What
is Accel?
Accel is an initiative of the Department of Enterprise,
Trade and Employment and is managed by Skillnets Services
Ltd on its behalf. The programme is funded by the
European Social Fund and the National Training Fund.
What will Accel support?
The Accel programme will support the training of people
in employment (In-Company Training). It aims to give
employers and workers an opportunity to rapidly improve,
realign or revise their current skills base.
Accel will provide support under three headings
- In-Company Training
- Development of training services
- Development grants
Who can apply?
The Accel initiative will be available to support
in-company training activities which are operated
by;
- Employer bodies, Trade unions,
- Business associations,
- Groups of companies,
- Educational and training institutions
acting in partnership with industry
- County Enterprise Boards on behalf
of groups of companies
Funding will not
be provided for proposals from individual companies
How can I avail of an Accel Grant?
The application form can be downloaded from our website
www.acceltraining.com. The closing date for applications
is 5.00pm Wednesday 9th November 2005.
Do ESF rules apply to Accel?
Yes - all Accel income and expenditure is subject
to ESF regulations, however Accel has its own eligibility
requirements and promoters should make themselves
aware of these. See financial guidelines on the website
for more details.
What about cash flow?
Most funding will be available in advance. The following
is the grant payment schedule for Year 1.
- 50% of the first year grant on
signing of the project contract
- 30% of the first year grant on
receipt of half yearly reports
- 20% retention on receipt of annual
report and certified accounts
Details of further payments
will be attached to the funding agreement but will
be in advance and subject to a retention of 20% at
the end of Year
What are the funding rates which apply?
The maximum funding rate for each approved project
depends on the number of large and small companies
in the project. A single funding rate is calculated
for each project based on the mix of companies involved.
Companies with less than 250 employees can attract
a funding rate of up to 75% while companies with greater
than 250 employees can be funded up to 50%.
What help is available from Skillnets Services
Ltd. in completing application forms?
You can call Skillnets Services Ltd. at any time prior
to the deadline. An Accel advisor will assist you
with any areas of the application form or just to
discuss your ideas.
What should I do if I am interested in submitting
an application but have not yet developed a Project
Plan?
Contact Skillnets Services Ltd. and we will advise
you as to the best course of action. You may be advised
to submit a Development Grant application to Accel.
This may involve identifying a facilitator who will
be able to develop your ideas and help you in formulating
a full application.
Are there any restrictions on the type of
companies that can apply?
No there are no restrictions. Private Sector companies
of any size and from any sector are eligible for receipt
of training under Accel.
Are there any restrictions on the type of
activities that can be supported by Accel?
All employee groups and all types of in-company training
and development are eligible for support and will
be considered on their merits and as they relate to
the priority areas of the Accel Initiative.
Is in-company training the only activity which
can be funded by Accel?
Accel can also support the development of training
systems and may also provide development grants to
applicants who are currently not in a position to
make a full application.
Who chooses the types of training and who
provides that training?
The applicant in consultation with the target companies
decides all aspects of the training and the selection
of training providers.
What type of expenditure can be funded from
Accel?
Budgets will usually include the cost of project management
(staff, offices and overheads), Project events (meetings,
seminars, conferences, best practice visits etc),
communications (website, literature, reports, publicity
materials etc) and learning activities (trainer fees,
training materials, evaluators, certification costs
etc).
Do all proposals have to involve companies
from the same sector or industry?
No, proposals can include companies from diverse industries
or sectors. A proposal could involve for example a
group of companies in the same area, or a group of
companies that have a common goal such as training
their staff in electronic commerce. Training needs
can also apply to any specific group within a company
e.g. sales staff, operatives, owner-managers –
or to the company as a whole.
What are the features which a successful proposal
is likely to have?
Projects approved for funding under Accel will have
one, or a number, of the following features:
- High levels of enterprise participation
in the design, development of delivery of training.
- Actions in which the social partners
take the lead.
- Groups of enterprises working collaboratively
(e.g. training networks, clusters or other group
based approaches).
- Actions which will lead to the
development of accreditation for in-company training.
- Actions led by industry/education
partnerships.
- Actions where local enterprise
bodies, local employer and employee groups and enterprise
groups form local training alliances.
When will I know
whether my project application has been successful?
All applicants will be issued letters on or before
December 5th informing you of the outcome of your
application.
How many companies need to be involved in
an application for it to be successful?
Strictly speaking, the minimum would be 2 companies.
However it is more likely that there would be a minimum
of circa 10 companies involved in receiving training,
with no upper limit.
Where can I get more information on Accel?
From our web-site www.acceltraining.com. Other useful
documentation includes
- Accel Call for Proposals
document
- Full Application form
- Guidelines to filling out
the Full Application Form
- Guidelines & Application
Form for Development Grants
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