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In this climate of budget restrictions identifying funding to support employers/candidates will be key to the success of the UK Academy.
The UK Academy forum will host a developing database that will provide links to sources of funding as they become known. The academy will actively seek new sources of funding and the database will be updated monthly with links tested to ensure they remain current. The aim will be to provide a comprehensive picture of the funding landscape, however, because of the rapidly changing environment in which we are operating 100% accuracy cannot be guaranteed.
In addition to the database the UK Academy will also offer a support service to employers seeking funding as described in section 1 part (a). Academy members are given early notice of any funding secured by the academy.
Although the total sums available through funding related to skills and learning have fallen significantly, changes in the structure of bids may favour groups of employers.
Monitoring organisations are now seeking to encourage the development of a small number of larger projects to programmes such as Leonardo or European funding streams rather than the high volume of low value bids approved in the past.
There is however no reduction in the demands of administration and paperwork through either the bidding or delivery stages. Group projects also require one organisation to act as the lead body and this is often a hurdle that cannot be overcome when the activity is not regarded as core business.
Asset Skills has much experience in this line of work and the UK Academy will actively explore opportunities and seek to recruit interested employers into consortia.
The academy will deal with the administration process and, if necessary, act as lead body and manage project delivery.
