The Turing Scheme

The scheme was set up by the government three years ago after Brexit, as a replacement for the EU-funded Erasmus+ scheme.

The scheme is open to schools, colleges and universities in the UK, and will be closing its 2023 to 2024 application period on 6 April.

Who can send participants?

The Turing Scheme is open to applications from schools or higher education providers that are officially registered in the UK, and from further education and vocational education and training providers. These must be either a further education college, school, sixth form college or special post-16 institution; a local or regional public authority, mayoral combined authority, co-ordination body or another organisation in the field of further education or vocational training; a company or organisation working with young people in further education or training; or a company, charity or organisation applying on behalf of a consortium of further education or training providers.

Where an applicant is not a direct education provider, it must provide evidence of a partnership with one as part of its grant application.

Who receives participants?

Any higher education provider overseas is eligible to receive participants, if it is not one of the sending provider's own overseas campuses. Public or private organisations active in the labour market or field of education and training are also able to receive participants. These include schools and educational centres, public and private enterprises and local, regional or national public bodies.

Non-profit organisations are also eligible to receive participants for further education or vocational training.

Who is eligible to participate?

Participants of the Turing Scheme's higher education scheme must be registered at a UK or British Overseas Territory higher education provider and be currently enrolled in studies leading to a recognised degree or qualification.

Recent graduates may also participate in a traineeship abroad through the scheme but must complete this within 12 months of graduating.

Participants or recent graduates from recognised further education or vocational training courses can access the scheme, as well as those who are not in permanent education or training who wish to upskill, as long as this training takes place through a school, college, or government-funded training course.

How much is on offer?

Participants will receive funding for the duration of their placement. The grants offered will help ease travel expenses and costs of living for participants, alongside administrative funding to help institutions deliver the projects.

The amount available to grant recipients will vary depending on project specifications and the distance between the sending and destination providers.

What destinations?

There are no restrictions on countries or territories which can be involved in the scheme.

How to apply?

Eligible organisations can apply for funding through the Turing Scheme's online form, which is open until 6 April.

The form will ask applicants to provide an overview of their project, including how participants will be chosen, project budget and organisation details.

What are the project criteria?

Projects will be assessed based on how well they meet the scheme's qualitative criteria. This involves examining the project's international engagement, how well it supports social mobility and promotes equal access, and the extent it offers opportunities for participants to build employability skills. Applications will also be examined based on how recipients will monitor performance throughout the project's lifecycle.

Benefits to young people?

This year, more than 38,000 young people accessed the scheme across 160 countries, more than half from disadvantaged or underrepresented backgrounds, according to the government. A range of projects were supported by the scheme over the past year, including a Blackburn secondary school's trip to Eswatini, where students participated in lessons and worked alongside a charity to install infrastructure.

• More from: www.turing-scheme.org.uk
  
  

Funding roundup

• The British Youth Council (BYC) will receive £750,000 to run the UK Youth Parliament, which supports around 300 elected members aged between 11 and 18, until March 2025. According to guidance, “up to £650,000 of the grant is expected to fund the core costs of the programme, while up to £100,000 should ensure young people from the devolved nations can participate”. The BYC has been awarded a further £10,000 to continue running the youth select committee.

• Charities, youth groups, social enterprises and faith groups in London can apply for grants of up to £150,000 to improve existing sport and physical activity programmes and deliver new services through the Go! London fund. The fund will run for at least five years.

• The Youth Endowment Fund has opened a joint funding round to help local authorities to learn the best ways to keep children safe from violence outside the home, including criminal exploitation. The charity has partnered with BBC Children in Need and The Hunter Foundation to launch this new grant round: A supportive home. It will invest in up to five local authority partnerships in England and Wales. Each will initially receive around £500,000 to deliver the project for 18 months.

• Family Action has been awarded a grant of £326,824 from the National Lottery Community Fund to expand its PAC-UK Adopteens service for adopted teenagers across Yorkshire and the Humber. PAC-UK, part of national charity Family Action, launched Adopteens in 2015. The grant will be used to extend the range and scope of events offered by Adopteens.