Adult Skills Fund

How the Adult Skills Fund can benefit your business

The Adult Skills Fund supports employers and individual learners alike, bridging skills gaps, improving career opportunities and supporting career progression.

Locally, the fund is led by York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority, with a diverse range of courses available across the region. Explore what’s on offer in the link below, with details of courses supplied by our delivery partners.

How much do courses cost?

Courses may be fully or part-funded, dependant on learner eligibility criteria. Please speak to our providers to determine eligibility.

Find out more

Our providers deliver a wide range of both accredited and non-accredited bespoke courses through the Adult Skills Fund.

Visit Adult Skills Fund to see what each provider offers.

Farm Business Support Programme

This programme is a planned schedule of practical workshops designed to help farm businesses understand where they are now, where they want to be next, and how to make confident decisions in a fast-changing industry. The focus is simple: real world, farm focused business skills that can be applied straight back at home.

New business fund tackles biggest barrier to growth

The Mayor of York and North Yorkshire has invited businesses to apply for a new programme to help overcome one of the biggest barriers to growth. Get Funded, part of the Mayor’s Business Innovation Fund and backed by £200,000 in funding, launched today and will run for the next two years until December 2027.

Kick Off In Business: Fully Funded Opportunity

Online business start-up & self-employment courses funded by York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority’s Adult Skills Fund, providing straightforward, practical information and guidance for anyone who is in the process of setting up a business or simply exploring the idea. 

Carbon Literacy Training for SMEs

Curious what Carbon Literacy could do for your organisation? You’ll meet our friendly Carbon Literacy Facilitator, Ali Fisher, and get a taste of how this practical training can help your business cut costs, attract and retain great people, and stand out in bids, tenders and investment conversations.

Strive Live Start-Up Incubator: March

If you are currently running or looking to launch a start-up based in York & North Yorkshire, join this award-winning incubator designed to help grassroots entrepreneurs launch their business. Strive Live blends weekly live online training with regular one-to-one advice and on-demand online learning to make it simple and exciting to start a business. Plus, you could win up to £2,500 in micro grants at the end of the programme.

Mentoring Programme Set to Strengthen Local Business 

The Mentoring for Growth Programme is designed to support small businesses across York and North Yorkshire that are ready to grow, scale, and move confidently into their next stage. The pilot will match local business owners and leaders with mentors from outside their industry, helping them to develop the core, non-technical skills that underpin sustainable business growth.  

Innovation Supper - Apply to Pitch

York Business School, Patch York and the York & North Yorkshire Growth Hub are delighted to bring you a special edition of Innovation Supper. As part of this year's International Women's Day, we are inviting female entrepreneurs to apply to pitch their business.

Expression of Interest: Mentoring for Growth Programme

We’re launching a new mentoring programme designed to support small businesses across York and North Yorkshire who are ready to grow, scale and move confidently into their next stage. This programme connects local business leaders with experienced mentors from different sectors, creating space for honest conversations, fresh thinking and practical support.