Heritage Crafts is offering a training bursary targeted at new entrants and early career working in building crafts in Northern Ireland who are experiencing financial hardship.
The initiative is part of the All Ireland Heritage Skills Programme, a partnership project supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and delivered by The King’s Foundation, The Heritage Council, Department for Communities and CITB NI. The bursary is also part of a suite of grants, awards and bursaries offered by Heritage Crafts to support and celebrate heritage craftspeople.
About the Opportunity
This bursary has been set up to help cover or subsidise the cost of training for someone who would otherwise be prevented from training in heritage crafts as a result of the cost.
Bursaries are for:
- new entrants in Northern Ireland who have demonstrated a commitment to starting a new craft career and need to acquire the necessary hand skills;
- early-career practitioners in Northern Ireland who have not yet attained the hand skills required to achieve commercial success; or
- early- or mid-career craftspeople in Northern Ireland who need to acquire distinctly different hand skills to develop new ways of achieving commercial success.
You can apply for a bursary for any amount up to £4,000 which can cover or contribute towards the costs of:
- apprenticeship-style training with a craftsperson/people;
- attending a specialist training course (accredited or non-accredited);
- undertaking a self-directed programme of training with one or more craftspeople;
- the cost of specialist tools or materials, books or study materials, or supporting travel and accommodation (no more than 30% of total budget).
How to Apply
To find out more and apply for this opportunity, please visit the Heritage Crafts Website. The deadline for applications is Friday 20 March 2026 at 5PM.