European Structural Funds in South Yorkshire 2000-2008...December 2008 European Structural Funds in...

European Structural Fundsin South Yorkshire2000-2008Objective 1 Programme - Transforming South Yorkshire

European Structural Funds in South Yorkshire 2000-2008Written by Rebecca Fenoughty and Richard HolmesDesigned and produced by Neo Design and Marketing Ltd

European Structural Funds in South Yorkshire

2000-2008

Government Office for Yorkshire and The Humber

Lateral8 City Walk

LeedsLS11 9AT

December 2008

European Structural Funds in South Yorkshire 2000-2008

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Contents

Contents

Preface 2Introduction 3

Supporting Capital Build and Infrastructure Renewal 8Investing in urban renewal 10Increasing the volume and quality of premises to accommodate business growth 12Investing in transport infrastructure to reduce constraints on economic growth 14

Supporting Business Growth and Enterprise 16Supporting new businesses to start 18Providing ambitious businesses with access to finance 20Transforming the economy: promoting the development of high growth business clusters 22Research & Development & Innovation:

commercialising research, connecting SMEs with knowledge and technology 24Maximising the business impact of ICT 26Investing to attract new businesses to the region 27Supporting businesses to modernise and grow 28Supporting new approaches to the market at home and abroad 30Developing tourism potential 32Investing in rural business growth 34

Supporting Education, Training and Skills 36Investing in workforce development 38Investing in community-based training 39Investing in life-long learning 40Investing in e-learning 42Supporting the 14-19 agenda: preparing young people for work 43Addressing gender imbalances 44Tackling disadvantage in the labour market 45Developing the social economy 46Helping people back to work 47

Supporting Community Based Regeneration 48Increasing community capacity to participate in regeneration 50Support for community groups and partnerships 51Investing in community cohesion 52Investing in local community development 53Supporting communities and parishes in rural areas 54Connecting disadvantaged communities with economic opportunities 55

Objective 1 Programme Achievements 56Acknowledgements 58


Preface

Felicity Everiss, Regional DirectorGovernment Office for Yorkshire and The HumberAnd Chair of Programme Monitoring Committee

Welcome to this review of the Objective 1 Programme covering the verywide range of activity that has been supported in South Yorkshire withthe European Structural Funds.

European funding has invested significant amounts of money in SouthYorkshire to develop business prospects, improve communities andincrease opportunities for people. In fact, over £2.4 billion overall hasbeen invested in Objective 1 projects with over £820 million from theEuropean Union’s Structural Funds budgets to support South Yorkshire’seconomic transformation since 2000.

The Government Office works with partners at regional and local levelto support strategic change and improvements in performance. We workwith Departments to add further value to policy making andimplementation by bringing the region’s unique perspective to bear.Delivering major regeneration programmes, like European programmes,is a challenging task and one that requires the full involvement of ourpartners.

This has been our ethos in managing the Objective 1 programme andthe impact it has made provides a clear indication that this approachhas delivered real benefits for the region. We could not have done itwithout you. The programme’s achievements will continue to influence the region’s economicprospects for years to come and provide the real legacy for our combined efforts.

Since the Government established Government Offices in the English Regions in the 1990smanaging European Programmes has been a key task. As responsibility for managing the region’sEuropean programmes in future is passed to others, I would like to record my thanks to all theindividuals and organisations who have worked so hard with us to deliver this 2000 - 2008programme.

Felicity Everiss

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Introduction

Cohesion Policy and Structural FundsEuropean Funds seek to reduce the inequalities in economicdevelopment that exist within and between Member States. Workingin partnership with Member States, the European Union works to builda more stable, prosperous and peaceful Europe.

Structural Funds are major operational instruments to deliver theUnion’s cohesion policy. As the Union has grown from 15 to 27 MemberStates the need to raise standards and increase integration hasbecome of growing importance.

FourFunds: Three ObjectivesThere are four separate funds, each pursues different goals:European Regional Development Fund (ERDF): Invests to reduceeconomic and social inequalities through increasing competitiveness andsustainable development.

European Social Fund (ESF): Invests to stimulate job creation, provideassistance for vocational training, targeted at women, young people andsocially disadvantaged groups.

European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF):Invests in rural development, rural communities, agriculturaldiversification, as well as preserving and improving the rural environmentand heritage.

Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance (FIFG): Invests to supportdevelopment of the fisheries sector.

The South Yorkshire Objective 1 Programme has drawn resources fromERDF, ESF and EAGGF during the 2000-2008 programming period.Structural Funds were allocated to regions through three priorityobjectives that reflect their economic performance and need forsupport.

Objective 1: promoting the development and structural adjustment ofthe poorest regions whose economies lag behind and achieve less than75% of the European average per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP)– a measure of wealthObjective 2: providing support for regions with economies laggingbehind outside the Objective 1 areasObjective 3: brings together measures dealing with human resources outside Objective 1 areas

Between 2000 and 2006 the European Union allocated approximately €195bn (around £132bn) in Structural Funds, almost 70% ofwhich targeted Objective 1 areas across Europe. South Yorkshire was designated Objective 1 between 2000 and 2006.

Introduction


Objective 1 Programme South Yorkshire

This programme operated across the local authority areas of Sheffield,Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham. It received resources from threefunds: ERDF: €833,147,000; ESF: €365,292,000; EAGGF: €23,050,000totalling €1,221,489,000.

The £820 million of European money was matched by a similar amountfrom UK public expenditure and was planned to attract £400 million ofprivate sector leverage. In fact, it attracted considerably more privatesector money and this has lead to a programme total of approximately£2.4bn being invested in South Yorkshire’s regeneration.

It should be noted that European programmes receive funding as euros.Amounts are converted to sterling when drawn down at the exchangerate that is current at the time. Therefore, programme values alwaysappear as approximate values when quoted in sterling.

The ProgrammeThe South Yorkshire programme aimed to increase wealth and its strategy was developed around delivering its vision:

“To build a balanced, diverse and sustainable high growth economy in South Yorkshire,recognised as a growing European centre for high technology manufacturing andknowledge-based services, and offering opportunities for the whole community.”

Its detailed strategy consisted of action to support 33 individual measures grouped into six priorities:

Priority 1: Stimulating the emergence of new growth and high technology sectorsPriority 2: Modernising businesses through enhancing competitiveness and innovationPriority 3: Building a world leading learning region

which promotes equity, employment andsocial inclusion

Priority 4: Developing economic opportunities intargeted communities

Priority 5: Supporting business investment throughstrategic spatial development

Priority 6: Providing the foundations for a successfulprogramme through addressing transportconstraints on economic development andaccess to finance for SMEs

Servicemark Gold The Objective 1 Programme Directorate demonstrated itscommitment to customer service by being the first organisation inSouth Yorkshire to achieve Gold in Servicemark UK’s NationalCustomer Standard in 2006.

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Introduction

Horizontal Priorities

The Objective 1 Programme was underpinned by four horizontal prioritiesor cross cutting themes. They were:• Creativity, Innovation and Technology• Employment and Skills• Environmental Good Practice• Social Inclusion and Diversity (includes gender mainstreaming)

Embedding the themes in project activity helped create a sustainableeconomy and communities and managed the environment and itsresources appropriately.

Successful integration produced strategies and projects that balancedeconomic, social and environmental objectives, so that everybody couldparticipate in South Yorkshire’s regeneration ensuring a better qualityof life for all with all areas of the Programme influenced to deliver, inpractical terms, contributions to the themes.

As a result of the recommendations made at the Mid-Term Evaluation,the Objective 1 Programme aligned its themes with those of the RegionalDevelopment Agency, Yorkshire Forward, as stated in their RegionalEconomic Strategy (RES) to help continuity of understanding and effortnow and in the future.

• Creativity, Innovation and Technology aimed to ensure that theeconomic and social benefits arising from new and existingInformation and Communications Technology (ICT) were maximisedand available to all businesses, communities and individualsthroughout South Yorkshire.

• Employment and Skills aimed to maximise opportunities for peopleto access sustainable employment by removing barriers to work anddeveloping the skills required by employers.

• Social Inclusion and Diversity theme had three strands: socialinclusion, diversity/equalities and gender mainstreaming. The themeaimed to achieve growth with equality by ensuring that all peoplefrom every background and area were able to benefit from,participate in and contribute to the economic regeneration of SouthYorkshire. The gender mainstreaming strand aimed to achieveprogress in men and women attaining equal access and drawingequal benefit from the Programme.

• Environmental Good Practice aimed to ensure that economicdevelopment in South Yorkshire incorporates environmental goodpractice, recognising the opportunity to create economic strength andcompetitive advantage through good environmental quality, practicesand performance.

Moorgate Crofts This building project by Rotherham MBCwas built to the highest environmentalsustainability criteria and included a greenroof (pictured) and subterranean heatpumps. The building houses an incubationcentre for creative and digital industrystart-up companies.

