Co'path & Cove Education & Training Fund

About this fund

This pilot Fund supports individuals and organisations with the costs of education and training plus other supports that help to create job opportunities in the Cockburnspath & Cove Community Fund area. The Fund is a vehicle through which six different funds are administered, provided by:

•    Fred Olsen Renewables, the owner of Crystal Rig I & Crystal Rig II wind farms (opened respectively in 2004 and 2010).
•    Cubico Investments/RES, asset manager of Penmanshiel wind farm (opened in 2013).  
•    Berwickshire Community Renewables LLP, the owner of The Fishermen Three wind farm (opened in 2017).
•    Sedgewick Wind Limited, owner of Fernylea 1 wind farm (opened in 2017).
•    Foresight, the owner of Kinegar wind farm (opened in 2018). 

Foundation Scotland administered the Foresight Kinegar Community Fund alongside Cockburnspath & Cove Community Council from 2018. The Community Council had administered the other five Funds for a number of years. In 2024, the Community Council requested that Foundation Scotland also administer on its behalf the five other community benefit funds listed above, making it easier for community groups and charities to access funding through a single Fund arrangement.  An annual amount of circa £115,000, inflation adjusted, will be paid into the Co'path & Cove Community Fund each year for the operating life of the wind farms. 

Purpose of this fund

The Co'path & Cove Education & Training Fund will support a range of education and training activity that leads to the following outcomes:

• More individuals resident within the fund area are equipped with the skills and confidence required to enter into and retain employment in the key sectors the fund supports (see ‘Additional Criteria’ below).
• Micro and small businesses can create new job opportunities or retain existing jobs that may benefit individuals resident in the Fund area.
• Micro and small businesses that employ individuals from the Fund area have the necessary skills and confidence to grow and sustain their operations to secure their long-term future.

The Fund provides:

• Bursaries to individuals to support the costs of attending training, education courses or apprenticeships. For example, travel and subsistence, study materials, course fees not already being paid for elsewhere, accommodation costs.
• Support for businesses and voluntary sector organisations through the funding of staff training and development.
• Support for activities that enable individuals to develop their career aspirations and journey, which adds value to this area's statutory activities. This includes access to learning resources that support career aspirations, learning and development that increases employability, and activities that inspire and motivate individuals by developing links with prospective employers (but not traditional careers fairs).

Award Sizes are up to the following:

•    Short Courses - £1,000
•    Year 1 (and or a multi year course) - £1,500
•    Year 2 - £1,000
•    Year 3 - £1,000
•    Year 4 - £1,000
•    Driving Lessons & Theory Test - up to £1,500
•    Business Training (per org/ year) up to £2,500
•    Career development activities - up to £2,500

You can apply for a multi year award for up to two years where you plan to continue your studies over consecutive years.

Additional criteria

Awards can cover costs that are directly related to attending your course or apprenticeship, including:

• Course fees, where these costs cannot be waived or funded through any other means
• Study aids and equipment, e.g., laptops (up to a maximum grant of £700), software, stationery
• Technical aids/equipment, e.g., specialist clothing relating to the course, tools, and other specialist equipment.
• Travel and subsistence costs, e.g., bus or train costs, or petrol (at 45 pence per mile), meals, etc.
• Accommodation costs
• Childcare costs to allow you to study
• Driving lessons and driving tests (to access education and training opportunities that are distant from your residence and where public transport is not viable; or where an ability to drive is expected to increase job opportunities). The maximum grant available is £1,500 for driving lessons and tests. Applications should be made once the applicant has successfully passed their driving theory test.

Who can apply?

Individuals can apply for a bursary up to £1,500 in year one if you:

• Are taking an education or training course to improve or gain new skills linked to employability (including re-training for a new role or retaining your current role), or thinking about applying for one
• Live within the Fund area
• Require some financial support to help you attend and/or study

You will need to provide evidence of your acceptance onto the education/training course, such as an offer letter before payment of an award is made. However, you may apply on the basis of a conditional offer. First time applicants will be prioritised.
 
Support for Businesses

The Fund will support activities that enhance the skills of business owners and managers to run, sustain and grow their business, and that improve the skills of employees to deliver the business’ activities (including but not limited to training courses and apprenticeships). Applicants must be:

• A private or third sector employer
• A micro (under 10 employees) or small (10-50 employees) business
• Not able to access funds towards the proposed activity from other sources or finance it from the business itself
• Operating in one of the priority sectors listed above under ‘Additional Criteria’

Activities that can be funded include:

• Business training costs of up to £2,500 per organisation per year for staff training and development leading to a recognised vocational qualification.

Developing Career Aspirations and Journeys

The fund will support learning activities that increase employability, and activities that provide insight and inspiration for individuals into what working in a specific sector entails (including but not limited to those that build links with prospective employers). This might include visits from employers to schools and other groups (such as at community venues) or from individuals/groups to an employer’s place of work or a specialist training centre. Applicants may be schools, third sector organisations or micro/small businesses.
 
Grants up to £2,500 can cover the costs of delivering activities, participant travel and subsistence, materials and equipment.  Costs of staff released to deliver the activities may be considered for support in exceptional circumstances.

What can’t be funded?

A list of what we cannot fund can be found here.

How are decisions made?

Foundation Scotland will review your application and may contact you for further information.  

For individual applications - the decision will be made in house by Foundation Scotland, based on the application meeting the Fund criteria.  The result will be sent to you by email.  

For business, volunteer organisations, Apprenticeships schemes etc - the decision will be made by the Panel, made up of local community representatives.