UK Shared Prosperity Fund: Northern Ireland project information
Published 22 July 2024
Applies to Northern Ireland
© Crown copyright 2024
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Detailed below is a list of the contact information and project summaries on the projects who successfully received UKSPF funding from April 2023 to March 2025.
1. UKSPF: Northern Ireland - Economic Inactivity Projects
Project name: Belfast Works Connect
Contact name: Rosemary McCusker
Contact details: 028 90236670 ext 224
Website: www.belfastworksconnect.com
Project locations: Belfast, Antrim & Newtownabbey, Lisburn & Castlereagh, Ards & North Down, Mid & East Antrim
Project summary: Belfast Works Connect is an innovative employability project aimed at supporting individuals who face challenges to employment. The project is led by Upper Springfield Development Trust (West) and incudes area-based partnership consisting of 4 charitable community organisations based throughout the Greater Belfast area including, Ashton Community Trust (North), East Belfast Mission (East), GEMSNI (South), Impact Training, Job Assist (Shankill).
Project Name: Work It Out
Contact name: Cathy Norris
Contact details: c.norris@people-1st.co.uk / 07786272022
Website: https://people-1st.co.uk/
Project locations: Northern Ireland wide
Project summary: Work it out provides bespoke mentor support for economically inactive people, providing support that includes providing job search, employment support, reducing barriers to learning and widening opportunities.
Project name: Empower
Contact name: David Cowan
Contact details: dcowan@usel.co.uk
Website: www.usel.co.uk/
Project location: Northern Ireland wide
Project summary: Empower is an exciting new employment programme for individuals who are not employed and have a disability, health condition and those who identify as autistic or neurodivergent. Empower offers support to help individuals, gain qualifications, search for work, gain work experience, build self-confidence, complete job applications, and help individuals stay in work.
Project name: Women Breaking Barriers (Scaling up Women’s Education, Training and Employment Skills)
Contact name: Anne Mc Vicker
Contact details: anne.mcvicker@wrda.net / 028 9023 0212
Website: www.womenbreakingbarriersni.com
Project location: Northern Ireland wide
Project summary: Women Breaking Barriers, engage women in training and skills development through an employment support programme, that includes intensive wrap-around support and programmes in improving wellbeing. It is delivered by a consortium of women’s organisations including Women’s Resource and Development Agency (lead partner), Northern Ireland Rural Women’s Network, Women’s Support Network.
Project name: PROSPER (People, Resilience, Opportunities, Success, Participation, Employment and Results)
Contact name: Norman Sterritt
Contact details: Norman.sterritt@trianglehousing.org.uk / Tel: 07703436730
Website: https://www.trianglehousing.org.uk/prosper
Project locations: Antrim & Newtownabbey, Belfast, Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon, Causeway Coast & Glens, Lisburn & Castlereagh Mid & East Antrim, Mid Ulster, Newry, Mourne & Down, Ards & North Down
Project summary: The PROSPER Consortium provides wrap-around support for economically inactive people, including those with disabilities, neurodiversity, autism and/or mental health issues to move towards sustained employment. Taking an individualised approach, this project supports individuals to achieve, employment/career progression, numeracy and financial literacy, accredited qualifications.
Project name: Maximise Employment
Contact name: Stuart Green/Rachael Whan
Contact details: Stuart.green@brysonenergy.org / rachael.whan@brysonenergy.org / 07976 722197/07803 833374
Website: Facebook
Project location: Northern Ireland wide
Project summary: Maximise Employment is an Employability Project that seeks to help people aged between 16 to 64 and who are economically inactive back into employment. This service is available in all areas of Northern Ireland, they aim to empower people and give them the tools and practical support to enable them to enter the labour market.
Project name: Building Futures
Contact name: Helen Kerr
Contact details: Helen.kerr@womenstec.org / 02890 749810
Website: https://www.womenstec.org/building-futures
Project locations: Belfast, Newry, Mourne & Down
Project summary: The Building Futures Programme is a partnership between WOMEN’STEC, Bolster Community and Women in Business NI. The aim of the Building Futures Programme is to support women furthest away from the labour market in accessing skills and support to work towards sustainable employment or self-employment.
The programme provides a range of free courses as well as optional mentoring sessions to women. Small bursaries are also available for other courses that might assist in working towards employment.
