The Goldsmiths’ Centre Announces Recipients of the Business Catalyst (Large) Grants 2026
The Goldsmiths’ Centre has today announced the recipients of the Business Catalyst (Large) Grants 2026, awarding £7,000 each to Scotland-based jewellers Ebba Goring and Alison Macleod, while London-based jeweller Matilde Mozzanega received a Commendation Grant. Funded by the Goldsmiths’ Foundation, the grants are designed to support UK-based jewellery, silversmithing, and allied industry practitioners in developing specialist technical or business skills, expanding services and portfolios, and driving market growth.
Since relaunching in 2020, the Goldsmiths’ Centre, with support from the Goldsmiths’ Foundation and an independent selection panel, has awarded over £61,000 (including VAT) to craftspeople across the UK. These grants have enabled twelve jewellers and silversmiths, including Katherine Brunacci, Shivani Chorwadia, Ellis Mhairi Cameron, Flora Bhattachary and Hannah Bedford, to step away from their benches to grow their businesses.
This year, Ebba Goring and Alison Macleod are the latest recipients. Following Ebba’s business relaunch and participation in the Goldsmiths’ Centre’s Business Diagnostic and Advice session in 2025, she will use her Business Catalyst (Large) Grant to advance the next stage of her business growth. The grant will enable her to bring nano-ceramic colour plating in-house, undertake specialist online training with Canadian company Clear Mind Casting, and complete advanced stone-setting courses with Edinburgh-based setter Balint Samad. These steps will allow her to create more complex, one-of-a-kind designs while enhancing both her creative and business autonomy.
Based in Thornhill, Dumfriesshire, jeweller Alison Macleod has been running her own practice since 2003 after graduating from Edinburgh College of Art. She will focus on training in rub-over stone setting with Inness Thomson and hand engraving with Scottish engraver Malcolm Appleby MBE, integrating these specialist skills into her practice to improve efficiency, create cohesive collections, and expand her reach in the UK and international markets while mentoring emerging jewellers.
We are thrilled to support the skills development of this year’s talented applicants," said Julia Skilton, Grants and Engagement Manager at the Goldsmiths’ Centre.
“Ebba and Alison embody the creativity, skill, and entrepreneurial drive that the Business Catalyst (Large) Grants are designed to support. Made possible through the generosity of the Goldsmiths’ Foundation, these awards help our recipients develop specialist techniques, grow their businesses, and strengthen the resilience and long-term success of the UK’s jewellery and silversmithing industry.”
To follow their projects in action and apply for the Business Catalyst (Large) Grants 2027, visit www.goldsmiths-centre.org/apply-for-grants.