British Footwear Development Trust opens 2026 grant programme

The British Footwear Development Trust (BFDT), a charitable organisation dedicated to supporting the UK footwear industry, has opened applications for its 2026 Education and Training Grant programme.

The initiative, now in its fourth year, aims to support individuals and businesses across the UK footwear industry in accessing professional training and skills development, from entry-level learning to advanced professional development, tailored to the needs of the individual or business.

The training grants are open to all sectors of the UK footwear sector, including design, development, manufacturing, retail, logistics, and repair. There are two grant types available: Individual Grants support workers who want to update or expand their skills, where recipients can use the funds for short courses, technical training, recognised qualifications, or hands-on learning; and Company Grants, which are available for employers seeking to provide structured staff training, whether through in-house programmes or external providers.

Grants can support a wide range of learning needs, from sustainability and innovation to more practical, technical training, adds BFDT, and may include hands-on skills development using specialist tools or technologies, digital design platforms, or new approaches to materials, prototyping, and production.

In some cases, funding may also be used to support the purchase of essential equipment or software, where it directly enables access to training or learning.

Applications for both individual and company grants will close on September 30, with successful applicants to be notified in December this year.

Previous winners of the grant include British lifestyle brand Fairfax and Favor, known for its leather knee-high boots and premium handbags, which used the funding to support the development of its product team through targeted training aligned with the needs of its business.

Sara Driscoll, product development manager at Fairfax & Favor, said in a statement: “The BFDT’s education and training grant was invaluable for the footwear Product Development team at Fairfax and Favor to support continuous professional development plans.

“The grant enabled both junior and established personnel to undertake a variety of BFA courses to refresh current skills, meet like-minded professionals, embrace the latest innovations, and strengthen industry knowledge.”