People & Skills - UK Shared Prosperity Fund
The People & Skills strand of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund provides an opportunity for investment which will develop the sub-region's already rich skills sector and, in turn, benefit residents and the area's economic growth.
The People & Skills strand of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund provides an opportunity for investment which will develop the sub-region's already rich skills sector and, in turn, benefit residents and the area's economic growth.
The People & Skills strand of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund provides an opportunity for investment which will develop the sub-region's already rich skills sector and, in turn, benefit residents and the area's economic growth.
What is the funding for?
The funding will be used to address certain areas within the sub-region which were identified during a lengthy programme of consultation and are featured in each district's UKSPF Investment Plan, agreed with central government. These areas include:
- Employment support for people who aren't currently in work.
- Course which include basic, life and career skills to enhance people's employment prospects.
- Projects which provide tailored support for employed people to access training and development courses to support progression to higher paid, higher skilled work for those in employment.
- Projects which address specific local skills needs and shortages which have been identified by local businesses.
We hope this will:
- Support growth of employment, turnover and productivity in our key local sectors.
- Enable businesses to access the skilled employees they need.
- Support both new and niche sectors to establish and grow in our local area.
Within this public grant offer, we will be focusing on the following strands and you can bid under either of them:
- Theme One: Digital and Employability Skills Support
- Theme Two: Addressing Local Skills Needs
- There is a third strand (employer-led training), which will be subject to a separate award process.
The initial allocations of funding per district are detailed within this Prospectus: People & Skills Prospectus (PDF) [4MB] (opens new window)
We encourage all applicants to review the Prospectus before making an application for funds.
If you meet the criteria and would like to apply, please find the application form here: People & Skills UPSPF application form (Word doc) [3MB] (opens new window)
When your application form is complete, please email to UKSPF@Sholland.gov.uk
How do the grants work?
The grants can be either capital or revenue, depending on what you need the funding for. We envisage, due to the allocation of funding, that projects will be principally revenue based.
Applicants are able to bid to deliver in more than one district or across the whole of the sub-region.
The grants can be awarded up to 100% but match funding is considered desirable within the assessment process, particularly where a business is seeking to invest in its own employees. Projects are strongly encouraged to have funding in place - or a plan for sourcing additional match funding - to support delivery.
The minimum grant available in Theme One is £25,000.There is no maximum level of grant available in this Theme. We do, however, encourage applicants to review the funding available for each District and to bid proportionately in line with the scale and ambition of their project.
The minimum grant available for Theme Two is £25,000.The maximum grant available is £150,000.
Who is eligible for grants?
- Higher and further education institutions
- ESFA-registered independent training providers
- Local authorities
- Registered charities
- Community interest companies
- Constituted voluntary organisations
- Private sector businesses which can demonstrate relationships with training providers who meet the criteria above
Who cannot apply?
- Individuals
- Organisations without a constitution or a bank account
- Private sector businesses which cannot demonstrate relationships with training providers.
When will I find out if my bid is successful?
The application process is anticipated to take 12 weeks for all projects, but this may vary. If these timelines do vary, for any reason, we will endeavour to keep applicants informed throughout.
- Once you have submitted an application form to the UKSPF programme the team will check it to ensure it is complete and eligible before going through the due diligence process and performing an initial screening assessment.
- If passed, the application will progress to a People & Skills specialist grants panel which will produce an initial recommendation on each application based on the assessment criteria.
- Applications are then reviewed by the relevant Partnership Group to provide local input and advice on the strategic fit on the application and its contribution to the UKSPF/REPF investment plan.
- Applications are submitted to senior officers and members within the relevant local authority before a final decision is made.
- The applicant will then be informed of the decision.
If successful, applicants will be allocated a dedicated contract manager from the UKSPF/REPF team at the Partnership.
Is there a deadline for projects to be delivered?
Yes. Initiatives must be delivered between April 2024 and mid-March 2025 in line with the DLUHC guidance.
To learn more about the assessment criteria relevant to your project and example of what could be funded, please see the prospectus above.
If you meet the criteria and would like to apply, please find the application form here: People & Skills UPSPF application form (Word doc) [3MB] (opens new window)
I am a local business looking to train my employees, which fund do I apply to?
Grants 4 Growth offers grants of up to 70% for skills and training interventions for local businesses, up to a maximum of £25,000. It is our expectation that most local businesses will apply through this route. Please visit Grants4Growth Home Page - Grants 4 Growth (sholland.gov.uk)
However, there is a possibility that a larger business, where they have an established partnership with an ESFA-registered training provider, HEI or FE College, could bid in partnership for funding under Theme Two. As with all Theme Two interventions, the training must result in a guaranteed job interview and/or an NQF-accredited or industry certified project. To apply for this, please use the form above.
About UKSPF
As part of the Government's Levelling Up agenda, the South and East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership was awarded £12.15million and to date the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and Rural Prosperity Fund have already committed more than £7million to projects across South & East Lincolnshire.
Groups in search of cash for community projects are being urged to make use of the UKSPF/RPF funded Lincolnshire Community Foundation's GRASSroots Community Grants Programme, which provides grants to a maximum of £25,000 in support of parishes, village halls, community spaces and community projects.
Projects are encouraged to make contact and find out more through the LCF's Grants Page at www.lincolnshirecf.co.uk, where the application form can be found.
Alternatively, more information can be found by contacting helen@lincolnshirecf.co.uk or calling 01529 305825
If you are the owner of a Small & Medium Enterprise (SME) in search of funding, please visit Grants4Growth Home Page - Grants 4 Growth (sholland.gov.uk).
The Grants4Growth programme has been funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund with £1.85million which aims to boost employment opportunities and bring wider benefits across South & East Lincolnshire. For businesses seeking to undertake a smaller project - G4G has grants available for skills interventions (separate to the main Programme).