Given the close relationship between education and skills policy and the Edtech sector, we thought it could be helpful to set out a brief guide on approaching government funding.
Overview:
Learning is, in one way or another, the key to unlocking potential.
Given its importance to productivity, economic growth, and broader prosperity, it is unsurprising that national governments take such a keen interest in education and skills.
When the government sets education and skills policy, they effectively govern the way that public and private sectors interact to create a system designed to maximise learning and employment outcomes.
Learning is intended to help people discover what lights their fire, which then to varying degrees reflect how they spend their time in employment and in their free time.
Unsurprisingly, governments tend to shape their policy around things they can measure and particularly around the measures against which they’re held accountable. Naturally, these tend to be outcomes-based rather than softer, less measurable metrics, like enjoyment.
Examples might include test scores at age 16, entry rates to further and higher education, employment rates, and average salaries, all of which are somewhat comparable to metrics used in other markets. Education and skills outcomes are often compared between nations, as per OECD and TIMSS studies and others.
Evolving labour market demands in combination with the digitisation of education has resulted in a fast-evolving relationship between public and private sectors, with increasing need to define and pursue relationships with private actors that are working towards objectives that align with government priorities.
We are aware that many Edtech companies are now seeking to develop their relationships with government in attempts to scale their offer and achieve the impact they believe is possible.
It is from this starting point that we have created this short guide intended to help companies understand how to secure government funding.
This guide starts with generic guidance across policy areas and then divides into sub-areas.
The guide contains:
10 commandments on pitching for government funding
An overview of types of government funding
An outlined typical bidding process
High-level overview of government procurement policy
Links to national tender sites
We hope you find it useful!
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