INVITATION TO QUOTE

EVALUATION OF SME CAPACITY BUILDING

AND APPRENTICESHIP ENGAGEMENT

Tender specification issued by Merton Chamber of Commerce

18th June 2015

Skills Support for the Workforce

SME Capacity Building

INVITATION TO QUOTE FOR EVALUATION

Merton Chamber of Commerce wishes to commission an evaluation of the SME Capacity Building project. This project has been funded by the Skills Funding Agency and European Social Fund through the Skills for the Workforce programme.

This evaluation will be completed by 31st July 2015 and the scope of the evaluation is set out below.

Queries regarding this invitation to quote can be addressed to:

Angela Browne

email:

telephone: 020 8944 5501

The quote to tender for this evaluation should be sent by email to Angela Browne by 5pm on Wednesday 1st July 2015

Background

The overall aim of the Skills for the Workforce programme is to improve an SME’s ability to sustain and grow their business by accessing talent from a pool of young people/adults (19+) who can be trained and nurtured in their chosen career path.

Activities:
Build on the work of the ‘Pathways to Professions’ (West of England LEP events) and the London Councils ‘Apprenticeship Employer Engagement Project’ by working with up to seven local authorities involved in this work to take forward good practice recommendations by:-

·  Engaging businesses, particularly from key SME sectors in London, that could pledge to recruit Apprentices into their business.

·  Providing stimulating business-led awareness raising and networking sessions (in sub regions in London) to improve partnership working between employers, skills/careers providers and schools working with young adults (19+).

·  Offering SMEs 1:1 and group support throughout the pilot project lifetime to fulfil their pledge and better understand how to get the most benefit from their apprentice (this could include some work shadowing & work through Apprenticeship Ambassadors).

Outcomes:
1. Engage with 700 SME businesses
2. Identify 350 vacancies within those SME businesses
3. Prepare and support SMEs to work with 250 young adults (19+)
4. Achieve 105 Apprenticeship starts

A more detailed description of the project to be evaluated is attached at Appendix 1.

Merton Chamber of Commerce has managed this project across seven London Boroughs – working with local authority partners. The project Accountable Body is Newham College.

Evaluation Requirements

Merton Chamber of Commerce and the funders require a report against the activities of the SME Capacity Building project to demonstrate and understand the impact of the project, the strategic added value, overall performance against objectives and targets, understand why the project has been successful/ unsuccessful and consider value for money.

The deliverable for the evaluation will be a comprehensive and high quality evaluation report produced in an on-line format (PDF).

Timescale

Activity / Deadline
Tender published / 18th June 2015
Response to Tender / to be received by 5pm on Wednesday 1st July 2015
Evaluation Commissioned and start of work / Monday 6th July 2015
The final Evaluation Report / by 31st July 2015

Form of Quote to be submitted to Merton Chamber of Commerce

1.  Full name(s) of individual and/ or business to carry out the evaluation

2.  Brief history setting out experience of individual(s) and / or business of carrying out evaluations – including previous examples of similar evaluations.

3.  CV of individual(s) carrying out the evaluation to be attached in an appendix.

4.  Confirmation that the work can be carried out within the timescales set out.

5.  Confirmation that the work will be carried out to at least the minimum requirements set out in this specification – and/ or the proposed evaluation specification submitted by the tenderer.

6.  Confirmation of relevant professional indemnity insurance and other relevant insurances.

7.  The price for the total work and complete evaluation – please state if VAT is chargeable.


Scope of Work

We would like prospective tenders to consider the outline methods proposed below but welcome alternative or additional proposals that will best meet our evaluation needs.

a)  To assess how well the project has delivered against the original aims and objectives of the proposal and to identify any changes and reasons why.

Ø  Assessing the original aims and targets of the bid against the achievements of the programme through assessment of data and monitoring reports.

