Invitation to Tender (ITT) Innovation Fund for Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Skills Hub - Cornwall Apprenticeship Campaign 2019

CIoS Skills Hub, working alongside CIoS Local Enterprise Partnership, has set up the Innovation Fund to deliver a refreshed Apprenticeship Campaign for Cornwall & Isles of Scilly during 2019. The Campaign will promote and encourage employers, particularly micro and small and medium sizes enterprises (SMEs), to recruit Apprentices (of all ages). This might be for the first time, or where employers have previously had Apprentices to encourage re-engagement with Apprenticeships; either within new areas of their business or to take on more Apprentices. Or it might be to utilise Apprenticeship training and funding to upskill existing staff. The Campaign and its component parts will generate 'warm' leads to the CIoS Skills Hub to convert into Apprenticeship starts. This Fund and Campaign supports the CIoS Employment and Skills Strategy strategic objective SO2: "Drive employer and individual engagement and investment in skills" and will assist that strand to:

• Create an effective apprenticeship service for CIoS employers • Enable the demand and supply of skills (at all levels) to meets the needs of high employment sectors • Support small, micro, social and community businesses as well as those who are self-employed to engage in training

Commission: On behalf of the CIoS Skills Hub and CIoS Local Enterprise Partnership, CDC wishes to procure a year-long Apprenticeship Campaign which delivers localised and compelling messages to CIoS employers to engage with Apprenticeships. The Campaign should positively address any perceptions which act as barriers to engagement for employers and highlight local (case study) employers who have engaged and the benefits Apprenticeships have given their businesses. It should also address the recent Government policy changes and importantly, the Campaign will need to embed a clear call to action for employers to contact the CIoS Skills Hub who will provide the 'effective Apprenticeship service for employers'.

The Campaign must be aligned to the CIoS Employment and Skills Strategy and support achievement of some key Apprenticeship starts within the Strategy, including increasing the awareness and demand for higher/degree level Apprenticeships.

Budget: The Innovation Fund available for this Apprenticeship Campaign a maximum of £40,000 excluding VAT and the Skills Hub is looking to commission one lead delivery organisation to design and deliver the Campaign for the period until October 2019.