ESF Community Learning
Grants in the North West
Information Event:
Manchester 13 February 2014
ESF Community Learning
Grants in the North West
Welcome & Introductions
OBJECTIVES: what we will cover in next hour:
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European Social Fund – John Hacking
ESF Community Grants – Ian McHugh
Application Process – Alycia Hanson
Advice & Support from Locality – Anton Schultz
Experience of Funded Projects
Opportunity for Questions
ESF Community Learning
Grants in the North West
Ian McHugh
Project Manager, WEA
(Grant Coordinating Body)
February 2014
What is WEA?
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WORKERS’ EDUCATIONAL ASSOCIATION
National charity with committee democratically
elected by members- established in 1903.
UK’s largest voluntary adult educational provider
Each year we run over 10,000 courses with over
100,000 enrolments.
We deliver all our courses through community
partnerships.
Our NW region – Cumbria, Lancashire, Cheshire,
Merseyside and Greater Manchester with offices
in Manchester, Liverpool & Workington.
What is ESF?
European Social Fund - 2 main
priorities
 1) extending employment
opportunities: helping those furthest
from labour market to get into work
 2) developing a skilled and adaptable
workforce: improving skills and
productivity of those in work
WEA role as ESF Grant Coordinating Body
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Develop & manage ESF Community
Grants Programme in NW on behalf of
the Skills Funding Agency (SFA)
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In partnership with Locality, VOLA &
Community Matters
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Develop & publicise application process:
ensure programme supports and
reaches the communities and
individuals who most need it
ESF Community Learning Grants
 Grants of between £1,000 - £13,500
 To support some of the hardest to reach
communities and individuals
 To help people access further learning or
training that could lead to employment
 Available from January 2014 until July 2015,
with 3 funding rounds
 Merseyside - £728,000 (£266,000 2012-13)
 Rest of NorthWest - £2,860,000 (£1,482,000)
Who benefits?
 Unemployed individuals – access to
learning and support that improves
employability (progression towards the
labour market)
 Organisations who apply – ESF
Community Learning Grants can be a
route to developing your ability to
deliver employment and skills activities
Funding for what?
 Eligible ORGANIZATIONS: which
groups can apply?
 Eligible ACTIVITIES: what can be
funded?
 Eligible PARTICIPANTS: who can take
part?
Which groups can apply for funding?
 Small constituted community and voluntary
groups, registered charities & and charitable
companies (limited by guarantee)
 Social enterprises such as Community Interest
Companies (CIC) - so long as surpluses used
for community benefit
 Organisations with income of no more than
£300,000 per year (excluding donations and
other fundraising) in last financial year….
 And employing no more than 9 FTE staff
 Not in direct receipt of DWP or SFA funding
What activities can the grants pay for?
Help with developing basic skills
 Confidence building
 Personal development
 Taster work experience
 Voluntary work
 Training, advice and guidance
 Job search assistance
 Accredited learning
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Some examples of projects so far
 Training kitchen for homeless young
people (Macclesfield)
 Film and media training for women
with low self esteem (Barrow)
 Training in furniture workshop for
people with learning difficulties (Bury)
 Support in overcoming barriers for
prolific ex-offenders (Manchester)
 + Other projects here today?
ESF Target Group & Priority Groups
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The ESF Target Group – unemployed or
economically inactive people 19 years
& over from hardest to reach
communities.
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Not limited to particular geographical
areas - pockets of need throughout the
region
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Within the target group, 5 particular
priority groups identified
ESF Priority Groups
 Women
 People with disabilities or health conditions
(including learning difficulties, mental health,
drug & alcohol dependency)
 People aged 50 & over and seeking employment
 Lone parents
 Black & Minority Ethnic communities
However, applications need not be limited to those
priority groups:
 other adults under-represented in labour market
– could be 19-25 yr olds, homeless, ex-offenders etc
Who benefited?
Actual beneficiaries:
4229 enrolled on North West (not incl.