Ø  Identifying how the project has contributed to the strategic objectives of the funders and stakeholders – Skills Funding Agency, European Social Fund, London Enterprise Panel

Ø  Interviews with all partners and a sample of key stakeholders to seek views as to whether the project met its original purpose, what its key achievements have been and reasons for any changes. This will include interviews with each of the seven local authorities (Merton, Sutton, Croydon, Hounslow, Richmond, Newham and Greenwich), the Accountable Body Project Manager (Newham College), other stakeholders involved in the project such as further education colleges, chambers of commerce, business networks in each of the seven boroughs.

Ø  Interviews with 2-3 SME beneficiaries in each of the seven boroughs to identify how far the objectives were achieved and the impact on the beneficiaries.

b)  To assess the effectiveness of the programme delivery team, project specific issues and partnership working to identify effectiveness and how well the partnership added value.

Ø  Interviews with the seven Local Authority contacts, the six Apprenticeship Engagement Advisers, the contractor (Newham College), the manager and Chief Executive of Merton Chamber of Commerce - representing of all parts of the programme.

Ø  Effectiveness of the delivery will also be evaluated as part of the SME beneficiary interviews where appropriate, to identify effectiveness of project arrangements.

c)  To assess the effectiveness and impact of the project activities.

Ø  Information drawn from desk research and interrogation of data held on SME beneficiaries engaged and existing reports to analyse quantitative data for SME engagement and outcomes in terms of businesses supported, Apprenticeship vacancies created and Apprentices recruited.

Ø  Interviews with at least 2-3 SME beneficiaries in each of the seven boroughs to identify the distance travelled by SMEs engaged in the project, the outputs/ outcomes in terms of understanding and ability to engage with apprenticeships, identify good practice and successes as appropriate, and lessons learned.

d)  Impact upon employment sectors/ size of business (as far as possible).

Ø  Analysis of project data, promotional activity and SMEs engaged.

Ø  Interviews with SME beneficiaries and Project Apprenticeship Engagement Advisers for each of the boroughs.

Ø  Interviews with local authority/ business network partners and stakeholders (where appropriate).

e)  Impact on partnership working in local authority areas.

Ø  Interviews with local stakeholders including local authorities, chambers of commerce, further education colleges and local networks to identify partnership working to support business engagement in apprenticeships – identifying good practice, lessons learned and recommendations for changes/ improvements.

f)  Report on Apprenticeships

Ø  Analysis of data, interviews with Apprenticeship Engagement Advisers and SME beneficiaries to identify Apprenticeship frameworks adopted and report on innovation, good practice and issues.

Ø  Report on Apprenticeship recruitment - use of grants, advertising vacancies, issues and good practice in supporting Apprenticeship recruitment.

g)  Equal opportunities.

Ø  Assessment of data activities to measure representative range of SME beneficiaries and achievement of attracting minority groups.

Ø  Interviews with SME beneficiaries to identify appropriateness of marketing, recruitment and training practices and progression.

h)  Marketing and publicity

Ø  Interviews with partners/ stakeholders and SME beneficiaries to assess effectiveness of marketing and material/ communication channels used by the project.

Ø  Interviews with project partners and Project Apprenticeship Engagement Advisers to identify marketing methodologies and whether an analysis was made of which media were successful/ unsuccessful in attracting SME beneficiaries.

i)  Value for money

Ø  Analysis of data and project records and reports to identify quantitative outputs and outcomes and the costs associated.

Ø  Interviews with local authority partners to report on outputs and added value of project.

Ø  Identify improvements and recommendations for future.

j)  Lessons learned and recommendations:

Ø  Identify achievement of objectives, good practice, any areas of weakness and unexpected outcomes.


Appendix 1

Skills Support for the Workforce Project

1.  SUMMARY

1.1.  Identified Issues to be Addressed

Apprenticeship take up in London has been low with start figures totalling 45,070 in 2012/13 compared with 504,200 in the rest of England. Within that London figure the majority of starts come from the 24+ age group.

There is a particular challenge to promote and support SMEs, that make up 99% of the business profile, to participate in the Apprenticeship programme and to offer opportunities to young adults.

