Coast to Capital Launch Call worth £2 Million

Coast to Capital Launch Call worth £2 Million

Coast to Capital LEP is delighted to invite you to the launch of a new ESF Direct call, ‘Skills for the Future of Your Workforce’, worth £2 million ESF on Thursday 14 November between 10.00am and 12.30pm at Crawley College.

The event will be an opportunity for prospective applicants to hear more about the Direct Call, ask eligibility and match funding questions, make contact with potential partners and develop project ideas.

An agenda for the day will be circulated to all confirmed delegates closer to the event date. To register, please click here.

We strongly advise travelling by public transport as the Crawley campus is less than a 10-minute walk from Crawley train and bus station making it easily accessible by public transport. Parking is available in nearby town centre car parks, please check parking restrictions on the day.

Further information on the ESF Call can be found on their website.

£2 million European Social Fund in Coast to Capital for Digital Skills

£2 million European Social Fund in Coast to Capital for Digital Skills

A direct Call has been published by the Department of Work and Pensions in the Coast to Capital area worth £2 million of European Social Fund (ESF) for Digital Skills.

Under this Call C2C aim to fund projects that will support SME’s to identify digital training needs, and provide training for employees to develop their digital skills. The full Call specification can be downloaded here.

Another direct Call for Skills for the Mature Workforce is scheduled to be published next week, again worth £2 million ESF.

C2C is holding a launch event for both of these Calls next Wednesday 16 October at Crawley College. The event will be an opportunity for you to hear more about the Calls, ask eligibility and match funding questions, make contact with potential partners and develop project ideas.

If you would like to attend and have not done so already, please register here. Registration will close at 5pm on Monday.

Coast to Capital ESF Call Launch Event - Wednesday 16 October

Invitation: Coast to Capital ESF Call Launch Event - Wednesday 16 October

Coast to Capital LEP are hosting an event to launch two new ESF Direct calls, worth a total £4 million ESF on Wednesday 16 October between 10.00am and 1.00pm at Longley Building, Crawley College, College Road, Crawley RH10 1NR.

Digital Skills

• £2 million ESF, Investment Priorities 2.1 and 2.2

• Under this Call we aim to fund projects that will support SME’s to identify digital training needs, and provide training for employees to develop their digital skills.

• More details on the Call will be available in the Call specification, which is due to be published w/c 7 October 2019.

Skills for the Mature Workforce

• £2 million ESF, Investment Priority 2.1

• Under this Call we aim to fund projects that will support the careers of older workers in Coast to Capital through a variety of activities and provision.

• More details on the Call will be available in the Call specification, which is due to be published w/c 14 October 2019.

More information can be found on the Coast to Capital website, where links to the Call specifications will be available once published.

The event will be an opportunity for prospective applicants to hear more about the Direct Calls, ask eligibility and match funding questions, make contact with potential partners and develop project ideas.

An agenda for the day will be circulated to all confirmed delegates closer to the event date.

To register, please click here.

Consultation launched on the biggest piece of research undertaken to date into the economy and potential of the Coast to Capital area

Coast to Capital has launched a consultation on the economic profile of the area which is the biggest piece of research undertaken to date into the economy and the area’s potential.

This analysis will inform Coast to Capital’s Local Industrial Strategy which will be negotiated with government early next year and, when published, will prioritise intervention and investment in the local area. This is in addition to the £300 million that Coast to Capital has already invested into a wide range of projects to regenerate our towns and cities.

It is vital that the economic profile accurately reflects the diverse nature of the Coast to Capital economy and can demonstrate to Government the area’s strengths and opportunities for economic growth. It is informed by updated data sets and five specific research studies on urban centres; skills and the labour market; commercial property; innovation ecosystems and digital connectivity.

The Economic Profile was presented to around 150 stakeholders and partners at the Coast to Capital AGM in Epsom, Surrey at the beginning of September. At the event, the audience heard that our highly diverse towns and cities have a range of needs and opportunities including high quality business space, affordable housing, comprehensive full fibre coverage and investment in natural capital.

Jonathan Sharrock, Chief Executive at Coast to Capital said:

“We are encouraging businesses, public sector and education sector organisations, and individuals to review the findings and conclusions in the Economic Profile and identify if there is anything that can be added to strengthen the evidence. Responses to the consultation will help shape the priorities that we will bring forward to Government.”

The deadline to respond is 31 October 2019 and for more information about how to respond to the consultation, please visit our website coast2capital.org.uk/lis-consultation. To find out more about the Local Industrial Strategy visit coast2capital.org.uk/lis

New Call for Bids - Local Growth Funding

New Call for Bids - Local Growth Funding

Coast to Capital is launching a new ‘call for projects’ that will be funded from our remaining unallocated Growth Deal funding. This will specifically target projects that contribute towards the Coast to Capital Gatwick 360 Strategic Economic Plan (SEP); to deliver economic outputs as detailed within the 8 priorities listed in the SEP, or to support medium term delivery of our Strategy.

