Deadline: 17-Oct-22
The Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) is launching the Home Decarbonisation Skills Training Competition which invites organisations to submit proposals for delivering skills training and support to installers and installer organisations within the retrofit sector.
The competition will fund training for people working, or who want to work, in the energy efficiency, building retrofit and low carbon heating sectors in England.
Up to £9.2m will be available as grant funding for a range of suppliers to deliver accredited training to support the scaling up of the retrofit, energy efficiency and heat pump sectors.
The England-wide competition is being run by the Midlands Net Zero Hub (the Hub) with the support of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). The Midlands Net Zero Hub is funded by BEIS as part of the government’s clean growth strategy and is hosted by Nottingham City Council.
Aims
- The competition aims to:
- Support skills training in the installation of energy efficiency and heat pumps – including training to individuals with existing skills, and training to those new to the sector, as well as training for retrofit coordinators and other retrofit professionals;
- Increase installer capacity within the supply chain to deliver installations by increasing the number of skilled individuals;
- Increase confidence of training providers to deliver this type of training by demonstrating the demand for such training and supporting them to set up new delivery of courses;
- Gather information about the supply chain and skills provision, to allow us to consider targeted support and other interventions in future.
Objectives
- Successful competition projects will be expected to achieve one or more of the following competition objectives:
- Deliver installation training to National Occupational Standards, or higher as appropriate; resulting in either a formal qualification for the trainee (where available) or other demonstration of competence;
- Deliver training in the installation of one or more individual energy efficiency and/or heat pump measures included in the Work Packages (set out in section 4.1) – including training to individuals with existing skills, and training to those new to the sector;
- Provide support for training in retrofit assessor and retrofit coordinator skills to PAS 2035 standard, leading to the relevant qualification.
Funding Information
- A maximum of £1m will be available for each training project.
Funding Levels
- The competition has set the following guidelines on funding levels to ensure that there is consistency and proportionality with the funding that is awarded. BEIS will fund 50% of Eligible Costs. However, the funding level can be uplifted to a maximum of 70% as follows:
- By 10 percentage points if the training is given to workers with disabilities or disadvantaged workers;
- By 10 percentage points if the funding is granted to medium-sized enterprises, and
- By 20 percentage points if the funding is granted to small enterprises.
Geographic Delivery Areas
- Across the competition as a whole the aim is to have a reasonably balanced coverage of training across the five Net Zero Hub Areas: South East, South West, Midlands, North East and North West.
Eligibility Criteria
- This competition is open to training providers in England who can demonstrate previous relevant experience in delivering training that aligns with one or more of the three work packages described in section 4.1. Training providers can include Further Education colleges, training academies, and manufacturer training centres. Applications from consortia are welcome. Applications will also be considered from providers who do not meet the definitions, but who can clearly demonstrate they have the capabilities to deliver the competition requirements to standard.
- Applications must also comply with the following requirements:
- The project proposal must conform to the competition requirements;
- The proposed project activities must be conducted in the England, with any classroom training delivered in England;
- The requested funding must not exceed the maximum limit of £1m;
- The training providers must state the professional bodies to which they belong detailing the accreditations and qualifications essential to training delivery of relevant training;
- The training providers must have previously delivered vocational courses in construction, energy efficiency, installation of low carbon technologies, or energy assessment;
- The training provider must produce a scheme of work and lesson plans for the training courses;
- The training provider must be registered with the UKRLP (UK Register of Learning Providers), registered with a body such as city & guilds, logic or equivalent.
- Applicants must confirm that their organisation (including any directors or partner or any other person who has powers of representation, decision or control) has not been convicted of conspiracy, corruption, bribery, fraud, money laundering or drug trafficking, and has not been declared bankrupt;
- Proposed projects must comply with GDPR requirements;
- Applicants to state if they are on any government frameworks and, if they are, which ones. (This point is not scored).
- Offer training subsidised to trainees at point of delivery (this will need to comply with subsidy control).
- [Fabric only] confirm that the training offered meets competence requirements set out in PAS2035 and aligns with the National Occupational Standards.
- [Heat only] confirm that the training offered delivers the Minimum Technical Competencies required for membership of a relevant Competent Person Scheme and/or the competence requirements associated with MCS certification.
- Unemployed trainees must be sourced through Jobcentre plus.
- Unemployed individuals must be supported to join the industry by training providers matching learners with opportunities in the industry.
For more information, visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/home-decarbonisation-skills-training-competition