Baltic Apprenticeships has launched Fund Forward, bringing employers together behind an ambition to unlock £1 million in apprenticeship funding for charities and community organisations across the UK.
Over £534,000 has already been pledged by organisations supporting Fund Forward, providing a significant foundation towards the £1 million ambition.
The initiative launches with support from Acacium Group, North Yorkshire Council, Paragon Bank, Serco, Tunstall Healthcare and Yusen Logistics, bringing together organisations committed to using apprenticeship levy funding to create skills development opportunities beyond their own workforces.
Fund Forward uses the apprenticeship levy transfer mechanism, enabling levy-paying employers to transfer a proportion of their levy funding to support apprenticeship training in charities and community organisations.
The idea grew from a £210,000 levy transfer initiative launched by Baltic and Yusen Logistics in November 2025 to help charities, non-profits and NHS organisations access apprenticeship training.
The response demonstrated both the demand for apprenticeship funding among these organisations and the opportunity to bring more levy-paying employers together to help meet it.
Less than a year later, that initiative has grown into Fund Forward.
FROM A £210,000 INITIATIVE TO A £1 MILLION AMBITION
What began as a partnership with one employer has developed into a wider initiative bringing together organisations from different sectors around a shared ambition.
For Baltic, that growth has been driven by the level of interest from charities and community organisations looking for ways to invest in their people, alongside employers willing to use their levy funding to support skills development beyond their own workforce.
“Following our initial levy transfer announcement, the scale of response from charities genuinely exceeded what we anticipated,” said Natalie Archbold, Partnerships Director, Baltic Apprenticeships.
“Organisations across the UK were keen to understand how apprenticeship funding could support their teams. It quickly became clear that the demand was far greater than a single partnership could meet.
“Fund Forward grew from that response. By bringing more employers together, we can build on what we started with Yusen Logistics and help more organisations access the funding they need to invest in their people.”
BUILDING ON FUNDING ALREADY MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Fund Forward may be launching today, but the activity behind it is already creating opportunities.
Since January 2026, £338,348 in apprenticeship levy funding has been redirected to 16 third sector organisations, supporting 25 learners to enrol on apprenticeship programmes.
At launch, Fund Partners have already committed at least £534,733 towards Baltic’s ambition to unlock £1 million in apprenticeship funding.
With more than £338,000 of that funding already committed, £196,385 currently remains available through existing pledges to support further opportunities.
Demand is continuing, with further applications already being progressed. That makes growing the network of Fund Partners an important part of ensuring more organisations can continue to access support.
Fund Forward is designed to make that involvement flexible. Some partners commit an amount of levy funding upfront, while others support charities and community organisations on an ongoing or case-by-case basis as suitable opportunities arise. Partners that make an initial pledge can also continue to make further funding available over time.
As new partners join, further pledges are made and additional levy transfers become available, Fund Forward can keep building on the impact already being created.
Tony Hobbs, Chief Executive Director at Baltic Apprenticeships, said:
“Fund Forward is about making sure apprenticeship funding can create as much opportunity as possible.
“What started with one employer willing to use its levy funding to support organisations beyond its own workforce has shown us what can be achieved. We now have employers from different sectors coming together around the same ambition, with over £534,000 already pledged.
“Our ambition is to unlock £1 million and put that funding into the hands of organisations that can use it to develop their people, build valuable skills and strengthen the work they do in communities across the UK.”
BUILDING CAPACITY WHERE IT MATTERS MOST
For the charities and community organisations Fund Forward is designed to support, access to apprenticeship funding can create opportunities to invest in skills that might otherwise be difficult to fund.
That could mean developing new technical capability, strengthening leadership within a team or giving existing employees the skills they need to take on greater responsibility.
For organisations often working with limited resources, that investment can have an impact beyond the individual completing an apprenticeship. Building capability within a team can help organisations work more effectively, respond to changing needs and strengthen the services they provide.
In turn, that can create a wider benefit for the communities those organisations serve: stronger teams, greater organisational capacity and more sustainable services for the people who rely on them.
Fund Forward is designed to help more charities and community organisations access that opportunity, while giving employers a practical way to use their apprenticeship levy funding to support skills development beyond their own workforce.
GET INVOLVED WITH FUND FORWARD
Fund Forward is working towards an ambition of unlocking £1 million in apprenticeship funding, with Baltic continuing to work with employers interested in using their levy funding to support organisations beyond their own workforce.
If you’re a charity or community organisation looking to develop your people through apprenticeships, Fund Forward could help you explore available levy transfer funding.
If you’re a levy-paying employer interested in becoming a Fund Partner, you can pledge apprenticeship funding and help create skills development opportunities for organisations across the UK.
Find out more about Fund Forward and register your interest.
Request more information about Fund Forward
Whether you’re a charity looking to claim available funds or a levy-paying organisation interested in becoming a Fund Partner, we’d love to hear from you.
THE ORGANISATIONS BACKING FUND FORWARD
Fund Forward is being supported by employers and organisations that share an ambition to use apprenticeship funding to create opportunities beyond their own workforce.