Women in Non Traditional Trades Measure 15 used ESF to support women’slearning of trade skills where they aretraditionally under represented in the workforce such as construction and vehiclemaintenance.


Delivered through PartnershipWorking in partnership has been a fundamental cornerstone of the way in which theObjective 1 programme in South Yorkshire has been managed. It has been developed andmanaged by many individuals working for or on behalf of many different organisations.

The programme represents a close collaboration between the European Commission andthe UK Government working in partnership with organisations with a role or an interest inthe regeneration and economic development of South Yorkshire. The programme has beenmanaged by the Government Office for Yorkshire and The Humber working with thesponsoring Government departments. Regional partners have included the regionaldevelopment agency, Yorkshire Forward, local authorities, statutory agencies, businessesand business organisations, trades unions and voluntary and community sector organisationsrepresenting the interests of local communities and communities of interest.

Programme ManagementThe Objective 1 Programme was overseen by a Programme Monitoring Committee whosemembers represent the relevant constituents. Day to day management was undertaken bythe Government Office for Yorkshire and The Humber’s Objective 1 Programme Directoratein Wath upon Dearne.

Intermediate bodies with specific expertise were established to manage selected parts ofprogramme activity. Manor and Castle Development Trust managed contracts issued throughMeasure 23 for Integrated Development Plans in former steel and coalfield communities,Sheffield City Council managed some contracts under Priority 4 with community groups inthe city, Yorkshire Rural Community Council managed rural development contracts underMeasure 24, LANTRA managed contracts under Measure 26 for rural skills and the SouthYorkshire Forest Partnership managed activity to develop forestry funded through Measure25. Renaissance South Yorkshire managed a specific Action Plan for spatial development thatdrew resources from both Measure 27 and Measure 29.

Match FundingEuropean funds need to be matched by a similar amount from the public purse in order tobe used. This match occurs at a programme level and the decision on individual amountsrequired by each project is taken by the programme’s managers to ensure that theprogramme match is achieved. This funding, known in European jargon as “match funding”usually has to be sourced by the applicant from available public funding streams providedby local or national government.

In some specific parts of the programme (those drawing on ESF and EAGGF funds) thefunding has been matched at source. This means that the applicant makes a singleapplication for both EU and national resources simplifying procedure and reducingbureaucracy. The Learning and Skills Council and Jobcentre Plus have both managed co-financed arrangements to fund activity using ESF while Defra has co-financed activity fundedthrough EAGGF.

Introduction

In contrast to earlier European Programmes, the South Yorkshire Objective1 Programme adopted an approach to programming based on commissioningprojects to deliver its strategy, with only very limited use of bidding rounds.Commissioning favoured pan-South Yorkshire projects with projects beingdeveloped by many local organisations, working together in partnership, todeliver activity across the whole sub-region.

Large scale co-financing with public sector partners to pre-match theEuropean funds made a significant impact. This approach was pioneered inSouth Yorkshire and subsequently adopted in other regions. It wasparticularly important for skills and training, with the Learning and SkillsCouncil South Yorkshire, addressing issues in the worklessness agenda withJobcentre Plus and support for rural enterprise, agricultural diversification,forestry and rural skills with the Department for the Environment, Food andRural Affairs. This co-financing approach has streamlined applicationprocesses and reduced bureaucracy.

When the programme’s strategy was being negotiated with the EuropeanCommission, local partners convinced the Commission that South Yorkshireneeded to address deep-rooted educational issues to avoid furthergenerations being trapped by low skills and aspirations. The Commissionagreed to South Yorkshire’s proposals to target 14-19 year olds’ educationwith specific investment to address work readiness, vocational training, loweducational attainment and aspiration.

Major investments from the European Social Fund in Measure 12 havesupported vocational education and key skills for work, while the awardwinning South Yorkshire investment in e-learning, utilising resources fromboth the European Social Fund and the European Regional DevelopmentFund, has revolutionised curriculum delivery and made a significantcontribution to the South Yorkshire’s improving educational attainment.Combined, these developments have given South Yorkshire a leading role inthe national development of the policy agenda on education for 14-19 yearolds.

Working closely with Yorkshire Forward, the Regional Development Agency,the Objective 1 Programme developed joint appraisals for jointly fundedprojects and also working with the RDA, the programme led development ofan investment planning approach in use of single pot (RDA) resources.

Interreg: S3-Sharing Solutions in Structural FundsInterreg is an ERDF funded initiative that seeks to promote interregional andinternational cooperation. Between 2004 and 2006 the Objective 1Directorate participated in S3-Sharing Solutions in Structural Funds, a projectfunded through Interreg IIIc, to exchange and analyse good practice inmanaging Structural Funds. The project partnership comprised 14 regionsfrom 9 countries and had a budget of €1,273,672 of which €797,082 wasERDF. The programme was one of four regions that took a lead in managingactivity; its particular contribution was to organise a series of study visits.

Barcelona Study Tour Study tours were undertaken as part of theS3 Interreg project to share best practice inmanaging Structural Fund programmesacross Europe. The Barcelona tourhighlighted support for commercialisationof scientific research

Objective 1 Programme operatedthroughout the whole of South Yorkshire

Innovative Approach in South Yorkshire

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Park Square A business park development bySpire (Sheffield) Ltd located closeto Junction 35a of the M1 inChapeltown, north of Sheffield

Supporting Capital Build andInfrastructure Renewal


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Supporting Capital Build and Infrastructure Renewal

When the South Yorkshire Objective 1 Programme was being developed, it was recognised that urban renaissance would drive theregeneration of the South Yorkshire economy forward. The Programme committed £70 million from Europe to help revitalise thecentres of Sheffield, Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham through targeted investments in sites, new buildings and the refurbishmentof existing property. Investing in urban centres delivers benefits for the whole economy by maximising the use and value derivedfrom existing resources and infrastructures, by utilising the good transport provision that is already in place, and by helping thecentres to develop their potential as nodes of employment growth, now and in the future.

Introduction

Phoenix Riverside£3.8m ERDF has been invested in the £11million Phoenix Riverside office park inRotherham. The six acre site is home to70,000 sq ft of high specification officespace in nine, two-storey buildings beingdeveloped by St Pauls’ Developments, at thegateway to Rotherham town centre inTempleborough.

Genesis Rotherham Genesis is a business park in Rotherham’sTempleborough district. Previously home tomany steel works, Templeborough is beingtransformed by over £23m of ERDF fundingfor new business premises.

Doncaster Town Moor £1m ERDF has been invested in Doncaster’s TownMoor racecourse, home to Britain’s oldest Classic,the St Leger. European funding is supporting theracecourse’s conference and exhibition facilities.


Sheffield, the UK’s fifth largest city, has thelargest economy in South Yorkshire and, as aCore City is a significant driver for the wholesub-region. Redevelopment of the City centrewas the subject of a masterplan implementedthrough Sheffield One – the city’s UrbanRegeneration Company. By investingstrategically in selected new construction andinfrastructure projects that would not proceedwithout its support, the Objective 1 programmehas helped Sheffield to realise its vision of beinga city of European significance with a strong andsustainable economy.

Investing in Urban Renewal

Weston Park MuseumWeston Park Museum, Sheffield, a well-loved130 year old institution in the city, has beencompletely transformed with support of £1.2mERDF. Since reopening in 2006, following itsthree-year redevelopment, it has attractedrecord numbers of visitors and the Museumwas short-listed in the 2007 Gulbenkian Prizefor museums and galleries. European fundingspecifically contributed to the development ofincreased office space at the Museum.

Howard Street, SheffieldHoward Street has been remodelled as part ofthe major scheme to create a new publicspace in front of the railway station andprovide a suitable gateway to the city centre.The scheme has been supported by £9.8mERDF.

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Queen’s Business Centre, Barnsley The Queen’s Business Centre has beendeveloped in the former Queen’s Hotel whichhas been completely refurbished. The wellknown landmark in Barnsley town centre hasbeen renovated and restored to provide 16,000ft2 of contemporary, stylish officeaccommodation. The £3m scheme wassupported by £1.1m ERDF.

City Hall, Sheffield Sheffield’s much loved City Hall wasrefurbished and redeveloped through ascheme supported by £5.4m ERDF. The Hallnow has improved seating throughout, a new-look balcony over the grand foyer, new liftsand improved access for people withdisabilities. The redevelopment has alsocreated a premier venue suitable for stagingevents and conferences adding to the city’sattractions as a regional business centre. Thescheme also included improvements toBarkers Pool precinct immediately in front ofthe Hall. (Photo courtesy of John Kees)


Objective 1 has invested £202 million ERDFfrom Priorities 5 and 6 for development andinfrastructure. This has been used to“support business investment throughstrategic spatial development” and haslargely been achieved via the developmentof new buildings and the redevelopment ofexisting buildings to create high qualityindustrial units and office accommodationacross South Yorkshire. The sub-regions’three Strategic Economic Zones have beenthe focus of Objective 1’s £72 millioninvestment in sites, premises andinfrastructure away from the urban centres.Focusing on the M1 and M18 corridors andthe Dearne Valley, investment was targetedto provide space for business, whilstdelivering benefits for local people and theircommunities.

