Bidders Event for UKSPF Health and Employment Programme
Opportunity: Bidders Event for UKSPF Health and Employment Programme
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is funding from the Government to enable local places across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to invest in three local priorities;
- Communities and Place
- Support for local business
- People and Skills
It replaces EU structural funds.
Pillar 3 of UKSPF (People and Skills) has three lots open for bids now, with a deadline of Friday 5 January 2024.
On, or before 5 January, Leeds City Council will submit a bid to deliver a programme of interventions to enable people who are not currently working due to physical and/or mental ill health to step closer to the labour market. The bid is built on the principles of ‘Stronger Families’, a six-year programme from 2017 to early 2023, delivered across Leeds and Bradford with European Structural and Investment Fund support (ESIF).
The new bid is to the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (ESIF’s successor) for a proportion of a £4 million West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) programme under UKSPF ‘Pillar 3’ People and Skills. The Council are designing a cross-directorate approach which will match the expertise of the Children and Families, Employment and Skills and Safer, Stronger Communities departments with that of the third sector. The programme will run for 1 year; from 1 April 2024 until 31 March 2025.
The third sector will have an important role to play in this programme, supporting families and enabling them to access work and/or become more ready for work.
In order to ensure that there is a partnership ready to deliver the programme, the Council plan to offer opportunities to deliver services in this programme to the third sector through an open process before decisions have been made about whether the bid to WYCA is successful. Organisations that wish to be considered as delivery partners will need to:
- register on the Council’s Dynamic Purchasing System under themes 2 and 6.
- respond to the opportunity to Express an Interest in being a delivery partner which will be shared to DPS registered organisations
Third Sector Leeds and Voluntary Action Leeds have been working closely with the Council around this work and we have agreed to support the delivery of a Bidders Information Event on 16 January at which participants will:
- have the opportunity to find out about the delivery model and the role of the third sector
- learn about the specific third sector bidding opportunities
- ask Council colleagues questions
- get guidance on joining the Dynamic Purchasing System
We would encourage all third sector organisations who may be interested in being involved in this programme to attend the event.
PLEASE NOTE THIS EVENT WILL NOW BE HELD FULLY ONLINE. The link to join is here.
United Kingdom