UKSPF People and Skills Programme - call for projects - Grants

Full application deadline noon on Thursday 12 September 2024.

We are seeking proposals from potential partners to deliver high-quality skills programmes across Herefordshire. These programmes will cover a range of provision to support individuals to gain essential skills and to access employment and career progression opportunities.

Funding is available to invest in people and skills (Priority 3) of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. This fund aims to provide:

• General skills and training programmes to meet the needs of Herefordshire residents and employers.
• Intensive and wrap-around support to people furthest from the labour market.

The Government has published technical guidance on the UKSPF Outputs and Outcomes. Please read at the following links:

• UKSPF England Outputs and Outcomes
• UKSPF Indicator Guidance

Please see each project intervention information for associated outputs and outcomes for that project.

All applicants must meet as a minimum the associated outputs and outcomes. However, we would not limit you to these and would encourage you to look at others you could deliver within the UKSPF guidance.

Applicants applying for the full amount would be expected to meet these targets as a minimum. Where an applicant is applying for a share of the funding, we expect outputs and outcomes to be delivered in proportion to the share applied for and demonstrate value for money.

Applications are invited from the following organisations:

• Registered charities
• Further and higher education institutions
• Independent training providers
• Community interest groups
• Private limited companies

This list is not exhaustive and other organisation types may also be considered.

Organisations must:

• Have a delivery base in Herefordshire or have alternative facilities to target and deliver provision to Herefordshire residents. Online provision is an accepted method of delivery. However, this must be part of a blended digital offer including virtual classroom, access to a tutor, learning and additional support.
• Have up to date policies and procedures that are relevant and adhere to the current legislative requirements for equality and diversity, health and safety and safeguarding and prevent.
• Be able to demonstrate relevant experience.

Projects may be delivered by a consortium of eligible project deliverers. If there is more than one organisation applying to deliver a project, a lead organisation must be selected to become the lead applicant with the remaining organisation(s) acting as delivery partner(s).

In this situation, the applicant would be responsible and liable for the delivery partner(s) and for ensuring the project is operating as planned.

• Individuals including sole traders
• Unconstituted organisations

All projects must complete project activity by 31 March 2025.

The funding has been divided into four projects, tailored to the specific needs of Herefordshire. These are shown in the table below:

Please find information below on each of the skills projects for which we are seeking to appoint delivery partners. Please ensure that you read the relevant documentation thoroughly before completing and submitting your application. You can apply for funding to deliver one or more projects. If applying for more than one you will need to complete an application for each one.

E33: Supporting young people who are/at risk of being NEET

This funding will support young people aged between 15-25 who are either NEET (not in education, employment or training) or at risk of becoming NEET. It will provide access to key worker support to help these individuals into sustained employment or training opportunities. There is a need to target groups such as school leavers, school refusers, care leavers and those currently in care.

View the scope of call document for E33 Support for young people who are NEET

E33: Supporting economically inactive residents aged 25+

This funding will provide intensive and tailored support to residents aged 25+ who are economically inactive (not actively seeking work) and face barriers to entering employment or training. This support should address a complex range of needs to enable individuals to access training or employment.

View the scope of call document for E33 Support for economically inactive adults

E35: Revenue support for volunteer and wellbeing activities

Supporting people furthest from the labour market to overcome barriers to work by providing volunteering and enrichment activities to improve opportunities and promote wellbeing.

View the scope of call document for E35 Revenue support for volunteer and wellbeing activities

E37: Bespoke training to upskill people in employment

This funding aims to upskill individuals already in employment to support career progression and enable individuals to take on higher level roles and managerial positions. This could include general employability skills such as team leading, managing people and performance, change management, project management, international business (importing and exporting), and customer service.

View the scope of call document for E37 Bespoke training to upskill people in employment

This is a revenue-based grant scheme. It can be used to contribute to the costs of ongoing operational expenses required in the running of the project, including:

• Staff salary costs (including employer NI and pension contributions)
• Overheads related to employing staff involved in delivering activities funded through the grant
• Cost of business travel
• Marketing and publicity costs*
• Participant costs / hardship support
• Small items of equipment
• Venue and room hire

*Successful applicants are required to work closely with Herefordshire Council to develop promotional resources and to ensure recognition of funding through the necessary UKSPF branding.

