Purpose

The report will highlight the Year 1 progress
on the North Yorkshire element of the GYNYW Economic Inactivity
Trailblazer programme and propose an outline of the programme for
Year 2.
Approval is required to support acceptance of a grant over
£500,000 in order to deliver the programme.

Decision

Approval has been given to accept recurrent
Year 2 grant funding to support the Get York North Yorkshire
Working Economically Inactive Trailblazer programme. This is
subject to final confirmation of funding amounts and that grant
funding conditions remain acceptable to North Yorkshire
Council.

Reasons for the decision

York and North Yorkshire is one of nine
Combined Authority areas in England and Wales chosen to deliver a
specific, funded Trailblazer pilot programme as a part of the Get
York North Yorkshire Working Delivery Plan. The programme commenced
in 2025/26 as an initial one year £10M funded
opportunity.

The Trailblazer programme aim is to:
• Join up and improve employment, health and skills support
services
• Maximise existing place-based support
• Test new innovative approaches to identify and engage
economically inactive people and employment support that addresses
gaps and specific local needs
• Work with a range of partners
• Support the Government's approach to devolution

A second year of £10M funding for York and North Yorkshire
has been confirmed by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) to
be spent in its entirety within the 2026/27 financial year

Alternative options considered

Not to accept a further allocation of funding.
Due to the part year start, projects are just beginning to build
momentum with participants and businesses. There is still a
considerable amount to learn from developing the projects. Closure
of the programme at this stage would impact participants, the
reputation of all partners organisations and lose investment in the
area designed to reduce inequalities. The programme currently comes
at no cost to the Council.