Issue - decisions

Decision to undertake separate awards to successful applicants in Round Five of the UK Shared Prosperity/Rural Prosperity Fund Programme and Round One of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund Programme for People & Skills. Specifically including the following projects:

Steadfast Training Ltd - £46,856
Proposed project called Connect2Grow will provide an integrated skills and employment service to residents across Boston. The project aims to help individuals with health-related and other barriers to employment and skills training, consisting of a 1-2-1 In-Depth Assessment followed by personalised health and wellbeing-focused coaching and mentoring delivered by a Personal Advisor or a Community Connector. This project directly and specifically addresses a full range of UKSPF/RPF outcomes, particularly economic inactivity, unemployment and upskilling the local workforce.

SELCP (Boston Borough Council) – Community Based Digital Support – £9,940
The project will be delivered in partnership with SELCP’s Healthy Living and Communities teams at existing drop-ins and community hubs across all three Districts. Using local venues will enable people without transport or public transport to attend, the project will:
-Deliver community-based digital inclusion sessions hosted by established community hubs.
-Use a mix of online learning platforms and 1:1 tailored support unique to the learner.
-Assist residents to understand, access and navigate online services including but not limited to communication, health, benefits, grants, job applications, Council services.
-Help residents to access and use HMRC online services, including digital only Government services such as Self-Assessment, tax accounts and VAT.
-Ensure all participants are ‘scam aware’ so they have the confidence to get online safely.
-Offer signposting / referrals to other organisations where appropriate. For example, Carer’s First, Citizens Advice.
- Offer training and support for volunteers to become Digital Champions; with on-going support beyond the end of the project at community venues.

PAB Languages – Global Gateway: Transforming Local Talents into Global Entrepreneurs’ - £8,343
This project aims to enhance digital and cross-cultural communication skills among local businesses and individuals in Boston, supporting management within local businesses to gain new skills that will support them in engaging with export and international markets.
TEC Partnership – Future Skills Programme - £11,894
This project will deliver digital training courses to x100 unemployed/inactive learner beneficiaries across the Partnership. This innovative programme, incorporating AI (artificial intelligence) technology for example, will result in a multitude of positive outcomes including progression in education and training, employment, improved life skills, confidence, and motivation for labour market participation.

Heritage Lincolnshire - Delivering Heritage Skills in South and East Lincolnshire - £18,203
This project seeks to give residents skills and experience of traditional craft and building trades, with a view to supporting those residents to pursue a career in the heritage construction sector via a programme of ‘taster’ sessions’ and effective careers information, advice and guidance to support them in accessing provision. This will include the recruitment of a specialist heritage skills programme lead for South and East Lincolnshire with a mandate to develop a long-term action plan for the recovery.

University of Lincoln – NCFM - Higher Level Engineering Skills for South Lincolnshire’s Key Sectors -£17,169
This project aims to work with local employers to build engagement, shape provision, and strengthen local access to specialist higher level training in food and manufacturing engineering courses at the NCFM (NQF Levels 2-7). There will be a separate Programme focussed on supporting school-age learners and giving them experiences of the food and engineering sectors in Boston and South Holland.

As part of HMG’s Levelling Up Agenda and in line with the commitments made by Boston Borough in the UKSPF Prospectus and Investment Plan, we have committed to invest in high-impact projects across three core themes:

• Communities and place - Supporting community groups and investment in community facilities; enhancing the cultural and heritage offer; widening the use of community buildings; initiatives to help support our town centres.
• Supporting local business - Helping local businesses invest for future growth; growing the food processing, horticulture, and logistics sector; encouraging new businesses to establish; helping the local social and community enterprises to innovate and grow.
• People and skills - Developing skills and employment opportunities within the fresh food, food processing and logistics sectors; creating new training hubs; supporting local residents with skills and access to employment.

These allocations principally meet the objectives that we have committed to under the Communities and Place, People and Skills and Supporting Local Businesses Themes and with the projects passing a rigorous assessment process. We are confident that they can deliver the outcomes expected from the Programme quickly and substantively. This has been the basis of the decision.