ASSESSMENT INNOVATION FUND

Eligibility checker

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Eligibility checker

Window 7 of the Assessment Innovation Fund takes place in February 2025 in partnership with Ufi VocTech Trust.

Our eligibility checker acts an early indicator of whether your project could be eligible for grant funding.

This form does not act as an indicator of whether a grant application will be successful or not.

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Question 1

Does the project utilise digital technology in assessment to support adults in the UK aged 16+ in gaining or enhancing their knowledge and skills for the workplace?

Yes

Yes   Great! We’re looking for innovative projects that use digital technology to address specific challenges, solve identified problems, and meet workforce needs in vocational learning.

Sorry, your project isn’t eligible. This funding supports projects for adults aged 16+ in the UK and focuses on helping them gain or enhance workplace skills.

Question 2

Does your project address a real-world problem in assessment with clear evidence of its relevance and potential for measurable impact?

Yes

Some

Great! In your application, provide evidence to show this is a real-world problem. Include insights from learners, employers, or educators, and reference relevant data or research where possible to strengthen your case.

Sorry, it doesn’t sound like your project is eligible to apply for funding. We’re looking to fund innovative projects that tackle a vocational learning or real-world problem. We’re unable to fund research projects.

If your answer is ‘some,’ your project may not yet be eligible. Consider identifying additional evidence, such as learner feedback, employer needs, or data, to strengthen your case and refine your solution.

Question 3

Is your project focused on innovative assessment methods or approaches, with the potential to shape future learning and reach a broad audience?

Yes

Not sure

Great! In your application, we’ll need details on your innovative assessment solution and its potential impact.

Sorry, it doesn’t sound like your project is eligible to apply. We’re looking to fund projects that focus on assessment solutions that can change and shape future learning.

If you’re unsure, this funding may not be the right fit. By assessment, we refer to any activity that measures, influences, or guides a learner’s journey or determines learning outcomes. Reflect on whether your project aligns with this focus

Question 4

Can your assessment solution offer unique and original methods or perspectives that set it apart from existing assessment practices?

Yes

Not sure

Great! In your application, demonstrate your understanding of the market and explain how your solution improves on existing practices. Highlight where the innovation lies—whether in approach, technology, or expanding access to underrepresented learners.

Sorry, projects must be genuinely innovative to be eligible for funding. We are looking to fund projects which are innovative in their overall approach, their technology, or the sector or community of learners to which they will be applied.

Sorry, it sounds like you need to find out more about existing solutions and how they are being used (or not) in the sector you want to target. Think about what you don’t know. What makes existing solutions inappropriate in this situation and what makes your solution different?

Question 5

Do you have reliable access to a defined target group of learners required for the project, and have you considered their specific needs?

Yes

Great! If successful, you’ll need access to your target learner group to test and refine your ideas. Consider how you’ll engage learners and organise sufficient numbers to evaluate your project effectively.

Sorry, without access to your target learner group to test and refine your idea, you are unlikely to be awarded funding.  A good relationship with the target learner group is one of the keys to project success. We’re unable to fund speculative technologies developed in isolation from the user group.  If you don’t currently have access, could you partner with an employer or learning provider who could provide access to the learner group?

Question 6

Does your project aim to systematically measure change in assessment at a large scale, with the ambition to reach at least 1,000 learners and demonstrate measurable impact within a 12-18 month timeframe?

Yes

Great, we want to fund organisations which have ambition and vision for how the project could eventually be scaled up to reach a large number of learners. We want to see results and work with projects which will make a difference at scale, long after funding has finished. We would like to work with organisations who are as committed as we are to making a difference, both immediately and in the longer term.

Without a vision for large-scale testing, your project is unlikely to be eligible. We seek organisations with the ambition to scale their impact to at least 1,000 learners and to sustain this difference beyond the funding period.

You could be eligible

Great news!  You could be eligible for grant funding from NCFE & Ufi VocTech Trust. Apply via NCFE AIF (Assessment Innovation Fund). Applications open 17 February 2025, fill out this form to be reminded of the application open date and find out about our applicant workshops. Good luck!

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Eligibility checker