8 Strategic Priorities;

• Priority 1: Deliver Prosperous Urban Centres

• Priority 2: Develop Business Infrastructure and Support

• Priority 3: Invest in SustainableGrowth

• Priority 4: Create Skills for the Future

• Priority 5: Pioneer Innovation in Core Strengths

• Priority 6: Promote better transportand Mobility

• Priority 7: Improve digital network capability

• Priority 8: Build a strong National and International profile

The minimum funding that can be applied for is £500,000 and the maximum is £2,000,000. All projects will need to be at least 50% match funded. Matched funding must be at least the required percentage of the total project costs.

The Local Growth Funding for this call must be fully spent before 31st December 2020, and all applicants will have to demonstrate capital expenditure within both 2019/20 and 2020/21 financial years. Applicants who are unable to meet our spending timeline will not have their EOI application taken forward for evaluation.

As with previous rounds, the Local Growth Fund can only be used to fund capital expenditure as per the CIPFA guidelines. Match funding can be used for revenue expenditure if required, but projects which are entirely revenue expenditure cannot be considered. Projects will also need to provide robust evidence of State Aid compliance.

This current call will be open for Expression of Interest (EOI) applications from Tuesday 11th June 2019 until 12noon on Tuesday 2nd July 2019; any application received after this deadline will not be considered.

Applications should be submitted electronically to localgrowthfund@coast2capital.org.uk. Submissions will be acknowledged within 24 hours. Subject to any changes to deadlines, the project appraisal and prioritisation process will take place in July and you should be informed on whether your project has been successful by the end of July 2019. Coast to Capital reserves the right to amend this timeline.

All applicants must complete the Expression of Interest template and supporting excel spreadsheet, both of which can be downloaded from the ‘related resources’ box to the right hand side of the website link found here; https://www.coast2capital.org.uk/new-call-for-bids-local-growth-funding

Please ensure you use the guidance in assisting you with your Business Case. For more information including the criteria used to assess bids, please download and read the guidance notes also found in the above 'Related Resources' box on the website.

If you have any queries please send all emails to localgrowthfund@coast2capital.org.uk.

£7.87 million European Regional Development Fund to be launched in Coast to Capital£7.87 million European Regional Development Fund

£7.87 million European Regional Development Fund to be launched in Coast to Capital£7.87 million European Regional Development Fund

A European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) will be launched by the Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government (MHCLG) on Friday 28 June comprising of:

£3.87 million ERDF in Priority Axis 3: Enhancing the Competitiveness of Small and Medium Sized Enterprises

£4 million ERDF in Priority Axis 4: Supporting the Shift towards a Low Carbon Economy in All Sectors

An event to officially launch these Calls will be held on Wednesday 10 July at Greater Brighton Metropolitan College, to book your space at the event please click here.

Further details regarding the Calls can be found on the Coast to Capital website.

Coast to Capital Unveils Fresh New Look

Coast to Capital Unveils Fresh New Look

Coast to Capital has launched its new brand look and feel with a fresh and bold design which reflects the ambitions of the organisation following the publication of its strategy Gatwick 360 last year.

The refreshed brand includes a new logo, new applications and dramatic visuals which have been applied across social media.

This is an important year for Coast to Capital which will culminate in the agreement of the area’s first Local Industrial Strategy with Government. The new brand has been designed to help us communicate our ambitious vision, for the towns and cities in the Coast to Capital area to be known around the world as fantastic places to live, to grow and succeed and for the area to become the most dynamic non-city region in England, centred around a highly successful Gatwick Airport.

The strength of C2Cs relationships with their partners and stakeholders is vital to the success of Coast to Capital and C2C are focused on making a positive impact in order to succeed together. To help shape their Local Industrial Strategy they are recruiting a new Vice Chair and new Board Director to bring further business sector skills and expertise onto their Board. Coast to Capital is committed to creating an inclusive organisation that promotes and values diversity. Applications are welcome from senior business figures from under-represented groups and female business leaders are encouraged to apply.

C2C has also published a Business Plan and Delivery Plan in the new branding which sets outs their plans and budget for 2019/20. The new brand will be fully implemented when they move into new offices in Three Bridges on 1 July 2019.

Jonathan Sharrock, Coast to Capital Chief Executive said:

“I am delighted with the new branding which demonstrates that Coast to Capital is a serious partner to Government and the recognised vehicle for driving forward local economic growth and funding. We are excited for all the opportunities 2019 will bring including negotiating a strong Local Industrial Strategy to bring even more investment into the area and I look forward to working with our partners and stakeholders to maximise the impact of future opportunities.”

Tim Wates, Coast to Capital Chairman said:

“LEP Board members come from different backgrounds across the area and offer a breadth of industry knowledge and expertise. I am keen to hear from people that can build on this diversity. I invite you to bring your ideas, your skills and your ambition. If you would like to get involved, I would love to hear from you.”

The Vice Chair and Board Director posts are unremunerated and applicants are expected to live and/or work in the region. To make an application please send, by Wednesday 29 May, a full CV with a covering statement setting out how you believe you could fulfil the requirements of the key role to Hazel Nicholmann, Governance Officer at hazel.nicholann@coast2capital.org.uk

Find out more information on our Vice Chair and Board Director recruitment here https://www.coast2capital.org.uk/work-for-us/9