National Council for Voluntary Organisations

Sustainable Funding Project

Bitesize

Thinking about EU Funding?

Sandra Turner, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

Common Strategic Framework Funds

2014-2020

CHANGING TIMES

Economic landscape

Concentration of EU investment on top drivers of

EU growth & delivering UK National Reform Plan

Focus on results

More flexibility to align EU funds to increase

impact (regional, social, rural and fisheries)

Simplification

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Thematic Objectives

Common Strategic Framework Funds 1. Innovation and R&D

2. ICT: improving access, quality and usage

3. SME’s: improving competitiveness, including in the agricultural and

aquaculture sectors

4. Shift to a low carbon economy

5. Climate change adaptation and risk management

6. Environmental Protection and resource efficiency

7. Sustainable transport and unblocking key networks

8. Employment and labour mobility

9. Social Inclusion and fighting poverty

10. Education, skills and lifelong learning

11. Improving Institutional Capacity (Technical Assistance and

capacity building)

Specific Provision for ESF_ SCOPE

18 investment priorities

in 4 Thematic Objectives

1. Employment and Labour

Mobility

2. Social Inclusion and

Combatting Poverty (min.

20% at UK level)

3. Education, Skills and

Lifelong learning

4. Institutional and

Administrative Capacity

ESF contribution to the

other thematic

objectives

1. Low Carbon

2. Enhancing accessibility,

use and quality of ICT

3. Research and Innovation

4. SME Competitiveness

EUROPEAN COMMISSION’s UK PRIORITIES

– STRUCTURAL FUNDS -

Increasing R&D spend &

‘localising’ impact of national investment

Improving access to finance for SMEs

More renewable energy

NEETS / youth unemployment;

marginalised groups into employment

Higher level skills

Official Launch 6 December

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UK Partnership Agreement • A business plan for the CSF Funds in 2014-20 providing

clear line of site between Europe 2020 and Programmes.

• Sets out:

– the rationale for the activities we will focus on in the UK;

– the targets for measuring our success; and

– the Programmes and their allocations including how the

Funds can best be integrated

• Separate chapters covering the Devolved Administrations.

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UK Partnership Agreement:

Content Subject To European Commission Approval

Arrangements to ensure alignment with Europe 2020:

analysis of disparities, development needs and growth potential (TOs,

territorial disparities, NRPs, CSR); ex-ante evaluations key findings (with

justification of selection of TOs and allocations; list of selected TOs and

expected results; indicative allocations by TOs at national level for each of

the CSF funds; number of OPs for ESF and ERDF & EARFRD and EMFF.

Arrangements to ensure effective implementation:

Compliance with the rules on additionality; timetable for fulfilment of ex-ante

conditionalities; performance framework

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UK Partnership Agreement:

Content Not Subject To European Commission Approval

An integrated approach (es) to territorial development supported by

CSF funds:

National/regional coordination between the CSF funds, Financial Instruments, other

Union and national funding instruments; implementation arrangements for CLLD

and Local Development Strategies; Integrated Territorial Investment; priority

areas for cooperation; integrated approach to address needs of areas affected by

poverty OR target groups at high risk of exclusion; summary of actions to involve

partners.

Arrangements to ensure efficient implementation of the CSF Funds at

OP level:

Needs assessment for reinforcement of capacity (authorities and beneficiaries)

Action to reduce administrative burden for beneficiaries

Assessment of existing Electronic Data Exchange

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Partnership Agreement:

Next Steps

• Developed at national level with close involvement of partners

– Informal consultation for England just closed, Government

response published end June

• Around 187 responses received

• Respondents were local authorities, universities, civil society,

Local Enterprise Partnerships, business representatives

– Partnership Team working with stakeholders to understand

further what is required.

– Formal consultation first half 2013

Key messages from informal consultation:

• Integrated and aligned programmes

• Reduced administrative burden

• Flexible programme boundaries

• Place-based programmes

• Fresh thinking on match funding

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Purpose:

• present ‘direction of travel’ in terms of delivery models

• Stakeholders’ views important

• Opportunity to discuss what should be delivered with the CSF funds

Next steps:

2013: Formal consultation on UKPA (Spring); Ops developed;

Regulations (late 13); negotiations of PA and Ops with Commission.

Mid 2014 (?): Programme start

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Road shows Nov-Dec 2012