The Supplier Skills Programme

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The Supplier Skills Programme is open for business

Are you looking to develop your future Business Leaders and grow your business by upskilling your workforce?

The Supplier Skills Programme (SSP) can help:
  • SSP training grants support a wide range of qualifications and offer a flexible opportunity for you to implement your skills plans.
  • SSP provides support for business confidence and enable SMEs to recover during the challenging economic period following the impact of COVID-19.
  • SSP enables businesses to develop a ladder of progression for existing employees by increasing their skill levels and creating new opportunities for other employees.
The £4m SSP has launched and is open for applications. SSP operates on a funding round basis, with rounds being held every quarter until programme closure in December 2023 (subject to availability of grant funding). Complete your application form now to be considered. Part funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) and managed by Birmingham City Council (BCC), SSP is aimed at existing Small to Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) seeking to upskill new and existing employees. SSP responds directly to the skills and training needs identified by SMEs for their employees, thereby offering SMEs what they want and at the time they need It, to implement their skills and growth plans. The programme is open for application to all business sectors, including 3rd sector SMEs and social enterprises based in the “more developed” areas of the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership area.

Training grant support available:

Training grants of up to a maximum of £50,000 per SME are available and training will be funded 50% by the SME and 50% by the European Social Fund grant. All training must be accredited by the Ofqual Framework otherwise it must be recognised by industry and professional accrediting bodies. The grant will enable employees to achieve any of the following:
  • Full qualifications from Basic to Level 7, or equivalent (including higher level management and leadership skills)
  • Licence based qualification including HHGV, Food and Hygiene and Construction Tickets including Health and Safety CSCS etc.
  • Units or a unit of qualification at Basic level

Eligibility

To be considered for SSP support you must be able to answer yes to each of the points below by the time you submit your application form:
  1. Are you an SME actively trading for at least 6 months or more? (the definition of an SME is that your business has between 1 and 249 employees, an annual turnover not exceeding EUR 50 million, and or an annual balance sheet total not exceeding EUR 43 million and be less than 25% owned by another company or combination of other companies).
  2. Do you pay your business rates to one of the local authorities based in the More Developed Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership area? (ie Birmingham City Council, Bromsgrove District Council, Redditch Borough Council, Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council or Wyre Forest District Council).
  3. Are you able to provide required match (Grants are offered subject to 50% match by SME/50% ESF funded plus approval of a SSP grant) – Loans, overdrafts, savings or company funds are considered to be eligible match and these must be secured and in place prior to approval of an SSP grant.
  4. Can you obtain 3 comparable quotes* for the proposed project expenditure if between £1,000 to £24,999, or tender documentation when the project cost is above £25,000?
  5. Employee undertaking SSP supported qualifications must be aged 18 and over, have Right to Work in the UK and must be employed by an SMEs based within the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (GBSLEP) More Developed Area (Birmingham, Solihull, Bromsgrove, Redditch or Wyre Forest).

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