The COIC Matched Funding Scheme

COIC welcomes applications for matched funding for 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 pupillages.

The COIC Pupillage Matched Funded Scheme (PMF) helps provide additional pupillages in chambers and other approved training organisations predominantly engaged in legally aided work. Encouragingly, a growing number of chambers are applying for COIC matched funded grants. COIC is set to support 34 pupillages in 2022. This is an impressive improvement on the scheme’s first year of operation in 2014, when it supported 14 pupillages.

How the scheme works

It is a prerequisite of the scheme that chambers understand that matched funded pupillages are in addition to those they would have offered in any event. COIC match pupillage funding already provided by chambers with a total grant of £9,650 for 2023-2024 London pupillages and £8,250 for 2023-2024 out of London pupillages and, £10,000 for 2024-25 London pupillages and £8,550 for 2024-25 out of London pupillages, to fund the first six months of a second pupillage. Chambers are responsible for ensuring that the total pupillage award meets the BSB’s minimum award for the year in question.

How to apply

Applications to match fund 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 pupillages are invited between Monday 5 September and Friday 21 October 2022. Decisions will be communicated during the week commencing Monday 7 November 2022. Online applications can be made at www.coic.org.uk/pupillage-matched-funding. To find out more please email Hayley Dawes at COIC on hdawes@coic.org.uk

Testimonial

As the only independent set in Sheffield, we have been using the COIC matched funding scheme for a number of years and have found it hugely beneficial for all in chambers.

As a chambers completing mainly publicly funded work, in particular crime and family, we’ve always had more than enough work for our members and pupils. The difficulty has been in justifying the outlay to recruit and train multiple pupils in any given year given our relative size.

Matched funding has meant that we have been able to grow our team from the junior end organically over several years. This has had the effect of spurring everyone else in chambers onto bigger and better cases, as those more junior are nipping at their heels. This has continued to repeat itself year on year: our original matched funding pupils are now established and valued tenants as they’ve moved up the ladder and are now assisting the new pupils as they prepare to take on their first cases.

Pupillage can be a difficult year. We have always made it clear that our pupils are not in competition with each other. In this way, the pupils have an additional ally in their co-pupil(s), who know exactly what they are going through at that time – and we have certainly seen within chambers how invaluable those relationships can be as they forge successful careers together.

All of this simply wouldn’t have been possible without the COIC scheme, so we have much to be grateful for.

Chris Aspinall
Bank House Chambers – Pupillage AETO

Chris Aspinall – copyright Bank House Chambers

Pupillage is at the heart of Devon Chambers. As a comparatively small set on the Western Circuit, we understand the importance of recruitment and the benefits for both the pupil and the chambers from investing in the pupillage system. The COIC Pupillage Matched Funding Scheme has allowed us to extend that opportunity to more pupils. Over the course of the last four years, we have been able to take seven pupils in chambers, all of whom have successfully completed pupillage and taken up offers of tenancy within chambers. This has had an obvious benefit to chambers but, importantly, it has generated huge benefits for the pupils themselves. The size of chambers has meant that, without the generous support of the Pupillage Matched Funding Scheme, we would often have to offer only one pupillage each year; the ability to offer two enhances the companionship and collegiality available to our pupils. Together with fair recruitment, funded mini-pupillages, the Devon Chambers Student Forum and the Devon Chambers’ ‘Boot Camp’ scheme, the Pupillage Matched Funding Scheme plays an integral part in our progressive approach towards training the next generation of barristers.

Amy Edinborough
Pupillage Coordinator, Devon Chambers