Supply-chain Fees and Charges

Policy

1.Background

1.1.The charity Inspire! is an education business partnership delivering work-related learning, enterprise and work experience to schools, academies, colleges and young people in the London boroughs of Hackney, Camden and Islington. Through its programmes and activities, and in partnership with local and City businesses, Inspire! aims to raise aspirations, achievement and motivation among young people and provide them with the necessary personal and employability skills for the world of work.

1.2.In addition to its work with the formal education sector, Inspire! also offers alternative education provision to young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) as well as those “at risk” of becoming so.

2.Working with subcontractors

2.1.Increasingly, and often in response to ESF/SFA, Big Lottery, GLA and other major funding opportunities, we work in informal consortia of other voluntary sector or local government organisations from boroughs outside our core operational areas, either as a subcontracted or a lead partner. We do so in order to provide a range of different services or cover a larger geographic area.

2.2.As a lead partner we formally subcontract other organisations within the consortium and operate both as a provider as well is project manager.

3.Professional support

3.1.As a lead partner, Inspire! takes seriously its responsibility for continuous professional development particularly around the quality of teaching and learning. This will involve

  • The design of training programmes (initial bid)
  • Monitoring visits including feedback on content and delivery training (outset of project)
  • Good practice sharing workshops (partnership meetings) e.g. engagement of and delivery for hard-to reach groups
  • ESF themes (health, equality and diversity and sustainability) inclusion workshops (partnership meetings)
  • Distribution of good practice information sheets from partnership meetings
  • Distribution of relevant research and white papers
  • Online evaluation surveys of learner satisfaction, analysis and recommendations (partnership meetings)
  • Regular checks of learners’ Person-Centred Action Plans and advice to subcontractors regarding target setting (monitoring and evidence checking meetings)
  • Sharing of positive case studies and analysis (partnership meetings)
  • Self-reflective/evaluative exercises (partnership meetings)
  • Ofsted Common Inspection Framework self-assessment exercise

4.Fees Charged

4.1.In cases where Inspire! is a lead partner, we charge a project management fee generally between 12 to 15% of the overall project cost. The fee is calculated on the basis of the estimated time taken to both manage subcontractors and provide overall direction and administration of the project.

5.Services to subcontractors

5.1.In return for the fees charged, subcontractors will receive

  • Provider handbook that details key information regarding the project (outset of project)
  • Participant Evidence Folder approved by the funder that includes evidence forms for the participant’s journey through the project (outset of project and updated when required by funder)
  • Launch event in which key information regarding the project is shared in preparation for delivery (outset of project)
  • Delivery profile of outputs (outset of project and updated in accordance with variations to contract)
  • Data submission service (monthly for the duration of the project)
  • Evidence monitoring service and feedback (on-going as required)
  • Induction process monitoring visit (outset of project)
  • Regular partnership meetings at which performance is analysed, targets set, and good practice shared (half-termly)
  • Monthly performance updates
  • Evidence monitoring, good practice and advice visit/s (minimum of 2)
  • Information regarding relevant opportunities (e.g. training programmes and apprenticeship opportunities) (regular updates)
  • Support in producing a recruitment strategy (outset of project)
  • Advice re. inclusion of cross-cutting themes (outset of project and on-going)
  • Advice re. contractual and evidencing requirements (outset of project and on-going)
  • Liaison with funder regarding eligibility, contractual and evidencing queries (when necessary)
  • Liaison with funderregarding under or over-performance and ‘business cases’ submitted (when necessary)
  • Support in identifying strategies for underperformance (when necessary)
  • Publicity through Inspire!’s website and newsletter (on-going)
  • External publicity for the project where appropriate (e.g. newspaper articles/conferences/submission of case studies for funder website etc.). (On-going)
  • Access to evaluation data, analysis and recommendations
  • Payment processing and distribution
  • Orchestration of audits and liaison with auditor

6.Payments

6.1.Unless otherwise specified in the project specification, each month the subcontractor will send an invoice for the agreed amount to Inspire! in accordance with the output schedule set out in in the subcontract

6.2.On receipt of the invoice, and following a check to ensure that the required supporting evidence for the outputs is in place, Inspire! will pay the subcontractor once a month by the banks’ automated clearing system. (BACS)

6.3.Payment will be made within thirty (30) days of receipt of a correct invoiceby BACS provided an equivalent payment has been received from the principal funding agency such as the Skills Funding Agency, GLA or Big Lottery and that the correct supporting evidence has been provided by the subcontractor for the outputs claimed.

7.The Policy

7.1.Details of this policy will be forwarded to potential subcontractors prior to formalising any informal consortium or partnership arrangement.

7.2.The policy will also be explained during the launch meeting in which key information regarding the project will be shared with subcontractors in preparation for delivery

7.3.The policy will be reviewed annually and prior to establishing further subcontracting arrangements in preparation for new project activity.

7.4.A copy of the policy will be retained and updated on the inspire website

GLYP04 ESF/SFA NEET Project: North London Cluster

8.Partner organisations

8.1.Details of partner organisations subcontracted for the GLYP04 ESF/SFA NEET project are given below

Subcontractors / UKPRN
Barnet and Southgate College
Waltham Forest London Borough Council
First Rung Ltd / 02171777
Tower Hamlets London Borough Council
YOH Ltd / 06241076
Newlon Fusion / 04000022

9.Provision

9.1.Under the terms of the contract, the subcontractors will provide non-accredited training and support to enter education, employment or training for 16-19 year old young people NEET from their respective boroughs.

10.Contract period

10.1.Start Date 1st January 2012

10.2.End Date 31st March 2015

11.Funding data

11.1.Funding data for each academic year associated with this project will be published after 31 July of that year but within 30 days of the academic year’s ILR closing. This data will include

11.1.1.Data on the actual level of funding paid andretained for each subcontractor

11.1.2.Funding paid to Inspire! for provision delivered by thesubcontractor

11.1.3.Funding paid by Inspire to our subcontractors

11.1.4.Funding Inspire! has retained in relation to each subcontractor

11.1.5.Where appropriate, funding subcontractor have paid to Inspire! forservices or support inspire! has provided in connection with thesubcontracted provision