The Quadrant, Sheffield The £12m Quadrant business centre inSheffield received £3.6m from Europe, andhas accommodated 186 jobs since openingin 2005.

Tranmoor Point,DoncasterEurope invested £1.5million in the £7 millionTranmoor Pointdevelopment, creating11,150m2 of warehouseand distribution space,1,860 m2 of office spaceand the potential toaccommodate 160 jobs.The 2.5 hectaredevelopment was a jointventure betweenShepherd Developmentsand ScarboroughDevelopment Group plc.

Networkcentre, Kirk Sandall In July 2002, over £470,000 from Europe contributed tothe £1.6m Networkcentre in Kirk Sandall, Doncaster –the first Objective 1 funded business unit developmentto open.

Increasing the volume and quality of premisesto accommodate business growth

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Moorgate Crofts An innovative business incubation centre in Rotherham has proved extremely successful since it opened in October 2005, withmany of its offices now let. Moorgate Crofts has attracted pre-start and new businesses from the digital, ICT, creative,professional and financial services sectors. It offers a unique environment for launching and growing a start–up enterprise, withhigh–quality office space and full in–house support for modern businesses. It also includes dedicated areas for pre–starts andfor Rotherham Youth Enterprise. Many of the companies have been attracted by the incubation support provided by the£3.8million centre, which is managed by Rotherham Investment and Development Office (RiDO) and part-funded by ERDF.

Sheffield 35AThe Sheffield 35A Business Park was one of the first building projectsto be approved for European funding from the programme. SouthYorkshire developers, St Paul’s Developments plc, were awarded a£3.2 million ERDF grant to help bring forward the £12.5 millionbusiness park development at Junction 35A of the M1 in Sheffield.“Sheffield 35A”, as the site is known, has been transformed from abrownfield 14.5 acres (5.8 hectares) site into 184,000 sq ft (17,904 sqft) of high design business premises. The site has helped generate orsafeguard over 600 jobs for the Sheffield area.


Public transport in South Yorkshire has been given a boost thanks to a variety of schemes which have been part-funded by Europethrough the Objective 1 programme. Measure 31 investments aimed to remove transport constraints on economic growth andObjective 1 has worked with South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE) and other key partners to develop innovativeprojects designed to overcome these problems and provide quality public transport for the public to access. SYPTE aims to encouragethe maximum use of public transport throughout South Yorkshire, growth of the public transport network, and to fund services whichotherwise would not run on a commercial basis.

Highway ImprovementsThe £14 million Waverley road scheme isimproving access to the AdvancedManufacturing Park and Sheffield BusinessPark, from Sheffield Parkway – a majorroute into the city from the M1. Thescheme has received £3.3 million from theEuropean Regional Development Fund.

Frenchgate Interchange,Doncaster Doncaster MPs Jeff Ennis,Rosie Winterton andCaroline Flint being given ademonstration of the newtravel enquiry technology atDoncaster’s £200mFrenchgate Centre, whichwas part-funded by theEuropean RegionalDevelopment Fund.

Investing in transport infrastructure to reduceconstraints on economic growth

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Interchange, Barnsley European funding contributed to Barnsley’s £24 million transport interchange, which opened in summer 2007. The newinterchange, which was developed as part of the Remaking Barnsley initiative, has 22 bus stands, two coach stands, state-of-the-art customer information systems, retail units and a direct bridge link to Barnsley railway station. It was built by SouthYorkshire Passenger Transport Executive with financial support from the Department for Transport, the European RegionalDevelopment Fund through Objective 1, Yorkshire Forward and Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council.

Sheffield Midland Station The £50 million transformation of Sheffield Station was supported with almost £10 million from the European RegionalDevelopment Fund. The redevelopment was designed to transform Sheffield Station and its surroundings into a modern, vibrantgateway to the city. In addition to improvements inside the station, the area in front of the station, Sheaf Square, has also beentotally transformed to create a quality gateway for the City. The new public square now includes water features, trees andpublic seating. A key feature is the dramatic ‘Cutting Edge’ sculpture, an 80-metre long stainless steel piece of art celebratingSheffield’s engineering and metal industries. The redevelopment of Sheffield Station has been managed by a partnershipincluding the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive, Sheffield City Council, Sheffield One, Midland Mainline andNetwork Rail.


Sheffield’s BioincubatorEuropean investment in South Yorkshiresupported development of this purpose-built city centre facility for biosciencestart-up businesses

Supporting Business Growth andEnterprise

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Supporting business growth and enterprise

IntroductionThe key objective of the Programme’s support for Businessand Enterprise was to catalyse the sustainable economictransformation of South Yorkshire by:

• Increasing the scale and presence of new and hightechnology growth sector companies

• Modernising the established business base, and inparticular, maintain and develop a technologically advancedmanufacturing sector

• Providing the skills and training needed by the workforceto compete in a modern economy

The investment was focused on developing key businesssectors with the greatest potential for growth, based onmatching existing excellence in South Yorkshire with emerginginternational market opportunity. The clusters selected wereAdvanced Manufacturing and Metals, Bioscience, Creative andDigital Industries and Environmental and Energy Technologies,together with the sectors of Food, Tourism and Business,Professional and Financial Services.

In addition, programmes were developed to strengthen theSouth Yorkshire business support infrastructure and promotelinks between companies in different, but related, clusters.

Advanced Electronics Barnsley electronics design and manufacturing company,Advanced Electronics, has benefited from Business LinkSouth Yorkshire’s Invest for Growth programme, funded byERDF.

Direct Environmental Business Link South Yorkshire’s High Growth Start Upprogramme helped Sheffield-based waste managementspecialist, Direct Environmental Ltd, develop a new internet-based system of waste control called 'Wastetracker'.

Seals Packings and GasketsIn 2004, sealing and insulation products manufacturer, SealsPackings and Gaskets Ltd benefited from Business LinkSouth Yorkshire's Support for Growth programme, part-funded by Europe. The programme helped develop a leanmanufacturing policy to enable the Barnsley-based businessto be more efficient and compete with imports from lowercost economies.

Supporting Business Growth and Enterprise


Objective 1 has been committed to supporting start-upbusinesses in the area, with the provision of targetedprogrammes and the creation of specialist business incubatorsdesigned to nurture fledgling businesses.

The European Regional Development Fund has supported theprovision of many offices/workspaces for start-up and smallbusiness in new and existing business centres across the sub-region. These business incubators were created to supportnew company formation by providing a nurturing environmentfor start-up companies to help facilitate survival and growthin their early years. This support includes on-site administrativeand reception services, business adviser support, access totraining, marketing, and links to supply chains and partnerorganisations.

South Yorkshire’s High Growth Start Up (HGSU) programmewas managed and delivered by Business Link South Yorkshire(BLSY) and supported by the European Regional DevelopmentFund through Objective 1 and additional funding from YorkshireForward. The programme targeted start-up businesses in highgrowth industries, such as advanced engineering, creative anddigital industries, food and drink, chemicals and bioscience.

BiBCOMThe HGSU programme supported BiBCOM Ltd, a Sheffieldcompany which develops new products for the mobile phoneindustry, including Baby-BiB - a remote monitoring systemcontrolled via a mobile phone.

Martek Marine Rotherham’s Martek Marine Ltd started life at the CenturyBusiness Park and in 2005 won the UK Business IncubationIncubatee of the Year Award. The company has since goneon to become world leaders in safety and environmentalmonitoring systems for the global marine industry.

CeramisysThe High Growth Start Up programmehelped Sheffield-based bio-ceramicsmanufacturer Ceramisys developinnovative products for the medical sector,including false eyes and bone graftsubstitutes.

Supporting new businesses to start

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Plasso, Sheffield A business,'spun out' from the research laboratories of Professor Robert Short and colleagues at the University of Sheffield weresupported by the European funded High Growth Start Up programme delivered by Business Link South Yorkshire. PlassoTechnology Ltd, based in Sheffield, developed a unique patented surface coating process that provides efficient bio moleculeattachment, a key requirement in medical diagnostics, drug discovery and biosensors. With assistance from Business Link SouthYorkshire, Plasso were awarded a Research and Development Grant (formerly called a SMART Award) funded by the DTI, of£75,000.

