Agenda item

(Lead Member: The Mayor, Director: Alan Reiss)

Resolved:

That the progress made on implementing the West Yorkshire UKSPF Local Investment Plans be noted.

That the recommendations made by the West Yorkshire UKSPF Local Partnership Group on its 31st July 2023 meeting be noted and approved, which are:

• The LPG endorsed the design of the Calls including the proposed funding envelopes and key policy areas for intervention as set out above, providing their feedback and advice is taken in to account as the Invitation to Bid is finalised.

The funding envelopes and priority areas for the three Pillar 3 People and Skills open calls for projects via an invitation to bid be approved, and the Chief Executive be authorised to agree, prior to publication, the full Invitation to Bid documentation in consultation with the Mayor and the Chair of the Employment and Skills Committee given the launch timescales.

Members considered a report to provide and update of the progress made on implementing the West Yorkshire UKSPF Local Investment Plans, including Core UKSPF, Multiply and the new Rural England Prosperity Fund, and to approve officers to develop the Invitation to Bid and agree the full Invitation to Bid.

The Mayor noted the funding included the Multiply programme and had so far improved the skills of more than 2,000 learners across the region. The Mayor emphasised the aim to further develop innovative solutions towards the improvement of skills, and expressed frustration that delays in receiving the funding had given less time to deliver the project and the unspent funding had to be returned to the government. The Mayor raised concerns that the funding was difficult to access for smaller organisations, and challenged officers to address the issue so more learners could benefit overall.

Officers confirmed that approximately 60% of the £68 million of funding had been allocated. The bidding process for organisations to access approximately £12 million for the Pillar 2 ‘Business Support’ element had been run and the Local Partnership Group, made up of councillors and regional stakeholders, would consider the bids before returning to the Combined Authority for approval in September. For the Pillar 3 ‘People and Skills’ element, it had been agreed to allocate £14 million, with the government requirement that it could only be allocated for one year which had created a challenge to identify suitable providers who could deliver within that period. Officers confirmed Employment and Skills Committee had discussed the funding, which was aligned with the investment strategy for delivery in conjunction with the five partner councils. Three additional programmes would be delivered with external partners, comprising of the Work and Health Programme, the Community Grant Programme, and the Youth Unemployment Programme. Officers noted funding had been allocated to each of the districts for hyper-local programmes, and there were further opportunities for small organisations to access funding. Officers explained that a grant provider would manage the funding, but the details had not yet been agreed waiting feedback from regional stakeholders

The Mayor queried how organisations would be informed of the funding opportunities, officers responded that a website was under development, and the Combined Authority had a list of over 1,000 businesses who could be contacted directly, with each district also having similar contact lists. The Mayor suggested the organisations that had been involved with the delivery of the Mayor’s Cost Of Living Emergency Fund should be involved as well as the Combined Authority’s Inclusivity Champion.

Members welcomed the funding and questioned what support would be provided for rural areas given the relative difficulty of access to urban centres. Officers responded the delivery in rural areas would be built into the bid invitation, the Mayor added that the focus on improved transport links for rural areas would improve the access to training and education.

Members questioned which rural partners were being engaged with and if there were any details that could be shared with schools and communities, officers noted the organisations included the National Farmers Union and the Yorkshire Food and Farming Rural Network, but a more complete list could be provided to members. Officers responded that there was difficulty engaging with schools due to the timing of receipt of the funding in relation to the school year. The Mayor noted that engaging with parents was key to building relationships, and if they attended one class, they would be more likely to attend more and increase their skills further. Members requested a report detailing the approved rural projects following delivery.

Members expressed concerns about the delivery of projects in Calderdale where the funding delays had caused some projects to be shut down early. Members noted there was limited capacity for community organisations to deliver projects, the Mayor responded that deeper devolution would be able to address the capacity issues. The Mayor thanked the members of the Local Partnership Group for their diligent work considering bids in relation to UKSPF projects.

Resolved:

That the progress made on implementing the West Yorkshire UKSPF Local Investment Plans be noted.

That the recommendations made by the West Yorkshire UKSPF Local Partnership Group on its 31st July 2023 meeting be noted and approved, which are:

• The LPG endorsed the design of the Calls including the proposed funding envelopes and key policy areas for intervention as set out above, providing their feedback and advice is taken in to account as the Invitation to Bid is finalised.

The funding envelopes and priority areas for the three Pillar 3 People and Skills open calls for projects via an invitation to bid be approved, and the Chief Executive be authorised to agree, prior to publication, the full Invitation to Bid documentation in consultation with the Mayor and the Chair of the Employment and Skills Committee given the launch timescales.