Business Catalyst (Large) Grants Guidelines and FAQs
Overview
Our Business Catalyst (Large) Grants offer UK resident jewellers, silversmiths and allied industry practitioners (with 5+ years’ experience) the support to grow or expand their businesses. Grants of up to £7,000 (including VAT) help entrepreneurial designers and makers to spend time developing their skills and business knowledge. These grants have been funded by philanthropic giving from current members of the Goldsmiths’ Company.
Grant recipients must practise in the UK for 5 years following receipt of their grant and are required to make a minimum of a 10% financial contribution towards the overall project cost. They are also expected to contribute to the Goldsmiths’ Centre’s programmes, through documenting their projects and mentoring within two years of completion. In doing so, recipients will share their knowledge and experience with other members of the industry and start-ups, thereby enriching the jewellery industry as a whole.
We look forward to receiving your application. If you need any additional information or advice prior to submitting your application or you need the form in a different format, please contact Julia Skilton, Grants and Engagement Manager at the Goldsmiths’ Centre to discuss how best we can support you.
Call our team on +44 (0)207 566 7650 or email applications@goldsmiths-centre.org
1. What can I apply for?
Our Business Catalyst (Large) Grants support talented and entrepreneurial people that have growth plans in place but need financial support to move these plans forward to the next stage. Any funds must be used within 12 months of being received.
Our Business Catalyst (Large) Grants can be used to help you:
● Adopt new skills and processes by accessing a programme of technical or business skills training within the Goldsmiths’ Centre, or another training provider, or an internship with a master craftsperson.
● Develop your team and provide new training for existing staff to ensure that the business can specialise or grow through additional knowledge and expertise.
● Create new services or diversify your portfolio of work through developing a new collection intended for production in the UK or experimenting with collaborators.
● Expand your client base and make leaps into new markets or geographical areas by taking part in overseas exhibitions, selling opportunities, or building new partnerships.
All proposals must also demonstrate a commitment to successful business growth - whether this is an increase in sales, productivity or profitability, or the potential to create new employment opportunities and an improvement in business processes.
2. Who can apply?
The grants are open to people who:
● In full-time or part-time employment, employed by your own Limited company or as sole trader/self-employed or micro business in the jewellery, silversmithing or allied industries.
● are located and have/will have a trading address in the UK. They must have a UK bank account in the exact name they apply in and remain resident in the UK for 5 years following receipt of the grant.
● Typically employ no more than 2 people (full-time or on a part-time equivalent), including yourself, and have a turnover up to £150,000.
● are part of a small group of practitioners who usually collaborate in their work or create work together. In this instance, all individuals in the group must submit their own application and can only apply for one grant for their joint project. Organisations cannot apply, and individuals cannot apply on behalf of an organisation.
● Be in a financial position to contribute a minimum of 10% of the overall project cost. Proof of this funding will be required before the grant is made. Contributions in-kind, such as your time, will not be counted for this purpose.
● Have a minimum of 5 years of business experience.
3. How will my project be monitored and evaluated?
During your project, you will need to demonstrate the impact of your received Business Catalyst (Large) Grant through a range of potential outcomes. This includes meeting measurable SMART targets identified in your application, such as an increase in sales, market segments reached, new work or employment opportunities created or an improvement in business processes.
We will also ask you to share your progress during the project and you will be asked for the following:
● Receipt of all your funds received and budget breakdown of expenditure.
● A mid-training report (including self-filmed footage and/or recorded in conversation Zoom session with the Goldsmiths’ Centre) reflecting on your progress and areas to address in the second half of the training.
● A completion report to be submitted within 6 months of the training to analyse the impact of your experience/training on your work and to demonstrate the steps you have taken to implement these and maximise the potential of your grant.
4. How do I apply?
This section details how to apply and the supporting documents you will need to submit with your application form.
Step 1: Read these guidelines and our FAQs, and ensure that you are eligible for the Business Catalyst (Large) Grant.
Step 2: You can apply for the Business Catalyst (Large) Grant either via:
a. our online application form, hosted online via SurveyMonkey, which can be accessed via any standard web browser on a computer, tablet, or smartphone. This will need to be completed in one session, which is estimated to take up to 45 minutes.
b. a video captured on your camera phone or computer and submitted via a file hosting service (such as a hidden Vimeo or YouTube link, Google Drive, Dropbox or WeTransfer) to applications@goldsmiths-centre.org - see our FAQs for a step by step guide on how to best capture your submission.
Step 3: Gather support materials and draft responses for your online and recorded application in advance.
You will need to provide the following information as part of your application:
Personal information:
Your name, postal address, email address, personal landline, mobile phone number, date of birth, nationality, business Instagram, LinkedIn account and/or website.
