Defence-related skills funding competition
We’re supporting defence-related skills courses with £80 million funding in partnership with the Ministry of Defence and the Department for Education.
This page sets out:
- the outcomes and allocations of this funding to the providers which were successful through our bidding process.
- the bidding guidance and process we published in February 2026.
Purpose of the funding
The funding will:
- increase student places in computing and engineering courses.
- boost the number of graduates for defence-related skills and roles.
- support institutions to develop new, cutting-edge teaching facilities.
- increase the proportion of young people participating in Level 4 study or higher.
We’re providing £50 million of programme funding and £30 million of capital funding.
The programme funding will:
- support increased growth in student places for computing and engineering courses at Levels 4-6.
- cover the costs of delivering higher cost provision, at £7,000 per place
- start from academic year 2026-27 and support new cohorts of students starting in academic years 2026-27, 2027-28 and 2028-29.
- end in academic year 2030-31.
The capital funding will:
- support the infrastructure and equipment needed to deliver growth in student places and to support the students through their studies with the facilities they need.
- start from financial year (April–March) 2026-27 and be available for three years ending 2028-29.
Outcomes and allocations
We have allocated funding to 24 providers. We received 112 bids, requesting a total of £384 million.
| Institution | Total programme funding | Total capital funding |
|---|---|---|
| Aston University | £2,121,000 | £1,873,126 |
| Birmingham City University | £1,127,000 | £1,578,661 |
| Bournemouth University Higher Education Corporation | £1,036,000 | £1,855,157 |
| City College Plymouth | £1,617,000 | £410,358 |
| Lincoln College | £455,000 | £299,707 |
| New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering | £833,000 | £1,107,405 |
| St Mary's University, Twickenham, London | £854,000 | £377,567 |
| Teesside University | £973,000 | £262,329 |
| University of Bath | £889,000 | £1,873,781 |
| University of Birmingham | £2,660,000 | £1,869,979 |
| University of Cumbria | £1,939,000 | £1,858,890 |
| University of Durham | £2,660,000 | £948,564 |
| University of Exeter | £4,879,000 | £1,514,952 |
| University of Lincoln | £1,477,000 | £1,475,322 |
| University of Liverpool | £4,067,000 | £1,873,633 |
| University of Newcastle upon Tyne | £2,604,000 | £1,708,889 |
| University of Plymouth | £5,334,000 | £1,634,524 |
| University of Sheffield | £2,219,000 | £752,323 |
| University of Southampton | £4,858,000 | £1,814,353 |
| University of Surrey | £2,450,000 | £1,873,782 |
| University of Warwick | £3,080,000 | £1,873,782 |
| University of Westminster | £1,260,000 | £802,213 |
| University of Winchester | £364,000 | £0 |
| Yeovil College | £259,000 | £360,703 |
We will proactively monitor the recruitment of students and the delivery of the capital funding, to ensure students are effectively supported, the grants are being well managed, and growth is being delivered in the relevant provision.
Eligibility and application process
Applications for this funding are now closed. We ran a competitive bidding exercise between 12 February and 20 March 2026. The process was completed in May 2026.
The competition was open to all providers that were registered in the Approved (fee cap) category.
Bidders were asked to submit proposals for assessment, and to demonstrate:
- how they will increase the number of students in Level 4-6 courses in computing and engineering
- how these courses are relevant to careers in defence or related industries and in line with Local Skills Improvement Plans
- any links already in place with the defence industry through teaching and other higher education activity and the way in which the institution will support students to consider careers in the defence or related industries.
For further information on the funding competition, please contact [email protected].
Last updated 09 June 2026 + show all updates
09 June 2026 - Added a list of successful bidders and funding allocations.
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