European Structural and Investment
Fund Programme 2014-20
Partnership Opportunities with TCHC
Expression of Interest Form
The European Social Fund (ESF) is part of the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) Growth
Programme for England in 2014-20. Together with the European Regional Development Fund and part of the
European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, ESF will be delivered in an integrated package by Local
Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) across England.
The ESF will deliver three of the Growth Programme’s thematic objectives to
a) Promote sustainable and quality employment and supporting labour mobility (Objective 8)
b) Promote social inclusion, combating poverty and any discrimination (Objective 9), and
c) Invest in education, training and vocational training for skills and life-long learning (Objective 10).
The activities funded by ESF complement or enhance support available through national programmes. They will also
be tailored to the needs of individual LEP areas, as identified by their respective European Structural and Investment
Funds (ESIF) strategies.
The Consultancy Home Counties Ltd (TCHC) is an independent training, advice and consultancy provider
delivering skills, employability and enterprise contracts as a Government prime contractor (including Skills Funding
Agency, Education Funding Agency, DWP) for the past 10 years. The organisation has a strong track record of
successfully delivering ESF projects and extensive experience of supporting both unemployed and inactive people
to enter and progress in employment; to increase the number of young people who are in education, employment or
training; to help more people improve their skills; and to make skills provision more responsive to the needs of the
local economy.
TCHC has a strong commitment to encourage partnership working across the Eastern region and strives to work
with all LEPs in this area to promote initiatives across borders and sectors to improve skills and increase
employment.
Through this EOI - and in anticipation of the forthcoming opportunities to deliver the ESIF Growth Programme TCHC is seeking suitable partner organisations that have existing infrastructure within a specific and/or across
more than one LEP area and can deliver support activity in line with the above objectives. We would like to hear
from delivery organisations with an expertise in helping the unemployed, as well as those in employment who we
expect to be supported under Thematic Objective 8 and Thematic Objective 10. For Objective 8, particular
emphasis will be put on the proven ability of partner organisations to deliver support that enables individuals to
secure and sustain employment. For Objective 10, we would welcome responses from providers who have a track
record of delivering demand-led training to the workforce and have shown strong performance in supporting
employees to progress in work.
For details on the relevant target groups, please see the ESF Operational Programme https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/302578/esf-programme-20142020-consultation.pdf
If you are interested in working with us, please complete the following sections of this form and give us an indication
of where you are able to deliver in the table below:
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LEP Area
Full Coverage
Part-coverage (please specify
wards, boroughs, towns etc.)
Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough
(GCGPEP)
New Anglia (NALEP)
Hertfordshire (Herts LEP)
South East Midlands (SEMLEP)
South East (SELEP)
Northamptonshire (NEP)
London Enterprise Panel (LEP)
For Objective 10, we are particularly keen to hear from providers who can deliver training to service the skills needs
of specific sectors, as highlighted by the various LEPs. Therefore, please tick the appropriate box to specify your
delivery expertise:
Sector
Please tick as
appropriate
Logistics/Transport/Ports
Advanced Manufacturing & Engineering
Visitor Economy
Creative & Cultural
Digital Technology/ICT
Sport & Leisure
Energy
Food & Drink
Agri-tech
Financial & Business Services
Life Sciences & Biotech
Film & Media
Other (please specify)
Once completed, please return this Expression of Interest (EOI) form to:
[email protected]
TCHC will assess all responses to identify appropriate partner organisations that are able to demonstrate the
required capacity, delivery capabilities and geographic coverage. Successful and unsuccessful providers will be
notified. TCHC will discuss and agree the type and scope of activities to be delivered (once further details are
available from LEPs) with each individual organisation prior to entering into any partnership agreement.
Please note that completion of this form does not constitute a contractual agreement between TCHC and your
organisation and that we may also be asking for additional information as part of our due diligence process on the
release of each ESF contract (either at PQQ or ITT stage) to meet the needs of specific tender requirements and
priorities.
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Company Information
Organisation:
Name/Job Title of main Contact:
Contact email:
Contact telephone/mobile
number(s):
Website Address:
Address:
Company Registration Number:
UKPRN:
VAT registration number
(if applicable):
Organisation status (plc, ltd, charity,
etc.):
Names of Directors:
Years of Trading:
Is your organisation on the SFA Register of Training
Organisations (RTO)?
Yes/No
Have you been inspected by Ofsted? If so, please
provide details (i.e. date of visit, grade)
Yes/No
If your application is accepted, do you agree for TCHC to
conduct a site visit at your premises prior to the start of
delivery activity?
Yes/No
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Resources
How many staff does your organisation employ (including associates)?
How many staff members are IAG qualified and at what level (including associates)?
Names of experienced staff that will deliver on this contract (please confirm that you
agree to submit their CVs if requested)
Permanent delivery location (&
address) in the LEP areas
specified above
Number of staff
based at location
(please specify
whether they are
admin/support staff,
IAG, tutors/trainers
etc)
Number of customers
who can be comfortably
accommodated at
delivery location
Facilities available at
location (e.g. disability
access, wi-fi, crèche)
Quality Standards & Accreditation
Please tick the relevant boxes below
YES
NO
Working towards
Matrix
Merlin
ISO9001
ISO14001
Any other (please provide
details)
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Delivery Experience
Please provide a short description of your organisation, including your background and what you feel are
your key strengths relevant to the delivery under the above thematic objectives – including any particular
specialism that you bring to a partnership (maximum 500 words)
Please provide a short description of local networks and links to other services, stakeholders, referral
partners that would be relevant for participants (maximum 500 words)
Do you have any direct experience of delivering support activities to ESF target groups, e.g.
apprenticeships, accredited and non-accredited skills, employability training, business start-up/selfemployment support, or any other provision (incl. mentoring & coaching) to help individuals to (re-)enter
into and progress in employment, education and/or training?
