Devising a Single Regional Programme in the North West of England

Dr Pernille Kousgaard, Head of European Policy, NWDA

Overview

• Background to the NW

• Current Structural Funds

• Regional context - Regional Economic Strategy and links to the Lisbon Agenda

• Current Status of programme planning

• Major Issues

Background to the NW region

• 6.8 million people

• €147 billion economy

• 230,000 firms

• Recent economic growth faster than England average, creating 150,000 new jobs

Challenges – to reach England average

• 80,000 fewer people working

• 120,000 more people with no qualifications

• 80,000 fewer people with degree-level qualifications

• 90,000 fewer people working in the knowledge economy

• 38,000 fewer companies

• €19 billion productivity gap compared with England average– €14.5 billion due to lower

productivity– €4.5 billion due to fewer

people working

Current Structural Funds

• Objective 1

• Objective 2 and 3

• Urban, Leader+, Interreg & Equal

Regional Economic Strategy and Links to EU Lisbon Agenda

RES developed and agreed by all partners in 2006

Vision:

A dynamic, sustainable international economy which competes on the basis of knowledge, advanced technology and an excellent quality of life for all

Spatial and thematic targeting

3 Drivers and 5 Themes

45 transformational activities agreed

Current Status of New ERDF Programme Planning

• Consultants working with partners

• Programme structure agreed: Single ERDF Programme

• Key focus on– Targeted business support – sectors, high growth start-ups,

access to finance, sustainable production– Innovation and knowledge transfer– Strategic sites, transport and tourism– Enterprise and Employment – urban/rural dimension,

sustainable communities, deprived areas, excluded groups

• Cross Cutting themes

Major Issues

• Partnership building

• Governance

• Alignment with UK domestic funding

• Delivery Mechanisms – regional, sub regional and local

• Cross Cutting Themes

• Links to ESF National Programme

• Potential for Inter-regional activity

Conclusion

• New regional partnership being developed with mixture of regional, sub regional and local delivery

• Alignment of policy, programmes and funding at the highest possible level

• Simplification

• Fewer, bigger projects

• Clear focus on RES and Lisbon