Adult courses in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough are funded through Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, which controls a £11.9 million adult skills budget for 2026/27. You can usually get a fully funded course if you are 19 or older and earn under £30,491. There are currently 472 funded courses listed at centres in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.
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Who qualifies for a free course in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough?
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority has not yet published its 2026/27 funding rules. Its last published earnings cut off is £30,491 (from its 2025/26 rules), and that figure stands until new rules appear. People who are unemployed or on certain benefits usually qualify too.
The provider confirms eligibility when you enrol. The quickest way to check is the eligibility checker, which uses your postcode.
What is different in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough?
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority sets its own rules, but has not yet published a 2026/27 rulebook. Everything shown here is its last published position. This page updates when new rules appear.
The core offer follows the national pattern: a free first full Level 3 for adults without one, free English, maths and digital skills, and full funding under the earnings cut off above.
What can you study free in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough?
The 472 funded courses listed at Cambridgeshire and Peterborough centres are led by functional skills / esol (196), adult social care (43), early years / childcare (31), land-based (26), skills bootcamps (22). Around 3,400 more funded online courses are available wherever you live.
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Browse free courses or search the full course directory to see what is running near you.
Who delivers funded training in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough?
38 training providers run funded courses at Cambridgeshire and Peterborough venues. The largest by listed courses:
- Cambridgeshire County Council (223 funded courses)
- Inspire Education Group (91 funded courses)
- Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority (13 funded courses)
- Evolve Your Future (12 funded courses)
- Ely College (12 funded courses)
See all 38 funded training providers in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.
What does Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority say its priorities are?
Its stated priority areas (Skills Committee 2026-03-09):
- Advanced Manufacturing & Materials.
- Digital.
- Energy & Clean Tech.
- AgriFood and AgriTech.
- Defence.
- Life Sciences.
The area’s employer led skills plan (the LSIP) is led by Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce.
How much funding does Cambridgeshire and Peterborough control?
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority receives £11.9 million in adult skills funding for 2026/27, as a Section 31 grant. See how that compares to every other area in our adult education funding guide.
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Sources: the authority’s own published funding rules and committee papers, gov.uk grant determination letters and Integrated Settlement tables, and the JobYay course directory. The eligibility estimate is JobYay analysis of ONS ASHE 2025 earnings data. Full figures and sources: adult education funding in England.
Page last updated: 4 August 2026. Course counts refresh with the directory; funding facts refresh when rules are published.