Langhope Rig Wind Farm Education & Training Fund (Sub Fund A)
| Grant size | Up to £2,800 |
| Area |
Scottish Borders
|
| Key dates | Applications can be submitted at any time |
About this fund
This fund provides bursaries to residents of Ettrick & Yarrow, Lilliesleaf, Ashkirk & Midlem and Upper Teviotdale & Borthwick Water Community Council areas to help them access training and education opportunities that better equip them with the range of skills needed to enter or retain employment.
The fund is provided from Langhope Rig Wind Farm Community Benefit Fund.
Purpose of this fund
The purpose of the Langhope Rig Wind Farm Education & Training Fund is to improve the opportunities and livelihoods of people living in Ettrick & Yarrow, Lilliesleaf, Ashkirk & Midlem and Upper Teviotdale & Borthwick Water, geographically defined by community council boundaries.
Courses leading to formal or recognised qualifications will be favoured, however other courses will also be considered where you can demonstrate how the skills and knowledge gained will realistically support you in securing or retaining a job. Undergraduate degrees and post graduate courses will only be funded in exceptional circumstances. Apprentices can also apply, provided it is for a cost you cannot claim back from your employer or another agency.
Courses supported can be on a full time or part time basis and may be:
- Apprenticeships
- Modern Apprenticeships
- Foundation Apprenticeships
- SVQs
- NCs
- HNCs
- HNDs
- short vocational courses
and many other courses.
Additional criteria
Awards can cover costs that are directly related to attending your course or apprenticeship, including:
- Course fees, where these costs cannot be waived or funded through any other means
- Study aids and equipment, e.g., laptops (up to a maximum grant of £500), software, stationery
- Technical aids/equipment, e.g., specialist clothing relating to the course, tools, and other specialist equipment.
- Travel and subsistence costs, e.g., bus or train costs, or petrol (at 45 pence per mile), meals, etc.
- Accommodation costs
- Childcare costs to allow you to study
- Driving lessons and driving tests (to access education and training opportunities that are distant from your residence and where public transport is not viable; or where an ability to drive is expected to increase job opportunities). The maximum grant available is £500 for driving lessons and tests. Applications should be made once the applicant has successfully passed their driving theory test.
The maximum award is:
- First-time applicants: up to £1,500
- Second-time applicants: up to £1,000
- Any further applications: up to £300 per year.
If your course runs over several years, any award will be capped at the following:
- The first year of study: up to £1,500
- The second year of study: up to £1,000
- Any further year of study: up to £300 per year.
You must provide information on the full costs that you need to meet in relation to the course. For example, if you are a first-time applicant taking a week-long course that costs £400, you will only be able to apply for £400 plus related travel & subsistence. And if you receive funding from elsewhere, for example, £100 towards the course fees, you will only be able to apply for £300.
Study location
We recognise that the fund area has limited further education opportunities; however, any course being undertaken locally will be looked upon more favorably than a course that requires you to leave the area. By local, we would generally mean south and central Scotland.
If you are applying for costs linked with an apprenticeship arrangement, you must be employed within the fund area.
Who can apply?
The fund is open to individuals aged 16 or over and living in the Ettrick & Yarrow, Lilliesleaf, Ashkirk & Midlem or Upper Teviotdale & Borthwick Water Community Council areas.
The Education & Training Fund can also support individuals who live outwith the area of benefit depending on the circumstances. For example, someone who lives outside the area but works at a business within the area may be eligible for an award.
What can’t be funded?
You cannot apply for funding for any costs incurred before a decision can be made on your application (retrospective funding). The panel shall consider applications where the applicant has enrolled on an online course and paid for it to secure a place but has not yet started the course.
We will not fund training or equipment that your employer should be providing for you, or that is necessary for you to carry out your current job.
Apprentices cannot apply for any cost that can be claimed back from their employer or another source.
How are decisions made?
Foundation Scotland will review your application and may contact you for further information. It is then passed to the Langhope Rig Wind Farm Sub Fund A Community Panel for decision. The result will be sent to you by email.
How to apply
Applications are submitted online using the link below. You will need:
- A working email account that you can access - to set up an online portal account through which applications are submitted online.
- A recent bank statement - because we often need to check account details are correct before we can pay out a grant. A scanned or photographed or electronic copy will need to be uploaded during the application process.
- Evidence of your home address - this could include a driving licence, SAAS letter or a bill (for example for your mobile phone). Any official letter (for example from the Scottish Exam Board, school correspondence, NHS appointment letters, tax letters or a payslip). If you are at college or university, they may be able to provide something suitable.
If you would like to review the questions you will be asked to answer before starting the form, you can see them here.
If you have any problems applying online or setting up your portal, please email grants@foundationscotland.org.uk or call 0131 524 0300 (during office hours) and we will be pleased to help.
If you have already started an application and not completed it, please login here to resume.
This fund operates on a rolling basis until further notice, which means that you can apply as soon as you are sure that you will do the course.
Frequently asked questions
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When should I apply?
You should apply as soon as you know you're taking the course and have been accepted onto it. We will normally respond to your application between six and eight weeks after the application deadline. Please tell us about any important dates relating to your course, for example, registration or start date, or the date for a decision about any other funding towards it.
If you need a response sooner than this, please get in touch with us as soon as you can. We will do our best to turn your application around in good time.
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What evidence do I need to provide?
This will depend on the course you are looking to take. Some may need to be provided to us along with your application (as set out in the application form), some periodically through the term of your award and some upon completion of your course. Examples include:
- Your offer letter or confirmation of a place on the course.
- A copy of your attendance record or statement by someone from the educational institution confirming you have been attending regularly, and
- A copy of your qualification certificate.
You may not have these documents at the time of application but will need to provide them when you can. Evidence of expenditure (receipts or invoices) will not be required as a matter of course but may be requested in some circumstances, for example, if you are awarded funding to buy a laptop. Please keep any relevant receipts for up to 12 months.
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How likely am I to get this award?
If the fund is oversubscribed, then we may not be able to offer an award to every applicant, or we may not be able to award everyone the full amount requested.
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What are my responsibilities?
If you are offered an award, you will need to accept the offer formally. This states that you must spend the award as described in your application form. If your plans change, you will need to let us know as soon as possible. It may be possible for you to retain the award, for example, if you intend to switch courses or if you fund another training provider offering a better deal. But you must tell us your circumstances have changed in the first instance.
You will also be required to provide some feedback on your experiences to demonstrate the impact of the support you received from the fund.
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How is the grand award paid?
We will pay your award to you electronically by bank transfer. To do this, you will need to provide a bank statement that shows your name, address, account number and sort code. In some cases, we can pay your education or training provider directly; if this would suit your circumstances, please let us know.
Contact information
Central Systems Support
Niome Lucjan, Community Funds Adviser
Useful links
- Information about Individual Training Accounts which can also cover the costs of some courses (SDS Individual Training Accounts (ITA) (My World of Work).
- Careers advice and training course listings at Skills Development Scotland (SDS) (My World of Work)