QESTgrant
QEST Apprenticeship
- Who Can Apply: An apprentice (aged 18+, living in the UK with the right to remain permanently or long-term, with some craft skill already) applying jointly with their employer, a UK craft micro-business or sole trader with turnover under £632,000, a balance sheet of £316,000 or less and fewer than 10 employees. The pair must have worked together for at least 6 months.
- The Focus: Hands-on workplace training that passes craft skills from a master to an apprentice over one to three years. Craft means the skilled making by hand of tangible objects, or their conservation or restoration.
- The Funding: Up to £12,000 (maximum £6,000 in any one year), paid to the employer towards the apprentice's wage.
- Key Requirements: Joint online application form; an Apprenticeship Training Plan on QEST's template; full company accounts or a profit and loss statement; one document of up to 12 images (up to 7 of the apprentice's work and up to 5 of the employer's).
Applications openJanuary 13, 2027
DeadlineWednesday, February 17, 2027
AwardUp to £12,000 over an apprenticeship of 1 to 3 years (maximum £6,000 in any one year). Paid to the employer, not the apprentice, as a contribution to the apprentice's wage.
DurationThe apprenticeship can last between 1 and 3 years.
Locationnational
ParticipationRemote
Career stagesEmerging
DisciplinesCraft, Contemporary and traditional craft, Conservation and restoration, Skilled making by hand
Age range18–
Application notesApprentice and employer complete ONE joint online form, available only while the round is open (13 January to 17 February 2027): register on the QEST website, receive a link to the form by email, and save and return as needed. A Word version of the form and the training plan template are on qest.org.uk/qestgrants. Three documents must be attached or the application will not be taken forward: (1) the Apprenticeship Training Plan on QEST's template, setting out for each 6-month period a training objective, three skills the apprentice will learn, how they will be developed and how success will be measured; (2) full company accounts or a profit and loss statement (bank statements, tax returns and annual tax summaries are not accepted); (3) ONE image document, no larger than 15 MB, with up to 7 images of the apprentice's work and up to 5 of the employer's work (no more than 12 in total), high resolution, a one-line description for each image and a note of who made what. The form also covers the practice's finances (employees, turnover, balance sheet), why the grant is needed, how much is requested and the length of the apprenticeship (1 to 3 years), the apprentice's training, qualifications and career history, and questions for both apprentice and employer. Assessment has four stages ending in an interview in April/May at QEST's offices in London or on Zoom; grants are awarded in May/June and the grant period begins 1 July 2027. If awarded, the employer must supply the apprentice's employment contract and report every six months.
Contactinfo@qest.org.uk
QEST
Organization based in London