Education and Training: Details about your training, whether a formal qualification or selftaught training route, including:
● Level of qualification.
● Name of the course/apprenticeship.
● Name of training provider/apprentice employer.
● Year of course/apprenticeship completion.
● Grades.
● Details of any other training routes or courses you think may be relevant to your application.
Awards, Prizes, Exhibitions and Commissions:
● Year awarded
● Name and details of the opportunity
Professional Body Memberships
Name and details of any professional body membership within the jewellery industry or relevant related fields.
Industry Experience: Details about how much experience you have working in the industry or mentoring others:
● Number of years you have worked in the industry.
● Do you have teaching or mentoring experience?
● Is this application part of a collaborative project with other makers?
Professional Practice: In more than 750 words, outline your work and summarise how you have developed your business to date, including for example:
● What does your business do?
● What are its main activities/services?
● Who are your target audiences?
● What have been your key achievements to date?
● Outline if you have worked with any established artistic or creative partners.
We want to see that you have reached the right stage in your practice to make a step change and benefit from the development opportunity.
In no more than 500 words, tell us why you believe you are qualified to undertake a period of self-development. We want to know why you are motivated to pursue this opportunity and why you are qualified to undertake this period of development.
Your Project: In no more than 1,000 words, tell us about your project proposal. Outline what you hope to get out of this development opportunity and how you will go about it. Your output must be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time Based). Your response should include for example:
● How will you seek out opportunities that will benefit your development?
If relevant, do you have access to networks that you would like to work with? Or if travelling, contacts in the country you want to learn in?
● What is the activity you would like to do?
If relevant, what technical skills training at the Goldsmiths’ Centre or with partners do you want to access? With which master craftsperson would you like to do a training internship with? What international travel do you want to undertake to research or develop a range of work intended for production in the UK? Or which international craftspeople or businesses do you want to collaborate with?
● How ambitious is your project?
Tell us, is your project realistic and well planned? Have you thought about how you will manage this project successfully?
In no more than 1,000 words, explain why you are applying for this grant at this stage in the development of your business and how this project will help to create future opportunities. If you have a written business plan, please refer to it here.
● What are the main aims for this project?
● Why do you want to take time out now to develop your business and skills?
● What should this project lead to and what will be different about your practice once you have completed it?
Project Plan and Costs: Outline the key steps and costs in your project plan from the project start date onwards, including:
● Your project milestones (key activities) you will carry out.
● What the outputs of the activity will be? These must be things you can claim your grant money against.
● The costs for each activity.
Project Development (without Funding): We want to understand how you would make your project possible or develop your business if you happened to not be successful with your Business Catalyst (Large) Grant application.
Supporting Documents: Please ensure that you label all uploaded support documentation with your name. Please note that each file cannot be larger than 16MB.
Before starting your application, you will need to gather the following supporting information:
● 2 forms of ID, one type from each column:
Proof of name examples
Birth certificate
ID card
Current passport
Current driving licence
Proof of address examples
A Utility or Council Tax Bill (last three months)
A current rent card or tenancy agreement
A mortgage statement (last three months)
HMRC letter (last three months)
● Professional reference - a professional referee is an experienced worker, typically a former employer, colleague, client or someone who can recommend you for employment. You must list the names and occupations of your referees on the application form. Please note it is your responsibility to ensure that the completed references reach us at applications@goldsmiths-centre.org by the application deadline.
● Please provide your most recent year of accounts. The document must mention your name or the name of your business.
● Up to 5 images of your work. Images should be a high resolution - .tiff or jpg format file at 300dpi at approximately A4 size.
● Links to pertinent online information, including websites and/or social media.
Applications should be submitted via SurveyMonkey via a link which will be available on
our website. Incomplete applications will not be assessed.
Step 3: You will then receive a link to complete our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Survey via SurveyMonkey, which will come from applications@goldsmiths-centre.org. This survey is anonymous but requires completion before your application is considered.
This will help support the Goldsmiths’ Centre’s EDI strategy - see www.goldsmithscentre.org/about-us. The EDI survey will be sent to you within 7 days of receiving your application form, please check your Junk Mail and notify us if you have not received this.
Step 4: Once your EDI survey has been received, your Business Catalyst (Large) Grant application will be assessed by an independent panel. You will be notified within 8 weeks about the outcome of your application.
FAQs
Is it possible to apply in other ways than the written application form?
Yes, you can submit a simple video captured on your camera phone or computer by following the steps below:
Step 1: Decide the format: Before you start filming, familiarise yourself with the questions in the application form and how you can best present your case through video.
Step 2: Write your script: Start by introducing yourself and then film a response to each question / section of the application form citing the number of each section in the application. Make sure your film is no longer than 30 minutes in total.