Flatworld, Sheffield Sheffield entrepreneur Jay Cousins was able to set up his innovative‘folding tableware’ business – Flatworld UK – largely thanks to theincubation support he received from Sheffield Technology Parks. Havingalready attracted the attention of major national and internationalcompanies, Jay faced BBC TV’s Dragon’s Den panel back in November2005 to try to secure additional investment in his unique business.During his appearance on the BBC2 show, Jay’s product impressed theinvestors so much that he received two offers of support from the‘Dragons’. European funding has helped Sheffield Technology Parkscreate a world-class business incubator for technology start-ups in thedigital, information technology, e-business, software and multimediasectors.


Static SolutionsBarnsley’s Static Solutions Limited received a £47,500 loanfrom SYIF, to help the company to market and distribute theStat-Gun - a hand-held device which removes staticelectricity.

Bartec Auto ID Ltd A £50,000 loan from SYIF helped Barnsley firm Bartec AutoID Ltd remain at the leading edge of its technology, developnew products and support continued growth..

Naylor IndustriesBarnsley building materials manufacturer, Naylor Industries,received a £1.15 million investment and a £100,000 loanfrom SYIF to help the Cawthorne-based company expand itsoperations and increase its product range. The businesswhich initially made clay sewer pipes has diversified intomaking specialized clay pipes for the chemical industry andgarden pots for Yorkshire Flowerpots.

In 2003, the South Yorkshire Investment Fund (SYIF) usedresouces from Measure 32 of the Objective 1 programme:“improving access to finance for SME businesses”. Createdwith support from the European Regional Development Fund,SYIF offered seedcorn finance, business loans or equity linkedinvestments to help small and medium businesses in SouthYorkshire meet funding gaps for development or acquisitions.The Fund was specifically targeted at businesses with goodgrowth potential that were looking to start up, invest in newtechnology or equipment, enter new markets or locate into theregion. The investments made available ranged from £15k to£2.5 million.

Businesses supported by SYIF also benefited from theirMentorbank service, which provided mentoring support to helpmanagement teams grow their business more profitably.Companies could choose the right mentor for their businesswith the skills in marketing, sales or finance that they neededto help their business grow. Since 2003, SYIF has investedmore than £44 million in businesses across the sub-region,created and safeguarded 7987 jobs, assisted 1962 businessesand generated £425 million of additional sales for thecompanies.

Providing ambitious businesses in the regionwith access to finance

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RedirackRotherham firm Redirack has benefited from two loans from SYIF and has utilised the organisation’s Mentorbank facility.Redirack, a Kilnhurst-based storage solutions provider who specialises in pallet racking and mezzanine floors, used its first loanfrom SYIF for £100,000, together with funding from UK Steel Enterprise and Yorkshire Forward, to carry out a Management BuyOut (MBO) from its former Norwegian owners, AKER, in 2004. In 2006 the company received its second loan from SYIF for£75,000, to be used as working capital.

Macalloy, Sheffield In 2003 SYIF helped a management team buyout one of Sheffield’s mostestablished steel companies. In a deal also backed by UK SteelEnterprise, the Fund provided a £100,000 loan for the managementbuyout of Macalloy. Founded in 1921, the company has been at theforefront of steel bar technology. Macalloy Tensioning Systems – madewith high strength, hi-tech engineering steels manufactured by Corus inSouth Yorkshire – are accepted as standard by architects, engineers andcontractors around the globe. General Manager Peter Hoy led thebuyout and planned to take the company into the US constructionmarket – thanks to the funds made available by SYIF.


PanopticsPanoptics Immersive Media, who specialise in producing 360 degree images that can beused for online virtual tours, were supported by Sheffield Technology Parks through the HighGrowth Start Up programme.

Zoo Digital Sheffield-based ZOO Digital Group received an ‘Invest forGrowth 2’ grant from Business Link South Yorkshire tofurther develop its ‘DVD-Extra(tm) Studio’ DVD authoringsoftware.

Voller Energy LtdVoller Energy Ltd, the world’s first developer of fuel celltechnology portable generators and battery chargers,received financial assistance from the European-fundedLIFE-IC Incubator in Sheffield, to conduct market research.

As the strategy for the Objective 1 programme was beingdeveloped, it became apparent that, in South Yorkshire,concentrations of skills and knowledge were developingaround key industries, or ‘clusters’, creating real potential foreconomic growth. In collaboration with Yorkshire Forward,other key partners and stakeholders, Objective 1 adopted anapproach to economic regeneration based on clusterdevelopment. Its strategy was to focus investment in clusterdevelopment for key target sectors in South Yorkshire, wherethe matching of existing business strength with internationalmarket opportunity offered the greatest potential to transformthe South Yorkshire economy.

The key sectors targeted for cluster development in SouthYorkshire were Advanced Manufacturing and Metals,Bioscience, Creative & Digital Industries, Environmental &Energy Technologies, Business, Professional & FinancialServices, Food & Tourism. The cluster plan approach was anintegral part of the step change envisaged in the SouthYorkshire Vision, to ‘build a balanced, diverse, and sustainablehigh growth economy in South Yorkshire, recognised as agrowing European centre for high technology manufacturingand knowledge based services, and offering opportunities tothe whole community.’

Transforming the economy: promoting thedevelopment of high growth business clusters

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TWI (The Welding Institute)European funding through Objective 1 has supportedthe innovative TWI Technology Centre (Yorkshire) Ltd,based at purpose built facilities on the AdvancedManufacturing Park at Waverley, near Rotherham.The Technology Centre houses some of the mostadvanced materials processing facilities available,including the most powerful friction stir weldingmachine in the world and a high concentricity frictionstir machine. The Centre also has laser direct metaldeposition facilities and a robotic manipulated fibrelaser, which provides versatile materials processingcapabilities. The total investment in premises,technology and staff, supported by £2.8m ERDF, hasproduced a cutting edge research and developmentcentre of excellence that has brought many benefitsto the region.

SportsPulse SportsPulse, a unique public-private partnershippart-financed by the European RegionalDevelopment Fund, has been spearheading thedevelopment of South Yorkshire’s sports sector.Based at Sheffield Hallam University’s Centre forSport and Exercise Science, the organisation hasmade great strides in sports product research anddevelopment and the promotion of the city’s sportsfacilities nationally and internationally. British Skeleton Bobsleigh athlete Kristan Bromley(pictured) is just one of the many sportsmen froma wide range of sporting fields who havebenefited from the research and innovationsupport provided by the SportsPulse consortium.Thanks to SportsPulse, Sheffield has also playedhost to several successful international trainingcamps, and their Sports Ambassador programmeis helping to attract top athletes to Sheffield totrain and compete.


Design Futures CIC The Design Futures CIC at Sheffield Hallam Universityhelped develop the shock-absorbing “over-sized” handle forSpear & Jackson’s ProActive range of garden spades andforks.

Licensing Research through Knowledge Starts The Knowledge Starts project has supported thedevelopment of the ThinkingWater® technology, seen herein the “Super Rub-A-Dub” computer game.

Namtec and TWI at AMP The Advanced Metals Technology Initiative was supportedby Europe for its work in South Yorkshire, managed by theNational Metals Technology Centre in Rotherham andworking in partnership with Business Link South Yorkshire,Castings Technology International and TWI, based at theAMP.

In addition to cluster specific projects, programmes have beendeveloped to strengthen the South Yorkshire supportinfrastructure and promote links between companies indifferent, but related, clusters. These include KnowledgeTransfer – equipping businesses to grow more rapidly andstrategically through the identification and exploitation oftechnical and market intelligence. The ‘Knowledge Starts 2’£1.8 million project is an example of an initiative that washelping “spin-out” innovation and research activity inSheffield’s two universities commercially.

The European Regional Development Fund has also enabledbusinesses to benefit from Innovation, R&D (research anddevelopment) and Technology Transfer – stimulating increasedindustrial R&D and the commercialization of technical know-how and intellectual property through closer links betweeninnovative companies and the knowledge base. This has beenparticularly evident in the ‘Advanced Manufacturing & Metals’cluster, where much of the activity has been based around theAdvanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham. SheffieldUniversity’s North Campus provides research facilities,laboratories and space for start-up companies and Europeanfunds have also supported Sheffield Hallam University’s twoCentres of Industrial Collaboration (or CICs) - which areconnecting the expertise of the region’s universities with theresearch and development needs of businesses.

Research & Development & Innovation: Commercialising research and connecting SMEs withknowledge and technology

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Sorby Nano Investigation Centre, University of Sheffield European funding has contributed to the University of Sheffield’s £30m centre for multi-disciplinary research and high-technology businesses, the North Campus. It provides research facilities, laboratories and space for start-up companies andgives researchers the opportunity to collaborate across a wide range of areas within science and engineering. The campusincludes two prestigious centres, the Kroto Research Institute and the Nanoscience and Technology Centre. This buildinghouses the Kroto Innovation Centre, designed to support technology-based early stage companies and attract high techbusinesses operating in the micro and nano technologies sectors.