Yes/No (If yes, please complete the table below)
Contract start
+ end dates
Programme overview
Targets
Targets achieved
(% of original
target)
Starts
Training
completed
Total
funding
value
Jobs
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If you have NOT previously delivered any similar provision, please provide information of any other
experience relevant to ESF skills and employability programmes (maximum 500 words)
Please provide information on customer groups that you have previously worked with, e.g. Black and
Minority Ethnicity (BME), learners with a disability or learning difficulty, older learners, ex-offenders, lone
parents, migrants with English language needs etc. and what specific arrangements you have made to
accommodate these (maximum 500 words)
Training Provision
Please provide information on the subject areas you have delivered skills training (maximum 500 words)
Please provide us with an indication of the number of customers you would be able to support within a
partnership (i.e. maximum capacity) and whether your model relies on partner referrals or if you can
provide an end-to-end service.
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References
Prior to entering into any contractual relationships, TCHC may ask delivery partners for up to 3 client
references, including their names and contact details who TCHC may contact as part of this assessment
process. Do you agree to this and that you would, if asked, be able to provide these references? If not,
please explain.
Policies, Insurances & Finance
Health & Safety
Do you have a written Health and Safety at work policy (Yes/No)? N.B it is a legal requirement for 5 or
more employees. If you do NOT have a policy, please explain why and how you ensure that health and
safety is maintained at your workplace. (maximum 500 words)
Yes/No
Has your organisation during the last three years been prosecuted or had a notice served for
contravention of the Health and Safety at Work act 1974 or associated regulations and/or has your
organisation during the last three years been the subject of a formal investigation by the Health and
Safety Executive or similar national body charged with improving health and safety standards? If Yes,
please give details and explain the impact on the service delivered by your organisation (maximum 500
words)
Yes/No
Do you have a written Safeguarding policy (Yes/No)? The policy should, as a minimum, address the
following:
a) Set out what arrangements are in place to minimise risk
b) Detail how customer health and safety will be ensured, and
c) Detail provider security and confidentiality arrangements.
If you do NOT have a policy, please explain why and how you ensure that the safeguarding of learners
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and employees is maintained at your workplace. (maximum 500 words)
Yes/No
Sustainable Development
Do you have a written Sustainable Development policy (Yes/No)? If you do not have a policy, please
explain what steps your organisation is taking to deliver training in an efficient and environmentally
sustainable way - specifically in relation to waste produced, energy efficiency, carbon emissions and
sustainable transport. (maximum 500 words)
Yes/No
Data Security
Do you have a written Data Security policy (Yes/No)? If you do NOT have a policy, please explain how
you ensure that personal information is protected and that data is stored and/or processed as part of this
contract (maximum 500 words)
Yes/No
Equality and Diversity
Is it your policy as an employer to comply with your statutory obligations under current equal
opportunities legislation (Yes/No)? N.B Your practice must not treat one group of people less
favourably than others because of their race, gender, age, religion or belief, disabilities or sexual
orientation in relation to decisions to recruit, train or promote employees. (maximum 500 words)
Yes/No
Does your organisation have a written Equality and Diversity policy (Yes/No)? If you do NOT have a
policy, please explain why and how you ensure that your organisation meets statutory requirements?
(maximum 500 words)
Yes/No
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In the last three years, has any finding of unlawful discrimination been made against your organisation by
any court, industrial tribunal or Equality Commission and/or (also during the last three years) has your
organisation been the subject of a formal investigation by the Equality Commission on grounds of alleged
unlawful discrimination? If Yes, please provide details and what steps you took as a consequence of the
findings. Maximum 500 words)
Yes/No
Environmental Management
Does your organisation have a written Environmental policy in place (Yes/No)? If you do NOT have a
policy, please explain why and how you ensure that your organisation meets statutory requirements?
(maximum 500 words)
Yes/No
Has your organisation been prosecuted, in the last 3 years, for any environmental offence - or have any
case pending? If ‘yes’ please give details and explain the impact on the service delivered by your
organisation (for instance, has your company initiated any processes or actions in relation to improving
your environmental performance. If so, please provide the details of the person responsible). (maximum
500 words)
Yes/No
Insurances and Finances
Please provide details of your insurances (e.g. Public Liability Insurance, Professional Indemnity
Insurance) and the size of cover provided.
Name of insurance
Insurance Number
Amount (£)
Name of provider
Employer’s Liability
Public Liability
Professional Indemnity
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Other
Finance
Please provide details of your company’s turnover and profit over the last 3 years. If necessary,
TCHC may require further financial information.
Month
Year
In order to support TCHC’s due diligence process, please confirm that you would be prepared, if
requested, to provide audited accounts of your organisation for the last three years or other financial
statements. If not, please state the reasons for this.
Thank you!
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