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.
Sausage maker uses technology to cut energy costs and power future growth
HECK, based in Bedale, produces premium sausages, burgers, mince and meatballs. The family-firm installed a digital Energy Management System (EMS) with support from Made Smarter Yorkshire after soaring electricity prices almost tripled its energy bills.
North Yorkshire brewery taps into technology to fuel growth
Founded in 2013 as a small-batch microbrewery, Harrogate Brewing Company was acquired by Joe and Julie Joyce in 2020 with ambitions to build a larger, more resilient business that could create a long-term future for their family. Just weeks later, the Covid-19 pandemic brought the hospitality industry to a standstill. With its pub customers disappearing almost overnight, the family adapted by launching online sales, home deliveries and a taproom.
New employers: what you need to know about the National Minimum Wage
Taking on your first workers is a milestone moment for any new business. It’s important to pay your workers correctly from day one, as this helps build trust, demonstrates your commitment to treating workers fairly, and lays the foundations for a positive and productive working relationship.
Boost your career with adult learning
A wide range of subjects are available through the Adult Skills Fund, Free Courses for Jobs and Skills Bootcamps, all delivered by expert providers commissioned by the Combined Authority.
Innovation Supper October 2026: Apply to pitch
Join us for a relaxed evening with a light supper and plenty of inspiration, where you’ll have the chance to step into the spotlight and pitch your business idea to win seed funding. Prior to the pitching, you’ll be provided expert pitch training delivered by York St John, so you’re fully prepared to deliver your pitch with confidence. Whether you’re just starting out or already up and running, you’re invited to get involved.
Say ‘I do’ to getting your side hustle tax right
HMRC’s Help for Hustles campaign is here to help side hustlers get their tax right, quickly and easily - whether that’s wedding suppliers, parents earning from a hobby business or content creators making money from posting about the latest trends online.
CardioLogic Diagnostics Wins Innovation Supper
The fifth instalment of Innovation Supper saw Faye Singleton, Director of CardioLogic Diagnostics, take home the funding after delivering a compelling pitch for her life-saving business. Winning Innovation Supper has provided CardioLogic Diagnostics with seed funding that will help tackle one of the business's biggest early challenges: marketing. The prize money will support activities such as attending industry conferences and investing in paid advertising to reach more customers and raise awareness of the importance of accessible cardiac screening.
Strive Live Start-Up Incubator: Expression of Interest for Autumn 2026
Interested in joining a future cohort of Stive Live Start-Up Incubator? Find out more about the programme below, and register your interest to secure the first places when dates are confirmed.
Steps into Digital Voucher Scheme: Business Success Stories
The Steps into Digital Voucher Scheme helped businesses progress their digital transformation by providing one-to-one support that reflected their individual needs. Working with experienced digital providers, businesses were able to identify practical solutions and make meaningful improvements to the way they operated.
ETL Fluid Experts spark productivity boost with automation investment.
A North Yorkshire manufacturer of industrial filtration systems has dramatically improved production times after introducing automation to a key process, with support from Made Smarter. ETL Fluid Experts (ETL) secured almost £15,000 towards an automated wire processing centre, helping eliminate a major bottleneck in the production of wiring looms.
North Yorkshire manufacturers among firms investing £900,000 in digital tech with Made Smarter
From pizza dough and rally cars to signage, packaging and heavy machinery, makers are investing in growth and jobs. North Yorkshire manufacturers are among 19 Yorkshire businesses investing almost £900,000 in digital technologies to improve efficiency, create jobs and support future growth, with support from Made Smarter Yorkshire.
Making Tax Digital for Income Tax: The First Deadline is Fast Approaching
With the introduction of Making Tax Digital for Income Tax Self Assessment (MTD for ITSA), the biggest change to the Self Assessment system in a generation is now underway. Although the mandatory start date of April 2026 has arrived for the first group of taxpayers, many self-employed individuals and landlords are still unprepared for the new requirements. Now is the time to check whether the rules apply to you and, if they do, ensure you have the right systems in place.