Beds + Luton LSC Co-financing

Bedfordshire and Luton LSC

ESF Co-financing

The unemployed
Entrepreneurs
The ecnomically inactive
Those with intermediate level skills
Ethnic minorities

Top priorities:
Skills for employability
Workforce development and in-work progression
Young people and career choices

High priorities:
Future labour force
Higher level skills
Sector skills
Increasing take-up of training by employees in SMEs
Under-exploited sources of labour

Medium priorities:
Access to learning and ICT
Increasing employment rates
Ageing workforce
Enterprise

Bedfordshire and Luton LSC		ESF Co-financing
Location	Bedfordshire and Luton
Dates	Launch date: 5 October 2005 The period for projects to take place is: March 2006 - December 2007 Deadline for applications: 12 Noon 11 November 2005
Aims	Objective of the funding opportunity: This funding opportunity covers 6 ESF Measures and aims to: - Provide basic and key skills for socially excluded individuals - Address social exclusion and multiple disadvantage - Promote wider access to participation in lifelong learning - Improve the employability of those in work through lifelong learning provision - Address the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) - Tackle skills shortages with a focus on key sectors and clusters
	It aims to help the following client groups:
	Young People Those in work Those lacking basic skills The low skilled Older workers Those who work for small firms	The unemployed Entrepreneurs The ecnomically inactive Those with intermediate level skills Ethnic minorities
FRESA priorities	The funding opportunity fits with the following FRESA priorities:
	Top priorities: Skills for employability Workforce development and in-work progression Young people and career choices High priorities: Future labour force Higher level skills Sector skills Increasing take-up of training by employees in SMEs Under-exploited sources of labour	Medium priorities: Access to learning and ICT Increasing employment rates Ageing workforce Enterprise
	More information on the FRESA The following labour market factsheets contain evidence to support bids for this funding: Skills for employability Workforce development and in-work progression Young people and career choices
Eligibility	Eligible Organisations: Any organisation No match funding is required
Accreditation	Organisations must have the following accreditation to bid: No accreditation is needed
Amount available	Total funding available: £3,278,000 The funding is split between the 6 ESF measures as follows: ESF Measure 2.1 = £160,000 ESF Measure 2.2 = £377,000 ESF Measure 3.1 = £1,208,000 ESF Measure 3.2 = £444,000 ESF Measure 4.1 = £582,000 ESF Measure 4.2 = £507,000 For more details see the Discretionary Funding Prospectus 2006
Application	You will need the following documents to apply for this funding : Invitation letter Prospectus Tender application form You may wish to consult the following documents: Draft Regional Economic Strategy FRESA Regional Development Plan
Contact	For further information contact: Carolyn McFarland - Local Management Group Tel: 01234 228170 E-mail: carolyn.mcfarland@bedscc.gov.uk
Weblinks	Useful websites: ESF - www.esf.gov.uk LSC Bedfordshire and Luton - http//www.lsc.gov.uk/bedsandluton Bedfordshire County Council - http://www.bedfordshire.gov.uk/europe