Education Catalyst
and Third Sector Catalyst
Overview
Unlocking opportunities through education
Our Education Catalyst and Third Sector Catalyst grants support adults to gain additional qualifications or specialised training to enhance their employment prospects. They are designed to help people who cannot afford to pay the full costs of courses of study or training. These grants support people who have not yet got a level 6 qualification (eg who do not have A levels, BTEC Level 3 and 4 or an undergraduate degree)
Grants can be used towards course fees, equipment, childcare, travel expenses or other expenses related to the course.
Education Catalyst grants are for adults who live in our benefit area postcodes of TW9, TW10, SW13, SW14 or are a London Borough of Richmond care-leaver.
Third Sector Catalyst grants are for volunteers and employees at our funded partners. These are local voluntary and community sector (VCS) organisations and schools that have grant funding from Richmond Foundation. Grants can benefit both personal development and the organisation you work or volunteer for.
Please refer to our Frequently Asked Questions for further help.
How we assess your application
To apply for an Education Catalyst or Third Sector Catalyst grant, the following criteria must be met:
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About you
- Applicants for Education Catalyst must be adults who live in our benefit area postcodes of TW9, TW10, SW13, SW14 or are a London Borough of Richmond care-leaver
- Applicants for Third Sector Catalyst must volunteer or work at one of our funded partners
- We prioritise applications from people facing additional barriers to education and employment, such as single parents, carers, and disabled people
- You must live in a low-income household, be unemployed or in low-income employment. You must demonstrate an inability to afford the full cost of the course or related expenses
- If you are an undergraduate let us know about any specific personal circumstances that make it challenging to take on part-time or holiday work.
- Grants support people who have not yet got a level 6 qualification (eg A levels, BTEC Level 3, 4, or a undergraduate degree)
- We do not offer grants for adults who already have a degree or for post-graduate study. An exception may be made for Third Sector Catalyst grant applicants where you are seeking to upskill to meet a specific sector need
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Your proposed course or training
- It must be a recognised course or training that will improve your prospects
- There must be publicly available information showing the course details and it’s cost
- You must have researched options including government-funded training and can explain why you have chosen this particular course
- The course or training must provide value for money. We can’t reimburse you for payments you’ve already made towards course fees or other study costs
- You must have accessed available student finance in full. We also recommend exploring other financial resources such as bursaries and university hardship funds
- We want to understand how you will make sure that you have everything in place so that you can complete the course, for example childcare, equipment needed etc.
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What difference will the course or training make
- We want to understand the impact it will have on your future employment prospects and career plans
- Third Sector Catalyst applicants should explain the benefits that it will provide the funded partner that you work or volunteer for
When to Apply
Our Grants Committee meets quarterly in March, June, September, and December to review applications. Please make sure to submit your application by the deadline provided. We’ll notify you of the outcome within five working days after the Grants Committee meeting.
