Decision details

Following the successful Enterprise Adviser Pilot (14/15) and first full year delivery phase (15/16), led by Sheffield City Council (SCC) on behalf of Sheffield Combined Authority (SCR), the Sheffield City Region Combined Authority (SCR) has secured involvement in the next phase of delivery (EAN - Enterprise Adviser Network) from 1st September, 2016 to 31st August, 2017 and subject to satisfactory performance this may continue to August, 2018 (2 academic years) but this will be subject to a further agreement.

The grant will fund 1.75 FTE enterprise coordinator posts and other programme expenditure.

Please note that programme has already started and expenditure has been incurred as the grant is from September 2016. This is because SCR decided late in the proceedings to manage the grant themselves and expenditure was incurred in order to maintain the stability of the programme from the previous year.

SCC has now been advised by SCR, who will manage the funding for this phase, that it will receive £50,652 plus a further £8,750 incentive payment following confirmation of 100% of the school/colleges/special schools being matched with an Enterprise Adviser for the period 1st September, 2016 to 31st August, 2017 to manage activity in Sheffield. The Council will provide match funding at 50% being £25,326.

Approval is being sought for SCC to sign the grant funding agreement with the SCR for £50,652 (plus £8,750 incentive payment) for the period 1st September, 2016 to 31st August, 2017.

That the Director:-

1)         notes the acceptance of the Sheffield City Region Combined Authority’s Enterprise Advisor Network grant of £50,652 and match funding by the Council of £25,326;

2)         approves the Council entering into and signing the grant agreement with the Sheffield City Region Combined Authority to accept the Enterprise Advisor Network grant and the terms of the grant;

3)         in consultation with the Director of Finance and Commercial services agrees to also accept any additional grant funding of up to £8,750 from Sheffield City Region Combined Authority. The amount is conditional upon meeting successful school engagement targets across Sheffield; and

4)         in consultation with the Director of Finance and Commercial Services and the Director of Legal and Governance to take such steps as they deem appropriate to achieve the outcomes set out in this report.

The grant will support the continued delivery of the SCR Enterprise Advisor Network from 1st September, 2016 to 31st August, 2017.

The £50,652 grant funding is available for delivery together with a further incentive payment of £8,750 following confirmation that 100% of the schools/colleges/special schools have been formally matched with an Enterprise Adviser in Sheffield during the period 1st September, 2016 to 31st August, 2017.

The Enterprise Adviser Network will match all Sheffield Secondary, Special Schools and Post 16 Colleges with an Enterprise Adviser. This will expand business/education activity, improve careers guidance, increase vocational training opportunities for 11-18 year olds and inform the development of the ‘Learn to Work’ proposal in the LEP Growth Plan.

The funding will enable the continuation of additional activity that wouldn’t otherwise take place.

Fund the project from existing resources – rejected as no resources available and £50,652 (plus further incentive payment of £8,750 grant available from the Careers and Enterprise Company via SCR LEP.

Do nothing – valuable activity in the City and across SCR would not take place.