Grant for NHS Apprenticeships Senior Leadership Engagement

Apprenticeships are a key feature of the Government's educational policy, with specific ambitions to increase apprenticeships within the NHS. The Apprenticeship Benefits Realisation Strategy includes objectives to: • meet the skills needs of employers; • create progression for apprentices; • widen participation and social mobility; and • create more quality apprenticeships.

To deliver these benefits within the NHS, Trusts and Sustainability and Transformation Partnerships (STPs) need support to become informed apprenticeship customers and to develop apprenticeship strategies that meet the needs of their workforce strategies. If the NHS were treated as a single employer, it would be the biggest employer in England.

It is a major contributor to both the apprenticeship levy and public sector apprenticeship target. It is expected to deliver over a third of all public sector apprenticeships.

The NHS has an estimated annual public sector target of around 28,000 new apprentice starts. The ESFA is looking to award a grant to a delivery organisation who will engage with senior leaders within NHS Trusts and STP's.

In particular we are looking for the following outcomes to be achieved: • Engage senior leaders within NHS Trusts, e.g. Finance Directors, HR Directors and Chief Executives • Secure their active support as apprenticeship champions within their organisations, ensuring operational staff have the necessary leadership and resources. • 'Open doors' for our account managers to reach decision-makers. The successful bidding organisation will need to be able to demonstrate that they are a not-for-profit (e.g. voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations), impartial organisation, with national reach across England and have: o an understanding of apprenticeships; o an understanding of and experience with working with the NHS; o proven experience of senior stakeholder management and influence; and o experience in activities that are aligned with the purpose of the grant.

Additional information: The successful bidding organisation will need to be able to demonstrate that they are a not-for-profit (e.g. voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations), impartial organisation, with national reach across England. The Authority will not be liable for any bid cost, expenditure, work or effort incurred by a supplier in acting on the basis of this notice.

The competition is being run via the DfE / ESFA eTendering Portal. Providers interested in applying need to register on the Portal.

Providers can access this system at https://education.app.jaggaer.com. When you create your account and log in you should click on: • 'ITT's OPEN TO ALL SUPPLIERS'; • Select 'itt_82 - Grant for NHS Apprenticeships Senior Leader Engagement ; • Select 'Express Interest'.

You will then be able to view all of the information and documents relating to the tender. It is important that you read all of the documents thoroughly before responding to the tender exercise.

Please note this is the only means where an application can be made for consideration and all communications on this project should now be via online message board attached to the ITT in Jaggaer which is numbered itt_82. The deadline for receiving all bids is 09 Oct 2019, 17:00BST. The Authority reserves the right not to accept bids submitted after this time.