Apprenticeship grants for South Norfolk and Broadland businesses in 2025
Businesses or budding apprentices based in Broadland or South Norfolk could benefit from grants of up to £5,000 thanks to Building Futures.
Building Futures is a new incentive scheme funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and managed by Apprenticeships Norfolk. The project aims to remove the financial barriers businesses may face when considering hiring an apprentice, and also provide valuable practical support from a team of experts in the field.
£2,000 and £5,000 grants
Building Futures has two grant streams available: a £2,000 grant open to all businesses thinking of hiring an apprentice, and a limited number of £5,000 grants specifically for businesses looking to develop the green skills workforce.
The £5,000 grants are available for businesses who implement a ‘Dark Green’ apprenticeship such as a Low Carbon Heating Technician, an Arborist or a Corporate Sustainability and Responsibility Practitioner for example – other apprenticeship standards are also available.
The grant funding is available for businesses based in South Norfolk or Broadland, or for any business, regardless of location, who wishes to recruit an apprentice who lives in South Norfolk or Broadland.
Apprenticeships Norfolk is delivering Building Futures on behalf of South Norfolk and Broadland District. The scheme provides financial support paid over the first 18-weeks of the apprenticeship, and practical support from Apprenticeships Norfolk to help identify apprenticeship opportunities and guide employers through the apprenticeship process.
Two employer eLearning modules to support apprentice onboarding, mentoring and sustainability awareness for businesses will help to build longer-term employer confidence with hiring apprentices and gain knowledge about how their business can be futureproofed through sustainable practices.
Find out more on the Apprenticeships Norfolk websiteBuilding Futures is funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is a central pillar of the UK government’s Levelling Up agenda and provides £2.6 billion of funding for local investment by March 2025. The Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills. Find out more about the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
Building Futures case studies
Twenty-year-old Mollie Rudd from Norwich has got the break into marketing she had hoped for, and her employer is receiving some welcome support thanks to a Building Futures grant.
Mollie’s role promoting the training delivered by Norwich School of Hair and Beauty is giving her the opportunity to mix her passion for hair and aesthetics with the skills she picked up while doing her photography A Level.
“There are not many marketing apprenticeships, so I feel lucky to have got this,” says Mollie of her Level 3 Multi-Channel Marketing Apprenticeship. “It doesn’t feel like work.”
Small to medium businesses or budding apprentices in Broadland or South Norfolk can apply to the scheme funded by the UK Government and launched by Apprenticeships Norfolk. A £2,000 grant is available to firms thinking of hiring an apprentice, and there are a limited number of £5,000 grants designed for those seeking to develop green skills in their workforce.
Mollie’s story is not untypical and illustrates the need for businesses willing to offer apprenticeships to receive financial support. When she left school, she got a job on the reception desk at Spire Norwich Hospital, which boosted her self-confidence and taught her how to deal with people. However, she felt drawn towards marketing and when she saw the opportunity for an apprenticeship she applied.
Megan Holmes, 23, the office manager at NSHB who herself is doing a Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship, says Mollie has made an immediate impact. “The photos she has taken are so professional and that could be make or break in terms of someone clicking through to one of our courses and signing up.
“Having Mollie doing social media means other people in the business can get on with their roles. We needed that person who could do it as their main focus.”
Building Futures has received £250,000 from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.