For jewellers and silversmiths looking to grow their UK-based businesses, the Goldsmiths’ Centre’s Business Catalyst (Large) Grants offer a valuable opportunity. These grants provide funding up to £7,000 to support entrepreneurs in expanding and improving their enterprises in impactful ways.
In a competitive marketplace, it can be challenging for small jewellery and silversmithing businesses to find the resources they need to implement growth strategies. The Goldsmiths’ Centre aims to change that by providing practitioners who meet certain criteria with substantial financial assistance to turn their plans into realities.
Keep reading to learn more about who and what these Business Catalyst (Large) Grants support and how they can act as a catalyst to spark significant development for eligible jewellery and allied trade enterprises.
What the Goldsmiths’ Centre Business Catalyst Grants Offer
The Goldsmiths’ Centre designed these large grants to provide funding up to £7,000, including VAT, to be used over a 12-month period. The funds are intended to help recipients spend time focusing on advancing their expertise, capabilities, and business acumen.
Specifically, the grants can be utilized for:
- Accessing technical skills training, business skills development, or internships to adopt new processes and capabilities
- Providing staff training to grow team expertise and specialization
- Developing new collections or collaborations to expand product ranges
- Exhibiting at overseas events or building partnerships to reach new markets
- Any other activities directly focused on driving sales, productivity, profitability, or employment growth
To qualify for funding, proposals must demonstrate how the project will contribute to tangible business expansion for the recipient. The grants seek to set up jewellery and allied trade enterprises for lasting success by giving them the means to implement their growth roadmaps.
Insights from Past Recipients
These grants have already made a real difference for some recipients, allowing them to accomplish key goals. As one grantee explained:
“We knew that we wanted to step away from outsourcing, but it was difficult to take the time out to learn new skills or invest the money in learning. The Grant just came along at the right moment. It will save us time and money in the long run to have these skills because we will be more capable at resolving issues with pieces in-house.”
Another grant winner shared:
“I wanted to undertake more bespoke design work – and gouache illustration is an incredibly helpful tool in showing clients what the designs are going to look like once created in 3D. I had stopped using gouache painting with the advent of CAD renders, but I wanted to get back to that traditional skill, and the Grant gave me the space to do so.”
These first-hand experiences demonstrate how impactful the funding can be in empowering exciting business advancements.
What Grant Recipients Must Commit To
To ensure the grants positively influence the wider UK jewellery industry, recipients do take on some obligations. Grantees must:
- Remain practising in the UK for at least 5 years after receiving funding
- Contribute a minimum of 10% of the project costs themselves
- Participate in Goldsmiths’ Centre mentoring and sharing opportunities within 2 years to help upcoming practitioners
By providing this value back to the community, grant recipients support the continued enrichment of UK jewellery craftsmanship and business innovation.
Eligibility Requirements
The Goldsmiths’ Centre designed these large grants to support small enterprises ready to implement expansion plans. To qualify, applicants must:
- Operate their own limited company, be self-employed, or have a micro-business in jewellery or related fields
- Be located in the UK with permanent right to remain for 5+ years if originally from overseas
- Typically have no more than 2 full-time employees and under £150K turnover
- Have at least 5 years of relevant industry experience
- Be able to contribute at least 10% of project costs themselves
Groups collaborating on projects may apply individually. The grants are not open to individuals applying on behalf an organization.
By funding practitioners with established capabilities looking to take their enterprises to the next level, the grants aim to foster a vibrant, growing jewellery sector.
How to Learn More and Apply
UK jewellers, silversmiths, and allied trade practitioners ready to catalyze business growth should visit the Goldsmiths’ Centre website to check full eligibility criteria and application details.
The centre provides extensive resources to support professional development across jewellery craftsmanship and business management. Their grants offer funding on a scale that can truly empower recipients to implement their strategic visions and scale new heights.
For enterprises able to meet the requirements, these grants represent an unparalleled opportunity. The funding and support enables businesses to build capabilities, access markets, develop products, and implement other initiatives that strengthen their foundations and competitive edge.
The Goldsmiths’ Centre encourages interested and eligible practitioners to review grant guidance and submit compelling applications showcasing their growth strategies and potential for impact. For enterprises ready to reach the next level, these grants can provide the vital catalyst. By supporting one another, UK jewellers and allied trades can contribute to an ecosystem where all committed practitioners have pathways to meaningful success.
