WHAT WE FUND

WHAT WE FUND

We facilitate learning and development that empowers young people aged 16+ and adults to gain additional skills and confidence to enter the labour market.

Supporting small to medium-sized charities, our guiding principles are summed up below:

Positive relationships

We aim to build good working relationships with the organisations we support, agreeing goals with clear time scales and visiting projects as part of our monitoring process wherever possible.

Light touch process

We aim to keep the grant application and monitoring process ‘light touch’ and straightforward.

Impact and outcome focus

We are impact and outcomes focused, so we ask that your application and subsequent final reports reflect this emphasis.

PR and Comms

We will promote the work of our beneficiary charities through our website, social media and events and ask that organisations receiving our grants and donations publicise the support they receive from CABWI, by including our logo on websites and publicity materials.

THEMES AND PRIORITIES

We support projects that:

1. Work directly with young people aged 16+ and adults who are not in employment, training or education, (NEET), to improve their access to employment.
2. Work with individuals with complex barriers to employment to gain life skills, qualifications and work experience leading to employment.
3. Have clear and well-established connections to employers who can offer meaningful work experience and/or employment.

Although not a requirement for eligibility, we also welcome projects that prepare and develop young people 16+ and adults who seek a career in the water, utilities and construction industries.
LEVEL OF FUNDING AND REQUIREMENTS

1. We make awards of up to £40,000 per year, depending on income.
2. For organisations with income of up to £266,666, the maximum grant will be no more than 15% of income. For example, the maximum grant payable to an organisation with an income of £125,000 is £18,750.
3. For organisations with income of between £266,666 and £1m, the maximum grant will be £40,000.
4. Organisations with income of more than £1m per year are not eligible for funding.
5. Projects in receipt of funding may apply for funding for a new project, but note a) above applies.
6. Grants will be awarded for a maximum of 12 months. All applications are assessed on their merits and fit with our financial criteria.

FUNDING ACTIVITIES WE CAN SUPPORT

• Core costs: including Living Wage costs
• Project costs: including overhead costs
• A mixture of both core and project costs

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONs

1. How much do you fund?

Grants of up to £40,000 are available. However:

• Projects whose income is below £266,666 may only apply for up to 15% of annual turnover. For example, if you have an income of £125,000, the maximum amount that you could apply for is £18,750.
• Projects whose income is between £266,666- £1m can apply for a maximum of £40,000, not 15% of income. 
• We do not fund projects with an income of £1m.

2. Who can apply?

You must have at least one year’s accounts and reports filed with the relevant charity regulator. 

Only charities registered in and working in the UK may apply.

3. I’ve successfully applied for a grant before, can I apply again?

If a previous application was approved, the charity is eligible to reapply to CABWI  24 months from the time of its first application (providing all requirements of the last  grant are fulfilled). For example, if you were awarded a grant in July 2026, you wouldn’t be eligible to reapply until January 2028. However, please note that once you have received a grant from CABWI it is unlikely that you will be a priority for funding in the next relevant funding round.

4. My grant application was unsuccessful, can I have feedback?
CABWI is a small organisation, and unfortunately we do not have the resources to provide feedback.

5. May we discuss our application with you before we apply?
All the information you need to make an application is available on this website.  If you do not meet the criteria, you will not be eligible.

6. Do you provide core funding?
We provide both core and project funding.

7. Do you fund retrospectively?
No.

8. Will my application be acknowledged?
Yes, it will be acknowledged by email.

9. How will I know if I get a grant?
You will be notified by email if you are successful.

10. What is the timeframe for applications?
Please see ”Timeframe” in the application process section.

11. How are payments made?
If you are successful, the first grant payment is made in July, and the second and final payment is made in January of the following year, subject to successful monitoring visit.

12. Do you visit applicants?
No. Interviews, where necessary, are held via Zoom, TEAMS, or by telephone.

13. How do we publicly acknowledge the grant from CABWI?
We will email our logo to you and ask that you acknowledge our grant on your website and in your publicity material.

14. Where does the money come from?
CABWI is the certification and assessment board for the water industries, and is a recognised awarding body providing vocational qualifications for individuals who work in the water and wider utilities and construction industries. 

The excess income from these fees is donated to the CABWI charity, whose charitable aim is to fund projects that support young people 16+ and adults to improve their confidence, build their life skills, qualifications, work experience and training, to get jobs.