DofE Funding Opportunities | Duke of Edinburgh's Award Costs (2024)

FAQs

Does it cost money to do the Duke of Edinburgh Award? ›

DofE Expedition Programme Costs

Because of our 'not-for-profit' status, the DofE work that we do for schools is exempt from VAT. The cost of expedition programmes depends on many variables, and usually ranges between £50 and £65 per participant per day.

There may be additional costs for activities and Licensed Organisations that run the DofE, such as schools, may add a small fee to cover administration costs etc. If a school, club or other operator charges you more than this, it is because they include additional costs to them, such as transport or expedition etc.

Grant funding of up to £10,250 is available for eligible community and voluntary organisations to set up and deliver the DofE, as well as the enrolment costs for young people taking part. We not only offer grant funding but support organisations every step of the way.

When your child does their DofE programme they'll develop the skills and attitudes they need to become more rounded, confident adults. Qualities that colleges, universities and employers are attracted to. So when you support your child's pursuit of their Duke of Edinburgh's Award, you're investing in their future.

Beyond your academic achievements, universities want to see evidence of “soft skills” that you have developed through extra-curricular activities, such as communication, commitment, leadership and teamwork. Your DofE Award is a fantastic way to demonstrate and evidence these skills in practice.

During your Duke of Edinburgh Award, you will develop numerous soft skills as you overcome various challenges throughout your DofE Award. Soft skills are known as employability or transferrable skills that are non-academic and non-technical, these show employers a well-rounded image of you.

This is demonstrated by a spokesperson for the University of Cambridge, who said that although the award does help applicants demonstrate skills such as self-discipline, motivation and time management, “it is more important that people are engaged with their subject.” And they might be onto something.

Award achievement

A DofE Award is not just a prestigious Award much desired by colleges, universities, and employers. It's recognition of the huge effort you've put in to doing it, the people you've helped and the skills you've learnt along the way.

In the Oxbridge process, music, sport, drama and DofE are entirely irrelevant unless central to your subject – only skill sets relating to that listed in each individual subject criteria that will have any bearing on the application.

A chance to discover new interests and talents. A tool to develop essential skills for life and work. A recognised mark of achievement, respected by employers. The DofE is many things to many people, supporting generations to successfully navigate life.

Can I do Duke of Edinburgh Award on my own? ›

If you haven't got a local DofE group nearby or your local DofE centre doesn't offer Gold level, you can do your Gold through DofE Direct. You can also go straight to Gold without having achieved a previous level. Any questions?

The DofE was designed to challenge young people between the ages of 14-24 to attain standards of achievement and endeavour in a wide variety of active interests – to serve their communities, experience adventure and to develop and learn outside the classroom.

Bronze DofE does not particularly stand out on a CV or Personal Statement. Due to the numbers of students that complete the Bronze Award each year (well over 100,000) it simply doesn't separate you from the rest.

The number of new Gold Award starts jumped by a huge 16.6%, with Awards achieved also up by 7% to more than 155,000. The statistics mark the end of the third year of our five-year strategy, which aims to break down barriers and give as many young people as we can the chance to do their DofE.

“The DofE in general is important because unlike academic qualifications, it's a level playing field for our pupils – they work just as hard as pupils in a mainstream school to get their Awards. And the expedition itself is probably both the hardest but most exciting part for our pupils.

You'll need to decide which level of The Duke of Edinburgh's Award you are going to sign up to, either Bronze, Silver or Gold and make the appropriate payment to complete the registration.

A Bronze DofE programme has four sections: Volunteering, Physical, Skills and Expedition. You must do a minimum of three months activity for each of the Volunteering, Physical and Skills sections, and plan, train for and do a two-day, one-night Expedition.

You can pay by cash, cheque, invoice or card. You can only pay online for DofE Modular Training Framework (MTF) Regional run courses.

DofE Direct is a unique way to achieve a Gold Duke of Edinburgh's Award independently, without the need to attend weekly sessions at a local DofE centre. You'll be able to progress through your DofE activities in your own time by managing your DofE journey yourself through eDofE online.