Several of our members are currently wading their way through the Employment Program of BC (EPBC) request for proposal, either as a potential contractor or a sub-contractor or partner. With the September 21 deadline looming, the end appears in sight! You might have missed another funding opportunity through BC Bid this week from the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Training (AEST) entitled Skills Training for Employment (STE) Program for Young Adults.
Before it's release, Gord Sharpe, A/Director of the Program Design and Delivery Branch for Employment & Training Programs at the Ministry consulted with ASPECT regarding the release date of the Call for Proposal (CFP). There is a tight timeline to secure new contracts in place before the current contracts expire and the bidding process takes time. He tells me that some extensions for current programs are being processed to avoid gaps in service and staff layoffs with service providers.
The abundance of opportunities continues as on September 24 you can expect to see more CFPs from AEST to drop on BC Bid. The CFP released this week already has additional and amended information posted; I encourage you to go directly to the BC Bid website for the latest details.
In the meantime, ASPECT is looking for ways to support our members. There has been some interest in running a proposal-writing workshop early next month. Here's the big question: would you attend a proposal writing workshop in Richmond during the RFP or CFP period, i.e. during the beginning of October?
Please let me know as soon as possible and I'll get something set up. It would likely be part two of what was offered last January and April.