Project name: YouthStart Consortium Project
Contact name: Clare Conlon
Contact details: clare@youthaction.org / 02890240551
Website: https://www.youthaction.org
Project location: Northern Ireland wide
Project summary: The YouthStart consortium project is a 7-partner regional youth employability project, targeting economically inactive young people aged 16 -30 years. The consortium of 7 leading youth work organisations (YouthAction NI (lead,) Include Youth, Springboard Opportunities, Prince’s Trust, Start360, Northern Ireland Youth Forum, BYTES,) we use a youth work approach to build young people’s skills for life, learning and work. Delivering from our regional bases and sites across Northern Ireland, the project will, engage and support economically inactive young people from across the 11 Councils and help them gain employment and into further training/education.
Project name: Triax Success Northwest
Contact name: Conor Heaney
Contact details: conor@successnw.com
Project locations: Derry City & Strabane
Project summary: Success Northwest supports the economically inactive in the Derry and Strabane Council area. Working through eight Partner Hubs who are based within the communities through-out the Council area, we have a team of highly experienced and motivated Employment and Mentoring Officers who support the economically inactive across the Derry and Strabane area.
Project name: Niacro SkillSET
Contact name: Patrick Anderson
Contact details; Patrick.anderson@niacro.co.uk
Website: www.Niacro.co.uk
Project location: Northern Ireland wide
Project summary: SkillSET is a project that aims to provide employment for those with convictions. SkillSET Project Workers will work alongside participants on their journey towards employment, empowerment, and independence as they prepare for release from prison or continue their rehabilitation in the community after receiving a conviction. SkillSET supports those who would like support with employment or support to pursue vocational training and employment in areas such as construction, hospitality, leisure and tourism and warehousing.
Project Name: Exploring Self-Employment and Enterprise Skills Together (Explore Enterprise)
Contact name: Shirelle McIvor
Contact details: shirelle.mcivor@enterpriseni.com / 02877763555
Project location: Northern Ireland wide
Project summary: Explore Enterprise provides self-employment / employment support to economically inactive individuals aged 16+ throughout Northern Ireland. It provides an insight into starting a business or allows participants to take the first steps to gaining employment. Participants can develop a range of skills (interpersonal, enterprise and employability) through the provision of personalised one-to-one support tailored to the individual’s specific needs. We offer mentoring support, workshops and help people gain qualifications.
Project name: Employ Me
Contact name: Sinead McKinley
Contact details: mckinleys@src.ac.uk / 02830259669
Website: www.src.ac.uk
Project locations: Newry Mourne and down and Armagh, Banbridge, Craigavon District council areas.
Project summary: ‘Employ Me’ is an employability project providing training, employment and wraparound support for economically inactive people aged 16+, our aim is to reduce job related barriers, develop skills, achieve qualifications, enhance employability and quality of life with a view to progressing to employment / self-employment.
Project name: Rural Economic Accelerator Programme (REAP)
Contact name: David Taylor
Contact details: David.Taylor@swc.ac.uk / 028 8225 0109
Website: https://swc.ac.uk/courses/social-inclusion/the-rural-economic-accelerator-programme
Project locations: Fermanagh & Omagh, Mid Ulster
Project summary: REAP is a project involving the Southwest College (SWC), Fermanagh and Omagh District Council (FODC), First Step Women’s Centre (FSWC) and South Tyrone Empowerment Programme (STEP). We are helping to improve the knowledge and skills of the economically inactive in Fermanagh and Omagh District Council area, in a way which benefits their lives, as well as the regional economy. REAP supports the following target groups- young people aged from 16- 24, women, 50+, people with a disability and health conditions and ethnic minorities.
Project name: Moving Forward Moving On
Contact name: Catriona Clifford
Contact details: catriona.clifford@extern.org 07436831556
Website: www.extern.org
Project locations: Belfast, Antrim & Newtownabbey
Project summary: Extern’s ‘Moving Forward, Moving On’ project works with people who are not in education, training, or employment and/or have a history of offending behaviour, and provides support as well as the appropriate tools they need to make a successful start in the world. Working throughout the greater Belfast area, the mentoring support service works with people from across the city, including those who may have previously been through alternative education projects.
Project name: SkillSET
Contact name: Audrey Allen
Contact details: aallen@amh.org.uk / Tel No 02890828494
Website: www.skillsetni.org
Project location: Northern Ireland wide
Project summary: SkillSET is an innovative project providing specialised employment preparation and training for targeted groups across Northern Ireland, particularly those with disabilities and/or health conditions. SkillSET is a collaboration between seven voluntary sector regional and national disability organisations, all of which have extensive experience in supporting economically inactive individuals to secure sustainable employment. SkillSET delivers specialised support to individuals with disabilities and/or health conditions who face multiple barriers to employment and are farthest from the job market.
