Please read the following guidance notes before completing the Transformation Fund claim proposal form.
- Eligibility: Current final-year students and recent graduates who are being coached as part of the Transformation West Midlands project.
- Coachees can apply for the Transformation Fund once they commence coaching. An application for funding can be made at any point while you are a coachee. However, please note, funding will only be provided to ‘engaged coachees’ and at the discretion of the Progression Coach.
- Coachees are normally limited to apply for a maximum of £100, although a higher amount may be requested. If you would like to request a higher amount, please have a discussion with your Progression Coach who may ask for a detailed case to be provided for this.
- Coachees can make multiple claims whilst they are being coached, however the amount you can claim overall cannot exceed £100, unless discussed with your Progression Coach.
- Please see below examples of what can and cannot be claimed for. Please note, where possible you should look to claim for the cheapest and most convenient items/activity:
Examples of what the funding can cover, include but are not limited to:
- Travel costs to and from an interview/internship/placement/voluntary experience/conference
- International travel to secure international work experience
- Accommodation costs (e.g. to undertake an assessment centre outside the West Midlands region)
- DBS check fees, UCAS application fees, etc.
- Registration or membership with a professional organisation/body
- Childcare cover for an interview
- Fees for short courses
Examples of what the funding cannot cover, include but are not limited to:
- Capital and electronic items (e.g. photography equipment, laptop, software & recording equipment)
- Tuition fees which contribute towards your current undergraduate course or any further study postgraduate courses you wish to undertake
- Rent and/or mortgage payments
- Utilities and other day-to-day living costs
Please note, the above are just examples of what can and cannot be claimed for. If you would like to claim for something which is not listed above and are unsure whether it is eligible, please discuss with your Progression Coach before submitting a ‘Claim Proposal Form’.
6. The Transformation Fund is designed to act as a contribution towards supporting career progression. Depending on the claim(s) you have proposed you would like funding for, you may receive all, part of, or none of the funds you have requested, as decided by the Project Team. Therefore you should have alternative funding options as a contingency should you not be awarded all of your requested funds; you should not fully rely on the Transformation Fund.
Examples of external providers that offer financial support that could be used to supplement the Transformation Fund, or replace it should your application for support from the Fund not be successful, include:
7. You should clearly demonstrate in your application form that what you are claiming for will support with the development of skills and progression to a graduate career. You are advised to provide details on why the claim(s) will benefit career progression and look at what the potential barriers are to your development and how the funding can help overcome these.
8. Items or activities you would like to claim for must be undertaken within six months of your application and should seek to support you alone and no other beneficiaries.
9. Do not purchase any items or pay for any activity without pre-authorisation from your Progression Coach. You must complete a ‘Claim Proposal Form’ to provide the Project Team with details of what you would like to claim for. Once the project team have reviewed your claim(s), you will be informed via an ‘Award Letter’ whether we can fund your claim(s) and to what amount. You can then purchase the item(s) or activity and claim back funding from the project team via completing a ‘Claim Back Form’, ensuring you provide evidence of having purchased and paid for the claim(s).
10. If there is an exceptional circumstance whereby you would like payment for claims to made up front, please let your Progression Coach know. In this case, the Progression Coach will review whether they can purchase the claim item/activity on your behalf.
11. Payment of approved claims will be dependent on the submission of relevant original receipts/invoices and bank statements via the ‘Claim Back Form’ along with the completion of an ‘Expenses Form’. Please note that all expenditure must be processed before the end of the financial year (July). Therefore all claim forms must be received by the start of June to ensure they are processed.
12. All ‘Claim Proposal Forms’ will be reviewed within a 2 week timeframe. If you have received an ‘Award letter’ informing you of the amount you will be funded for your claim(s), you are required to purchase the item/activity within 2 weeks of the Award letter and complete the ‘Claim Back Form’ and ‘Expenses Form’, so that the project team can reimburse you. Payments can take 2-4 weeks to reach your account.
13. The ‘Claim Proposal Forms’ are reviewed by your Progression Coach and the Transformation West Midlands Project Manager and allocated on a first come first served basis. If the funding is over-subscribed, the wider project team may have to make difficult decisions about how to best allocate the money. Applicants that best demonstrate how the funding will support with career progression and the development of skills will be prioritised. Coachees who have not applied for funding previously will also be prioritised.
14. If an award is made but you subsequently are unable to use it or have to refund it, please let your Progression Coach know as soon as is possible to allow the money to be re-allocated.
Please send all queries about the Transformation Fund to your dedicated Progression Coach: