The Turing Scheme 2026 to 2027: What Schools Need to Know from a Successful Bidder

Every year I write about the Turing Scheme because it has genuinely been one of the most powerful tools I have ever used to change students’ lives. It provides funding to schools to support students to go on international trips. It replaced the Erasmus scheme and previous British Council funding.

The first year I won the grant, I took 14 students from the East End in London to Rwanda. Many of those students had never had a passport. Some had never travelled outside London. That experience challenged their assumptions about the global south, disrupted stereotypes they did not even realise they held, and gave them an opportunity that reshaped how they saw themselves and the world.

Since then, I have successfully secured Turing funding to take students to many different countries, from China to Germany. At my peak, I secured £180,000 for a single school. I will be honest, it might be a little harder to pull that off now, but the scale of opportunity the scheme offers is still significant.

Across every project, I have seen the same thing happen. Students return more confident, more curious and more ambitious. Once you see that impact first hand, it is hard not to advocate for this grant.

This blog draws on my experience of bidding successfully for the Turing Scheme to explain what the 2026 to 2027 application is really asking for, and how schools can approach it with confidence. The application round closes on 16 March 2026 at 16:00 for the schools funding stream.

What Your Application Needs to Show

1. Vision and Rationale

Your application must clearly articulate your project vision.

Successful applications explain how an international trip will give students the opportunity to develop their skills, gain meaningful international experience, and build confidence and employability.

In my own successful bids, this has included projects such as completing enterprise work or Philosophy for Children activities with partner schools overseas, visiting sites of historical and cultural significance, and delivering immersive language learning experiences.

What matters most is that the vision is clear and purposeful. Assessors want to understand why this trip matters for your students, and why this destination enables those outcomes.

2. Skills Development and Impact

This is one of the most heavily weighted sections of the application.

In the past, I have secured funding for projects that focused primarily on educational outcomes, as well as projects with a stronger emphasis on employment and transferable skills. Both approaches can score highly if the application is clear.

The key is to explain what skills students will gain, how those skills link to the destination and activities, and how you will measure impact.

I have found it effective to use a combination of quantitative and qualitative evidence. This can include case studies of individual students, pre and post questionnaires, reflective journals, presentations, and changes in academic engagement following the trip.

3. Widening Access and Inclusion

Advancing social justice remains a central strand of the Turing Scheme.

Your application should clearly describe your school context and student demographics, including students who are disadvantaged, from underrepresented groups, or who have special educational needs and disabilities.

In previous applications, I have worked closely with schools to design recruitment and support processes that genuinely widen access. This has included removing written application elements that favoured more academically confident students, providing mentoring for those who might be interested but hesitant, and holding meetings with students and families to build confidence and trust.

We have also made families aware of readiness to travel funding, which can support with costs such as passports, vaccines and other essential preparations. These practical details matter, and they demonstrate that inclusion is planned, not assumed.

4. Delivery, Safeguarding and Risk

A strong delivery plan is essential.

Applications are expected to outline clear timings, identify risks and issues, define roles and responsibilities, and explain governance and assurance arrangements.

Schools that score well in this section show that the project is realistic, well managed and safe. Drawing on previous experience of international travel, where applicable, strengthens this section and reassures assessors that the project can be delivered successfully.

5. Budget and Value for Money

Finally, you must clearly explain your budget and how you will ensure value for money.

The Turing Scheme rewards applications that demonstrate careful financial planning and a clear link between spending and student benefit. Travel funding is provided at set rates depending on destination, and funding can support a range of costs including travel, living costs, organisational support, readiness to travel funding for disadvantaged students, specialist support for students with SEND, and staff accompanying students.

Schools concerned about the administrative burden of international projects can also apply for organisational support funding to help with delivery and implementation.

Being transparent and purposeful in this section is key. Assessors want to see that public funding is being used thoughtfully and effectively.

In summary

The Turing Scheme is not an easy grant to apply for, and it does require time, thought and care. But when it works, it opens doors that many students never thought were available to them. I have seen confidence grow, assumptions shift and ambitions change as a direct result of these projects. That is why I continue to write about this grant, and why I continue to support schools to apply. Because the impact lasts far longer than the trip itself.