Schools invited to apply for Enterprise in Schools Grant have the chance to receive a share of Devon County Council’s latest round of Enterprise in Schools Grant funding which was launched this week.

State funded primary schools and special schools in the Devon County Council area are being invited to apply for the funding which aims to support new education projects that encourage enterprise and innovation for pupils and staff. Projects should also establish connections with the local business community.

Grants of between £2,000 and £4,000 are available through a competitive bidding process and online applications must be received by noon on Friday, July 22.

Councillor Andrew Leadbetter, Devon County Council cabinet member for economy and growth, said: ‘The Enterprise in Schools Grant has been extremely well received over the last couple of years and it’s proven to be a rewarding experience for pupils.

‘We’re looking for applications which get pupils and staff involved in entrepreneurship. The aim is to enable them to develop an understanding of different areas of business and commerce, whether that’s product design, marketing or finance.

‘It’s an extremely valuable lesson for pupils to learn skills which they can apply to business and employment later in life, once they’ve finished their education.’

Cockwood Primary School received funding last year for its project to start and run its own sustainable business, Harbourside Chutney. As well as developing its own range of chutney, the school also researched and invited local food suppliers to a farmers’ market.

Alison Roper, senior teacher at Cockwood Primary School, has led the school’s enterprise project. ‘We started out looking to develop food products but we didn’t set off knowing exactly where we were going and the project evolved over time. The grant has taken the project to a different level and it has created wonderful opportunities for the children which they would never have otherwise experienced, such as going to the Fab Lab to create promotional material and labels.

‘The whole school has been involved; we’ve dedicated a lot of curriculum time to it, and the children have really taken it on board and taken ownership of it.

‘We had a really good response from the local community at our farmers’ market and people were asking if it would become a weekly or monthly event.’

Successful applicants of the latest round of funding must spend their grant by the end of March 2017.