Entrepreneurial Education Fund 2025-2026: form and guidance

Eligibility

The Fund is open to partners and stakeholders to support entrepreneurial education for young people. This includes:

• any institutions directly fostering entrepreneurial skills and innovation, i.e. schools, universities, colleges, early learning providers etc
• established companies and businesses delivering partnership projects with educational establishments
• private organisations and entities experienced in entrepreneurial education development and delivery
• industry associations, third sector organisations, and non-profits enabling and engaging in this policy area
• community or other informal networks and grassroots initiatives connecting entrepreneurs and facilitating collaboration to develop creative thinking or other innovative skills development

Private sector participation

We encourage private sector involvement through partnerships, co-funding, or in-kind support. This will strengthen projects with additional resources and expertise; and creating sustainability beyond the funding period.

The lead organisation will contract with Scottish Government to receive the Award and adhere to all terms and conditions.

The fund is open to any organisation registered or head office in the UK, although projects must be delivered in Scotland only

Your organisation must:

• be solvent
• hold a UK bank account
• have control over income expenditure
• provide a hard copy, pdf, or web link to most recent Annual Financial Accounts
• meet our Fair Work First criteria
• have robust safeguarding policies and procedures in place to protect vulnerable adults and children
• meet our children’s rights awareness criteria

Applying on behalf of a partnership or collaboration

Organisations can apply on behalf of a partnership or collaboration. Collaborative activity is strongly encouraged. Ensure all partners are mentioned in the proposal form. Only one organisation or individual may be deemed the Lead Organisation, responsible for all contractual and legal obligations.

Supporting diversity, inclusion, and entrepreneurial education

While the Fund does not have separate thematic pillars, it prioritises building a diverse, inclusive, and educationally enriched entrepreneurial education system

Other important information

To be eligible, applicants must demonstrate good business practices, including Fair Work principles. All grant recipients must also have robust safeguarding policies and procedures in place to protect vulnerable adults and children.

Fair Work First criteria

Fair Work First is part of Scotland's commitment to being a fair and equal society. Organisations must commit to the Fair Work Framework criteria, including:

• payment of at least the real Living Wage
• providing channels for effective workers’ voice, such as trade union recognition
• investment in workforce development
• no inappropriate use of zero hours contracts
• action to tackle the gender pay gap and create a diverse and inclusive workplace.
• offering flexible and family-friendly working practices from day one
• opposing fire and rehire practices

All grant recipients must pay at least the real Living Wage and provide effective workers' voice channels. Organisations should publish a statement on their website highlighting their commitment to Fair Work First criteria.

Safeguarding policies and procedures

All grant recipients must have robust safeguarding policies and procedures in place to protect vulnerable adults and children. These should include whistleblowing and monitoring and complaints processes.

Successful grantees must also have in place a clear procedure which must be followed if it becomes aware of any specific safeguarding incident.

Any policies and procedures shall comply with the relevant current national guidance in Scotland, including the National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland and the Adult Support and Protection Code of Practice (Scotland), where relevant.

Where any grant recipient is working directly through a partner organisation, the Grantee is required to have undertaken due diligence in relation to safeguarding arrangements. This includes obtaining evidence of satisfactory safeguarding policies and procedures by the Grantee’s partner organisation.

The Grantee must immediately report cases of suspect abuse/malpractice relating to the project, anyone involved in delivery or any beneficiary, to Scottish Ministers and relevant authorities. If the Grantee suspects a crime has been committed it must, without undue delay, report it to Police Scotland.

Any successful grantee must, upon request from Scottish Ministers, provide copies of the adult and child protection policies and procedures referred to in this section.