COMMUNITY REGENERATION MEETING 28.10.08

Elid Morris

David Hedges

KEY OBJECTIVES OF SESSION •! To inform RSLs about the project

•! To inform RSLs how the funding programmes work

•! To engage with RSLs to determine project ideas under the themes

•! To get feedback from RSLs about their

organisations aspirations in line with the 4 themes

•! To establish key links that RSLs have with external organisations e.g. WAG and LAs

•! To determine the experience that RSLs have had

to date with accessing & managing external funding

THE TEAM

•! Neville Davies WWEC

•! Helen Morgan WWEC

•! Elid Morris WWEC

•! David Hedges Cyngor Da

THE PROJECT

•! Identify a portfolio of projects for the social

housing sector under four established themes

•! Provide the sector with improved Skills and

Knowledge of how to access external funding

•! Key recommendations for the co-ordination of

future sector project development activities

KEY PROJECT OBJECTIVES

•!To develop successful cross strategic framework based on four key themes

•!Provide direct assistance to the development of strategic project ideas suggested by RSLs

•!Expand the spatial coverage of potential initiatives including internal and external partners

•!Establish a capacity within the sector to engage with the processes of external funding

WALES MAP - STRUCTURAL FUND PROGRAMMES 2007-13

•! Approx £1.7bn for 2007-13 period for West Wales and the

Valleys

•! Managed by the Welsh Assembly Government

FUNDING DETAILS

Convergence 2007-2013

£1.4Bn Total Funds £865m ERDF £570m ESF

Regional Competitiveness 2007 -2013

£93m Total Funds £50m ERDF £43m ESF

PRIORITIES: ERDF CONVERGENCE PRIORITIES •! Building the knowledge based economy

•! - R&D, innovation and technology - Information society for all & ICT infrastructure

•! Improving business competitiveness

•! - Business finance

- Entrepreneurship and business growth

•! Developing strategic infrastructure

•! - Sustainable transport - Strategic infrastructure - for business & learning / skills (Spatial Theme)

•! Creating an attractive business environment - Energy - Tackling environmental constraints to economic growth

- Environment for growth (Spatial Theme)

•! Building sustainable communities

•! - Physical regeneration - incl. town centre renewal (Spatial Theme) - Community economic development - incl. social enterprise

PRIORITIES: ESF CONVERGENCE PRIORITIES

•!Supplying young people with the skills needed for employment - Tackling underachievement in schools - Integrating young people into the labour market

•!Increasing employment and tackling economic inactivity

•!- Helping people into sustainable employment - Helping people to remain & progress in employment

•!Improving skill levels and improving the adaptability of the

workforce

•!- Raising the skills base and supporting progression - Improving systems for workforce development - Promoting gender equality in employment

•!Making the connections - modernising our public services

•!- Building the capacity of public services to support economic development - Supporting collaborative working between public services

PRIORITIES: ERDF COMPETITIVENESS

•!Knowledge and innovation for growth

•!Business competitiveness and growth

•!Tackling climate change

•!Regeneration for growth

PRIORITIES: ESF COMPETITIVENESS

•!Increasing employment and tackling economic inactivity

•!Raising skill levels and adaptability of the workforce

WHAT ACTIVITIES CAN BE FUNDED?

Skills Theme

•!Education and vocational training, apprenticeships pre-training, upgrading of basic skills •!Development of new sources of employment •!Modernisation and improved efficiency of employment services

•!i.e. Housing related activities that implies training, and measures that enhance employability and inclusiveness in the labour market

WHAT ACTIVITIES CAN BE FUNDED?

Physical & Community Regeneration Theme

•!All Physical Regeneration activities are spatially targeted - led by WAG Spatial Plans •!Investment for recognised deprivation areas •!Activities include - rehabilitation of public space, development of community based centres to promote community engagement, development and enterprise, refurbishment of properties, encouragement of private sector business and property development and regeneration of derelict land.

