The 7 Steps to Writing A Successful Turing Scheme Application

The application process for the new Turing Scheme (for UK residents only) has opened. As usual, we provide you with the latest information, this time it is about how to write a successful Turing Scheme application. When following the steps below, we are sure that your Turing Scheme application will deliver a positive outcome for you.

What is the Turing Scheme?

Let’s start with telling you about the Turing Scheme.

The Turing Scheme is a programme that provides funding for individuals in education and for training organisations in the UK for outgoing mobilities abroad. It includes projects for working or studying worldwide. The Turing Scheme is only eligible for UK citizens, including citizens in respective British Overseas Territories. The scheme covers placements for applicants from higher education, schools, further education colleges or vocational education training providers. These education providers can apply for a grant for their projects on behalf of their students. The Turing Scheme funds projects that focus on these main goals. For example:

• Enhancing existing partnerships and forging new relationships across the world.
• Helping and promoting equal access and opportunities to all students, learners and pupils regardless of background.
• Offering unique and career-building opportunities ´.

To be prepared for a new application process, we have summarised useful tips to make sure you start your funding application in the correct way. 

1. Are You Entitled to Apply For a Turing Grant?

Before starting your Turing Scheme application, you should obviously check if your organisation is entitled to apply for this type of grant. The Turing Scheme is available for organisations for higher education, schools, further education and vocational education and training.

Furthermore, your organisation needs to be based in the UK or the British Overseas Territories. Individuals can’t apply for Turing Scheme funding. For further information regarding eligibility, see the Turing Scheme website.

2. Do Your Objectives Meet the Intentions of The Turing Scheme?

The Turing Scheme was established with the aim that projects meet the following objectives:

• The Turing Scheme’s goal is to strengthen and even expand established partnerships as well as build new, worldwide partnerships through successful execution of the given programme.
• With the Turing Scheme, all students and learners from all backgrounds receive the possibility to take part in a Turing Scheme mobility. The task of the organisation is to support and encourage everybody to participate in the Turing Scheme programme and to provide them access to the grant.
• Another important aim is to provide an exceptional opportunity that will boost students’/learners’ future careers due to the fact that they can show they’ve undertaken international work experience.
• Last but not, least a key objective is to deliver value to the UK taxpayer and optimise social value in terms of costs, advantages and risks.

Do bear in mind the above factors, because in the Turing Scheme application process you will be asked how your intended Turing Scheme project will achieve the objectives. So, start thinking about your objectives thoroughly and if they are (hopefully) aligned with the aims of the Turing Scheme programme, because this is the only possible way that your Turing Scheme project will be a great success for all participating parties.

3. Are You Already Familiar With The Turing Programme Guide?

On the Turing Scheme website there’s a programme guide that you really have to read beforehand, because it includes all important information that you should know about. It offers the best preparation for your Turing Scheme application in terms of funding possibilities and criteria for the application.

4. Better Safe Than Sorry – Start Planning Early Enough

Sometimes people contact us worrying that they have so little time to finish their application and at the same time feel really overwhelmed with the whole process. We advise you to start early enough with your Turing Scheme application, because when questions arise you still have time to request support. This helps you to avoid technical issues when submitting your application, which could be quite serious when applying at the very last-minute! What if at the end of all your hard work, your Turing Scheme application won’t go through? This is just one of those unnecessary bugs that could be easily avoided!

5. Have You Written Down Your Application ID?

When you start your Turing Scheme application, you will receive an application ID, so you can save your application and continue it later on. Therefore, make sure that you note your ID somewhere, where you can find it quickly. If not, you will have to redo your Turing Scheme application which is quite annoying when you have already been on the right path to completing your successful Turing Scheme application!

6. Have You Gone Through Your Turing Application Before Submission?

Before you submit your Turing application, it is important that you re-read it thoroughly. Go through every section again and check if all required information is included and correct. We would even advise you to ask someone unfamiliar with the topic to read it through, because it’s similar to writing an essay, when you read it through several times, you get stuck in a rut and can’t see potential mistakes in your piece of work.

7. Don’t Be Afraid to Ask For Help

If at any point you are too overwhelmed and feel too much pressure to deliver a good Turing Scheme application, don’t hesitate to ask someone for help. This could either be from a colleague, the Turing Scheme support team, or you can ask organisations (like us) that are happy to help and assist you with your Turing Scheme application. At the end of the day, what counts is that you submit a great Turing Scheme application that will turn out to be a success.

The above is a quick summary of the most important criteria when it comes to writing a Turing Scheme application. Since the Turing Scheme is a new programme, we kindly ask you to share your experience with us in the comments section below. This can help others in the same situation when writing their own Turing Scheme application, and also motivate them.

Once your Turing Scheme application has gone through, and you receive a positive outcome you might wonder what Turing Scheme funding you can expect? Why not read our blog “What is a typical budget for the new Turing Scheme in the field of vocational learners?”

The last year has been very difficult for many of us, and we understand that you are unsure whether to do an Erasmus+ or Turing Scheme internship during a pandemic. We’ve written down some points that might help you with that decision in our blog “Should you apply for Erasmus+ or the Turing Scheme this year?"