The Future Landscape of European Funding:

What opportunities for small voluntary organisations?

12 May 2015

Friends’ Meeting House, 6 Mount Street, Manchester, M2 5NS

sandra.turner@ncvo.org.uk

www.europeanfundingnetwork.eu

Content

European Structural & Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-20…• Key Objectives and Priorities

• Governance and Partnership

• Local Enterprise Partnerships

Delivery Mechanisms…

More information…

The ESIF ‘Funds’

European Social Fund - Investing in People

European Regional Development Fund - Investing in places, businesses, infrastructure

European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development - Investing in people & places but only in rural areas (small & micro rural businesses, tourism, skills, broadband)

ESIF Growth Programme 2014-20 in England

Why? – To support Growth & Jobs in England 2014-20.

What? – Small medium enterprises, low carbon, research and innovation; unemployed into work; social inclusion; skills and training

How? – Half of the costs from European Funding; half from domestic resources

European Policy ContextEurope 2020 - Smart, Sustainable and Inclusive Growth 2014- 2020

1.Employment: 75%

2.Innovation: 3% investment

3.Education: reduce early school leaving by 10%

4.Social inclusion: 20m less people at risk of poverty

5.Climate/energy: 20%/20%/20% (less greenhouse emissions, more renewable energy, more energy efficiency)

EU Policy ContextMore flexibility to align the funds (ESF, ERDF, EAFRD, EMFF)

Thematic concentration, intervention logic, results driven, performance framework and reserve,

Placed-based approaches (for instance community-led local development)

Simplification (e.g flat rates, lump sums, limited audits for small projects)

Reinforced partnership arrangements: European Code of Conduct on Partnership

Promoting Equality, combating discrimination and promoting sustainable development are cross cutting themes

UK Context

In the UK, EU funds will focus on :

•Employability of young people

•Raising skills’ levels to match economy’s demand

•Labour Market Integration of people form jobless household

•Child poverty/childcare

•SME financing (bank and non-bank)

(Based on: EC position paper 2012, National Reform Programme & Country Specific Recommendations for the UK)

Reducing number of people at risk of poverty and exclusion by supporting employability and return to employment of disadvantaged individuals.

Supporting the training of low-skilled workers, including those receiving Universal Credit benefits, in order to increase their chances of better paid work and to reduce poverty.

Increasing the employability of inactive and unemployed individuals facing multiple disadvantages.

Facilitating access to childcare services.

At least 20% of ESF allocated to Social Inclusion activities.

Promoting Active Inclusion

Top PrioritiesInnovation

At least 50% ERDF must be spent on these 4 objectives, of

which at least 10% on low carbon

At least 60% ERDF must be spent on these 4 objectives, of

which at least 15% on low carbon

At least 80% ERDF must be spent on these 4 objectives, of which at least 20% on low

carbon

ICT

SME Competitiveness

Low Carbon

Climate Change Adaptation ERDF

Environmental Protection ERDF

Sustainable Transport ERDF only available in Cornwall

Employment

At least 60% of ESF allocation per programme on up to 4 investment priorities within these 4 thematic

objective

At least 70% of ESF allocation per programme on up to 4 investment priorities within

these 4 thematic objectives.

At least 80% of ESF allocation per programme on up to 4 investment priorities

within these 4 thematic objectives.

Skills

Social Inclusion(At least 20% of ESF must be dedicated to this)

The role of the 39 LEP Areas

Lord Heseltine 2012

‘…at the heart of Local Growth vision to unleash the ambition and creativity of local leaders by devolving resource and responsibility…’

No Stone Unturned

Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) - What are they and why do they matter?

Voluntary partnerships of private interests and local authorities

Responsible for economic development

ESIF Strategies for European Funding – check your LEP’s strategy

Strategic Economic Plans (SEP) for domestic funding (e.g. Local Growth Fund) for transport, skills and housing

LEP area ESIF Committees supporting National Growth Board

North West LEPs

1. Cheshire and Warrington LEP - 141.6m EUR

(total BIG £11m) clld?

2. Cumbria LEP – 91m EUR (total BIG £4.17m)

3. Greater Manchester LEP – 413.8m EUR (total

BIG £10m)

4. Lancashire LEP – 265.2m EUR (total BIG

£12.5m)clld?

5. Liverpool City Region LEP – 220.9m EUR (total

BIG £4.1m) clld?

Focus on ESF

Thematic Objectives Activities Funding Agencies Results

Employment: Access to employment for jobseekers and inactive people;

Young People

Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)

Skills Funding Agency (SFA)

Jobs

People into work or in education further training

Social Inclusion Active Inclusion of those furthest from the labour market;

Integration of offenders/ex-offenders

Community Led Local Development

Big Lottery Fund (BIG)

National Offender Management Service (NOMS)

Engaged in job searching, education, have a qualification or a job

Engaged in job searching, education, job

TBC

Skills and Lifelong Learning

All ages, formal & informal learning, unemployed and workforce

SFA Skills gained from basic-level 3; female targets

Tackling BarriersAccess to flexible and affordable childcare;

Access to transport;

Caring responsibilities;

Debt and money management;

Digital exclusion;

Drug and alcohol dependency;

Lack of basic literacy and numeracy and English for speakers of other languages;

Family, parenting and relationship problems;

Health problems (including mental health);

Homelessness; learning difficulties and disabilities; life skills; offending…

Active Inclusion Activities

Basic skills and ESOL training;

Financial literacy programmes;

Digital and internet literacy courses to aid job searching,

Access to benefits and progress in work;

Local ‘Community Grant’ type activity;

Softer skills development (e.g. assertiveness, anger management & motivation);

Volunteering (recognised in general terms as a good way to re-engage those furthest from labour market

Delivery mechanisms

• Some direct bidding

• Big Lottery – social inclusion, and

other Opt-ins (DWP; SFA) and some

co-finance (NOMS)

• Community Led Local Development

• Community grants

• Local Impact Fund

• 10 LEPs & need cash/staff time match

• Large contracts/grants available to

partnerships or consortia

• Small scale area based interventions

• Currently up to £15K…

• Payable Loans with capacity building

grants

CLLD in summary• focused on specific sub-regional areas;

• led by local action groups composed of representatives of public and private local socio-economic interests, in which, at the decision-making level neither public authorities, nor any single interest group shall represent more than 49% of the voting rights;

• carried out through integrated and multi-sectoral area-based local development strategies;

• designed taking into consideration local needs and potential, and shall include innovative features in the local context

• Programmed under TO9 but able to deliver under any TO

CLLD in England…

• 20% most deprived areas- according to the Index of Multiple Deprivation 2010.

• CLLD support will mostly concentrate on urban areas & with most serious disadvantaged

• A minimum threshold of EUR 3 million public contribution over 7 years

• Areas with population range no less than 10,000 and no more than 150,000 inhabitants

• CLLD from ERDF and ESF will complement and not duplicate actions covered by LEADER LAGs and FLAGs.

• The Local Development Strategies will be selected on a competitive basis and based on the demonstration of needs

Meeting VCSE concerns?• Social inclusion priority • BIG involvement • Partnership/civil society • Trans nationality ? • Local development but only in a few areas

• Community grants but only in a handful of LEP areas

• Volunteer Time as match for ESF on exceptional basis

• Social Innovation • Social Investment • Technical assistance • Simplified administration lump sum payments?

• Improved VCS access small organisations?

Key messages

• Check your local ESIF Strategy

• Engage with LEPs VCS representatives

• Contact your Big Lottery PDF Organisation

• Check funding opportunities online on GOV.UK

• Register with Skills Funding Agency

For more information…