Content:
 

1.  Introducing the Community Learning, Employment and Skills Partnership (CLESP)

2.   2010 ESF Tendering Window

3.  Receive an ESF Award for Equalities or Sustainability Best Practice

4.  ESF: 2013 and beyond

5.  Working with others

Welcome to the fifteenth European Social Fund (ESF) bulletin for Voluntary and Community Organisations (VCOs) in the South West Competitiveness area.  This bulletin summarises the opportunities for VCO engagement with ESF.

1.  Introducing the Community Learning, Employment and Skills Partnership (CLESP)

As reported in previous bulletins, a consortium is being established for voluntary and community organisations and social enterprises in the South West, with focus on skills, employment and learning.  Focus has initially been on the consortium’s governance structure, with the following agreed:
1.1 It will be called the Community Learning, Employment and Skills Partnership (CLESP).

1.2 It will be overseen by a Steering Group, with Voluntary Value partners well represented. They will be joined by   select organisations with technical expertise around skills, employment and learning.

1.3 A task-and-finish group, made up of some members of the Steering Group, will bid for an ESF Skills Funding Agency contract.

1.4 The consortium will adopt a two-tier approach to voluntary and community organisations and social enterprises interested in participating in the consortium.

1.5 Tier 1: Members will be organisations who meet basic requirements in terms of skills and learning delivery. To become a member, organisations must complete a membership form.

1.6 Tier 2: Delivery Partners will be those member organisations who ‘fit’ with aspects of the contract specifications (once they are published), and actually come to play a part in delivery of a contract.

A membership form is being developed for members – contact simon@southwestforum.org.uk to make sure you receive one in due course. Click here for further details. 

2. 2010 ESF Tendering Window

The positions of each ESF funding agency – and their plans for the 2010 ESF tendering window – are steadily becoming clearer. Recent Government changes have created uncertainty, but the Voluntary Value project understands the situation to be as follows:

2.1    National Offender Management Service (NOMS)

As mentioned in the June bulletin, NOMS has pressed ahead with their ESF contracting. They are currently considering the initial bids of 4-5 prime providers, each of which will probably be working up fuller bids in mid-August to mid-September. This is the time when potential sub-contractors will be sought as they each seek to strengthen their bids. Contact details are as follows:

                      
A4E -  Joel Williams   Email:  joelwilliams@a4e.co.uk

Maximus -  Rob Suffield   Email: rsuffield@maximusuk.co.uk

Tribal - Jane Chambers  Email:  jane.chambers@tribalgroup.com

Working Links - Oliver Green  Email: oliver.green@workinglinks.co.uk

Click here to find all information on the NOMS contract.

2.2    Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)

All future welfare-to-work provision, including ESF, will be grouped together under the new DWP ‘Work Programme’. The Work Programme will very broadly cover ‘provision of employment related support services, helping people to select, train for, obtain and retain employment suitable for their ages and capacities’. DWP is currently inviting prime providers who are interested in delivering any element of the Work Programme – including ESF – to come forward. The DWP are developing further detail which will be available to those organisations who consider that they may have the necessary financial and organisational capability and express an interest by 5pm, 30th July 2010, by e-mail to Mike Day at the following address: wpframework.procurement@dwp.gsi.gov.uk

There is no indication of when sub-contracting opportunities will be made available, which are likely to be more attractive to VCOs. Click here to see all relevant information

2.3    Skills Funding Agency (SFA)

SFA, which will be contracting the most projects in the region, is still keeping quiet on its commissioning timetable. The roadshow of events to launch their spending priorities in June 2010 were postponed, and no new dates have been forthcoming.

Rumours abound as to whether the SFA will continue to exist in the future, in spite of the government’s pledge of £550 million for apprenticeships and another £757 million for other forms of work-based learning in the financial year 2010/11. Whether under the SFA name or any other, the Voluntary Value project expects its work to continue.

3.  Receive an ESF Award for Equalities or Sustainability Best Practice

Are you an ESF subcontractor who has made a special effort to mainstream equal opportunities or sustainable development? If you, or a partner organisation, have been pro-active in this area, then you may be eligible for a regional ESF Award under one of the following categories:

a) Implementation of a good equal opportunities policy and implementation plan.
b) Implementation of a good sustainable development policy and implementation plan.
c) Specialism in helping a specific target group.
d) Has a particular environmental focus when promoting jobs or skills (including promoting green skills for new or existing jobs).

The closing date for nominations is 20 August 2010. Copies of the application forms and guidance are available to download from the awards pages of the ESF website   Please either nominate yourselves or any of your partners/providers.  

4 .  ESF: 2013 and beyond

The current ESF programme expires in 2013, after which there is the potential to reform its structure and approach. To this end, discussions are being held between regional policy makers in the South West, as well as elsewhere across Europe. Future policy is, across Europe, labelled as the Cohesion policy – and the Voluntary Value project has a seat at the regional Cohesion policy discussion table. Send any recommendations through by email via your Voluntary Value contact.

5.   Working with Others

Previous bulletins have focussed on the potential benefits of working in partnership to access ESF funding. Two documents are attached to this bulletin to outline some helpful approaches to collaborative (or consortia) working.

5.1    Working with Others

A 2-page NCVO guide to thinking about consortium working. This ‘taster’ guide highlights some of the issues which organisations should consider before entering into a collaborative relationship, and in particular the repercussions for beneficiaries.  It offers some tips for success, and directs readers to more detailed information should it be needed.

5.2    Developing a Consortium Agreement

A 4-page appendix on consortium working. This document goes a stage further, and looks at the important considerations in formalising collaborative working, at the point that organisations seek to develop a consortium. Consideration is given to the skills, structures, vision and stakeholders required for a consortium relationship to work. Click here to read NCVO's developing consortium agreement - Working in a consortium: A guide for third sector organisations involved in public service.

This bulletin was prepared by Simon Charters, Regional Coordinator (SWF), and enabled through support from the ESF and South West Regional Development Agency.   It has been distributed by Voscur. Your feedback on the style and content of the bulletin are very welcome – please contact Simon directly on simon@southwestforum.org.uk / 01392 823758.