Funding to develop your workplace practices
First Published : 06 Nov 2019
Last Updated: 21 Feb 2023
Contents
Support provided by
Interface
What does this involve?
The Workforce Innovation Voucher scheme can be used to develop a company’s workforce in partnership with a college or university.
Its purpose is to support innovation to develop the company’s workforce in partnership with a college or university – for example, a new or enhanced workplace business processes, workplace practice or innovative business expertise.
The value of this voucher is between £1,000 and £5,000, which covers the project costs and is paid directly to your partner university or college.
Interface provides support with finding a suitable academic partner who has the right specialist expertise to progress your Research and Development project.
Am I eligible?
Yes, if you:
- are a registered business operating in Scotland
- are a small to medium-sized enterprise (less than 250 employees, turnover less then €50m or a balance sheet less than €43m, as defined by the European Commission) or social enterprise
- have a novel or pioneering project which will support the development of innovation skills for the business workforce (i.e. supporting direct employees of the business and beyond or developing new services for other organisational workplaces) that will benefit the company, the academic institution and the Scottish economy
- have a project which cannot be delivered commercially and requires the knowledge and expertise of an academic partner
What does this cost?
There is no cost to apply for the workforce innovation voucher.
The company contributes an equal value in cash, in kind (such as staff time, materials or equipment) or a combination of both.
Who is this for?
Any organisation (SME, social enterprise and third sector) with a business presence in Scotland looking to partner with a Scottish University or Further Education College.
How long does this take?
Applications must be submitted by the relevant academic institution and may take up to 3 weeks from submission to be approved by Scottish Funding Council.
Projects should generally start within 4 weeks of the grant being approved and should be completed within 3 months depending on your project.
Important information
A company can receive one Workforce Innovation Voucher and can also apply for a Product/Process/Service Innovation Voucher.
Sole traders and businesses not registered in Scotland will need to submit a pre-submission form to establish eligibility.
The voucher cannot be used to match other public funding schemes.
Next steps
Please submit an enquiry and an adviser will be in touch to discuss your needs.
Support provided by
Interface