UNDER EMBARGO UNTIL 00:01 MONDAY 28th JULY 2014
EDGE INNOVATION AND DEVELOPMENT FUND AWARDS OVER £500,000 OF GRANTS
To celebrate 10 Years championing technical, practical and vocational learning, the Edge Foundation is today
announcing seven projects that will receive grants from the Edge Innovation and Development Fund.
The grants which start at £50,000 up to a maximum of £100,000 are being awarded to educational projects across a
range of key sectors.
Jan Hodges OBE, CEO, Edge Foundation said:
“The Edge Foundation is delighted to support this range of innovative and exciting projects around the
country.
Edge has worked hard over the past decade championing the importance and benefits of high quality
technical, practical and vocational education and training, seeking a closer alignment between education and
the skill needs of the UK economy. These projects all have the potential to become beacons of excellence in
this regard and exemplars of what can be achieved. ”
Grants will be awarded as follows:
Project
Region
Grant awarded
Description
Activate Learning
Oxfordshire
£90,000
Career Pathway College to provide
high quality technical education in
construction and heritage craft
Barking & Dagenham
College
London & Thames
Gateway
£96,000
The Siemens’ Mechatronics
Academy
Career Academies UK
Liverpool
£50,000
Five new Career Academies
focussing on the logistics sector
Eden Project
Cornwall & South
West
£82,000
A formal educational programme
for the delivery of horticulture and
food production located on the
Eden site
Hackney Community
College
London
£78,540
An apprenticeship centre providing
apprentices for companies taking
space in the Here East business hub
(Olympic Park)
Lutterworth College
Leicestershire
£52,787
A Studio School and specialist
logistics centre
Oldham College
Oldham & Greater
Manchester
£100,000
Digital Skills Centre within the new
Career College
The Edge Foundation Innovation and Development Fund is a £1million grant programme. The above grants have
been awarded in the first round of applications. Second round applications have now closed and successful bids will
be announced by the end of the year.
All applications must support Edge's Six Steps for Change and address at least two of the following three aims:



support the creation of new institutions
support the development of profound employer engagement
address areas of skills shortages for the UK economy
Additionally all projects will support effective dissemination of best practice in vocational education and training and
be able to support further development or replication.
- ENDSNotes to Editor
Press contact: For further information about Edge and the individual grants contact Susan Higgins
shiggins@edge.co.uk Tel:0207 960 1546
For more information about the Edge Innovation and Development Fund visit http://www.edge.co.uk/projects/theedge-foundation-innovation-and-development-fund
About the Edge Foundation
The Edge Foundation is an independent education charity. For over a decade it has been dedicated to raising the
status of technical, practical and vocational learning. All young people should have the opportunity to achieve their
potential and the UK’s future workforce needs to be equipped with the skills to be successful in the modern, global
economy. Edge believes that “learning by doing” should be valued equally with academic learning and that all
learners should experience a mix of both. There are many paths to success. www.edge.co.uk
About Edge’s Six Steps for Change
Edge wants an education and training system which:
- Helps young people find out what they’re good at and what they enjoy doing
- Rewards and recognises individual success in all its forms, not just in exams
- Helps people choose paths that support their talents and ambitions
- Shows how education creates the knowledge, skills and talents needed by the UK economy
For details on the Six Steps visit www.edge.co.uk/six-steps-for-change