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.
Innovation Supper: 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.
Celebrating a Career Supporting Business Growth
Growth Hub Manager Simon Middleton is stepping into retirement following a long and rewarding career defined by his dedication to the region’s business community. Colleagues, partners and the many businesses he has supported wish Simon the very best for a happy and well-deserved retirement.
Going For Growth: Make your business profitable today
Embark on a journey of self-improvement as you momentarily step away from the day-to-day of running a business. This course isn’t about taking time off; it’s about taking time to enhance your business, surrounded by peers who are just as driven to succeed. Prepare to gain insights and strategies that will clear the fog and illuminate your businesses path forward.
National Minimum Wage support for Yorkshire & Humberside businesses
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is contacting Yorkshire &Humberside businesses to help them get their workers’ wages right and ensure they are paying at least the National Minimum Wage (NMW) and National Living Wage (NLW), as appropriate. This is part of HMRC’s regular outreach activity across the UK.
260,000 workers to get a pay rise across Yorkshire as new wage rates take effect
60,000 hard-working people across Yorkshire and the Humber will see their pay increase from today [1 April 2026], as the Government raises the National Minimum Wage (NMW) and National Living Wage (NLW) rates.
Made Smarter Backs Local Manufacturers
Manufacturing businesses across York and North Yorkshire are being encouraged to embrace digital innovation through the Made Smarter programme, a government-funded initiative that helps companies adopt new technologies and strengthen their operations.
The Cyber Security Membership for SMEs in the North East
The North East Cyber Resilience Centre (“NECRC”) helps small and medium-sized businesses, charities, and public sector organisations improve their cyber security.
York coworking space launches International Women’s Day competition giving female entrepreneur £1,500 workspace boost!
The winner will receive a dedicated desk for six months in Blake House’s tranquil 13-desk coworking studio - an intentionally small workspace designed to create a genuine business community, offering a calm and focused alternative to the large, impersonal workspaces that many entrepreneurs reportedly experience.
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.
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.