Project name: Migrant Access Programme (MAP)
Contact name: Maretta Nicolson
Contact details: m.nicolson@people-1st.co.uk
Website: Migrant Access Programme - People 1st (people-1st.co.uk)
Project locations: Armagh, Banbridge & Craigavon, Lisburn & Castlereagh, Newry, Mourne & Down
Project summary: Migrant Access Programme is aimed at legally resident migrant and ethnic minority participants who are Economically Inactive and experiencing barriers to participation and employment because of language difficulties, lack of training or social exclusion, we provide mentor support that will meet their individual needs by job search, employment support, ESOL classes, employability focused conversation classes, motivation/confidence building, access to employability and cultural awareness workshops, interpreter services and referral support to appropriate support agencies.
Project name: GROW Partnership ((Growth, Resilience, Opportunities and Work)
Contact name: Alex McKee - Network Personnel
Contact details: info@networkpersonnel.org.uk / 028 7963 1032
Website: https://networkpersonnel.org.uk/
Project locations: Antrim & Newtownabbey, Causeway Coast & Glens, Derry & Strabane, Fermanagh & Omagh, Mid & East Antrim, Mid Ulster
Project summary: GROW’ (Growth, Resilience, Opportunities & Work) Partnership supports ‘economically inactive’ people to increase their confidence & skill levels to secure sustainable employment/self-employment. GROW is a ‘one-stop-shop’ addressing health, wellbeing & other barriers to work with small steps, rather than daunting ‘fast-track’ approaches.
GROW provides bespoke support to - 50+, Disabled/health conditions, Women, Ethnic minorities, young people, People with multiple complex needs.
Project name: YouthStart
Contact name: Catherine Vaughan
Contact details: youth@springvalelearning.com
Website: https://www.springvalelearning.com
Project location: Belfast
Project summary: YouthStart operates across the Belfast City Council area, working with young people aged 16-24 years old to support them gain employment. The project is delivered across four phases:
- Personal Development – reducing barriers, teambuilding, mental health & wellbeing workshops.
- Training – qualifications in Numeracy, ICT and Employability.
- Employment Academy – industry training and qualifications, site visits and guest speakers.
- Work Placement – four-week work experience in chosen industry.
2. UKSPF: Northern Ireland - Supporting local businesses projects
Project name: Go Succeed
Contact name: Cathy Keenan
Contact details: 08000270639
Website: www.go-succeed.com
Project location: Northern Ireland wide
Project summary: Go Succeed is the new business support service from local councils in Northern Ireland that can help businesses to start, grow, or scale a business. Whether you’re a budding entrepreneur just starting out, are looking to grow your business, or are planning to scale up, Go Succeed industry experts will provide tailored support and guidance to help you achieve your business goals.
Go Succeed has 3 stages to support businesses or entrepreneurs who are at various stages of their developmental journey.
- Support to start
- Support to grow
- Support to scale
3. UKSPF: Northern Ireland - Manufacturing, innovation, Green Growth and sector support
Project name: Invest NI
Contact name: Dr Lisa Braniff
Contact details: lisa.braniff@investni.com / 02890698594
Website: https://www.investni.com/
Project summary: Invest Northern Ireland is leading a project, totalling 16 different elements targeting support for research and development and growth support for business owners in Northern Ireland.
Invest NI will provide advice, grants, and leadership training to manufacturing businesses to adopt industrial digital technology solutions, as well as increasing investment in R&D and the diffusion of innovation knowledge and activities, through measures such as Knowledge Transfer Partnerships and Innovation Vouchers and grants. In addition, Invest NI will help businesses to sustain, grow and innovate, through networking, provide consultancy on energy and resource efficiency, a resource matching service to re-use commercial byproducts, and capital grants.
4. UKSPF: Northern Ireland - Multiply
Project name: Department for the Economy
Contact name: Raymond Kelly
Contact details: Raymond.Kelly@economy-ni.gov.uk / 028 9025 7805 (ext: 57805)
Website: https://www.economy-ni.gov.uk/
Project summary: Multiply aims to address the chronic numeracy deficit among adults here by providing accessible, and practical numeracy courses and support. By empowering individuals with numeracy skills, this project aims to help Northern Ireland become a more numerate society, the Department for the Economy will utilise a range of numeracy initiatives, through local government, further and higher education, in partnership with the community and voluntary sector.