Scheme details
Area: Newcastle upon Tyne, Sunderland, County Durham, Gateshead, South Tyneside, North Tyneside, Northumberland
Categories: Finance & funding, Grant
Page last updated: 26 August 2025
Please note: Funding rounds open at various points in the year - check the QEST website for the latest dates.
QEST offers three grants to support makers and conservators at various career stages, strengthening the pipeline of talented craft professionals in the UK. They support contemporary and traditional craft, as well as the exploration of innovative techniques. They define craft as: the skilled making, by hand, of tangible objects, or the conservation/ restoration of such objects.
Since 1990, QEST has funded the training and education of almost 900 makers. Training can take many forms, from traditional college courses to vocational one-on-one tuition with a master craftsperson, or a bespoke programme of short courses. If you’re looking to develop your skills and have identified training that will enable you to advance your craft practice, then one of the grants may be for you.
Scholarships
For mid-career to established craftspeople to refine their craft, deepen their specialism or innovate. These grants support talented individuals to sustain vital skills through targeted training. Grants between £3,000 and £18,000 are available, plus a place on the Cockpit PDP. Applicants should have a high level of skill, a strong body of work and be aiming to elevate their craft further.
Emerging Maker Grant
For early-stage craftspeople, typically practicing for 4 years or less. These grants aim to support the next generation of craft professionals to develop core skills and techniques through essential training. Grants between £3,000 and £10,000 are available to applicants who show strong potential, a growing body of work and a commitment to progressing their craft.
Apprenticeship
These grants help enable a hands-on collaboration between a skilled master and a talented apprentice looking to start a career in craft. Focused on the transfer of expertise through practical workplace learning, the apprenticeship offers funding of up to £12,000. The grant is designed to supplement the apprentices wage over the course of the training.