The funding for the OCF is sourced through OFFA (Office for Fair Access).  Departments are able to bid for grants of up to £1,500. The Outreach Competitive Fund (OCF) has been created to extend and facilitate the involvement of academic departments in outreach and to promote a close fit with departmental strategies and objectives. Awards will be provided on different bases depending on individual cases but should be for ‘additional’ activity.

For example, awards could be made in respect of projects that:

• Develop School/College focused activities and maximise opportunities for prospective students to visit departments through greater linkage with target schools and FE partners.

• Extend the work with secondary target audiences including influencers such as teachers and parents. This could include running conferences for school, college and other staff in subject delivery and/or an advice giving role.

• Increase outreach work with Access and mature students, building upon the success of the Access Forum, so that such students who do not currently see Royal Holloway as the ‘natural’ choice for undergraduate study begin to do so.

• Extend work with the regional gifted and talented cohort in partner schools and colleges to encourage students to aspire to Royal Holloway.

Click here to download the guidance notes for further details about OCF awards.

Click here to download an application form.