The COIC Pupillage Matched Funding Scheme (PMF) helps to 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 match funded grants. COIC is set to support 33 pupillages in 2023. 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 match funded pupillages are in addition to those they would have offered in any event.

COIC matches pupillage funding already provided by chambers with a total grant of £10,000 for 2024-25 London pupillages and £8,550 for 2024-25 out of London pupillages; and £10,900 for 2025-26 London pupillages and £10,000 for 2025-26 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 Bar Standard Board’s minimum award for the year in question.

How to apply

Applications to match fund 2024-25 and 2025-26 pupillages are invited between 4 September and 20 October 2023.

Decisions will be communicated during the week commencing 6 November 2023. 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 

Testimonials

Simon Gledhill, Head of Pupillage Committee, 3TG

3TG Barristers is a medium-sized and highly successful London-based set specialising in publicly funded criminal law. Despite the abundance of work in Chambers, there are always financial restrictions when it comes to recruitment because of the limitations created by practising in publicly funded criminal work. These limitations were especially acute after the budgetary impact of both the COVID-19 lockdown and the Criminal Bar Association action of 2023. Chambers has come through those difficulties and continues to thrive. Consequently, it is particularly important for us to continue a programme of expansion at the junior end, by recruiting tenants from those we have trained through pupillage ourselves. Pupillage is a significant investment of both time and money for Chambers, but we understand the importance of giving as much opportunity as possible to ensure not only the future of Chambers but the future of the Criminal Bar as a whole. The matched funding scheme allows us to achieve this by increasing the number of pupils we recruit from two to four per year. This simply would not be possible without the financial support provided by the COIC matched funding scheme.

Deni Mathews, Head of Chambers, KBG Chambers

KBG Chambers is a traditional multidisciplinary set practising in the south-west of England. We have 43 members as a result of a sustained policy of organic growth from pupillage onwards. Chambers is deeply committed to the provision of publicly funded advocacy and advice within our region. Chambers is also committed to an outreach programme within our local universities and schools. We have benefitted enormously from matched funding; it has allowed us to increase the number of pupillage offers. The extra pupillages offered have all been followed by offers of tenancy. Matched funding has allowed us to increase the number of practitioners offering publicly funded legal services within our region. Work levels consistently exceed present capacity and matched funding has been critical in supporting our continued growth without having to place any additional financial burden on established practitioners in undertaking publicly funded work.

Chambers is enormously grateful for the assistance provided by the matched funding scheme, and we offer our wholehearted support to the scheme in the future.