eu funding a record of success across the south east

7/24/2019 EU Funding a Record of Success Across the South East

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EU Funding

A record of success across the

South East of England

A report by Anneliese Dodds MEP


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ContentsINTRODUCTION........................................................................................................................ 3

How does EU funding work? .................................................................................................. 3

The UK and EU funding ......................................................................................................... 4

STRUCTURAL FUNDS ............................................................................................................. 5

The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)............................................................ 6

Example: Sustainable Routes, Thames Valley.................................................................. 7

Example: Retrofit South East, Petersfield.......................................................................... 7

INTERREG ............................................................................................................................. 7

Example: IMPRESS Health 2 in Kent and beyond............................................................ 8

Example: Improvements to St Marys Parish Church, Ashford......................................... 8

Example: The POSSE project, Reading............................................................................ 8

URBACT ................................................................................................................................. 9

European Social Fund (ESF) ................................................................................................. 9

Example: Oxford City Council welfare reform programme................................................ 9

Example: Job Deal Hampshire......................................................................................... 10

Your local LEP...................................................................................................................... 10

European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) ............................................ 13

Example: EAFRD projects funded through the West Kent Leader programme.............. 15

European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) ................................................................. 15

Example: the Hastings FLAG ........................................................................................... 16

OTHER EU GRANT-FUNDED PROGRAMMES .................................................................... 16

Employment and Social Innovation (EaSI) .......................................................................... 16

Creative Europe ................................................................................................................... 16

Example: the Stick Man, Orange Eye Ltd........................................................................ 17

Horizon 2020 ........................................................................................................................ 17

Example: Oxfutures .......................................................................................................... 18

Connecting Europe.............................................................................................................. 18

Example: ........................................................................................................................... 19

Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme ...................................................................... 19

Example: Tackling child-to-parent violence, Brighton ...................................................... 19

The Asylum and Migration Fund .............................................................................................. 19

Europe for Citizens .................................................................................................................. 20

LIFE - Programme for the Environment and Climate Action ............................................... 20

Example: LIFE projects, the New Forest.......................................................................... 21

COSME ................................................................................................................................ 21


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Other support for entrepreneurs .......................................................................................... 21

Mentoring.......................................................................................................................... 21

Erasmus for entrepreneurial exchange ............................................................................ 22

Erasmus + ................................................................................................................................ 22

Example: Construction ECO-project, ............................................................................... 23

Connecting Classrooms........................................................................................................... 23

NON-GRANT FUNDING FROM THE EU............................................................................... 23

European Investment Bank (EIB) ............................................................................................ 23

Example: University of Kent, Canterbury......................................................................... 24

Juncker investment package ................................................................................................... 24

CONCLUSION ......................................................................................................................... 25

INTRODUCTION

Although we only pay a penny in the pound of our taxes to the EU, a huge variety of

projects in the South East have been funded by the EU over the years. In fact thereare almost undoubtedly projects funded by the EU operating on your doorstep,

wherever you live in the South East, from Milton Keynes to Dover via the New Forest!

This booklet offers a quick guide to the main EU funding streams and examples of

how they have been used in the South East. It is not exhaustive however, and links toadditional sources of information are provided where appropriate. These should be

cross-checked with information within this guide. The details provided here are up todate as far as possible at the time of going to press but it is advisable to check on therelevant programme websites to make sure nothing has changed in the interim. If you

have any comments on this guide, please do not hesitate to get in touch with me [email protected].

The guide covers, first, the different formats of EU funding, then considers differentcategories of EU funding. Grant funding is examined first, covering European

Structural and Investment Funds, then the most significant other forms of European

project funding. An exhaustive list of EU grant funding opportunities can be found here;this is not provided within this guide. After discussing grant funding, the guide thencovers the Erasmus+ programme, and non-grant funding such as that from theEuropean Investment bank.

How does EU funding work?

At the end of 2013, the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union

came to an agreement on the budget for the EU for the next 7 years (2014-2020)multiannual financial framework. A huge part of this new budget plan - 960 billion

euros- is used for EU funding instruments, programmes and initiatives; and a fair

chunk of this is allocated to projects in the South East.
http://ec.europa.eu/contracts_grants/grants_en.htmhttp://ec.europa.eu/contracts_grants/grants_en.htmhttp://ec.europa.eu/contracts_grants/grants_en.htmhttp://ec.europa.eu/contracts_grants/grants_en.htm


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EU funding comes in different forms. It can provide an on-going grant for aconsiderable period time, or for a short period of time; or can be used as a loan rather

than a grant (as with the European Investment Bank). It can either be used to fund aproject by one organisation in one country, or to fund a cluster of different

organisations working together on a common project. Most often, those programmes

run directly by the EU Commission require organisations to find project partners inother EU countries (and, potentially, countries beyond the EU). As well as attending

conferences and networking events, social media resources like the EUs own fundingportal, facebook and linked in have helped substantially with locating potential project

partners, as well as making sure that projects fit within EU rules1.

