European Structural and Investment Funds : Future of Structural Funds in England

Ingrid Gardiner

ESF Effectiveness Manager

Ingrid.gardiner@ncvo-vol.org.uk

European Funding Network

European Structural and Investment Funds

Introduction to the European Structural and Investment Funds

•The Structural and Cohesion Funds are the European Union’s main funding programmes for reducing social and economic disparities across the EU. In England, these funds comprise the:•European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) which supports research, innovation, business development and infrastructure investment •European Social Fund (ESF) which supports training, enhancing access to employment and social inclusion.•It will also include part of the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD), and will be aligned with the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF). This funding should begin to come on stream in mid-2014.

European Structural and Investment Funds

2007-2013 ProgrammeDWP’s European Social Fund Division (ESFD) is the Managing Authority of the ESF Programme in England and funding is ‘matched’ with UK Government funding. You can also access ESF through one of the Co-financing organisations, including NOMS, and Skills Funding Agency, Department for Work and Pensions More information on the European Social Fund in England is available at www.dwp.gov.uk/esf. For information on ESF and civil society, please go to our dedicated European Funding Network website.

Above opportunities tendered through PQQ and ITT

Community Grants through Grant Co-ordinating Bodies

e.g. The Consultancy Home Counties Limited, Surrey Community Action and WEA

 

Proposed Delivery Arrangements

European Structural and Investment Funds

• To re-cap, LEPs are responsible for:

• coming up with an investment strategy for spending their allocation

• finding projects to deliver that strategy, using a mixture of commissioning, bidding and co-financing as best meets local need

• finding match funding for those projects • ensuring those projects deliver their targets • making sure their allocations are spent on time • monitoring how well they are delivering against their strategies and

the programme priorities

Civil Society and LEPs

• Engagement with all stakeholders

• Building meaningful strategic relationships

• Help deliver social inclusion (20%!)

• That is not the only offer – civil society sector comes in many different forms – CICs, social enterprises, mutuals and trade unions

Local focus new opportunities?

• Match funding for the sector (e.g. Big Lottery Fund) to complement Growth Programme

• Community Led Local Development

• Community Grants• Social innovation, social

inclusion, social investment, technical assistance and capacity building

Local focus new opportunities?• What is CLLD?• Modelled on previous Leader approaches (RDPE)• An optional tool for territorial development• Focussed on sub-regional areas (10-150,000

population)• Driven by local communities• Multi-sectoral (public, private and civil society)• Integrated approach single or multi-fund options

possible e.g. ESF + ERDF; Leader + ESF + ERDF; EMFF + ESF etc.

Tasks of LAGs

• Local Action Groups (LAGs) select accountable body

• Build capacity• Draw up selection criteria• Call for proposals• Selection• Monitoring and evaluation

Why should LEPs consider CLLD

• Local communities and business in control of needs of local area and preferred solutions

• Opportunity for small scale localised and micro-interventions• Interventions complementary to LEP investment strategies• Builds the capacity of communities to act & work in

partnership to respond to economic, social and environmental challenges

• Based on co-responsibility and ownership• Networking and cooperation activities• Strong focus on innovation• Long term investment• Benefits of investment stay in community• Concentrated on areas of need

Timetable

Domestic timetableSpring 2013 – Guidance to LEPs on EU Investment Strategies issued;UK Partnership Agreement out to formal consultation

June 2013 – Final Guidance issued to LEPs

September 2013 – Investment Strategies to BIS

Partners encouraged to link up with LEPs NOW to develop ‘transformational’ projects.

Questions?

Thank you and remember that this is an opportunity for you…http://www.europeanfundingnetwork.euThank you!