1.2.  Current Barriers and Challenges can be articulated as:

·  Lack of awareness, knowledge and understanding of employers regarding the practicalities and benefits of using the Apprenticeship pathway to recruit and retain staff.

·  Under-developed skills and knowledge of key personnel within an SME organization to support and nurture young adults in order to maximize their effectiveness in the workplace and become an asset to their business/sector.

·  Lack of fully informed educational careers staff within Schools and Colleges to work in partnership with employers and young adults to make the ‘right’ Apprenticeship match and support career progression.

·  Difficulty in engagement and on-going support for micro and small businesses particularly in certain sectors that would attract young adults.

·  Lack of connectivity between business and education.

These issues are compounded by the lack of time and capacity of the micro and small enterprises to participate in any form of training activities.

1.3.  Proposed Activity

An employer focused project that will support greater collaboration between SMEs and the education and training sector to better understand and benefit from the Apprenticeship offer for young adults (19+). This project is exclusively for SME businesses.

2.  Project aim and activities

To improve an SME’s ability to sustain and grow their business by accessing talent from a pool of young people/adults (19+) who can be trained and nurtured in their chosen career path.

2.1.  Proposed Activities:

Build on the work of the ‘Pathways to Professions’ (West of England LEP events) and the London Councils ‘Apprenticeship Employer Engagement Project’ by working with London local authorities involved in this work to take forward good practice recommendations by:-

·  Engaging businesses, particularly from key SME sectors in London, that could pledge to recruit Apprentices into their business.

·  Providing stimulating business-led awareness raising and networking sessions (in sub regions in London) to improve partnership working between employers, skills/careers providers and Schools working with young adults (19+).

·  Offering SMEs 1:1 and group support throughout the pilot project lifetime to fulfil their pledge and better understand how to get the most benefit from their apprentice (this could include some work shadowing & work through Apprenticeship Ambassadors).

Outcomes for the programme across seven boroughs:

·  Engage with 700 SME businesses

·  Identify 350 vacancies within those SME businesses

·  Prepare & support SMEs to work with 250 young adults (19+)

·  Achieve 105 Apprenticeship starts

See attached activity breakdown

Issue/Market Failure to be addressed / Proposed Capacity Building Activity
Lack of awareness , knowledge and understanding of employers regarding the practicalities and benefits of using the Apprenticeship pathway to recruit and retain staff / Organise 5 sub regional events to raise awareness of the practicalities and benefits of the Apprenticeship pathway (particularly for young adults) with SME businesses/Trade Associations etc.
Under-developed skills and knowledge of key personnel within SME organisations to support and nurture young adults in order to maximise their effectiveness in the workplace and become an asset to their business/sector / 1:1 and small group coaching and mentoring activities
Lack of effective employer links with organisations that support young adults to make the 'right' match and support career progression / Organise 5 sub regional events for SMEs and other stakeholders (eg Schools, Colleges, Careers specialists) to better understand progression pathways and how they can work in partnership to gain mutual benefits (Information exchange and networking)
Engagement and needs analysis of SME / Engage with 700 SME businesses to address training needs, particularly in growth sectors, via a range of marketing activities including; e:newletter, email, telephone, face to face
On-going Liaison and Support for SMEs and Young people / Business support workers to support 250 'in work' activities and 105 Apprenticeship starts. Business support Officers will work with businesses to identify vacancies, to offer advice and guidance re. type of initiative that would support the company (traineeship, work placement Apprenticeship) and work with relevant agencies re. matching of a young adult (19+). They would offer on-going 'in work' support to supplement any 'coaching & mentoring activity', identify organisational/ training needs on an on-going basis and provide or source the necessary intervention(s) required. Have regular (fortnightly) contact with the company they are working with. Work to support the transition into the Apprenticeship route and the setting up of a sustainable network. The case load will be in the region of 50 businesses over the project life-time.
Lack of connectivity between business and education / Establish on-going liaison via sustainable networks/fora
Marketing Materials / Preparation of high quality promotional and case study material, support for events and other activities to ensure high quality materials
Evaluation / Project evaluation against targets.

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