BMN 008 - Marches Local Enterprise Partnership Manufacturing Skills Capital Project

Shropshire Council is tendering on behalf of the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) to provide capital funding to enable successful bidders to tackle manufacturing skills issues. The Marches LEP has recognised that additional capital investment is required to support the manufacturing sector to develop their skills base, equipping them to maximise future opportunities.

This tender is seeking submissions from organisations that wish to set up and develop Advanced Manufacturing Hubs in the Marches region as regional training centres for advanced manufacturing skills in 5 key areas where there is currently limited training provision. We envisage that the Hubs will operate on a “Hub and Spoke” model and will be partnership led, comprising consortia of employers and educational providers including HE, FE and private sector training providers working together. They will build on a whole range of collaborative initiatives already in place in the region and will house equipment and deliver training programmes including Apprenticeships. The Hubs are planned to commence operation (i.e. delivering training courses and Apprenticeships) from April 2017.

This contract will commence on 1st July 2016 and will conclude on March 31st 2017. Funding for the delivery of capital funding is being provided by Skills Capital Funding awarded to the Marches LEP.

It is intended that a minimum of two providers will be awarded contracts: one based in the North of the Marches LEP area and one based in the South. However, where applicants demonstrate clear need, and within the constraints of the funding available, multiple providers in each area may be considered.