SCHOOLS have the chance to benefit from the latest round of grants from Devon County Council.

State-funded primary and special schools in the area can apply for an Enterprise in Schools Grant as the new round was launched on Monday.

The aim of the grants is to encourage enterprise and innovation for pupils and staff in new education projects. Projects should establish connections with local businesses.

Councillor Andrew Leadbetter, Devon County Council cabinet member for economy and growth, said: “The Enterprise in Schools Grant has been extremely well received over the last couple of years and it’s proven to be a rewarding experience for pupils.

“We’re looking for applications which get pupils and staff involved in entrepreneurship.

“The aim is to enable them to develop an understanding of different areas of business and commerce, whether that’s product design, marketing or finance.

“It’s an extremely valuable lesson for pupils to learn skills which they can apply to business and employment later in life, once they’ve finished their education.”

One school that has previously benefitted from the grant is Cockwood Primary School. The school received funding last year for its project to start and run its own business called Harbourside Chutney.

Alison Roper, senior teacher at Cockwood Primary School, said: “We started out looking to develop food products but we didn’t set off knowing exactly where we were going and the project evolved over time.

“The grant has taken the project to a different level and it has created wonderful opportunities for the children which they would never have otherwise experienced, such as going to the Fab Lab to create promotional material and labels.

“The whole school has been involved; we’ve dedicated a lot of curriculum time to it, and the children have really taken it on board and taken ownership of it.”

“We had a really good response from the local community at our farmers’ market and people were asking if it would become a weekly or monthly event.”

Grants of between £2,000 and £4,000 are available through a competitive bidding process. One Applications must be received by noon on Friday, July 22.

Successful applicants of the latest round of funding must spend their grant by the end of March 2017.