Leading Edge Technology Solutions, Doncaster College The £4million LETS (Leading Edge Technology Solutions) programme, which is funded by ERDF and SRB6, provides businesseswith a bespoke service enabling them to utilise leading edge interactive 3D and the revolutionary 4D technology in all areas oftheir operation from product development to sales and marketing. LETS, which has partnered with leading global technologyfirms EON Reality and VBrick Systems, operates from the European Interactive Visualisation Research Centre in High Melton,Doncaster. Pictured is Paul Thorpe, Project Director at LETS, sampling the EON Touchlight technology.


Xpress Ordering Xpress Ordering Ltd, which supplies express food orderingkiosk solutions, received funding support from Business LinkSouth Yorkshire’s High Growth Start Up programme, fundedby Europe.

YourRail Business Link South Yorkshire’s High Growth Start Up andInvest for Growth programmes supported YourRail Ltd, aBarnsley firm who have developed a way for traincompanies to send electronic tickets direct to a mobilephone by text message.

The Objective 1 programme recognised the importance of ICTto business growth in South Yorkshire, particularly in the newereconomy areas of ICT – including IT support services, dataprocessing, outsourcing and customer contact centres. Theprogramme also recognised the increasing usage of advancedInformation and Communications Technology (ICT) insuccessful businesses in the area. It, therefore, incorporatedinto its business support programmes a strong focus onmaximising the business impact of ICT – by encouragingbusinesses to research and capitalise on advancing ITtechnologies, and also by providing relevant trainingopportunities so that businesses could gain the skills neededby these technological advancements.

Maximising the business impact of ICT

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Intelligentsia Ltd In 2004, new business start-up Intelligentsia Ltd received£50,000 inward investment support from the EuropeanRegional Development Fund and Yorkshire Forward.Intelligentsia moved into premises at Robin Hood Airport inFinningley and has worked alongside Doncaster Council’sBusiness Development Officers to facilitate locating inSouth Yorkshire. Pictured are the Intelligentsia team in2004, with leaders Stuart Beet, Managing Director andDavid Armitage, Technical Director.

Metalysis Objective 1 funding helped facilitate the relocation ofMetalysis Ltd - a Cambridge University spin out metalsspecialist company – to South Yorkshire.

Objective 1 funded support has attracted world class newinvestment into South Yorkshire and has embedded it bydeveloping long-term sustainable links with the regionalknowledge base and supply chain. Support was focused onthe clusters identified as key drivers of the future economy.Funding has also helped create new industry-led networks tofacilitate cluster promotion and integration, exchange of goodpractice, competitive collaboration and the enhancedpositioning of the clusters outside of the region.

Investing to attract new businesses to the region


Wybone BLSY introduced and project managed a Lean Manufacturingprogramme for Barnsley firm Wybone Ltd, a localmanufacturer of street waste furniture.

Yorkshire Crisp Company The Yorkshire Crisp Company, based in Sheffield, received£86,000 from the Rural Business Growth Programmetowards the cost of a £270,000 manufacturing plant.

Televideo, Sheffield Sheffield firm Televideo Ltd was awarded the contract toprovide footage for Match of the Day for the 2007/2008season, thanks to state of the art high definition facilitiespart-financed through BLSY’s Invest for Growth programme.

One of the main aims of the Objective 1 investment has beento transform the South Yorkshire economy and increase wealthand opportunity. Working with key partner organisations, theprogramme has helped to lay the foundations for long-termgrowth by building a balanced, sustainable and high growtheconomy, with a highly trained and knowledgeable workforceand offering opportunity for all.

From 2001-2008, Business Link South Yorkshire (BLSY) hasbeen instrumental in delivering many European-fundedprogrammes designed to support businesses and workplacesacross the sub-region. These programmes include HighGrowth Start Up (HGSU), Rural Business Growth, Invest forGrowth (IfG), Invest for Growth 2 (IfG2), Support for Growthand Design Works.

Supporting businesses to modernise and grow

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Riviera Multimedia Business Link South Yorkshire’s High Growth Start Up programme helped two professional musicians from Barnsley turn theirlove of music into a successful media business. Previously the owners of a music publishing business, Stuart and Chrissy Sykesformed Riviera Multimedia as they saw a gap in the market for selling blank media and designing, replicating and duplicatingmedia. The company are now supplying multi-million pound businesses such as John Frieda, Cap Gemini and BP Global. Thebusiness has been also been supported by Yorkshire Forward and creative business support specialist, Inspiral.

Comis Orthopaedics, Sheffield European funding helped a South Yorkshire orthopaedic company launch an implant which helps make hip replacement surgery aquicker and less traumatic process. The Comis Minimally Invasive Hip Resurfacing device (MIHR) has promised to revolutionisehip replacement surgery worldwide. The MIHR has been developed by Comis Orthopaedics, a specialist manufacturing andmarketing company of orthopaedic products and instrumentation, based at Aspen Court in Rotherham. Comis has benefitedfrom help from Business Link South Yorkshire’s High Growth Start Up programme, and the eBusiness Unlimited programme, bothfunded by Europe and Yorkshire Forward.


South Yorkshire International Trade Centre Coco Ding joined SYITC as their China Specialist. Shehelped companies develop their links with China, andassisted Chinese businesses to strengthen their activity inthe UK and European markets. She also supported SYITC’svisit to ISPO 2005 – the first international trade show forAsian sports, fashion and lifestyle brands.

Artist, Pete McKeeFunding from the South Yorkshire International Trade Centreallowed Sheffield artist Pete McKee to showcase his workat international art exhibitions.

Classic Vinyl The SYITC allowed Brett Grant from Sheffield’s ClassicRecords to translate his website into Japanese, to furtherhis Asian links..

Objective 1 has been committed to supporting new approachesto the market both nationally and internationally, for SouthYorkshire businesses. The South Yorkshire International TradeCentre (SYITC), which has helped many businesses winmarkets abroad and develop relationships with foreign firms.SYITC, a business support project part-financed by theEuropean Regional Development Fund, is a partnershipbetween the four chambers of commerce, Sheffield CityCouncil, Sheffield Hallam University, University of Sheffieldand UK Trade and Investment.

Businesses benefited from a range of advisory and supportservices covering everything from export audits to helpingprepare structured international marketing strategies includinga comprehensive, confidential and quality assureddocumentation service and a comprehensive translation andinterpreting service. The centre made a major contribution inhelping smaller firms gain a foothold in international trade withits Export Challenge programme that combined a two dayresidential course and financial backing to help the firms reachtheir targeted market. SYITC has also become one of the UK’stop trade mission providers with missions to Canada, China,the Czech Republic, Hong Kong and Taiwan, Japan, Mexico,Singapore and Malaysia, South Africa, Thailand, the UAE andOman.

Supporting new approaches to the marketat home and abroad

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Mainly Malts, Bawtry in Doncaster European support helped Ron Henfield share his passion for whisky with the world, through the worldwide web. Established in2005 in Bawtry, Ron’s business, Mainly Malts, stocks just about everything a whisky fan could ever dream of, from thehighlands, lowlands and islands of Scotland. Now, with business advice from Business Link South Yorkshire and financialsupport from the European Regional Development Fund and Yorkshire Forward, the business’s website is up and running,attracting customers from across the globe to place orders and tap into Ron’s extensive knowledge and passion for whisky.

Pennine Lavender, Barnsley Pennine Lavender - a fragrant farm located in the Barnsleyvillage of Hoylandswaine is enjoying the sweet smell ofsuccess. Barbara Poisson started growing lavender in 1996as a hobby, making gifts for family and friends. In 2003Pennine Lavender received £7,686 from the Rural BusinessGrowth Programme, funded by ERDF and Defra and run byBusiness Link South Yorkshire, to help produce a mail ordercatalogue and update the website to expand their customerbase. This helped pay for the construction of a timberbuilding for drying and storing the lavender after harvesting.Now Barbara has a thriving business with over 5,000 plants,which are harvested to make handmade products such asdrawer sachets, sleep pillows and massage oils.


Crucible Theatre, Sheffield Sheffield’s iconic Crucible Theatre, home to the WorldSnooker Championships since 1976, is undergoing a multi-million pound refurbishment, part-funded by Europe.

Mayfield Alpacas The Rural Business Growth programme helped developSheffield’s Mayfield Alpacas into a viable tourism business.

Smallshaw Farm Cottages Support from the Rural Business Growth programmecontributed towards conversion work and the developmentof a website for Smallshaw Farm Holiday Cottages inPenistone, Barnsley.

South Yorkshire’s efforts to boost its tourism industry havebeen significantly supported by European funding throughObjective 1. The marketing of South Yorkshire’s tourismindustry has been packaged into ‘Yorkshire South Tourism’, adestination marketing partnership part-funded by ERDFdesigned to promote its increasing number of conference,tourism and leisure facilities available for UK and overseasvisitors to enjoy.