Merseyside) projects of whom
 2674 female
 889 over 50
 1251 disabled
 1770 BME communities
 639 lone parents
Outcomes
Of 4218 beneficiaries for whom we
have data:
 422 received awards for accredited
training
 281 began regular volunteering
 195 went on to further training
 310 found employment
(including self-employment)
ESF Community Learning
Grants in the North West
1. Application Process (Round 5)
2. Capacity Building
Alycia Hanson
Project Administrator
WEA (Grant Coordinating Body)
February 2014
1.1 Application process
 Eligibility Assessment online
 Application by e-mail (electronic
version) by 9am Monday 31 March
2014
 Hard copy application including
supporting documents – by recorded
delivery post by 4pm Friday 4 April
2014
 Gateway – checking for incomplete or
ineligible application forms
1.2 Application process
 Supporting Evidence Required – 6 items
 Constitution
 Previous year’s accounts
 Annual Report
 Health & Safety Policy
 Equality & Diversity Policy
 Adult Safeguarding Policy
 Scoring Process – 5 Independent Panels
 Recommendations to Project Steering Group
1.3 Common Application Mistakes
 Not meeting the eligibility criteria
 Not fully completing the forms
 Not enough evidence of demand for
proposed activity
 Budget not clearly defined
 Learning activity to be delivered (or benefit
to learner) not clearly identified
 Looking for contribution for existing work –
must be seen as something ADDITIONAL
1.4 If you are not successful
We will offer:
 Outline feedback from panel on why
not successful
 Advice available from our partners
e.g. Locality, Community Matters,
VOLA
 Access to Capacity Building support
1.5 If you are successful
We will:
 Visit you at your Learning Venue
 Invite you to an Induction Workshop
 Give you a Grant Offer Letter
 Offer you Capacity Building Support
We will ask you for:
 Learner Records & Outcomes
 Financial Records & Evidence
 End of Project Report & Case Studies
2.What is Capacity Building ?
Additional support up to £1,500 on offer to both
funded groups and unsuccessful applicants
 Training for organisations rather than individual
beneficiaries
 To ‘improve delivery to ESF priority groups’
 Wide in scope, but could include e.g.:
 Developing quality of teaching and learning
 Development of accreditation
 Guidance on mainstream routes to
employment and training
 Gearing up to bid for grants and contracts
Finding out more
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Frequently asked questions (FAQ), case studies
from previous projects and guidance notes on
application form - all available from NW WEA
online
Application form can be downloaded if you pass
basic eligibility assessment
Workshops & events to advertise the funding &
help potential applicants
Help from our Partners
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Locality, Community Matters & VOLA
Pre-application support
Project Visits (if offered grant)
Capacity Building visits
Capacity Building training
Project Steering Group
Contact via ESF Grants Office
Round 5
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Opens Friday 31st January 2014
Closes Monday 31st March - 9am
Notified by Friday 2nd May
Visited by Friday 16th May
Induction workshops w/b 19th May
Funds available from start of June
Funding to be spent by end May 2015
Round 6
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Opens Monday 26th May 2014
Closes Monday 7th July - 9am
Notified by Friday 1st August
Visited by Friday 15th August
Induction workshops w/b 18 August
Funds available from start of Sept.
Funding to be spent by end May 2015
Round 7
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Opens Monday 1st September 2014
Closes Monday 27th October - 9am
Notified by Friday 21st November
Visited by Friday 5th December
Induction workshops w/b 8th Dec.
Funds available from start Jan. 2015
Funding to be spent by end May 2015
ESF Community Learning
Grants in the North West
Question & Answer Session
 Becoming a Grant Panel Member
 Don’t forget to complete your
evaluation form!
Contact Details:
 ESF Grants Team, WEA North West
Region, 4th floor, Crawford House,
Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9GH
 Email: ESFgrants@wea.org.uk
 Tel: 0161 277 5411 / 5408 /5415
 Twitter: @ESFnw
 www.nw.wea.org.uk/esf_grants/about