Film Skills Fund Inviting applications up until 30 Jan 09
8th April
Introduction
Following successful piloting of the Skillset Film Skills Fund’s Company Development support over the past three years, we are pleased to announce a new round of support for independent companies within the UK film industry.
The Skillset Film Skills Fund is now offering support for independent SME companies in the UK film industry who meet the eligibility criteria outlined under 'Who can apply to this programme?' below. There are two types of support being offered as follows:
1. Human Resources (HR) and Training Consultancy service.
This free service is being offered to help companies review their HR and staff training needs to enable them to be more effective with their business and resource.
The service is open to independent companies who currently have no HR support and are looking to develop their workforce and business.
The service is provided by Susan Kennedy, Skillset’s HR and Training Consultant. Susan is a qualified member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and has worked in the film industry as an HR and Training consultant since 1997.
2. Funding for Business & Management skills training for your staff.
As part of her HR and Training review of your company, Susan can also develop a Training Strategy with you, helping you to identify training needs within your company and the appropriate training to address these.
You can then apply to the Skillset Film Skills Fund for money to support the delivery of the training. The Fund can support up to 70% of the costs of the training to a maximum of £10,000 per company.
You can apply for the Human Resources (HR) and Training Consultancy service without committing to developing a training strategy for your staff. In which case your work with Susan would focus on your HR needs for example recruitment practices, compliance with UK employment law, diversity policies etc.
However, you cannot apply for funding for your Training Strategy without first working with Susan to develop your strategy. Skillset cannot support the delivery of training strategies that have not been developed with Skillset’s HR and Training Consultant.
Please note that applying to work with Susan does not automatically guarantee you funding to deliver a Training Strategy, and that you will need to make a separate funding application to support this.
The aim of this funding programme
The company support we provide under Company Development will help the Skillset Film Skills Fund to achieve its aim of "Bringing the UK film industry a competitive edge, enabling us to compete in the global market place on the basis of the highest level of skills".
The company support offered will help us to ensure the sustainability and growth of the independent sector of the UK film industry by improving the skills of independent companies’ staff.
If you’d like to know more about the aims of the Skillset Film Skills Fund, please refer to the 2008 Skillset Funding for Organisations’ Guidelines available on Skillset’s website.
What can we support?
To achieve our aim we will support the skills development of independent companies’ staff by funding an ‘Human Resources and Training Consultancy service’ and the delivery of Training Strategies for small to medium-sized companies who are looking to develop their workforce and their business.
To apply for funding your training strategy must have been developed with Skillset’s HR & Training Consultant (Susan Kennedy) and must provide training for your staff that falls within the funding priorities listed below.
We will support strategies that directly address the low level of expertise in delivering training and human resources (HR) support in the independent sector.
Who can apply to this programme?
We welcome applications under this programme from companies who meet the following criteria:
· Are a small to medium-sized company with a maximum of 250 employees;
· Are an independent company working within the UK film industry, from any sector
· Have no HR support;
· Demonstrate commitment to diversity within your company;
· Demonstrate a commitment to expanding and developing your business;
· Demonstrate a commitment to developing your employees.
And, for funding for delivery of your training strategy:
· Have developed a training strategy for your staff with Skillset’s HR & Training Consultant Susan Kennedy that you are applying for funding to deliver.
Who cannot apply
This programme is designed for independent companies only; if you’re an individual, please visit the Skillset website to see how a Screen Bursary could give you direct support.
Skillset cannot support companies under this programme who are not independent companies within the UK film industry.
Funding Priorities – for delivery of training strategies only
We are now accepting applications for funding from UK based independent companies, working in the UK film industry, to deliver company training strategies developed with Susan Kennedy, Skillset’s HR & Training Consultant, which will increase the business and management skills of your staff:
· Grants of up to £10,000 – business and management skills
Companies that meet the eligibility criteria under ‘Who can apply’ may apply for grants of up to £10,000 to support the development of your workforce’s business and management skills.
Grants can be used to support the delivery of companies’ structured in-house skills development or towards your workforce attending off-the-job training.
Addressing Diversity in your training strategy
Skillset works to ensure everyone has an equal chance to move onwards and upwards in the UK film industry. For your training strategy to be supported by the Skillset Film Skills Fund, your application must demonstrate:
· How your project addresses issues of access and diversity in the UK film industry. Examples of this might include training for staff in developing open recruitment practices or training in disability access and awareness.
How much support can we give?
1. Human Resources and Training Consultancy
Under this programme in 2008 the Skillset Film Skills Fund will support a minimum of 15 companies to work with Susan Kennedy, Skillset’s HR and Training Consultant.
Susan may be able to work with more than 15 companies but, due to available funding, only a maximum of 15 will be able to apply for funding to deliver their training strategies as outlined below.
2. Delivery of Training Strategies
Under this programme in 2008 the Skillset Film Skills Fund will be investing up to £150,000 in the Company Development of the UK film industry’s independent companies by supporting delivery of their training strategies.
We will support a maximum of 15 independent companies in the UK film industry to deliver Training Strategies that meet the Funding Priorities listed in this programme.
Your application must demonstrate how you have considered the needs of your workforce and your company, and the capability of both. Skillset will also assess the likely benefit to the industry more broadly in the medium/long term.
How much should you ask for to deliver your training strategy?
The amount you need to deliver the project effectively and with real value for money.
We can support up to a maximum of 70% of your training strategy’s costs and the maximum we can give you is £10,000.
We expect you to find at least 30% of the money you need for your training strategy from sources other than Skillset, as Partnership Funding. A minimum of 25% of your Partnership Funding must be cash, not in-kind support.
For example, if your training strategy costs £15,000 you can apply for a Skillset grant of £10,000. The remaining £5,000 is your Partnership Funding. Of that £5,000 at least £1,250 must be cash.
How do I apply?
If you would like to apply for the ‘Human Resources (HR) and Training Consultancy service’ with Susan Kennedy, you need to write a short letter explaining: how you meet the eligibility criteria; why you would benefit from the service and whether you would be interested in developing a training strategy and send it to:
Susan Kennedy
C/O Simon Greenacre
Skillset
Focus Point
21 Caledonian Road
London
N1 9GB
21 Caledonian Road
London
N1 9GB
If you have any queries on writing this letter you can email Susan on susankennedy7@hotmail.com who can advise you on making your application.
If you have already completed your Training Strategy with Susan and would now like to apply for funding to deliver it, the first thing to do is read the 2008 Skillset Funding for Organisations’ Guidelines and then follow the process for applying for Project Delivery Funding detailed there.
With your application you must submit your Training Strategy specifying the training that the grant will support; the strategy must include detail on your company’s training needs, training solutions, time frame for delivery and the costs.
If you need any guidance on making your funding application please contact Sarah Trigg, Film Fund Co-ordinator, on saraht@skillset.org
What’s the deadline?
You can submit your letter to work with Susan Kennedy at any time up until 12pm 30 January 2009.
You can submit your application for funding at any time up until 12pm 30 January 2008. A decision on your funding application will take 8 weeks. Please note that the latest you can apply to deliver a training strategy developed with Susan is 12pm 30 January 2009.
Applications will be assessed and funding decisions made on a rolling basis.
Please note that we cannot accept responsibility for applications that are either late or incomplete and regret that these will be rejected.
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