European Funding - ESIF

Richard NortonVoluntary Action Leeds

ESIF

• ESIF - European Structural Investment Funds• 2014-2020 (delivery to 2023)• Combines ERDF and ESF (+ EAFRD)• Single growth programme through LEPs• €390m (c£340m) for LCR plus equal match• Some national match (Opt-Ins) but much to be

found locally• Managing Authorities – CLG, DWP (+ DEFRA)

Role of LEPs

• Managed through Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) and ESIF Local Sub-Committees (LSCs)

• Sectoral representation• Leeds City Region (exc Barnsley for ESIF)• Programme has to align with LEP’s Growth

Programmes and Strategic Economic Plan (SEP)

4

Leeds City RegionFunctional economic area

Largest city region outside London

Largest regional financial centre

UK’s largest manufacturing employment base

3m population; 1.3m workforce

100,000+ businesses

£50 billion+ economy

4%+ of UK GVA

UK Investment Priorities

• Emphasis on creating jobs growing business growing the economy reducing unemployment

• 10 ‘thematic objectives’ – 7 ERDF, 3 ESF

Thematic Objectives - ERDF

1. Innovation2. ICT3. Competitiveness - Small and Medium sized

Enterprises4. Low Carbon5. Climate Change6. Environmental Protection7. Sustainable Transport

Thematic Objectives - ESF

8. Employment

9. Social Inclusion

10.Skills

Opt-Ins (National Match)

• DWP for part T8 Employment• BIG for part T9 Social Inclusion• SFA for part T10 Skills• Activities have to be agreed with Opt-In

provider but then fully matched• Will have own commissioning processes (NB

BIG will award grants)

Commissioning

• Will be done through “calls” on national websites – initial 3-year contracts mostly

• 2-stage process• Fully competitive• Decision-making between ESIF LSCs (local fit)

and MAs (technical compliance etc.)• Mainly (but not all) large contracts at

combined LA or LCR level, esp for Opt-ins

Commissioning - LSC role

• Agree ESIF spend programme and Local Implementation Plan (LIP)

• Approve draft calls – based on ESIF Strategy and Sounding Groups

• Approve final calls• Assess fit with LCR Strategic Assessment

Framework (SAF)• Role in decision-making – but variance with

different Opt-ins

Third sector opportunities

• Parts of T8 Employment and T10 Skills• T9 Social Inclusion – BIG Opt-In

– New migrants e.g. Roma – Early intervention programme

• T9 Social Inclusion – currently unmatched– Community grants type programme– Community-Led Local Development

Community–Led Local Development(CLLD)

• Delivery of small community-based projects• Delivered by small community-based

organisations• Areas with 10,000-150,000 population• Can allocate up to 5% to CLLD (LCR higher)• Recommends minimum of £1m per CLLD area (may increase)

Community Led Local Development(CLLD)

• Requires a Local Action Group (LAG)– Public, private and third sector partnership

• LAG develops a Local Development Strategy• Strategy approved by Government• Funding available for strategy development • Accountable Body required• Further guidance awaited

Engage with ESIF!

• Small BIG-funded project• January – June 2015• VAL with CVS partner/s in each district• Initial district-level engagement events• Further events in response to demand –

possibly cross-district/thematic• New web pages/site, mailing list/s

Issues

• How to access – scale of contracts• May need to work across LA boundaries• ?Lead bidders/primes to sub-contract to third

sector – LAs, colleges, large TSOs (?3sc)• Cash-flow – payment in arrears and by results• Detailed Monitoring requirements • Audit and clawback risks• “Community grants” a good option for small orgs

and CLLD if secured locally

More information

• National: https://www.gov.uk/england-2014-to-2020-european-structural-and-investment-funds-growth-programme

• LCR LEP: www.the-lep.com/our-work/european/

• Doinggoodleeds: http://doinggoodleeds.org.uk/new-european-funding.html