The Nuffield Foundation’s Essential Employment Skills Fund pays for evaluations of programmes that build employment skills in young people aged 16 to 24 who face barriers to work in the UK. Grants reach up to £500,000, and outline applications close on 10 December 2026. It is a call for evidence, aimed at evaluators and the delivery organisations they partner with, not a general grant for running programmes.
At a glance
| Deadline | Outline application: 10 December 2026 (the page gives no time of day or time zone) |
| Who can apply | Usually an evaluation organisation as lead applicant, working with a delivery partner. Organisations with in-house evaluation expertise may apply alone |
| Funding | Up to £500,000 for evaluation, with most awards expected between £200,000 and £400,000 |
| Focus | Young people aged 16 to 24 living in the UK who face significant barriers to work |
| Cost to apply | No fee is mentioned on the fund page |
| Official link | Nuffield Foundation fund page |
Who can apply
The Foundation expects the evaluation organisation to be the lead applicant. Schools, further education colleges, local charities and local authorities can act as delivery partners. An organisation with in-house evaluation expertise may apply alone, but it must show how impartiality will be ensured.
The programme under evaluation must explicitly develop at least one essential employment skill, have a theory of change, and include both impact and process evaluations. The target group must be young people living in the UK. The page says the fund aims to evaluate UK programmes and does not state whether organisations based outside the UK may apply. Full eligibility rules are in section 3 of the Guide for Applicants, so read it before investing time in an outline.
What you get
- Grants of up to £500,000 for evaluation. Most are expected to fall between £200,000 and £400,000.
- Delivery costs may be covered where other sources cannot, with no fixed limit. The Foundation says it will scrutinise them closely.
- Overheads of up to 60% of salaries for organisations that are not higher education institutions.
- No set project length. Most projects are expected to run for at least a couple of years.
How to apply
- Optionally, email a one-page project description to eesf@nuffieldfoundation.org for feedback. The Foundation says it is not arranging meetings or calls at this stage.
- Submit an outline application by 10 December 2026, following the Guide for Applicants, through the fund page.
- If shortlisted, submit a full application.
Key dates: shortlisting decisions in February 2027, full applications in March 2027, funding decisions in July 2027, and an earliest project start of September 2027. The page gives no exact day for the full application deadline.
Advice from the Impact DOTS team
- Name the skills. The Foundation accepts any appropriate framing but requires you to name the specific skills you address. It cites six from the Skills Imperative 2035 programme: collaboration, communication, creative thinking, information literacy, organising and planning, and problem solving.
- Pair an evaluator with a delivery partner early. Practitioners running skills programmes need a lead evaluator before the outline is written, since the evaluation organisation is expected to lead.
- Show a theory of change. It is a stated requirement, and the evaluation design should follow from it.
- Plan for impartiality. In-house evaluators must explain how independence will be protected.
FAQ
Is there a fee to apply? The fund page mentions none.
Does the fund pay for running a programme? The headline funding is for evaluation. Delivery costs may be considered where other sources cannot cover them.
Which young people must the programme serve? Those aged 16 to 24, or a narrower band within it, living in the UK and facing barriers to work.
When do projects start? The earliest start date is September 2027.
