The Goldsmiths’ Centre has awarded its Business Catalyst (Large) Grants 2026 to jewellers Ebba Goring and Alison Macleod, with each receiving £7,000 to support business and skills development.
London-based jeweller Matilde Mozzanega has been awarded a Commendation Grant of £1,000.
Funded by the Goldsmiths’ Foundation, the programme supports UK-based jewellers, silversmiths and allied practitioners to develop technical and business capabilities, expand their services and access new markets.
Focus on in-house skills development
The 2026 recipients will use the funding to bring specialist processes into their own workshops and undertake targeted training.
Ebba Goring, based in Burntisland, Fife, will invest in nano-ceramic colour plating and advanced stone-setting. Her programme includes training with Canadian company Clear Mind Casting and Edinburgh-based setter Balint Samad. The aim is to reduce reliance on external suppliers and enable the production of more complex, one-off pieces.
Alison Macleod, who operates from Thornhill in Dumfriesshire, will undertake training in rub-over stone setting with Inness Thomson and hand engraving with Malcolm Appleby MBE. The development programme will focus on integrating these techniques into her existing practice and producing new work through a more streamlined production process.
Both recipients also intend to incorporate mentoring into their programmes, supporting early-career jewellers.
Commendation Grant supports product development
Matilde Mozzanega has received a Commendation Grant to develop a prototype of a new iteration of her Chromo-Dope interchangeable ring system. The funding will support refinement of design, ergonomics and finishing, alongside strengthening in-house production capabilities.
Ongoing grant programme
Since its relaunch in 2020, the Business Catalyst (Large) Grants programme has distributed more than £61,000 to 12 jewellers and silversmiths across the UK. Previous recipients include Katherine Brunacci, Shivani Chorwadia, Ellis Mhairi Cameron, Flora Bhattachary and Hannah Bedford.
The grants are awarded by an independent selection panel and are intended to enable recipients to step back from day-to-day production to focus on business development.
Julia Skilton, Grants and Engagement Manager at the Goldsmiths’ Centre, said: “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.”
