(BFDT) British Footwear Development Trust
Footwear Education and Training Grants
An annual Footwear Education and Training Grant programme awarding grants on successful application to Individuals and Companies to support the future growth and success of the Footwear industry in the United Kingdom.
timeline
2nd September
Grant Applications Open
October 2024
Judging Panel reaches decision, notification sent to all applicants
December 2024
Grants distributed to all successful applicants
30th September
Grant Applications Closed
November 2024
Interviews conducted with selected applicants
individual
Individual Applications are required to:
· indicate how the education and training will align to their broader career vision
· demonstrate their motivation and commitment to education and training
· highlight the barriers they face and hope to overcome
· show passion and commitment to a long-term career in the footwear industry
· obtain the support of their endorser (Director, Line Manager, Tutor etc.)
criteria
Footwear Education and Training Grant Criteria
We look forward to receiving grant applications from individuals and companies across the whole footwear industry including: Brands, Manufacturing, Retail, Sourcing and Wholesalers.
What does the grant fund?
The theoretical and practical education and training of persons engaged in or to be engaged in the footwear industry in the United Kingdom when no other funding for training is available. The BFDT will support applications from individuals and companies that demonstrate an education and training need and their commitment and willingness to education and training.
Grant funding will relate to a defined education and training project (Individual or Company) that will be delivered within a set period of time, and applicants must articulate how the education and training will align to their broader vision and show a clear return on investment. Company applications are required to demonstrate that the funding cannot be met from its own resources.
BFDT cannot fund
- anything that is not related to footwear education and training
- retrospectively, meaning BFDT will be unable to cover anything you have already paid for
- business start-up costs
- loss of income
- when other funding support is available and more appropriate
- commercialisation activities such as marketing and sales
Grants
The grants range from £300 through to £3,000 depending on the applications requirements.
Eligibility criteria, who can apply?
• Individuals and companies that demonstrate a footwear education and training need and their commitment and willingness to education and training within the footwear industry
• Individuals aged 18 or older, (with no upper age limit) living in and working permanently in the UK footwear industry
Or
• Applications from footwear industry companies registered in the UK
apply now
Download Your Grant Application Forms Below
Your pathway to potential financial support begins with a simple step. Below, you will find the necessary PDF application forms for our grants. To kick-start your application process with the British Footwear Development Trust, please download, fill out, and return these forms. We eagerly look forward to discovering more about your initiatives in the British Footwear industry.
how to apply
How do you apply?
To be considered for grant funding all applicants will need to complete the Grant Application Form and Endorsement Form completed by the endorser as specified above.
Before submitting the application form, it is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure:
• they meet the eligibility criteria
• that all the information provided on the application form is correct
• all sections of the application are marked as complete
• the application is submitted to the info@bfdt.co.uk before the grant award deadline on the 30th September 2024
How long does it take to process applications?
The Grant Application process opens on the 2nd September 2024 and closes on the 30th September 2024. Working from the close of the application deadline to the payment of grants, the process will take 3 months.
How does an Applicant know if their grant application has been successful?
Applicants will be informed by email if their application has been selected for an interview. Following the interview process successful applicants will be notified and grant payments will be issued in early December. Unsuccessful candidates will also receive email notification. If further support information is required we will contact the applicant directly via email.
Previous applications
You can make a maximum of 2 submissions to BFDT with any given proposal. If BFDT judges that your proposal is not materially different from your previous proposal, it will be counted towards this maximum.
Other
In applying for this grant, you are entering into a competitive process where your chance of success in securing funding will depend on the number and quality of applications submitted.
As part of the award criteria any successful applicant should submit a report after 6 months showing progress of their project, which can be used for marketing purposes by the fund if so desired. We may ask you to “complete a follow up survey”. This may be adequate, but we may wish to add “the results of which can be used by the BFDT or British Footwear Association (BFA) for marketing purposes”.
Funding will not be awarded if the Footwear Education and Training Grant terms and conditions are not complied with.