EU funding can be delivered direct to organisations by the EU, or it can be mediated

through national governments or other authorities (as is the case with structural fundsfor example). Finally, EU calls for applications can either be completely open (where

organisations bid for funds in an open-ended way), or different parts of the EU willlaunch calls for funding relating to specific issues, in which case, organisations need

to tailor their funding proposals to the requirements of that call.

Within the European Parliament, Labour has argued that EU funds should be used

prudently, focused on those who need them most, and managed as locally as possible.In debates around structural funds in the European Parliament, the Socialists andDemocrats (Labours political group) ensured that a substantial amount of funding was

ring-fenced for the European Social Fund, which is focused on ensuring smart,sustainable and inclusive growth by combating poverty and unemployment in

innovative ways. Labour has also argued consistently that EU funds should betargeted properly where they are needed, and an essential element of that is ensuringlocal control over funds where appropriate. We have also tried to ensure adequate

support within the EU funding budget for measures combating climate change andpromoting biodiversity.

The UK and EU funding

As the EU has expanded, the proportion of EU funds going to the UK has diminished,but their absolute value has remained substantial, and in some areas the UK punches

above its weight. For example, the UK comes only second to the Netherlands in itsshare of research funding per head2.

1There are fairly strict rules about what the EU can and cannot fund. First of all, grants fromthe EU cannot be used to produce a profit for any organisation or company, and they cannotbe used to fund activity that has already happened. Most of the time, EU funding needs to bematched by funding from other sources, such as local authorities or local government. Theuse of the funding must be transparent- so funded projects will need to report fairly regularlyon what they are doing with the money. The choice of what is funded by the EU is impartial,and according to criteria that are publicly available. Finally, EU funding is non-accumulative;that means, that if you get an EU grant one year you should not assume that makes it morelikely you will receive funding again the next year.2

For details of how EU research funding is supporting projects in the South East, please seemy report on The EU, Science, Innovation and Jobs in the South East of England, whichcan be downloadedhere.
http://www.socialistsanddemocrats.eu/http://www.socialistsanddemocrats.eu/http://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/themes/53f366a122139310ff000001/attachments/original/1443784790/Growing_Knowledge_report.pdf?1443784790http://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/themes/53f366a122139310ff000001/attachments/original/1443784790/Growing_Knowledge_report.pdf?1443784790http://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/themes/53f366a122139310ff000001/attachments/original/1443784790/Growing_Knowledge_report.pdf?1443784790http://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/themes/53f366a122139310ff000001/attachments/original/1443784790/Growing_Knowledge_report.pdf?1443784790http://www.socialistsanddemocrats.eu/http://www.socialistsanddemocrats.eu/


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It should however be mentioned here that the current UK government has decided notto opt in to certain funds available at EU level. While the UK government has argued

that it would rather not participate in particular programmes for a variety of reasons,this has prevented access for local actors to certain funding streams.

For example, the UK government chose not to take up funds from the 3.5billion euroFund for European Aid to the Most Deprived, which could help with the running of

foodbanks for example, and in provision of services for the homeless. It also decidednot to make a claim on the Solidarity Fund following the last bout of flooding in the UK

over the winter of 2013-14. The Solidarity Fund supports countries and regionsaffected by major natural disasters, and since 2002 helped in the aftermath of over 50disasters by funding infrastructure repair, providing temporary accommodation and

securing prevention of further impact from freak weather conditions or other problems.Following the floods of summer 2007, the then Labour Government obtained funding

through the solidarity fund which helped reimburse public authorities in Oxfordshire aswell as the other two British flooding epicentres, Yorkshire and Humberside and

Gloucestershire and Worcestershire. The UK has also opted out of the Justice andInternal Security EU funding streams.

The UK also, now, suffers from a lack of regional bodies which can offer expertise onEU funding. While the previous Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) were notperfect, they did accrue experience in delivering EU funding. In some regions, the EU

advisory element of RDAs has been retained, so for example, the East of England hasan EU Office.In the South East, some bodies have created their own centres of EU

expertise, such as the Kent and Medway NHS Europe Centre, which aggregatesexpertise on health and research funding across the county of Kent.