Business Link South Yorkshire (BLSY) has helped hundreds ofbusinesses achieve their tourism potential through their RuralBusiness Growth programme, funded by EAGGF and Defra,which has encouraged farmers to look at other ways ofgenerating income and diversify their business. In addition,their Invest for Growth Food and Tourism investment grantscheme drew on £1 million from Europe specifically for tourismbusinesses, who have also received targeted support fromBLSY’s Support for Growth scheme. Individual grants fromEuropean funds have been awarded to projects which involvedthe creation of new tourism facilities and the regeneration ofexisting tourist attractions. The renovation of Sheffield CityHall, Weston Park Museum, Wentworth Castle Gardens andthe Crucible Theatre are just some examples of how Europeanfunding has helped breathe new life into South Yorkshire’stourism industry.

Developing tourism potential

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Yorkshire South Tourism South Yorkshire’s tourism industry has been given a lift thanks to a partnership dedicatedto attracting new business and tourism to the sub-region. Yorkshire South Tourism wascreated as a destination marketing partnership for South Yorkshire, promoting theconference, tourism and leisure facilities available for UK and overseas visitors toenjoy in Sheffield, Rotherham, Doncaster and Barnsley. The main aim of thepartnership is to help South Yorkshire become “the fastest growing visitor economy”, using acomprehensive marketing strategy funded by Europe through Objective 1, Yorkshire Forward, the fourlocal authorities and the private sector.

Wentworth Castle & GardensVisitor Centre European funding has contributed tothe restoration of Wentworth Castlein Barnsley - one of the mostimportant historic gardens in theNorth of England. After capturingthe nation’s imagination on the BBCTV series “Restoration” in 2003, thegardens of the Earls of Strafford arebeing carefully restored over afifteen year period by theWentworth Castle Trust. This workis supported by several fundersincluding the European AgriculturalGuidance and Guarantee Fund, theHeritage Lottery Fund, EnglishHeritage and the Learning and SkillsCouncil. The European support wasused to help develop visitorfacilities in the Home Farm complexas part of Objective 1’s work tosupport rural development andenhance tourism in South Yorkshire.


Loversall Day Nursery Support from the Rural Business Growth programmeenabled the owners of Loversall Farm, Doncaster, todiversify and set up a childcare facility within a convertedfarm building.

South Yorkshire Rural Skills Barnsley dry stone waller and trainer Gary Helliwell receiveda grant from South Yorkshire Rural Skills, which is part-funded by EAGGF and Defra, to purchase specialist tools andequipment.

Penistone Farmer’s Market Jonathan Watson of the Organic Pantry, at PenistoneFarmer’s Market. The pilot market was part-funded byEurope. Picture courtesy of Look Local Newspaper,Sheffield.

Since European funding through Objective 1 was granted toSouth Yorkshire, a lot of work has been achieved to strengthenthe organisations that are working in the community toincrease the sustainability of rural businesses. The EuropeanUnion‘s European Agricultural Guarantee & Guidance Fund(EAGGF), delivered through the Objective 1 programme, part-funded a package of initiatives especially created to put therural agenda on the map.

The Yorkshire Rural Community Council (YRCC) has addressedthe social aspect faced by rural communities and havesuccessfully managed Objective 1’s Rural Target Fund, financedby EAGGF and Defra, to address these issues. A considerableamount of work has also been done in response to thepressures faced by our farming communities. Business Link’sRural Business Growth Programme, part-funded by EAGGF &Defra, has encouraged local farmers to think about farmdiversification - looking at other ways of generating incomeand diversify their business. Objective 1’s Forestry ResourcesGrant (FRG) programme has been a great success, enabling usto maintain our woodlands and by transforming many of SouthYorkshire’s brownfield sites into environmental areas. Throughthe £1.6 million South Yorkshire Rural Skills (SYRS)programme, Lantra have had a great impact by providingspecialist agricultural training for our farming communities.

Investing in rural business growth

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Maizie Moo Ice Cream & Maize Maze Since 2001, European funding has supported local tourist attraction ‘the Maize Maze’ in Cawthorne near Barnsley. Situated nextto Cannon Hall Country Park, within Jowett House Farm, the maze is a living puzzle and is cultivated out of maize plants tocreate a tourist attraction for the summer months, then the farm’s 140 cows are fed on the maize when it is harvested. In 2007,farm owners Sarah and Jim Williams started producing its own brand of ‘Maizie Moo’ ice cream, using milk from their own dairyfarm to make Maizie Moo in a range of different flavours. EAGGF and Defra provided this support as part of their farmdiversification programme to help farms create additional revenue for their businesses.

Case Study: South Yorkshire Forest Partnership Objective 1’s Forestry Resources Grant (FRG) programme, managed by the South Yorkshire Forest Partnership, has helped sowthe seeds for growth across the county. The partnership has made funding available, through the FRG programme, to helplandowners, businesses and other organisations plant new woodland, manage existing woodlands or support wood-basedbusinesses. This funding included almost £2million from the EAGGF and Defra. The programme has enabled a million trees tobe planted, 450 hectares of new forest established, 56 timber related businesses supported and 2000 hectares of woodlandbrought back into management.

Stacey Bawley from Rotherham wassupported to pursue a career in fashionand design by the ESF-funded Careersfor the Future project in South Yorkshire

Supporting Education,Training and Skills


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Supporting Education, Training and Skills

Hayley Dalby Hayley Dalby knew she wanted to use her keen interest insport in a future job. Her ESF-funded Careers for the Futuresessions enabled Hayley to focus on the routes andpathways that would be right for her, leading to her studyinga BTEC National Diploma in Sports Development and Fitnessat Barnsley College.

Digital Skills European Social Fund investment has enabled localcommunities to access training in digital media technologiessuch as digital photography, website design and videoproduction. These skills have helped give local communitiesa voice and at the same time increase their jobopportunities.

Objective 1 committed significant levels of investment toimproving skills and training and to help South Yorkshire’s mostdeprived communities to increase opportunities for localpeople.

Over £200 million from Europe has supported South Yorkshire’straining and skills agenda. A significant portion of theinvestment was co-financed by the European Social Fund withthe Learning and Skills Council South Yorkshire, providingfunding that was pre-matched for projects to help transformthe lives of many people through education and training.Resources were made available for businesses to assist themto raise the skills of their management and workforce and tosupport training provision for individuals through mainstreamtraining providers and those in the voluntary and communitysector.

The Pathways to Success programme has helped preparechildren for the world of work. The E-learning project hasrevolutionised the way people can access education in schools,businesses and community providers.

Introduction


Allvac Ltd, Sheffield Allvac Ltd, the Sheffield-based aerospace, oil and gasspeciality materials producer, received Invest in Skillssupport for its 2004 “Plan for Change” programme. Invest InSkills is part-financed by ESF. The programme’s aim was toachieve a 35% improvement in productivity by the end of theyear and deliver a teamwork culture with a move away fromtraditional top down management towards a more enablingrole for managers and an increasingly empoweredworkforce. Plan for Change was the idea of managingdirector, Richard Wright who said: “Without the support wereceived through Invest in Skills, the Plan for Change wouldhave been much more challenging to implement. Webelieve the Plan, and the training, will contribute toincreased productivity because it will enable our staff tofocus on what they need to achieve.”

Come and Get It In 2003 and 2005 Objective 1 in partnership with the LSCfunded the high profile ‘Come and Get It’ campaign topromote ‘Invest in Skills’ and ‘train2gain’ to South Yorkshirebusinesses. The two-phase campaign, part-financed by ESF,was extremely successful, with many companies respondingand being able to access the financial help available

Measure 13 of the Objective 1 Programme was: “Developingan adaptable and entrepreneurial workforce”. As such,workforce development has been central to the Programme’sbusiness support activity, with the creation of key initiativesdesigned to enhance the provision of skills development andtraining programmes for the region’s workforce. The high-profile two phase ‘Come and Get It’ campaign, funded byObjective 1 and the Learning and Skills Council (LSC),highlighted the £20 million of European Social Fund investmentavailable to South Yorkshire businesses to train staff. Thecampaign, which was also supported by Yorkshire Forward,targeted areas and groups suffering from a serious lack oftraining, where it was seen that staff development will benefitthe economy. This ensured the programme reached those mostin need.

The European Social Fund contributed to the Invest in Skillsinitiative, which supported South Yorkshire’s businesses todevelop the skills of their workforce. The initiative funded (upto 100%) the development of training solutions as well as 40%contribution towards individual bespoke training packages forqualifying businesses. It also offered free training for basicskills through to NVQ level 2. The ‘Train2Gain’ project, anotherLSC initiative supported by Europe, encouraged employers totrain employees to achieve a full Level 2 qualification. Thetraining was offered at a nominal cost and a wage subsidy wasprovided to compensate for releasing employees for training.

