Three young people walking along the pavement talking to each other and laughing.

DofE basics

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is a life-changing experience. Through your unique DofE programme, you can discover new talents, develop essential skills for life and have fun with friends.

Any 14-24 year old can do their DofE. Achieving an Award isn’t a competition or about being first. It’s about setting challenges and pushing personal boundaries.

DofE has three levels: Bronze, Silver and Gold. For each level, you need to do four or five sections. They are:

Volunteering
Physical
Skills
Expedition
Residential (Gold only)

Age ranges

You can start your DofE in the school year you turn 14, and you must achieve your Award before your 25th birthday.

This is when you can start each level:

Bronze: the school year you turn 14
Silver: the school year you turn 15
Gold: age 16

When you start a level, you need to be young enough to complete it. Each level can take between 6 and 18 months. Find out more about timescales.

Cost

The current Welcome Pack, which includes the participation fee, is £30.50 for Bronze and Silver, and £37.50 for Gold. There may be extra costs for activities. Licensed Organisations (LO) that run DofE, like schools, may add a small fee to cover administration costs.

If an LO charges you more than the participation fee, it’s because they include extra costs to them, like transport or expedition. They must tell you about any extra costs and what they cover.

You’ll get a DofE Card to get discounts on things like kit for your expedition.

Where to do your DofE

The DofE works with Licensed Organisations (LOs) across the UK to deliver DofE. It’s run in schools, youth clubs, hospitals, secure estates, sports clubs and more, across the UK and abroad with the International Award.

If you want to do your DofE:

Ask your school, college or university. If they don’t already deliver DofE, they might consider setting it up.
Join a national youth group that runs DofE for its members, like Scouts or Girlguiding.
Get in touch with your local youth club and ask if it runs DofE.
If you’re over 18, do your Gold with DofE Direct.

Through an LO, a Leader will support, encourage and advise you throughout your DofE programme.

After sign-up

Once you’ve signed up, your DofE Leader will email you a link to your eDofE account. This is where you log your progress through your DofE programme. Your Leader also checks and approves you’ve completed your activity in each section.

After adding your address to your eDofE profile, we’ll send you a Welcome Pack. The pack has helpful information about doing your DofE, Assessors’ Cards and leaflets. If you’re in the secure estate or have an overseas home address, your Leader will give you your Welcome Pack.

You can also download a digital copy of the Welcome Pack.

Now, you can start choosing what activities you want to do and decide your goals. Although, you don’t have to wait until you get your Welcome Pack to start planning your programme.

When you’ve chosen your Assessors and your Leader has approved your plans, you’re ready to start your DofE.