Agenda item - External Funding Update 2021/2022

[To seek approvals relating to external funding bids] [report to follow]

1. That the Council act as Lead Authority for the following Community Renewal Fund (CRF) bids to deliver key priorities for the city including:

a. iGNITE (innovate, Grow, Navigate, Ideas, Technology, Entrepreneurship) – to support our vital local entrepreneurs, business start-ups and small and mid-sized enterprises (SMEs) around e-commerce skills;

b. Working towards Improved Resource Efficiency and De-carbonisation (WIRED) – to support our city carbon reduction commitment and vital local businesses through a large-scale innovative resource efficiency and energy reduction programme;

c. Wolverhampton Employment and Skills Support for All (WESSA) – to generate more jobs and learning opportunities for local residents, through piloting innovative, targeted approaches to delivering support to get Wolverhampton residents back to work;

d. West Midlands Youth Engagement – to ensure we create more opportunities for our children and young people, through a bid to commission critical research into youth engagement.

2. That the Council act as delivery partner in the West Midlands Cultural Renewal and Creative Skills bid to the Community Renewal Fund, to support the revitalisation of our high streets with key activity around cultural and creative industries.

3. That the Council support other key bids to the Community Renewal Fund that benefit Wolverhampton, including bids led by the voluntary community sector to support enterprise and employability, and the Good Things Foundation to provide intensive support to get people online which is in line with our ambitions around a fully digitally inclusive city.

4. That authority be delegated to the Leader of the Council, in consultation with Director of Strategy and Director of Finance to:

a. Approve acceptance of the grant funding agreements if the projects referred to in recommendation 1 above are successful.

b. Enter into back-to-back agreements with delivery partners if the projects referred to in recommendation 1 above are successful.

c. Approve necessary revenue and if required capital budgets in line with the funding agreement if the projects referred to in recommendation 1 above are successful.

d. Approve the use of the indirect costs element of any CRF grant to cover any additional administrative costs associated with the above funded programmes

e. Approve reimbursement of CRF grant to delivery partners who are awarded CRF.

f. Approve the payment of grants to businesses who are awarded CRF grant for WIRED.

5. That stressing importance of timely decisions from the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, authority be delegated to the Leader of the Council, in consultation with the Director of Strategy and Director of Finance to deal with project adjustments if required.

Councillor Ian Brookfield presented the update report on bids and project change requests for external funding to meet the Council's priorities following the recent submission of bids to the Community Renewal Fund.

Councillor Obaida Ahmed reported that Covid-19 had shown that digital access was essential. The Cabinet was committed to the city being 100% digital and to the Wolverhampton population being 100% able to access digital. That meant supporting them through connectivity, the equipment they need, and the services they need to use the digital services. She hoped that Government was serious about its levelling up agenda and approves the Community Renewal Fund bids.

Resolved: