CWC24001 - SPF Employment Support Provision

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UK SPF) is a central pillar of the UK government’s Levelling Up agenda and provides £2.6 billion of funding for local investment by March 2025. The Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills.

UK SPF Investment Priorities are:

1. Communities and Place
2. Local Business
3. People and Skills

Under the People and Skills intervention, Wolverhampton has allocated funding from its local allocation against the following UK SPF intervention area:

• E33 Employment Support for Economically Inactive People

The Council is now looking to commission three contracts via three lots for the provision of employment support for unemployed and economically inactive residents. The contracts will deliver three separate but complementary services focusing on improvement to health, increased inclusion and improvement to employability skills.

The provision will add to the Council’s Wolves at Work employment support programme, providing enhanced support to those who are further from the job market and providing wrap-around support to those who need it most.

The provider(s) will be required to work closely with the Council provision to ensure best value is delivered to unemployed and economically inactive residents, including links to the Council’s other skills and employment programmes.

Lot 1 - Improvement to Health

This lot will focus on individuals who have health and wellbeing needs. This includes physical and/or mental health needs.

The provider will be expected to provide employment support tailored to support participants to improve their health and wellbeing.

Providers should focus their resources on ensuring that the individuals access health and wellbeing support during their journey into work as well as receiving support from the provider to access benefits and services suitable for them.

Lot 2 - Increase Inclusion

This lot will focus on individuals who are excluded from the labour market due to a range of issues including lack of confidence, poor English skills, poor financial inclusion, lack of access to the benefits system.

The provider will be expected to provide employment support tailored to support participants to improve their inclusion, particularly in regard to accessing benefits, employability and basic skills.

Providers should focus their resources on ensuring that the individuals access suitable support to improve their confidence and interpersonal skills as well as support with financial inclusion.

Lot 3 - Improve Employability Skills

This lot will focus on individuals with low employability skills who require extra support to make themselves more employable in the current labour market.

The provider will be expected to provide employment support tailored to support participants to improve their potential employment opportunities through regular meetings with their keyworker, focussed jobs searching support and support with interview skills.

Providers should focus their resources on ensuring that the individuals access suitable support to prepare for jobs in the current labour market.