Investing in Workforce Development

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Academy for Community Leadership with Drum Media Sheffield’s Academy for Community Leadership, part-fundedby Europe, has helped voluntary and communityorganisations across South Yorkshire access free trainingcourses to help them move towards sustainability. The ‘Loud& Clear’ project, run by CM Solutions and the DrumCommunity Media Centre (pictured) looking at communityradio, TV and video, the Internet and using the mainstreammedia.

Firth Park Community College Firth Park Community College in Sheffield has supportedcommunity learning with the provision of adult learningclasses, part-financed by the European Social Fund.

NETTNationwide Ethnic Transport Training (NETT), funded by theEuropean Social Fund and Jobcentre Plus, has helpedunemployed individuals from black and ethnic communitiesgain lorry or bus driving licences and move into employment.

Whilst developing its strategy for the regeneration of SouthYorkshire’s communities, Objective 1 sought to address theshortage of learning and training opportunities for localcommunities. This had resulted from a combination of factors,such as rural isolation, lack of mobility/transport, learners withlow levels of basic skills and a lack of access to ICT. Variousprogrammes and initiatives have been successfully deliveredacross these communities, managed by the different area’sPioneer Communities, Community-led Action Plans (CAPs) andIntegrated Development Plans (IDPs), all part-funded byEurope.

The programme also recognised that, in order for communitiesto achieve sustainable neighbourhood renewal, local peopleneeded to be given the right skills to contribute to and lead onthe effort in their area. In partnership with the Learning &Skills Council and Yorkshire Forward, Objective 1 funded theAcademy for Community Leadership. The Academy addressedthese issues by offering a range of support for people involvedin community regeneration through formal and non-formallearning opportunities and accredited training programmes atthe Academy’s base at Northern College, or within thecommunities themselves.

Investing in community-based training


Sheffield College This Motor Vehicle student from Castle College, Sheffield,was one of many students who benefited from the ESF-funded ‘Progression of 16-19 year olds in Education andTraining‘ project. The project was delivered across sevencolleges in South Yorkshire.

University Centre, Barnsley £1.5m from ERDF contributed to the advanced ITinfrastructure within University Centre Barnsley – a campusof the University of Huddersfield which opened in 2005.

Over £200 million from the European Social Fund and theEuropean Regional Development Fund has supported thetraining and skills agenda in South Yorkshire. This investmenthas had a particular focus on the provision of ‘life-longlearning’ – learning opportunities for all people regardless oftheir age, ability, community group or any disadvantage orsocially excluding factor. A significant portion of theinvestment was co-financed with the Learning & Skills CouncilSouth Yorkshire, providing funding that was pre-matched toprojects that have helped to transform the lives of many peoplethrough education and training. Resources were also madeavailable for businesses to assist them to raise the skills oftheir management and workforce and to support trainingprovision for individuals through mainstream training providersand those in the voluntary and community sector.

Investing in life-long learning

APWA ICT training for Asian Women ESF funds from the Objective 1 Programme has supported aproject run by the All Pakistan Women’s Association whichoffered ICT access and training for Rotherham’s Asianwomen.

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Widening Participation in Further Education An ESF-funded initiative has encouraged many new adult learners back into education. The initiative, ‘Widening Participation inFurther Education’, was delivered by seven local colleges as a Community Learning Partnership project co-ordinated by SouthYorkshire Further Education Consortium (SYFEC). Since the project began in 2002, thousands of learners have taken the freecourses. Julie Gibson from Rotherham (pictured), left school with few qualifications but when her children started school shedecided she wanted to get a job. She worked as a barmaid but really wanted to become a non-teaching assistant in a school. Afriend told Julie about the taster sessions available and she attended ‘Making Choices’. She also completed a Cache Level 2Certificate in Childcare and Education.

The Source at Meadowhall In 2003, ‘The Source’ training and conference centre was opened with £3.5m ERDF support. Based at Meadowhall in Sheffield,the centre provides a broad cross-section of training at all levels for both businesses and individuals. For example, the ‘SourceOf Your Own Destiny’ (SOYOD) training programme was created for lone parents and people going back into employmentfollowing a break from the world of work. Part-funded by Jobcentre Plus through the European Social Fund, SOYOD has helpedmany people into full or part-time employment, voluntary work or full-time education.


South Yorkshire e-Learning Posters advertising the ERDF and ESF-funded e-Learningproject were displayed at bus stops across South Yorkshire.The advertising campaign was delivered by the project andSouth Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive to helpencourage more people to participate in the programme.

South Yorkshire celebrates e-Learning Objective 1’s Frances Adams with Manfred Beschel of theEuropean Commission visited Sheffield’s City School in 2003to see the e-learning project. The programme’s main focushas been on providing skills in Information andCommunications Technology (ICT) to give young people,jobseekers and employed staff the competitive advantagesthey need to succeed in today’s economy. Since 2001, theprogramme has enabled schools, colleges, businesses,communities and learners to raise the level of ICT skills,qualifications, having a positive effect on lives andemployability in the area.

The South Yorkshire e-Learning Project (SYeLP) was the largestsingle investment made by the Objective 1 programme, throughthe European Social Fund and the European RegionalDevelopment Fund.

Since SYeLP was developed, over £72 million has been spenton building an ICT infrastructure and skills training. The mainaim of the project was to offer a new opportunity to widenstudent access to education and life-long learning and enablestudents to take control over their learning experience. It hasdeveloped new e-learning networks and related ICT capability,increased the access and quality of learning content acrossschools, colleges, homes, businesses and community accessareas. The impacts on the ICT skills, lives and employability ofpeople of all ages across South Yorkshire are clear to see:

• Improved education attainment• Improved social inclusion• Reduction in the digital divide• Increased skills base to attract inward investment by high

technology companies• Increased ability and competitiveness of the business

community in South Yorkshire

SYeLP was a partnership of South Yorkshire’s four localauthorities and was also supported by the Learning and SkillsCouncil.

Investing in e-Learning

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Construction Design Centre Sheffield’s Construction Design Centre, part-funded byEurope, delivers specialised construction training to 14-16year olds. 300 young people from Sheffield’s secondaryschools attend the centre one day a week, gaining a widerange of skills, qualifications and enhanced training andemployment opportunities

Sandall Beat Special School With funding from Pathways to Success, youngsters fromSandall Wood Special School recorded the song “Visions”,at Sheffield’s Red Tape Studios, about their experiences oflife with a disability. Photo courtesy of sf-pictures.com

‘Hands On’ vocational training Students gathered at the 2007 Routes 16 Careers andOpportunities Fair in Sheffield to launch the vocationaleducation campaign, to encourage their peers to get their‘Hands On’ work-related qualifications..

Recognising that, in order to transform the economy we needto engage and enthuse tomorrow’s workforce, the EuropeanCommission agreed to Structural Funds being invested in theeducation of pre-16s in South Yorkshire, for the first timeanywhere in Europe. Supported by £25 million from theEuropean Social Fund, the Pathways to Success programmehas helped raise the achievement levels by the region’s 13-16year-olds and has enhanced their chances of gainingemployment in the job market of the near future. The ‘Careersfor the Future’ project, financed by the European Social Fundand Connexions South Yorkshire, provided careers informationand guidance for school students, helping them achievepositive outcomes in further learning, employment or work-based opportunities.

European funding has also contributed to the creation andpromotion of vocational learning for 14-19 year olds, includingthe innovative Construction Design Centre in Sheffield. Thehighly visual ESF and ERDF-funded ‘Hands On!’ advertisingcampaign highlighted the vocational qualifications availablein South Yorkshire providing the greatest employment potentialfor young people aged 14-19. The campaign suceeded inincreasing the number of students now choosing to studyvocational qualifications alongside traditional qualifications,giving them a relevant mix of skills to maximise their futureopportunities.

Supporting the 14-19 agenda: preparingyoung people for work


Rotherham Councillor Jane Havenhand Dinnington mother Councillor Jane Havenhand was electedas a Rotherham Borough councillor after taking part in theWomen into Public Life Project, run by South YorkshireWomen’s Development Trust, part-funded by ESF.

The Objective 1 programme has supported investment to tacklegender imbalances in the labour market, which wereparticularly evident in South Yorkshire when the programmebegan. This investment was in direct response to the need forchange in South Yorkshire, which was demonstrated in the‘Gender Profile of South Yorkshire’s Labour Market’ study. Thisresearch, undertaken for Objective 1 in 2000 by SheffieldHallam University, helped to shape the many initiatives fundedthrough Europe to address gender imbalances.

The investment also met the requirement of all Europeanfunding programmes to adopt a gender mainstreamingapproach, to “achieve equal access to and benefit fromeconomic regeneration for women and men”. This was tocombat the “gender blindness” or “gender neutrality” that hascharacterised many actions taken in the past under the headingof local and regional development.