Here’s why they’re backing the initiative:
Acacium Group
“At Acacium Group, we’re passionate about creating opportunities for people to develop their skills and fulfil their potential. By gifting our unused Apprenticeship Levy funds through Fund Forward, we can extend that impact beyond our own organisation, helping charities and community organisations invest in their people and strengthen the vital services they provide.
As a leading healthcare delivery partner, we’re committed to building stronger, more resilient communities. Through our partnership with Baltic, we’re proud to support workforce development, create lasting social value, and help more people access life-changing learning and career opportunities.”
Jordan O’Keefe, Apprenticeships Lead, Acacium Group
North Yorkshire Council
“North Yorkshire Council are proud to be part of Fund Forward and offer our support to a range of charity organisations. We already use our Apprenticeship Levy to support a number of smaller organisations to develop their staff by funding a range of apprenticeships, so this project allows us to help even more organisations in the region.
“Apprenticeships are a vital part of the Council’s staff development offer with over 350 new and existing members of staff completing an apprenticeship programme at any one time and being able to share the benefits of apprenticeships with other organisations supports the North Yorkshire Council vision to build a strong local economy.”
Annabel MacGregor, Workforce Development Advisor – Apprenticeships, North Yorkshire Council
Paragon Bank
“At Paragon Bank, we believe skills development creates opportunities for individuals, strengthens organisations and helps communities thrive. That’s why we’re proud to support Fund Forward, helping to unlock apprenticeship funding and direct it towards charities and community organisations that deliver vital support every day.
“Investing in skills is essential to helping these organisations build capability, develop talent and increase their long-term impact. We hope Fund Forward will enable more charities to access high-quality training, strengthen the services they provide and create lasting benefits for the communities and people they support.”
Anne-Marie Day, Head of Talent & Learning, Paragon Bank
Serco
“Creating skills and employment opportunities is a key part of how Serco delivers social value. Through Fund Forward, we are able to use apprenticeship levy funding to support charities and community organisations that may not otherwise have access to these development opportunities.
Our £100,000 pledge is an investment not only in individual learners, but in the long term capability of organisations that play a vital role in supporting communities across the UK. By working together, employers can ensure apprenticeship funding delivers wider economic and social impact far beyond their own organisation.”
Amy Crabb, Talent and Learning Director, Serco
Tunstall Healthcare
“At Tunstall, we believe that technology is at its most powerful when it helps people stay safe, connected and independent, and that same belief shapes how we invest in our colleagues. By working closely together, our Talent and People teams continually review the skills, capabilities and leadership needs required both today and in the future.
“Through workforce planning, succession discussions and identifying emerging skills gaps, we look for opportunities to use available funding to develop our people and ensure they are equipped to deliver for our customers and communities. Where we are unable to fully utilise those opportunities internally, we believe that funding should still be used to create positive impact.
“That’s why we’re proud to support Fund Forward, helping charities and community organisations build valuable skills and capability, enabling them to strengthen the vital services they provide to people across the UK.”
Katie Nicolaou, UKI & Group People Director, and Mark Gibbons, Head of Talent, Tunstall Healthcare (UK)
Yusen Logistics Europe
“At Yusen Logistics, we are committed to creating opportunities that help people, organisations and communities thrive. Supporting this initiative was a natural decision for us, as it aligns with our ambition to widen access to high-quality skills development and make a meaningful difference beyond our own business.
“Through our apprenticeship levy transfer funding partnership with Baltic, we have pledged £270,000 to help charities and non-profit organisations access vital training opportunities. So far, £240,625 has been committed across 13 organisations, supporting 17 learners, primarily in Data and AI programmes.
“It’s particularly rewarding to see this funding benefiting organisations within the care sector, where developing digital skills can have a direct impact on workforce capability and the quality of services delivered.
“Fund Forward represents an exciting next step, enabling even more organisations to access the skills and training they need to build sustainable futures and strengthen the communities they serve.”
Charlotte Fearns, Careers Manager, Yusen Logistics Europe
Baltic Apprenticeships
“Following our initial levy transfer announcement, the scale of response from charities genuinely exceeded what we anticipated. Organisations across the UK were keen to understand how apprenticeship funding could support their teams, and it quickly became clear that the demand was far greater than a single partnership could meet.
“What really stood out was the range of organisations coming to us and the different ways they wanted to use apprenticeships to develop their people. These are organisations doing incredibly valuable work in their communities, but access to funding can make a huge difference to what they’re able to invest in their teams.
“Fund Forward grew from that response. We knew there was an opportunity to take what we’d started with Yusen Logistics and bring more employers together around it, creating a much bigger pool of opportunity for organisations that could benefit from apprenticeship funding.
“To now have Fund Partners from different sectors backing that ambition is really exciting. We’ve already seen funding reach organisations and learners, and our aim with Fund Forward is to build on that momentum, connect more employers with organisations that need their support and ultimately unlock £1 million in apprenticeship funding.”
Natalie Archbold, Partnerships Director, Baltic Apprenticeships
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