Bairdwatson Charitable Trust

About this fund

The Bairdwatson Charitable Trust provides grants in Scotland for work relating to training for employment, employment support and vocational skills.  John Neil Bairdwatson was, until his death, the managing director of Caldervale Engineering Services, based in Airdrie, a business which had been established by his late father and which Mr Bairdwatson had been involved with most of his adult life. He had many long serving employees and he wished to protect their employment in the event of his death.

From this initial motive, and Mr Bairdwatson’s long standing commitment to manufacturing employment, he developed the idea of establishing a Charitable Trust, to which he would leave his shares in the business and which would place particular emphasis on encouraging education and employment. Unfortunately, Mr Bairdwatson died before the Trust could be established, but his widow established the Trust after his death. The first grants were made in 2011 and in 2023 the management of the Trust was transferred to Foundation Scotland.

Purpose of this fund

The fund supports organisations that provide training for employment, employment support, and vocational skills. 

It will only support work with disadvantaged young people aged 15 and over (from S3 onwards) who are not engaging with education, at risk of leaving school without a positive destination, and furthest from the labour market. This includes support to help young people re-engage with school, progress to further education or training, develop skills for work, and move towards employment. 

The fund is particularly interested in activities and support that provide structured, skills-based learning through intensive sessions, courses, or regular delivery over a sustained period that supports progression towards future employment.

Additional criteria

Groups can apply for funding for a maximum period of 12 months. The maximum grant available is £20,000.  Please note this is a large grant programme and if you require funding for £5,000 or below please refer to other funds available on our website which will be more proportionate to your request.

This fund is only open to organisations with an annual income up to £2,500,000 in the most recent financial year.

This current funding round has up to £150,000 in total for grant distribution for applications that best fit with the fund purpose.

Who can apply?

• Registered charities
• Constituted voluntary and community organisations
• Community companies e.g. companies limited by guarantee, community benefit societies or Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisations’
• Community Interest Companies are eligible to apply if they meet the Fund’s minimum governance standards

All applicants must meet Foundation Scotland's funding criteria. Before progressing your application please visit our Common eligibility criteria.

What can’t be funded?

Please read through What we can't fund page. These exclusions apply to all Foundation Scotland funds.

In addition, the fund will not support projects that focus solely on health and wellbeing without a clear link to training, skills development, or progression towards employment. Health and wellbeing activities may be included where it forms part of a wider programme focused on employability outcomes.

The fund will not support activities that are understood to be the responsibility of statutory provision. It may support organisations delivering activities in schools where the activity is clearly additional to the core curriculum or statutory duties. The fund is focused on supporting young people to move towards employment. It will therefore prioritise activities that build skills for work, support progression to training, further education, or apprenticeships, or lead to employment outcomes. Projects where progression towards employment, further training, or skills development is not a realistic outcome are unable to be prioritised.

Please note the income cap of £2,500,000 in the most recent financial year.  Accounts showing an income higher than this will automatically be rejected.

How are decisions made?

Funding is allocated based on decisions by the Bairdwatson Trustees with support from Foundation Scotland.

For more details on our assessment processes please visit How funding decisions are made.