Employer Skills Training
In the New Year employers will be invited to bid for a share of a new £50m fund, set up to enable them to design, develop and purchase the vocational training they need, specific to their trade or business. If the programme is successful, the government has promised a further £200m, which will be available in 2013/14. The aim of this competitive fund is to route public funding directly to employers. It will be supported by resources available from other skills budgets.
For further updates please visit http://www.bis.gov.uk/.
Regional Growth Fund
The Regional Growth Fund (RGF) is a £1.4bn fund to be used across England over a three-year period (2011-2014) to support projects that stimulate sustainable economic growth. The second bidding round, completed at the end of July 2011, has seen an oversubscribed interest resulting in combined bid applications to the value of 3.3bn.
The successful bids will be distributed through LEPs (Local Enterprise Partnership) and other co-financing organisations within regions across England. Bids have been received from a range of organisations and collective groups including universities, charities and social enterprises, all of which are eligible under the RGF programme.
For more information visit the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) website or contact your Local Enterprise Partnership.
ILM qualifications eligible for public funding
We are pleased to announce that the following ILM qualifications are now confirmed as eligible for funding programmes and are showing on the Learning Aim Database (LAD). This follows the news in January that the Skills Funding Agency (SFA) changed the way it allocates public funding. We have since worked intensively with the SFA, UKCES and CFA to make these qualifications funding-worthy.
Please note ILM Management Apprenticeship packages have not been affected by the changes and remain on the LAD under 'Frameworks'. Find out more
Funding for leadership and management development in England
Funding is managed and distributed through the Skills Funding Agency (SFA) and the Higher Education Funding Council (HEFCE). On April 1 2010 the SFA became the single agency to work on behalf of the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) to fund and regulate adult further education and skills training in England.
The HEFCE is responsible for allocating funding to universities and colleges in England. The SFA is responsible for managing and distributing all other Public and European money to providers, employers, regional development agencies and local authorities to develop the skill requirements for industry in England.
The SFA distributes public funding through Train to Gain and Adult Apprenticeship programmes which are currently the dominant adult education funding mechanism for England.
The specialist Leadership and Management Advisory Service (LMAS) is a £20 million fund to support the development of leadership and senior management skills within SMEs and social enterprises across some regions in England until 31 March 2012.
European funding
The European Social Fund (ESF) allocates grant money directly from the European Government to the UK to address specific identified social needs. Any training provider or employer in the public, private or third sector can apply for ESF funding, and ILM Centres and Providers are well placed to qualify for support to deliver NVQ’s, VRQ’s, Endorsed and Development Awards, providing they demonstrate an effective solution to the ESF application criteria.
Third Sector Funding
The Big Society is the Government's vision of a society where individuals and communities have more power and responsibility, and use it to create better neighbourhoods and local services. Several initiatives have been set up to support the Big Society, including the Community Organisers Programme.
Following the funding – opportunities and considerations for ILM centres
In the current economic environment, the Government’s increased investment in leadership and management development offers ILM centres an opportunity to build their business by linking provision to the funding available.
Regional opportunities
Disclaimer
Please note - every effort has been made to ensure the information contained in these pages is accurate at the time of publication. ILM is not able to provide advice or consultancy on funding, but will share information we receive from third parties such as LSC and Skills Brokers.