Decision details

DWP have Granted GMCA £10m to fund two trailblazer projects; the first being a Youth Guarantee Project and the second is an Economic Inactivity Trailblazer. £8,502,887 of the £10m available funding has been allocated to the 10 Economic Inactivity Trailblazer Grants detailed in this report.
The aims of the Economic Inactivity Trailblazer Grants are to test new ways of working with economically inactive residents to move them closer to or into the job market, and also to provide a comprehensive evaluation to test new ways of working to inform DWP for future funding models.
The Economic Inactivity Trailblazer Grants will support the GM Local Authorities to deliver provision to the economically inactive that aligns with local requirements and services already available in their own localities. ‘Economic inactivity’ refers to people who are aged between 16-64 and who:
a. are not in employment;
b. have not sought work in the last four weeks; and/or
c. are not available to start work in the next two weeks.

The Local Authorities will work with VCFSE organisations to test new models alongside enhancing the key worker model in locally based centres to build community links.

Each of the Local Authorities will work towards securing the following outcomes:
1. Number of people sustaining engagement with keyworker support and additional services.
2. Number of people with Life skills following support.
3. Number of people with basic skills following support.
4. Number of people in employment, including self-employment, following support .
5. Gaining qualifications, licences and skills.
6. Number of people with ESOL qualification.
7. Reduced Social Isolation – connectivity with their community.
8. Reduced structural barriers into employment and into skills provision.
9. Increased employability through development of interpersonal skills.
10. Number of people in volunteering/work opportunities.

Grant Allocation
All GM Local Authorities were asked to complete a proposal outlining their delivery model, outcomes, who will be delivering the service, where the activity will be delivered, and spend profile.

The GMCA programme team assessed the responses to ensure that the responses delivered to the Trailblazer objectives and outcomes.

The entire programme allocation of £8,502,877 will be distributed across the 10 Local Authorities by taking account of economically inactive resident numbers that were included in the latest Annual Population Survey (with the removal of students and retired residents). Overall, the grants will support 4554 residents. The allocations and participant targets are as follows:

Local Authority Allocation Starts
Bolton £1,141,576 200
Bury £664,242 80
Manchester £1,771,313 800
Oldham £566,475 834
Rochdale £537,720 285
Salford £799,391 380
Stockport £762,009 430
Tameside £623,985 450
Trafford £402,571 575
Wigan £1,233,595 520
Total £8,502,877 4,554

The activities under this grant funding must be delivered in the period 1st April 2025 – 31st March 2026.

That, following a grant process, to award grants to the ten Greater Manchester Local Authorities to deliver engagement activities to economically inactive residents to move them either closer to the job market or into employment. The grants have a total value of £8,502,887 and are to be delivered between 1st April 2025 and 31st March 2026.

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