Young Person Grant Scheme 2025
Unlock your potential with the Young Person Grant!
Whether you are looking to learn a new skill, start up a business, or simply need the right equipment to help you on your pathway to success, the Young Person Grant Scheme is here to help. We believe in investing in our young people to help you achieve, no matter your circumstances. The Young Person Grant Scheme 2025 runs from 10 March 2025 until 5pm on 16 May 2025.
What is the Young Person Grant?
The grant is a monetary award of up to £500 to support young people in:
- education, employment, and training
- starting up their own business
- additional help to pursue extracurricular activities to support their learning and development.
The grant was set up by the Leader and Cabinet members of the Council and has run for many years, helping over 420 young people to succeed.
Who can apply?
Young people aged from 15 (currently in Year 11) up to the age of 25 (applicants cannot be over the age of 25 at the close of application). You must either live in the borough of Telford and Wrekin, or be a Telford and Wrekin Child in Care / Care Leaver who is currently not a resident in the area.
What can the grant help me to achieve?
Previous awardees of the grant have:
- education, training and/or employment, including equipment or travel costs to help fulfil these opportunities
- enterprise funding for small business start-ups
- additional help to pursue extracurricular activities to support their learning and development.
And much more! You can see and read about some of our past recipients.
Have you considered applying for alternative bursaries, funds or grants in Telford and Wrekin and Shropshire?
Last updated : 6 March 2025
Dancing Dreams
Daisy has been dancing since a young age but family circumstances have made it difficult to pursue classes and competitions further. With the Young Person Grant, the funding has opened the door to these opportunities and even to dance as a career.
Pretty sweet
Harry has excelled in the food and hospitality industry, but needed to complete some key health and safety courses to ensure he could open his business. His award allowed him to study towards these and become certified, and he has successfully launched a brilliant new online sweet shop!
Turn it up!
Jack has always had a passion for the radio, and since leaving school he has been able to turn it into his role- he hosts a weekly show on a local radio station! However, he needed some new equipment to help him continue to be at his best. The grant funding supported Jack to purchase some new, high quality headphones so he can block out any background noise and hear all the callers and tunes.
The right direction
Lewis has always wanted to break into the film industry, and plans to attend university to study film. However, he needed the right equipment to pursue this dream.
With the funding provided by the Grant Scheme, Lewis will purchase a new lens and gimbal for his camera, to support him in creating new and more-technically impressive video content.
Continuing a business
Romilly had started on her path to owning her media business, but needed some additional equipment to help her grow. You can hear more from Romilly below about the challenges she has overcome with the support of the grant.
Opening doors
Carys had always wanted to be on the stage but found that, to take the next steps in her education journey, she would need to invest in headshots for her acting course.
She said: “Being awarded the grant money was such a weight off my shoulders, knowing I could invest in some high quality headshots without the financial worry that would have come with it.
“I feel like I can finally kick-start my acting career and have the best foundation to show everyone what I’m capable of without financial hurdles getting in my way!”
Covering travel costs
Scott needed help getting from A to B. Watch to find out how the Young Person Grant helped him.
Gaining experiences
Yen was seeking to fund her university placement year in London to get the experiences she needed to launch her career.
Yen said: “It was pretty surprising to find out I had been successful for the Young Person Grant. I’m extremely grateful to have been awarded the funding and it will really help with my placement."
“I’m excited to be working as a tech consultant at the engineering firm Atkins. It’s a great opportunity for me."
“As we all know, living costs in London can be quite shocking so the Young Person Grant funding helps to me make the most of my placement year by taking some of the financial pressure off.”
Launching a career
Jacob is a talented local artist whose artwork can be found around the borough. However, it was only due to the funding of the Young Person Grant that this was possible. Jacob talks about his journey in the video below.
Building a business
Having studied beauty therapy and makeup artistry, Mia was ready to take the next steps in her career. While renting a room in a salon as a base for her work was too expensive, Mia took it upon herself to build her own studio in her garden.
She said: "Using all the money I had saved from my part time job to build my studio, I applied for the Young Person Grant in late July as I knew I would need help towards buying equipment and products."
"I was fortunate to receive my £250 grant which assisted me on getting everything I needed to be able to open my own studio, MH Beauty."
"This funding has helped me to achieve my dream and I'm really grateful for the opportunity!"
Last updated : 6 March 2025
The scheme is open to young people from the age of 15 current school Year 11 up to the age of 25 (applicants cannot be over the age of 25 at the close of application) who are resident in Telford and Wrekin, or to any Telford and Wrekin Children in Care or Care Leavers, who are currently not resident in the area.
It is open to young people who have a desire to achieve in one of the following categories, but due to their/their family’s circumstances are restricted or unable to fund the activity themselves:
- education, training and / or employment including equipment or travel costs to help fulfil these opportunities
- enterprise funding for small business start-ups
- additional help to pursue extracurricular activities to support their learning and development.
The panel are particularly keen to receive applications from young people who have the desire to overcome challenging circumstances to enable them to achieve their aspirations.
Private organisations and groups are not eligible to apply.
- One application must be completed per young person online and supported by a statement from a representative who must be 18 years old or over (this must be an independent person and not a family member/relative. A family member referee may only be accepted if you currently work with them in a professional capacity.
- Applicants who have previously received funding/grants from alternative sources, will be required to declare the value of the funding on the application form. The application for other funding opportunities as displayed on our website is positively encouraged.
- Applications can be made for the purchase of equipment, travel and/or tuition. However applications for funding for accommodation/rent will not be considered.
- All applications must include how much funding is being applied for (up to a maximum of £500).
- Applications to be received between 10 March 2025 until 5pm on 16 May 2025.
- A funding Panel will consider all applications received and make the decisions for the awards.
- All monetary awards allocated to be confirmed by email by Telford & Wrekin Council.
- The decision of the Panel is final and cannot be appealed.
- Awards are a one-off payment. Any overpayments must be returned to the authority in full.
- Awardees must provide a signed agreement and details within 7 days of being notified of their award, otherwise funding will be withdrawn and reallocated to next year’s fund.
- An Agreement will be made with the young person, or their representative and service provider to ensure the funding is used appropriately to achieve the goals and aspirations of the young person.
- All awards will be presented at the Awards Event in July 2025, unless there are extenuating circumstances, such as; the awardee being resident out of area and unable to attend, the event is unable to go ahead due to adverse conditions, the awardee having care responsibilities. In this case, awards will be made via bank transfer.
- Only one application can be made by each young person in any academic year.
- A further application cannot be made if the young person has already been successful in receiving a grant from this scheme in the last three years, since the date of the award.
All successful applicants will be contacted by email no later than 11 June 2025.
Last updated : 10 March 2025
If you’re struggling with your application, don’t worry! We hope some of our tips and tricks below will help you on your way to writing a great application.
I’m not sure if I’m eligible
You can apply to the grant if:
- you are aged 15 in Year 11 up to the age of 25 years old (applicants cannot be over the age of 25 at the close of application) and live in Telford and Wrekin
- you are aged 15 in Year 11 up to the age of 25 years old (applicants cannot be over the age of 25 at the close of application) a Telford and Wrekin Child in Care / Care Leaver who no longer lives in Telford and Wrekin.
You can’t apply to the grant if you are outside of the ages above.
You can’t reapply for the grant if you have successfully received a grant from this scheme in the last three years since the date of the award.
I don’t know how much money to apply for
The maximum amount you can apply for is £500. However, if you can be specific about what you might need the money for, the means we can provide even more young people with the help they need.
For example, if you are looking to apply for a Railcard, you might apply for £70 to cover a 3 year subscription with a 16 - 25 year old discount card.
If you need equipment for your studies, please have a look online at what equipment you would like and its price before submitting your application. You're welcome to add the link to your supporting documents to assist us in locating what you need!
I’m not sure what to talk about in my application
We want to hear about why you are passionate about achieving your goals so we can help you to succeed.
If you’re not sure what to talk about, use the guide below to help you get started:
- Your aspirations and plans for the future and what access to training and development you might need to achieve these goals.
- Challenges you might have had with travelling to and from your place of education, employment and training, and how a bus pass, bike, or railcard might help.
- Describe equipment you need to reach your goals and why you have found it challenging to source this yourself- for example a laptop for a virtual course, equipment for degree research, interview clothing.
- If you have a business idea and need some funding to kick-start this, pitch us the business!
- The past few years have been truly challenging for all; can you describe ways in which you have overcome any difficulties and how further funding would help you excel?
Who can be my referee?
A referee must be someone impartial but knows you well enough to support your need for funding from the grant. This could be a teacher from school or college, a mentor, social worker or colleague at work.
To help the panel further understand their eligibility for the funding and a little more about them as a person, we need to know the following:-
- how long you have known the applicant
- in what capacity you have known them (for example this might be Professionally or in Education)
- a little about the applicant and their experiences and goals
- why you feel they are eligible and should receive their funding
- if you are aware, that they have sought to identify other means of financial support to support them funding to commence in or return to education, training or employment or to set up their own enterprise / business.
A referee cannot be a family member or friend.
A family member referee may only be accepted if you currently work with them in a professional capacity.
What supporting documents should I include?
Anything you think would make your application stand out! This could be a certificate of your training, a plan for your business, or an example of your creativity. It could also be a document with a link to the product you would like to use the funding to purchase or some additional information about why the funding would help you.
What does it mean by supporting communications and attending promotional events in the terms and conditions?
Supporting communications
If you are successful in your application to the Young Person Grant, our Communications team would love to chat to you to inspire other applicants in the future. A member of the team will contact you via email to arrange an informal chat to talk about your experience and to take some photos or even film a video. You can see examples of our previous recipients.
When the awards event is confirmed, the Communications team will also be there to take photos and talk to you. Please say hello if you see them!
Awardee Celebration Event
The Young Person Grant event takes places to celebrate the success of the recipients across the borough and award them their money / item(s).
The event date will be confirmed with the successful awardees and will be held in person.
I want to apply for funding for something outside of education, employment and training – can you help?
If you would like to speak to someone about your application to the Young Person Grant, you can email hubprojectteam@telford.gov.uk or call us on 01952 380121.
Last updated : 6 March 2025
Ready to start your application process? Great! We can’t wait to hear from you.
Before you get started, please read the terms and conditions of the grant.
What do I need to do?
Make sure you have everything you need before you start your application or use the check list below to gather everything you might need.
Your application check list
Make sure you have:
- Thought about what the grant could help you achieve - you will need to explain this either in writing, via a video or even through a voice recording. Use the method you feel most comfortable with.
- Know the cost of what you are applying for - up to the value of £500 is available, but a course you want to study might be £200. The more precise you can be the better!
- Have a referee who will provide a supporting statement, as the application cannot be submitted without this - they can’t be a family member or friend, so ask a trusted adult from school, college or work who can support you.
- Have any supporting information or documents ready to submit alongside your application - if you would like to provide extra information, show off your portfolio, certificates, or future plan for your business, have this ready before you start to apply.
Feel like you’re not sure what to write or who to ask for help? Check out our application help guide for some examples to help you on your way.
All applicants will be contacted via email no later than 11 June 2025 with the results of their application.
The application process has now closed.
Last updated : 19 May 2025