The Engagement Gateway

1. The Engagement Gateway

2. Context – • Europe decides to concentrate new programmes on tackling economic inactivity and unemployment • Welsh Assembly Government decides on fewer ‘larger’ projects but with the same volume and activity on the ground • Alignment with WAG strategies • European Commission insists on procurement not grants

3. WCVA and the Engagement Gateway- • Set up to enable small organisations to contribute to the Convergence programme • Vehicle for innovation and opportunity to put forward your ways of achieving outcomes • WCVA and the Gateway is a channel but not the channel for European funding It is not a grant scheme

4. Aim – • To make a significant contribution to raising levels of employment and reducing economic inactivity in Wales • To contract with organisations that engage with economically inactive people and prepare them for sustainable employment • To encourage organisations to adhere to the principles of a work progression model, which emphasises the development of the individual

5. How – • By providing access to three levels of ESF funding from less than £25,000 to £150,000 via tendering / procurement processes • Provide a supportive approach to those that may be new to tendering for services • Allow organisations sufficient time for planning, decision making and drafting proposals • Make decisions based on best overall value for money as opposed to lowest price

6. Participants – The Gateway will support activities that target: • People beyond the reach of or outside mainstream provision • People at particularly high risk of long-term benefit dependency Participants will include: • Economically inactive • Unemployed • People facing specific disadvantage in the labour market • Lone parents • NEETs or those at risk of becoming NEETs • Residents economically inactive and unemployed in the most deprived wards

7. Activities and Results – The Gateway will invest in activities that enable and assist participants to: - Enter employment - Enter into volunteering - Enter support employment - Enter further education - Enter mainstream programmes such as WBL - Gain a qualification - Gain a positive outcome

8. Level 1 – • Innovation through small projects based on sound evidence • £25,000 over a maximum two-year period • Demand-led approaches and innovation and low engagement • Trialling new approaches • Minimum of 45 per cent of participants to consequently progress directly to other opportunities • Match funding not actively sought

9. Level 2 – • Will support projects that evolve their ideas • £25,000 - £75,000 over a maximum two-year period • Would allow organisations to employ full time project staff • Must demonstrate in-depth participant evaluation and map individual development • Clearly demonstrate the exit routes for participants • Minimum of 65 per cent of participants to consequently progress directly to other opportunities

10. Level 3 – • Outcomes expected to include referral of participants into further training, supported employment, mainstream employment with support provision or employment • Need to clearly demonstrate the development of activities which are sustainable or can become sustainable • Will offer £75,000 - £150,000 per contracted organisation • Focus on evaluation and exit/sustainability strategies • Some, if not all, match funding needed • Minimum of 90 per cent of participants to progress directly to other opportunities

11. Timescale and Process –

12. How many projects will the Gateway invest in? Level Activities Activities Activities Activities Total Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 activities <£25,000 21 220 220 80 541 <£75,000 1 40 40 15 96 <£150,000 1 12 12 6 31 Total 23 272 272 101 668

13. Thank youAny questions