European Funding - ESIF
Richard Norton
Voluntary Action Leeds
ESIF
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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 SubCommittees (LSCs)
• Sectoral representation
• Leeds City Region (exc Barnsley for ESIF)
• Programme has to align with LEP’s Growth
Programmes and Strategic Economic Plan
(SEP)
Leeds City Region
Functional 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
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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. Innovation
2. ICT
3. Competitiveness - Small and Medium sized
Enterprises
4. Low Carbon
5. Climate Change
6. Environmental Protection
7. Sustainable Transport
Thematic Objectives - ESF
8. Employment
9. Social Inclusion
10.Skills
Opt-Ins (National Match)
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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
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LAG develops a Local Development Strategy
Strategy approved by Government
Funding available for strategy development
Accountable Body required
Further guidance awaited
Engage with ESIF!
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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-to2020-european-structural-and-investment-fundsgrowth-programme
• LCR LEP: www.the-lep.com/our-work/european/
• Doinggoodleeds:
http://doinggoodleeds.org.uk/new-europeanfunding.html