WHAT ACTIVITIES CAN BE FUNDED? Social Enterprise/Community Economic

Development Theme

•!Programmes that help improve community led and owned services and increase the

access to these services; e.g. financial inclusion activities through community led

finance initiatives such as credit unions, financial and debt advice

•!Social enterprises and community initiatives that remove barriers to employment e.g.

child and other care services and community transport

•!Supporting new or improved services, facilities or centres for local communities that

have clear links to increasing employment and promoting social inclusion

opportunities, e.g. healthy food initiatives, neighbourhood centres, and assets for

community economic benefit, and cultural and heritage activities.

• The targeted provision of tailored finance packages of grants, loans and other

funding to support social and community enterprises move away from grant

dependency and towards sustainability

• Supporting activities that encourage people and/or organisations to work together to

deliver community led economic development and employment opportunities by co-

operative and mutual activity e.g. time banks and food forums

WHAT ACTIVITIES CAN BE FUNDED?

Energy Theme

Promotion of energy efficiency through dissemination

of best practice, advice and training

Renewable energy technologies - Biomass energy,

Onshore wind and hydroelectric schemes

Distributed generation of electricity and heat - Energy storage (e.g. battery development; compressed air

systems; fuel cells), Communal and small-scale heat

generation, Use of waste heat, Demonstration models for

the commercialisation of energy crops and establishment

of supply chains

WHAT ACTIVITIES CANNOT BE FUNDED?

•!Housing e.g. direct build and

maintenance

•!Anything that an RSL is already doing

e.g. employing a Community Regeneration Officer

•!Anything that is deemed to be a Statutory obligation

SOCIAL HOUSING SECTOR IDEAS?

•!Thematic Approach

•!Link to CHC website

http://www.chcymru.org.uk/policy/eufunding.html

•!Useful links - CECODHAS - the European Liaison Committee for Social Housing

•!www.cecodhas.org

HOW IS THE MONEY ACCESSED?

3 STAGES OF FUNDING

•!STAGE 1 POSTING A PIF (PROJECT INFORMATION

FORM) - http://www.wefo.wales.gov.uk/default.asp?action=page&ID=2249

•!STAGE 2

EOI (EXPRESSION OF INTEREST FORM)

•!STAGE 3

BUSINESS PLAN

MODELS OF DELIVERY

•!Over 3000 projects funded in the last funding programmes

•!Far fewer schemes to be funded under the new funding programmes

•!Collaborative planning is an important pre-requisite and evidence must be provided that the project has had substantial discussions with major stakeholders and secured their support

MODELS OF DELIVERY

In general, bids can be submitted in a number of ways, via:

•!Collaborative working - a number of partners coming together

•!Stand Alone – where it is more appropriate for a single

organisation to take the lead but there is clearly a regional

impact

•!Tendered – where a large umbrella project e.g. via WAG, has already been approved and is seeking delivery partners

•!WAG-led projects – where partners can apply directly to WAG for funding

HOW WE WILL DELIVER THE PROJECT

•! Team approach

•! Communication - talk to the right people

•! Thematic approach

•! Utilise existing sector expertise

•! Identify the opportunities

•! Being Realistic

•! Key workplan

PROJECT STRUCTURE

WHAT WE EXPECT FROM YOU

•! Tell us what the sector is good at... What is

working well?

•! Tell us where the gaps in the sector are...

What areas need to be developed?

•! Give us your ideas

•! Take ownership of the project

TIMETABLE

•! October - November

‘Mapping & Meeting’ - RSLs and partners

•! December - January

‘Develop, Decide & Design’

•! February - March

‘Initiate & Implement’

THE ‘END GAME’

•! A portfolio of projects

•! Governance arrangements in place

•! Well briefed on procurement opportunities

•! Ensure that the sector is well placed to take full advantage of EU Structural Funds

and other opportunities

•! Increase sector capacity to develop and

manage external funded projects