Step 3: Rehearse: It’s important to know what you’re going to say in your video, so write a short script and rehearse what you are going to say beforehand until you’re completely comfortable. You may want to enlist the help of a friend or family member. Make sure to speak clearly and slowly, and let your personality shine through.
Step 4: Shoot your video: You don't need to buy or hire expensive equipment to create your video. You can simply use the camera on your smartphone (although you will need a tripod, something to prop your phone onto or a friend to film you) or a computer.
Set aside a few hours so there’s no time pressure – you’ll want to do as many takes as necessary to get it right. You should always film in a well-lit, indoor location with as little background noise as possible. Don’t film against a window; rather use it as natural side lighting. Do some test runs first to make sure the lighting is bright enough and the audio is clear on speakers and headphones – it can also be invaluable to have a friend record with you to get an alternative perspective.
Step 5: Submit your video application: Once you've saved your video in a common format such as MOV, MP4 or AVI, you can share your file via Wetransfer, Google drive or Dropbox.
Step 6: Shortlisted applicants will be invited to attend an interview with our selection panel, either online or in person.
You can also upload your video as a hidden video on Youtube or Vimeo and provide us with the link to applications@goldsmiths-centre.org
How will you assess my application?
A panel of independent industry professionals will be appointed by the Goldsmiths’ Centre to review the applications. This review will take place within 8 weeks of submission. The judges’ decision is final.
The criteria by which the judges will assess each entry on are:
● Current standard of representative work.
● Clarity of project proposal and consideration of financial management.
● Professionalism of presentation.
● Justification for grant application and clear identification of key benefits to the recipient/s.
● Recommendation of the supporting professional reference.
What can’t we fund?
A Business Catalyst (Large) Grant cannot be used to:
● current employees of the Goldsmiths’ Centre, Goldsmiths’ Company, or Goldsmiths’ Company Assay Office
● applicants can only apply for international travel-based projects if they have not undertaken a skills development opportunity abroad in the previous 3 years.
● new and existing employee salaries (excluding founders and interns).
● fund projects that have already started or have been completed.
● support business start-up costs.
● by individuals to apply for ‘equipment-only’ requests. Some equipment costs can be included as part of the overall project costs. This can be no more than 50% of the overall budget.
● fund Goldsmiths’ Fair fees.
● employee additional benefits e.g. Private health insurance, staff social events.
● tax bills.
● fines or financial penalties.
● activities that have already taken place or will have taken place before you receive a grant.
● activities which are considered religious in nature.
● activities which are considered political including campaigning or lobbying.
● activities that the state has a legal obligation to provide.
● any debt, loan or interest repayments or endowments (including funds to build up a reserve or surplus).
● any project or activity that may bring the Goldsmiths’ Centre into disrepute.
● business rates and subsidies.
● ongoing maintenance costs or ongoing running costs linked to capital projects.
What types of people have participated previously?
An example of previous grant recipients, can be seen here here: www.goldsmithscentre.org/apply-for-grants/business-catalyst-large-grants
Do you award commendation grants?
Yes, we do award commendation grants for some shortlisted applicants who are not selected to receive a Large Grant. These grants are designed to provide recognition for your application, and can be used to support your business or to undertake training. The amount of the grants will vary depending on the number of shortlisted applicants, from £250 up to £2,000 inc. VAT.
What types of projects are eligible for a commendation grant?
Commendation grants can be used for a variety of purposes, including addressing unexpected expenses, funding specific projects, enhancing operational capacity, or supporting innovation skills development.
How do I develop a project plan?
To develop a successful project plan, you will need to think about and map out answers to:
● What will your activity be, and how long will it take?
● Why do you want to take this period of development, and why now?
● What development activities will you undertake?
● How much will your development project cost overall, and how much do you need from us?
● What are the main things you want to achieve? How will you know whether you achieved these things?
● What are the key milestones for your development and what do you expect them to be?
I’ve never attended anything at the Goldsmiths’ Centre before. Will that be a problem?
No. We work with a wide range of makers and are always looking to make new connections with people we haven’t worked with before. We actively welcome applications from makers who have yet to work with us.
Who can apply and what are the allied trades?
If you are working in the jewellery, silversmithing and goldsmithing industry in precious metal or alternative materials, or an allied trade such as enamelling, engraving, blacksmithing, then please apply. If you are unsure whether your craft discipline or material technique meets this criteria, please get in touch.
Can I apply twice in one year?
Please note that you cannot apply twice for a Business Catalyst (Large) Grant in one year. You also cannot apply for a Business Catalyst (Large) and (Small) Grant in one year.
Will I receive feedback about my application if I am unsuccessful?
Applicants who are shortlisted, but are not selected to receive a grant, will receive feedback.