Farmer Jones Academy CIC secures £575,000 Catalyst Fund investment to develop youth-led innovation campus in Tain
The campus will tackle rural depopulation and boost local employment through vocational training, sustainable food production, and tourism development
Farmer Jones Academy CIC, a Highland-based social enterprise offering training and job opportunities to young people in the area, has secured £575,000 investment from the Catalyst Fund to establish a youth-led innovation campus in Tain. The campus aims to tackle rural depopulation and boost local employment through vocational training, sustainable food production, and tourism development.
Farmer Jones Academy, otherwise known as For You Training, was co-founded by Sarah Mckenzie and Richard Jones – both long-standing social entrepreneurs working in youth development and food systems. The project was created in response to the steep decline in training and job opportunities across the Highlands. Tain and its surrounding areas have faced significant challenges, including a halving of the local high school roll in the last decade and persistent youth outmigration due to limited local prospects.
Scheduled to open in 2026, the campus will deliver 240 apprenticeship placements each year, create 24 full-time jobs, and host over 26,000 annual visitors. Its training programmes will centre on hospitality, business, and sustainable food systems, with a strong emphasis on regenerative practices and green technologies. A youth-led community café and circular economy food training centre will also feature on site.
This new investment forms part of a wider £1.6 million investment strategy supported by the Scottish Government, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Social Investment Scotland, SSE Renewables, Highland Council, and other partners. The funding will support the pre-construction phase of a five-acre campus in Tain, leased for 100 years from The Glenmorangie Company.
The Catalyst Fund uses an innovative revenue-based repayment model that provides social enterprises with flexible finance that powers transformative social impact.
Lauren Scott, Investment Manager at Firstport, said “Farmer Jones Academy exemplifies the kind of bold, community-rooted innovation the Catalyst Fund was designed to support. Their commitment to youth development, sustainability, and local regeneration aligns with our vision for resilient rural communities. We’re excited to see their impact grow as they bring this ambitious project to life.”
Sarah McKenzie, co-founder of Farmer Jones Academy, added: “Firstport have been with us on every step of our journey to date, and without their early support we would not be where we are now. The support given through the Firstport Catalyst team was a vital resource in helping us get shovel-ready to attract the investment required to scale up our operations and increase our impact via the Gro For You Community Innovation Campus. The investment from the Catalyst Fund will allow us to complete Phase 1 of our development, introducing net zero technologies, a community café and training facility, sensory and rewilding gardens, and motorhome welfare.”
In 2024 alone, Farmer Jones Academy supported 178 young people through Foundation Apprenticeships, achieving a 91% completion rate. The new site aims to significantly scale this impact while deepening local engagement.
By anchoring the development in long-term land access, diversified income streams, and community-led leadership, the Grow for You team aims to create a replicable blueprint for rural regeneration across Scotland. Their ambition is not only to transform the lives of young people in Tain, but to inspire similar models in other rural communities facing depopulation and economic decline.