Who can apply?

We only make grants to individual young people aged between 15 and 29 with a strong connection to the Isle of Wight; you will probably have been brought up and educated on the Island.  The Grants panel will look at the strength of the connection in considering any application.

We aim to provide financial help for those young people whose circumstances would otherwise not allow them to take up an opportunity in the maritime sector

What applications will qualify?

The grants panel will consider any application for financial assistance for you to take up an opportunity that will improve your ability to get a job/follow a career that has a maritime connection.

The Grants Panel might support:

·       a course

·       training

·       living or travel expenses while taking up an unpaid internship

·       apprenticeship

·       work experience

·       equipment

The Grants Panel will consider any application for support of your own project as long as it is within the objectives of the charity.

What applications will not qualify?

The RYS Foundation will not for example pay for:

·       items that are covered by the Student Loans Scheme

·       costs covered by your employer

·       items covered by any Government back to work schemes

How to apply?

We require each applicant to complete an application form which can be accessed here. If you would like to discuss your application or would like help in completing the form please email us at applications@rysfoundation.org.uk. The completed form should be sent to: applications@rysfoundation.org.uk or by post to;

 RYS IOW Foundation, The Royal Yacht Squadron, The Parade, Cowes, Isle of Wight PO31 7QT.

The application process

We will acknowledge receipt of your application and ask you for any further information that we require. Applications should be submitted at least 10 working days before each Grant Panel meeting, after which a shortlist will be drawn up for interview at the meeting. Once the interviews have taken place the Panel will select the applicants they wish to sponsor based on the extent to which they meet the RYS Foundation's criteria, aiming to sponsor as broad a spread of maritime careers as possible. We will not be able to support all eligible applications or all those interviewed so try and tell the Grants Panel why they should support you in particular.

Forthcoming Panel meetings will take place on:

Monday 29th January 2024
Monday 25th March 2024
Monday 20th May 2024
Monday 22nd July 2024
Monday 23rd September 2024
Monday 25th November 2024

You will be informed either by email or letter whether your application has been successful.

It may be possible for applications to be considered at short notice in exceptional circumstances. 

Financial Contribution

We usually expect applicants to make a financial contribution to their proposed training themselves, depending on the resources they have available to them. We will not usually fund courses with a start date less than three months ahead of application- this is so that we can be sure that sufficient planning, saving up and gaining relevant experience has been done.

Client personal data.

CPD will be handled by the RYSF in accordance with statutory requirements and codes of practice issued by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

To assess the Client’s case, in accordance with the aims of the RYSF, members of the RYSF Grant Panel will collect CPD through Client application forms and interviews. To endorse the Grant Panel’s recommendations, sufficient CPD will be shared with other RYSF Trustees. To further the interests of the Client, sufficient CPD may be shared outside the RYSF, for example with partner charities, travel companies, potential employers and/or training providers. To market RYSF activities limited CPD may be made public for example in banners, press statements, videos and newsletters. All CPD collected by RYSF will be stored and processed in password protected and/or locked environments and will be destroyed securely when no longer required.

With the exception of health information relevant to the assessment of the grant application, the RYSF will not collect or record any sensitive personal data, for example: details of ethnic origin, genetic/biometric identifiers, religious, philosophical or political views, trade union membership, sexual orientation and criminal convictions.

Clients may:

  • Review their personal data.

  • Be shown how their personal data is processed.

  • Limit how their personal data is shared

  • Change any incorrect personal data.

  • Have their personal data deleted.

Clients should address any data enquiries initially to the RYSF Trustee/Volunteer who handled their case or contact the RYSF through its website: http://www.rysfoundation.org.uk

GDPR breaches will be reported to Secretary of the Royal Yacht Squadron within 24 hours.

A copy of this document will be made available to all RYSF Clients, Trustees and Volunteers. It will be reviewed annually by the RYSF

Trustees.