The merSETA Discretionary Grant Funding Window open unti 31 May 2023
The Manufacturing, Engineering and Related Services Sector Education and Training Authority (merSETA) invites relevant stakeholders to apply for discretionary grants for the 2023/24 financial year (1st Funding Window). The first funding window aims to invite applications to address national and sector needs for the initiatives below listed:
1. Skills development programmes through partnerships with levy-paying and non-levy-paying employers/companies to address Occupations in Demand PIVOTAL List/occupational shortages/skills gaps as identified in the merSETA Sector Skills Plan (SSP), Annual Performance Plan.
2. Skills development programmes for Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan (ERRP) skills and occupations as identified in the Annual Performance Plan. Please refer to merSETA website (www.merseta.org.za) for SSP 2023-24 (i.e., Occupational Shortages and Skills Gap in the Sector (pp. 39 – 42) and merSETA Priority Skills List (pp 49) inclusive of those for merSETA chambers/sub-sectors and the ERRP.
3. Candidacy programmes for engineering graduates registered to acquire professional registration.
4. Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and Higher Education Institution (HEI) Work Integrated Learning (WIL) programmes to facilitate/support TVET and HEI students acquire national qualifications.
5. Cooperative enterprise development programmes for both (manufacturing, engineering, and related services) mer occupations in demand and supporting business/organisation develop skills.
6. Skills development for trade union membership.
7. Development of Black leadership and management skills/capacity, with particular emphasis on females within the merSETA industries.
8. Skills development for Black Industrialists contributing to growth, investment, exports and employment.
9. Retrenchment assistance programmes for workers retrenched from merSETA companies.
10. Skills development for township and rural small and micro enterprises offering mer services and products.
11. Green skills development programmes for mer sector.
12. Entrepreneurship training for youth to support self-employment within merSETA sector industries.
13. Skills development programmes for people with disability for occupations in demand and skills gaps as identified in the merSETA Sector Skills Plan (SSP) and Annual Performance Plan (APP). 14. CET and TVET College Lecturers exposed to the industry through skills programmes.
15. CET and TVET College funded for merSETA occupational programmes, equipment and workshop infrastructure. \
16. Bursaries for employed and unemployed learners entering, continuing and completing studies. 17. Programme / qualification development projects for transforming/emerging/new occupations in demand.
18. Programmes in advancing community sustainably, addressing social issues, and adhering to merSETA's values and strategic objectives.
19. merSETA Chamber initiated research or innovation projects.
20. TVET Research and innovation for engineering related domains. In addition, preference will be given to applications from the following stakeholder groups:
Who can apply?
a) merSETA levy-paying and non-levy-paying employers.
b) CBOs/NGOs/NPOs.
c) Cooperatives operating within the mer sector.
d) Trade Unions.
e) Industry Associations
f) Higher Education Institutions.
g) TVET/ CET Colleges.
h) Research Organisations.
i) Skills Development Providers.
j) Organisations with a strong social dimension aligned to the merSETA values and strategic objectives.
k) Career development practitioners and all those involved in the field of career development and those that assist learners to connect with a career.
Mandatory compliance documents: • Proof of company registration. • Valid Certificate Tax Clearance – must not have expired. • Valid B-BBEE Certificate or a sworn B-BBEE affidavit, where applicable. Failure to submit any of the above-listed documents will result in the disqualification of the application. New Applicants must provide proof of/track record of education & training/ skills development capacity to deliver learning programme/s for which application addresses.
How to Apply? a) All applications must be submitted through NSDMS via the Projects Portal Platform https://nsdms.merseta.org.za/
b) The funding window opens on 05 April 2023 and closes on 31 May 2023.
c) merSETA reserves the right to request supplementary information where applicable, and applicants will be given 7 working days to submit the information or address any queries that merSETA may have concerning the applications submitted. Failure to submit the supplementary information within the stipulated timeframe would lead to disqualification of that application.
d) The due date for submission will not be extended, and any late or incomplete application will not be considered.
e) No email applications will be accepted.