ESFVON
European Social Fund Voluntary Organisations Northern

ESF OBJECTIVE 3

*************************
CURRENT CO-FINANCING OPPORTUNITY
ACROSS THE REGION AND IN COUNTY DURHAM SPECIFICALLY
**************************

An invitation to tender to deliver activity in line with the following project specifications has just been published (March 19th) by the Learning and Skills Council (Regional). The deadline for submission of applications is 12.00 pm Monday 16th April 2007.

Regional

Policy field 3.1

Project Specified: to promote wider access and participation in Life Long Learning for offenders (i.e. subject to pre and post custodial license; offenders sentenced to unpaid work in the community). Connects to LSC remit for funding and delivery of Offender's Learning and Skills Service (OLASS) and is in line with Government's Next Steps Strategy to reduce re-offending through skills and employment. This has two key strands: employer engagement - working with employers to design and implement new models of training and preparation for jobs; and, focussing on skills and jobs in prisons and on probation using unpaid work in the community and work opportunities in prisons. If you think your organisation has the potential to contribute to these objectives then contact ESFVON and we will see if is possible to steer you to sub-contracting opportunities. It is obvious that to bid directly you will need to be either a developed consortium or high capacity specialist provider (the specification anticipates a single collaborative bid or a restricted number of bids aligned to the Probation Service Areas).

Key parameters:

Expected number of outputs: 1500

Resource: £1,778,835 (£1186 per beneficiary)

Timescale: no earlier than 1st April 2007, and no later than June 2008

Sub-regional County Durham only

Policy Field 1.2

Project Specified: Interventions to progress individuals out of welfare dependency are at the forefront of this specification. It is therefore very much about meeting the Government's policy on 'worklessness', and indeed reflects the LSC's desire to re-align itself with the whole employability agenda. This may be why this specification has a distinctly JCP feel about it. (i.e. qualifications and training are secondary to progress to the labour market as such). Although this is a 1.2 it is definitely not a case of people '..who require to make modest progress to become competitive in the labour market'; at the heart of this scenario is very much the difficult route back to employment for those who have grown accustomed and dependent on inactive benefits as the staple of their lives. The inputs to facilitate progression are consequently the natural ingredients of Policy Field 2 - i.e. overcoming significant and major barriers for 'sick and disabled,….older workers,…lone parents,….people in deprived communities, …' ..etc; 15 major barriers are listed by way of example! These will not be unfamiliar to organisations that would contemplate bidding. Note therefore, the output expectations are no easy ride (60% into work for example), and the inputs will be challenging; and, at £913 per beneficiary, the project is not all that well funded either. A broad consortia or partnership is anticipated and may even be targeted to actually make the bid. Single bids outside of this are most unlikely to be successful. If, however, you feel your organisation may contribute by way of sub-contracting to this consortium contact ESFVON we will steer you to the most likely candidate. Note again - this is for delivery across County Durham only.

Key parameters:

Expected number of outputs: 1500

Resource: £1,370,715 (£913 per beneficiary)

Timescale: no earlier than 1st April 2007, and no later than June 2008

Relevant documentation, including full tender specification, Bidding Guidance, and Application Form is available from the LSC and may be downloaded from the following:

www.lsc.gov.uk - click local view/ and homepage of North East LLSCs.

Further advice and an application pack is available directly by ringing 0191 492 6342 or 0191 492 6343

ESFVON is available on 0191 2749886


© 1999 - 2007 ESFVON, Design © FrostySoft Design.

Privacy Statement - Disclaimer