VONNE

VONNE has a programme of advice, support and practical help to VCS organisations interested in securing ESF resources to deliver skills and employability activities. This programme is part-funded by the European Social Fund. VONNE is supported by New Skills Consulting.

The following support will be available up to March 2011.

Awareness Raising
Events to raise awareness of ESF funding opportunities and how you and your organisation can get involved. The events will provide the opportunity to share good practice and to meet CFOs and 'Prime Contractors' responsible for sub-contracting ESF provision to providers. 

Brokerage
Acting as an intermediary, we can help your organisation identify appropriate partner organisations and facilitate the development of consortia capable of accessing ESF resources and managing ESF activity. We will work closely with Contracts Matters, the Third Sector Supply Chain organisation to undertake this activity.

Tendering Advice & Guidance
Advice, support and mentoring to ensure your organisation is registered to receive information about ESF funding opportunities e.g. completing a PQQ, registering on the SFA's Qualified Provider Framework.  

One-to-One Capacity Building & Mentoring
Support and advices is available to help build organisational capacity, to prepare for developing an ESF proposal, submitting an ESF tender, and the delivery of ESF funded activity.  This may involve improving your understanding of ESF rules, or addressing any identified weaknesses or areas for improvement in your management and/or delivery

Project Management Training
Training on good project management practice that will meet ESF requirements e.g. record keeping, performance management etc, is available. The training will assist organisations to adapt their existing project management systems/procedures to ESF requirements and develop the skills of staff/volunteers to apply these systems to ESF activity.

Information
Online information about ESF funding opportunities and developments is available from our website as well as examples of good ESF practice, ESF guidance documents and other useful resources.

Liaison and Representation
VONNE is the voluntary and community sector representative on the ESF Regional Committee and our role is to represent the VCS, putting forward the views of the sector to influence ESF policy and practice. We are also responsible for liaising with CFOs and Prime Contractors on behalf of the sector, gathering information about ESF and feeding it back to VCS organisations and communicating to CFOs/Prime Contractors any problems, issues or trends affecting the sector.

Sharing Good Practice
The partnership also identifies and promotes best practice in ESF. This may be in relation to partnership development, tendering, learner engagement, delivery, project management etc.

Please contact carrie.brookes@vonne.org.uk for further information