPSRC.

Funds are intended to cover the costs of stipends, feeds and the incidental costs of research. The contribution from the applicant company should also cover expenses incurred by the student while carrying out the placement with the company, such as travel and accommodation, or other out of pocket costs.

Support is available for companies to undertake research through part funding a postgraduate studentship which is carried out in collaboration with a Higher Education Institution (HEI) partner. Projects, which are defined by the participating company, must be in the engineering or physical sciences and should lead to recognised qualifications (usually a PhD).

The 2013 deadline is 31 July 2013.

4. €3 MILLION TO ESTABLISH A EUROPEAN POLICY NETWORK OF NATIONAL LITERACY ORGANISATIONS (EU Member State) ZE1430

A new Call for Proposals has been published under the Lifelong Learning Programme to support the establishment of a European Policy Network of National Literacy Organisations.

The purpose of the Call is to strengthen cross-European collaboration between foundations and associations, ministries and other organisations actively working to raise levels of literacy amongst children, young people and adults.

The aim of the network will be to:

Raise awareness.

Gather and analyse policy information.

Exchange policy approaches and good practice.

Exchange promising campaigns and initiatives.

Promote literacy.

Reduce the number of low achievers in reading by 2020 in light of the education and training framework (ET2020) benchmark.

The network should cover at least 20 Lifelong Learning Programme participating countries, and members of the network should represent at least 15 EU Member States in order to achieve a good geographical balance. A maximum of €3 million is available, for up to 75% of eligible costs for the period 2013 – 2015.

The Call will be implemented and managed by the School Education and Comenius Unit of the Directorate-General for Education and Culture.

The deadline for submissions is 29 August 2013.