Access to Employment for Jobseekers and Inactive People Project Call

Deadline: 13-Oct-20

European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) bring the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), European Social Fund (ESF) and part of the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) together into a single European Union (EU) Structural Investment Funds (ESIF) is pleased to announce a call for proposals for Access to Employment for Jobseekers and Inactive People Project Call in Cornwall and Isles of Scilly LEP Area.

This call aims to improve progression into the labour market for adults through innovative and vocationally-based skills activity leading to employment, including apprenticeships and traineeships, or further training/education opportunities. Applications should look to address both unemployed and inactive people.

Funding Information

• additional and innovative approaches to pre-employment training, to ensure individuals have the core work-related skills that employers require, including preparation for apprenticeships;
• support for those who need pre-traineeship and pre Work Programme assistance, to prepare them for the next step.
• training for those who need to upgrade their skills or learn new skills (including basic skills and English for non-speakers) to compete in the local labour market and adapt to changes in the economy;
• helping people access or benefit from apprenticeships, including support for women to enter non-traditional sectors which address barriers to entry (e.g. construction);
• providing access to transport where this is a barrier to taking up a job;
• providing advice, guidance and support by plugging gaps in national provision where appropriate, in order to help people, make better-informed choices, and in particular to take account of the jobs available in the local area;
• specific careers advice for women, to help them make informed career choices;
• using self-employment as a route out of worklessness, including providing advice and support for self-employment (an attractive option where an individual is struggling to find work with an employer, either because they lack experience or because they face discrimination).
• ESF will not support activities that duplicate or replace existing support within national programmes but may be used to support additional activities or target groups, including provision co-designed with local partners.

• The project must cover the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly LEP area.

Eligibility Criteria

• Applicants must be legally constituted at the point of signing a Funding Agreement, and be able to enter into a legally binding Funding Agreement. The Applicant will be the organisation that, if the application is successful, enters into a contract for ESF and therefore carries the liability for ensuring that the terms of the ESF Funding Agreement are met by them and to all delivery partners. If there is more than one organisation applying for the funds, a lead organisation must be selected to become the Applicant. It is this organisation that carries the responsibility and liability for carrying out a compliant project.
• The Managing Authority will consider the Applicant’s track record, both positive and negative. If the Applicant has been involved in the delivery of previous European grants and any irregularities with this (these) grant(s) have been identified, the Managing Authority will look into these and expect to see how and what steps have been taken to ensure that these have been addressed to mitigate the risk of further irregularities in the future. It is acknowledged that some organisations will be new to ESIF funding and will not have a track record.

For more information, visit https://bit.ly/3abl4xi