You must read and will comply with all aspects of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund: branding and publicity (6)

• Capital expenditures and spending on the purchase of assets, for example buildings, furniture, fittings. This includes the purchase of information technology that is treated as capital expenditure for accounting purposes
• Depreciation, amortisation or impairment of fixed assets owned by the supplier
• Input VAT reclaimable by the supplier from HM Revenue and Customs
• Interest payments or service charge payments for finance leases
• Gifts
• Contributions in kind
• Entertaining (which for this purpose means anything that would be a taxable benefit to the person being entertained, according to current UK tax regulations)
• Statutory fines, criminal fines entertaining (which for this purpose means anything that would be a taxable benefit to the person being entertained, according to current UK tax regulations)
• Statutory fines, criminal fines or penalties
• Any activities that are not related to the provision of UKSPF People and Skills provision and/or
• Any activities that the grant recipient would otherwise be able to access free of charge
• Items valued below £2,500 are not counted as capital assets, even where they have a productive life of more than one year. IT expenditure, for example software, that can be appropriately accounted for as revenue spend is permitted but must demonstrate good value for money and be agreed in advance
• Paid for lobbying, entertaining, petitioning or challenging decisions, which means using the fund to lobby (via an external firm or in-house staff) in order to undertake activities intended to influence or attempt to influence Parliament, government or political activity including the receipt of UKSPF funding; or attempting to influence legislative or regulatory action
• Payments for activities of a party political or exclusively religious nature
• Payments for works or activities which the lead local authority, project deliverer, end beneficiary, or any member of their partnership has a statutory duty to undertake, or that are fully funded by other sources
• Contingencies and contingent liabilities
• Dividends
• Shares or bonuses
• Bad debts, costs resulting from the deferral of payments to creditors, or winding up a company
• Expenses in respect of litigation, unfair dismissal or other compensation
• Alcohol
• Costs incurred by individuals in setting up and contributing towards private pension schemes

Payment in arrears

• UKSPF claim process operates quarterly in arrears with projects able to claim for actual expenditure on project activities on a quarterly basis after the money has been spent. Applicant organisations are required to cashflow the project prior to receiving the first claim payment. This needs to be factored into project planning and financial profiles included within the project application.
• If the project cannot be delivered on this payment basis, please contact the council at the earliest opportunity to discuss alternative cashflow and payment arrangements. Any alternatives are at the discretion of the council are subject to due diligence and may be withdrawn at any time. Once a complete claim is received against eligible expenditure the council will pay the grant to projects.

See the amounts in the table in the 'What the grant or funding is for' section.

Applications are closed.

Preparing an application

• We are looking for evidence of a sound business case and for projects that deliver value for money and meet our priorities for funding.

You won't automatically get a grant

• When you apply for a grant, you are competing with other applicants in the eligible area. We are looking for projects that best meet the priorities for funding, and that are good value for taxpayers' money. If you can show this clearly in your application, you are more likely to receive a grant.
• UKSPF funding is limited and will be prioritised to applications that best contribute to the programme's aim and themes, as set out above.

The application process is competitive

• This means that even those who submit a quality application may not be funded, as this scheme aims to support a range of projects, to cover a variety of needs, geographies and demographics.
• Herefordshire Council reserves the right not to make any awards if it is considered that the proposals are not sufficiently deliverable, do not provide a clear employee/participant engagement plan, do not show added value or differentiate from existing activity, do not offer value for money. As funding is limited, we may also offer lower grants, so where possible, please demonstrate that your programme is scaleable.
• All applications are assessed and moderated who have the final decision on whether a project is approved or declined for funding.
• Do not start work, incur costs, or place any orders before your grant agreement has been signed. This will potentially make your whole project ineligible.
• If you are applying for more than one fund you will need to complete separate application forms for each project.
• All clarification questions must be submitted by email to: ukspfskills@herefordshire.gov.uk
• No approach of any kind in connection with this grant opportunity should be made to any other person within, or associated with the council. Direct or indirect canvassing of or attempt to procure information concerning the process from council members or employees or agents by any provider, will be treated seriously by the council and may result in the disqualification of the provider from the process.
• Please ensure that your submission is well-presented and in an easy-to-read format. Responses should be completed in English and in size 11 Arial or Calibri font.
• For the avoidance of doubt, please note that any information given by applicants will be subject to verification. If any error, omission or misrepresentation is discovered, the council reserves the right to disqualify the provider.
• The council will not be liable for any costs or expenses incurred by applicants during the process.
• In order to ensure fair treatment for all participants, the council will deem all submissions to have been made on the basis that applicants have conducted detailed due diligence and obtained all the information necessary to submit complete and accurate bids. The council will therefore not permit prices to be revised after submission as a consequence of any discrepancies; errors; failure to obtain full information or clarify.

We aim to notify applicants of the outcome of their application by 20 September 2024 if not sooner.

If you have any questions about the programme please email ukspfskills@herefordshire.gov.uk

Further information can be found as follows:

• UK Shared Prosperity Fund: prospectus
• UK Shared Prosperity Fund: branding and publicity (6)
• UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) Herefordshire

Subsidy control

All applications must also consider how they will deliver in line with subsidy control (or State Aid for aid in scope of the Northern Ireland Protocol) as per UK government guidance – as well as all other relevant legal obligations such as procurement. This will be tested as part of the appraisal process and monitored thereafter. UK Shared Prosperity Fund: subsidy control (7)