QEST Grants

The Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST) offers a range of grants to support the training, education, and skills development of UK-based makers, craftspeople, and conservators at different stages of their careers. The programme aims to strengthen and preserve high-quality craft skills across both traditional and contemporary disciplines.

Grant types and funding:

• Scholarships support mid-career to established practitioners to refine skills, deepen specialisms, or innovate within their craft, with awards typically ranging from £3,000 to £18,000.
• Emerging Maker Grants are aimed at early-career practitioners, usually with up to four years of professional practice, offering £3,000 to £10,000 to develop core skills.
• Apprenticeship Grants support structured training between a master craftsperson and an apprentice, providing up to £12,000 towards apprentice wages and training.

Eligibility:
Applicants must be individuals aged 18 or over, professionally practising a craft or conservation discipline, living in the UK with the right to remain, and applying for future training or education.

Application rounds:
Grants are open twice yearly, with application rounds typically in spring (deadline 18/2/2026) and autumn (deadline 19/8/2026)

Use of funds:
Funding must be used for clearly defined training or learning activities and cannot be used for general living costs, ongoing business overheads, or retrospective expenses.

Find out more