With £10.2 million from the European Social Fund and matchfunding from the LSC, Objective 1 developed a series ofpositive action interventions to meet Measure 15’s objective:‘Tackling Gender Imbalance in the Labour Market’. Theseincluded tackling gendered labour market segregation,advancing women into leadership roles and reengaging menwho are distanced from the labour market. Another keyintervention was to promote work life balance employmentpractices, and the European-funded ‘Creating More Balance’(CMB) initiative has worked with around 1200 employers inSouth Yorkshire on a range of work-life balance options.

Addressing gender imbalances

ShockwavesThe ESF funded ‘Shockwaves’ programme was run by work-based training provider JTL and provided women with on thejob training with employers in the electrical installationindustry, as well as class-based training at The SheffieldCollege.

Work-life Balance at IKEA One of the employers to benefit from CMB’s support was theIKEA contact centre in the Dearne Valley. CMB helped IKEAimprove their workforce capacity and productivity byintroducing a range of enhanced maternity, paternity andchildcare options, as well as flexible working arrangements..

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Welding Training for Ethnic Minorities Sheffield Positive Action Training Consortium (SPAT-C), ran awelding course aimed at Sheffield’s ethnic minoritycommunities, using ESF funding. Trainees learntengineering skills including gas, electric arc and MIGwelding, with many securing employment after completingthe course.

Construction JOBMatch The ESF-funded Construction JOBMatch programme helpedNathaniel Gono from Liberia to find employment with theMears Group, and he is now training to become a qualifiedbricklayer.

Long-term unemployed train as plumbers The 'Re-engaging Men in South Yorkshire’ project, supportedby the European Social Fund, helped long-term unemployedmen retrain as plumbers, gasfitters and electricians.

.

The main aim of the Objective 1 programme has been todevelop a high-growth economy which offers employmentopportunities to all South Yorkshire’s communities. Thecommitment to social equality translated into two relatedpriorities in the programme; to assist those at greatestdisadvantage to re-engage into the world of work and toconnect the most deprived communities into the processes ofeconomic renewal. Interventions to support individuals whoare economically inactive and long-term unemployed hastargeted the groups who are most affected, for example, loneparents, sections of the black and minority ethnic population,people with disabilities and ex-offenders.

The programme focused its funding on developing multi-agency support which took account of individuals’ startingpoints and particular needs. This included support to buildwomens’ and mens’ confidence and transferable skills, towiden access to appropriate information and guidance, and toovercome personal barriers to employment such as lack oftransport or the availability of affordable childcare.Interventions to empower people in communities have beenstructured through the development of locally led action plansthat identify community need, and the setting up ofrepresentative partnerships that design and deliver projects.

Tackling disadvantage in the labour market


North Doncaster Kerbside Collection Objective 1 invested over £580,000 in the £2 millionkerbside recycling scheme which forms part of the NorthDoncaster Integrated Development Plan.

Buster’s Coffee Company Buster’s Coffee Company, based in Sheffield, has benefitedfrom Business Link South Yorkshire’s social enterpriseprogramme, part-financed by the European RegionalDevelopment Fund.

Treeton Wood RecyclingEuropean funding has helped Treeton Partnership inRotherham undertake some key projects in the formermining village. The partnership developed a socialenterprise, ‘TP Trading Ltd’ (pictured), which recycles or re-uses the wood it collects, and has also created jobopportunities for local people.

When South Yorkshire was designated as Objective 1 status,many of its communities were facing economic hardship dueto the decline of the area’s steel and coal mining industries.Since then, the programme developed a series of interventionsdesigned to regenerate these areas and also boost the socialeconomy. Funds from Europe through Objective 1 havesupported Key Fund South Yorkshire – a social regenerationorganisation which has given financial and practical supportto local people involved in social enterprises, charities,community and voluntary groups. Their widely successfulGlobal Grants programme offered grants to groups fromdeprived areas who were at an early stage of development andworking closely and actively with local people.

European funding also supported the development of socialenterprises – businesses with social objectives, who reinvestany profits back into the business or community, rather thanmaximise profit for shareholders or owners.

Business Link South Yorkshire’s social enterprise programme,with part-funding from Europe, supported the development ofmany social enterprises across the sub-region. The European-funded Community Action Plans and Integrated DevelopmentPlans also helped the development of social enterprises withinSouth Yorkshire’s local communities.

Developing the social economy

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Intermediate Labour Market (ILM) Many people have found employment thanks to ESF-fundedILM programmes, which offered a package of paidemployment, training for a recognised qualification andmentoring support. Adele Cronin from Sheffield became afull time Advice Worker at Sheffield’s Centre for FullEmployment (CFFE), after undertaking the ILM programme atthe Castle Advice Service.

Doncaster JET advice andguidance Since 2003, nearly 2000Doncaster residents lookingfor work have benefited fromthe ESF-funded ‘JET’ (Jobs,Education and Training)programme. JET provided anindividually tailored servicewhich helped peoplerecognise their skills andaccess the relevant support,qualifications and careerguidance needed to movetowards sustainableemployment.

JobnetOver a thousand jobseekers in Sheffield have benefited fromthe services of Jobnet – a specialist recruitment servicepart-financed by the European Social Fund and theDepartment for Work and Pensions. Managed by Sheffield’sCentre for Full Employment, Jobnet has helped jobseekersaged 16-60 find employment, with a particular emphasis onthose without work or in temporary or part-time work.

When South Yorkshire was designated as eligible for Objective 1 funding, its economy had struggled for many years, leading to highlevels of unemployment and a lack of skilled workers. This is turn had led to a culture of despondency across generations. Manypeople were demotivated and lacked the skills, training and support needed to change their situation. One of the programme’s keyaims was to address these issues through a variety of targeted programmes which included preparing young people for the worldof work, helping people overcome barriers to work, tackling disadvantage and gender imbalances in the labour market and supportingnew employment opportunities.

Helping people back to work

Cudworth and West Green Partnership’sPinfold Project runs communityallotments that provide workopportunities for people with learningdifficulties and mental health problems

Supporting CommunityBased Regeneration


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Supporting community based regeneration

Darnall Carnival ERDF funding has helped manycommunity groups to organisea wide range of events andactivities. The Darnall Carnival2007, organised by DarnallForum, was a great success - itincluded many stalls, activitiesand marquees, and attractedaround 5,000 people.

United Villages Partnership A neglected allotment in theBarnsley village of Darton hasbeen transformed thanks to agroup of green fingeredyoungsters from the area. The‘Kids Earth’ group was formedby the United VillagesPartnership (UVP) EnvironmentGroup, with funding from ERDFand Government sources.

Many of South Yorkshire’s most disadvantaged communities have received significant support thanks to a programme of measureswithin the programme’s 4th Priority: “Developing economic opportunities in targeted communities.” The Objective 1 CommunityEconomic Development Strategy aimed to use the community as the key agents of change in local regeneration. This required a“bottom-up” approach that empowered local communities to take the lead.

Objective 1 used £80 million from Europe to support local communities to become actively involved in regeneration alongside otherpartners. This investment was targeted at the most disadvantaged communities, but Objective 1 recognised that many of SouthYorkshire’s communities were at different stages of development, and therefore had different starting points and differing needs.The communities have been targeted through the following initiatives: Community Action Plans (CAPs), Integrated Development Plans(IDPs), and designated ‘pioneer’ and ‘rural’ communities. Funds were used to kick-start the improvements these communities neededfor their neighbourhoods, and has acted as a catalyst for further investment.

Introduction


Academy for Community Leadership The Academy for Community Leadership, supported by ESF,the Learning & Skills Council and Yorkshire Forward, wascreated to give people the right skills to contribute and leadon activities within their communities.

ADCE Multicultural Toolkit With funding from ERDF, Attercliffe and Darnall CommunityEnterprises Ltd (ADCE), produced a multicultural toolkitdesigned to give local businesses and organisations aninsight into the needs of different cultures and to helpmanagers understand the issues which concern theirworkers.

South Yorkshire Open Forum The ERDF-funded South Yorkshire Open Forum hassupported the region’s voluntary and community sectorthrough various activities, including consultation events toengage with the sector on key issues.

In order for the Objective 1 programme to kick-start theregeneration needed in targeted communities, it had toincrease their capacity to participate.

Capacity has been enhanced by developing key organisationsthat have been instrumental in building capacity incommunities across South Yorkshire. The South YorkshireOpen Forum (SYOF) received funding from Objective 1 andYorkshire Forward, to “inform and engage the voluntary andcommunity sector to influence and benefit from the social andeconomic opportunities in South Yorkshire.” SYOF supportedthe development of the South Yorkshire ChangeUp Consortium(SYCC), which develops services to strategically improve thequality, capacity and sustainability of third sector infrastructureorganisations within South Yorkshire.

Objective 1 also recognised that communities needed localpeople with the right skills to contribute to and lead onneighbourhood renewal in their area. The ESF fundedAcademy for Co

European Structural Funds in South Yorkshire 2000-2008...December 2008 European Structural Funds in...

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