THE CERTIFICATION AND ASSESSMENT BOARD FOR THE WATER INDUSTRY (CABWI): LIFELONG LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT FUND
Grants of up to £40,000 (this was previously £35,000) are available for UK registered charities to promote learning and development that enables young people and adults to gain additional skills and qualifications, as well as confidence to enter the labour market.
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o Application deadline: MONDAY 26th JANUARY 2026 for Expressions of Interest. The programme will open to applications on Monday 5th January with a new 2-stage application process for 2026.
o Funder: The CABWI Awarding Body (founded 1991. Charity number 1157706. Total charitable expenditure for the year ended 31 March 2024: £1,029,929 (2023: £1,030,000)).
o Who can apply: smaller UK registered charities with an annual income of under £1 million.
o Key words: Improving Access and Pathways to Employment, Ex-Service Personnel, Ex-Offenders, Young People and Adults who are either Not in Employment, Education or Training (NEETs) or at risk of becoming NEET, Life Skills, Developing a Career in the Water, Utilities and Construction industries, United Kingdom.
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The Certification and Assessment Board for the Water Industry (CABWI) is a nationally recognised awarding body, specialising in vocational qualifications for the water & wider utilities industries. The CABWI Awarding Body’s Lifelong Learning and Development Fund is designed to support applications from small UK registered charities with an annual income of under £1 million that:
o Work with individuals with complex barriers to employment, enabling them to move closer or into employment, including but not restricted to ex-service personnel and ex-offenders.
o To work directly with young people and adults who are either not in employment, education, or training (NEET), or with young people who are at risk of becoming NEET, to improve their access to employment and the labour market, and
o Increase the life skills of people so that they may further develop their careers, with a particular focus on the water, utilities, and construction industries.
The following funding is available over a 12-month period to UK registered charities with an annual income of under £1 million:
1. Charities with an annual up to £266,666 can apply for a maximum of 15% of their previous year’s turnover.
2. Charities with an annual income of between £266,666 and £1 million can apply for a grant of up to £40,000 (this has been increased from £35,000 in 2025).
Grants are available for project and core costs for a period of 1 year. CABWI will also fund Living Wage salaries. As with last year, in 2026 CABWI is particularly keen to support innovative approaches that highlight new ideas and ways of addressing barriers to training and employment.
Applicants must be able to provide evidence that they:
o Are a registered charity.
o Are based in and delivery its services in the UK.
o Work directly with young people and adults who are not in employment, training, or education (NEETs).
o Are able to provide a copy of their most recent accounts.
o Can provide their bank statements for the previous 3 months.
o Can provide a detailed breakdown of the full project cots, and
o Are able to provide copies of their Safeguarding Policy, their Health and Safety Policy and their Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy.
Funding is not available for:
o Animal welfare projects.
o Arts or sports projects that do not have a community or charitable component.
o Contributions to endowment funds, payment of deficit funding or repayment of loans.
o Individuals, Limited companies, sole traders or any commercial or profit-making organisations/projects.
o Major capital projects.
o Overseas travel or expeditions.
o Political groups or activities promoting political beliefs.
o Religious groups seeking to influence people’s religious choices.
o Retrospective funding.
o Sponsorship or fundraising events or groups raising funds to distribute to other causes.
o Statutory organisations, including local authorities, NHS organisations and schools. CABWI will not support the replacement of statutory funding, or
o UK charities with an annual income of over £1 million.
CABWI is trialling a 2-stage application process in 2026, as follows:
1. Stage 1 of the application process is an Expression of Interest. It opens to applications on Monday 5th January 2026. Complete the application form, and submit by Monday 26th January 2026.
The application form is a Word document. It asks for basic information about your organisation and the project you would like CABWI to fund. Many of the questions are about the work you do, and what you are trying to achieve. Please try not to repeat information or include Indices of Multiple Deprivation, as CABWI is aware of these. CABWI is specifically looking for projects that demonstrate their effectiveness through measurable outcomes. Applicants should state whether they are applying for core and/or project funding.
2. Applicants who are shortlisted for Stage 2 will be notified by the last week of March 2026. Applicants will be asked to complete a more detailed application, which may include questions specific to their bid. The deadline for receipt of Stage 2 applications is Friday 17th April 2026. Please note that the Easter Bank holiday falls within this period, so allow sufficient time and staff resources to complete the form and return it by the deadline.
3. CABWI expects to inform Stage 2 applicants of the outcome of their application by the end of May 2026.
Monitoring generally takes the form of an in person or ZOOM meeting with the successful project, reviewing the outcomes and achievements set by the project in its application.
Further information and guidance, together with an online application form, is available on the CABWI website.
Contact details for CABWI are:
CABWI Lifelong Learning and Development Fund
CABWI Awarding Body
6 Bevis Marks
London
EC3A 7BA
Tel: 020 7469 2641
Email: grants@cabwi.org.uk