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Workforce North Co-Investment Fund

Supporting workforce growth across the Highlands and Islands

The Highlands and Islands are facing significant workforce challenges, but also major opportunities for growth now and in the years ahead. The Workforce North Co-Investment Fund is a new pilot fund designed to support employer-led activity that helps businesses recruit, retain and develop the people they need.

The Fund will support activity linked to skills development, apprenticeships, workforce pipelines and new approaches to shared workforce challenges, helping build the skilled and adaptable workforce the region needs.

It supports the wider Workforce North mission to help ensure employers, communities and local people across the Highlands and Islands can benefit from significant economic opportunities available now and emerging across the region.

The Fund will be administered by Highland Council, with a Project Approvals Board made up of Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Skills Development Scotland and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar overseeing the approvals process and fund activity.

An Innovative New Pilot Fund

As a pilot, the Workforce North Co-Investment Fund is testing a different approach to regional collaboration and workforce investment across the Highlands and Islands. It will take a practical test-and-learn approach, with feedback from employers, local authorities and partners helping shape delivery as it develops.

Funding Streams

The Workforce North Co-Investment Fund has been designed around three complementary funding streams. Employers should review the guidance to identify the stream that best fits the stage, scale and purpose of their proposal.

Stream 1: Workforce Growth

Supports employer-led activity where there is immediate training or skills demand and delivery capacity already exists. This may include training, upskilling, reskilling, workforce pipeline activity and apprenticeship recruitment.

Stream 2: Workforce Innovation

Supports the development and testing of new workforce delivery models and approaches where barriers, uncertainty or unproven approaches exist.

Stream 3: Workforce Accelerator

Supports the expansion of successful or proven workforce approaches to meet urgent or high-volume workforce needs and deliver wider benefits across sectors, communities or the region.

Who Can Apply?

Eligible employers operating in the Workforce North area can apply. Eligibility varies by funding stream, applicant type and proposed activity, so applicants should read the full guidance before applying to check eligibility, understand the criteria and choose the most appropriate funding stream.

The initial priority sectors and subject areas include Net Zero, Construction and Built Environment, Digital and Data Skills, and STEM-related subjects and progression opportunities.

Fund Guidance

Before applying, employers should review the general Fund guidance, the relevant stream guidance and the application form to understand eligibility, funding criteria and how to apply:

Application Windows

Streams 1, 2 and 3: Applications open 01 September - 30 October 2026.

The Fund will open in application rounds. A second round is expected to run from 30 November 2026 to 29 January 2027, with future rounds to be confirmed. As the Fund is being delivered as a pilot, applicants should review the latest guidance before applying.

Further Information

For direct enquiries about the Workforce North Co-Investment Fund, please contact: WFN@highland.gov.uk