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RESOLVED:
Cabinet;

a)    
Acknowledged the acceptance of the DfE Skills Bootcamp grant
funding of up to £1,500,000 over the period April 2026 to
March 2027.

b)    
Delegated to the Executive Director of Place, Economy and
Environment to oversee the procurement processes and contract award
of delivery partners of the West Northants Connect to Work and
Skills Bootcamp programmes supported by the WNC procurement
team.
 
REASONS
RESOLVED:
•                    
The Connect to Work and Skills Bootcamp programmes provides a
significant opportunity to provide funded support to residents
across West Northamptonshire who are most in need of support to
find employment. This is a tangible opportunity to improve the
quality of life and contribute towards our aims in the One West
Northamptonshire Plan of having thriving people with a skilled
workforce.
•                    
Delegating procurement and contract award to the Executive
Director of Place, Economy and Environment ensures the programmes
can be commissioned efficiently, in line with financial regulations
and procurement best practice, allowing timely delivery and strong
governance of the West Northants Connect to Work and Skills
Bootcamp programmes.
•                    
Consistency with Connect to Work Accountable Body Cabinet
report dated 24 June 2025 where by Cabinet noted that the Council
is acting as the Accountable Body for the delivery of the Connect
to Work programme for the South Midlands region and approved the
acceptance of the DWP Connect to Work grant funding of circa
£32million over a 5-year programme.
 
ALTERNATIVE
OPTIONS:
The Employment and
Disability Support team in North Northamptonshire have been
delivering employment support in Northamptonshire for over 40
years. They are a key partner within the South Midlands Connect to
Work programme. Due to their experience of delivery, West
Northamptonshire Council has a Service Level Agreements (SLAs) with
North Northamptonshire Council’s Employability and Disability
Team to deliver 940 Connect to Work starts in West
Northamptonshire, and the WNC Resettlement Team is delivering a
further 78. This leaves a remaining requirement of 547 starts to
meet the Council’s overall target of 1,565. To achieve this,
the Council must consider whether to commission specialist
additional external delivery partners through a formal procurement
process.
 
The Council does
not currently have sufficient internal capacity or existing
contracted provision to deliver the remaining 547 starts. Without
additional delivery partners, the Council would be unable to meet
its contractual obligations, performance targets, and funding
requirements.
 
Accepting the DfE
grant funding of up to £1,500,000 allows the Council to bring
the success of Skills Bootcamp waves to West Northamptonshire
benefitting residents and employers. The programme directly
supports the Council’s strategic priorities around economic
growth, skills development, and inclusive employment. Declining the
funding would result in the loss of
significant
external investment and reduce the Council’s ability to
respond to local labour market needs.
 
Skills Bootcamps
operate on a performance-based funding model, reducing financial
risk to the Council and ensuring value for money. Delegated
procurement oversight provides assurance that delivery partners are
selected through a transparent and competitive process, with clear
contractual expectations around outcomes managed through a payment
by results / milestones model of payment in line with the funding
requirements of DfE.