STRUCTURAL FUNDS

Structural funds form the most significant EU funding stream, and are probably what

most people think of when they hear the term EU funding. They are the core policytool for what the EU calls its cohesion policy - the overall term for its policies focusingon creating sustainable economic growth and improving citizens quality of life. One

stream of structural funds, so-called cohesion funds, are not available to the UKbecause they are focused on the poorest countries in the EU. However, the UK does

qualify for the European Regional and Development Fund (ERDF), the EuropeanSocial Fund (ESF), the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EARDF)and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF).

In order to identify what these funds should focus on, the European Commissionnegotiates with national governments and, where available, regional authorities, todraw up what are known as Partnership Agreements and Operational Programmes.Once the latter have been approved, bids are opened for organisations to deliver

projects.

The UK is in a rather strange position when it comes to accessing these funds, since,following the UK governments decision to abolish Regional Development Agencies, it

lacks any kind of regional decision-making structure. Initially, Local EnterprisePartnerships (LEPs) were tasked with developing ideas and practical plans for projects
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to be delivered through structural funds (a process integrated with the production ofGrowth Deals). More recently however, it appears that the so-called managing

authorities for these funds will not be LEPs but central government instead, whichremoves the decentralised control of these funds that exists in every other EU country.

There has been a long hiatus in signing off the Operational Programme for 2015

because of wrangling between the UK Government and the European Commissionover reasons including the suitability of LEPs as a funding delivery mechanism.

Thankfully, this has now, finally, been resolved for the European RegionalDevelopment Fund (if not yet for the Social Fund), which is essential as a number of

projects are currently lacking desperately-needed funding.

As can be seen below, the allocations to LEPs from structural funds are substantial .

The South East overall is set to receive 428million from the European RegionalDevelopment Fund and European Social Fund (8.7% of the total, out of a national pot

of 4.9billion), and 34million from the European Agricultural Fund for RuralDevelopment (19% of the total, out of a national pot of 177million). At 462million,

this represents a substantial injection of funds into the South East economy. (To put itin perspective, if it were smoothed over the funding period from 2014-2020, Europeanstructural funds for the South East amount to just under a third more per year than

central government funding for Slough Borough Council, a large urban unitary localauthority in the region).

LEP allocations for ERDF and ESF 2014 to 2020

LEP Allocation m

Buckinghamshire Thames Valley 13.8

Coast to Capital 67.0Enterprise M3 45.5

Oxfordshire LEP 19.3

Solent 42.9

South East 185.1

Thames Valley Berkshire 28.5

The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)

The ERDF is the biggest single source of EU funding. It is focused on promoting

cohesion between regions by encouraging sustainable development and, where

appropriate, structural adjustment. As a richer economy, there are particularstipulations concerning what the UK can spend ERDF funds on. In particular, it mustinvest 80% of the funds into four key priorities: research and innovation, informationand communication technologies, the competitiveness of SMEs, and the low carbon

economy. The final 20% of the funds must contribute to climate adaptation andmitigation.

A full list of ERDF-funded projects in the South East from the last programmingperiod, 2007-13, is available here.Priorities for ERDF funds in England have been

integrated with those within local Growth Deals, drawn up by LEPs. Organisations inthe South East hoping to access ERDF funds should therefore contact their relevant

LEP.
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/315866/SE_ERDF_Projects_May_2014__For_Website_.pdfhttps://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/315866/SE_ERDF_Projects_May_2014__For_Website_.pdfhttps://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/315866/SE_ERDF_Projects_May_2014__For_Website_.pdf


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Example: Sustainable Routes, Thames Valley

The Sustainable Routes programme is run by the organisation Ngage. It focuses on

enabling businesses to reduce the financial and environmental cost of travel, providing

grants of 1,000 to different businesses to help them reduce their carbon footprint.

Over the lifetime of the programme it is predicted that over 600 businesses will have

been awarded grants to cover costs such as introducing remote and flexible working

and video conferencing, and facilities for employees cycling to and from work.

The Sustainable Routes programme involved an ERDF contribution of 1,279,928,

which was then match funded up to 2.5million. The programme period is October

2009 to December 2015, although the contribution from ERDF was for the 2007-13

programming period. Partners included the National Business Travel Network,

Buckinghamshire County Council, Milton Keynes Council, Reading Borough Council,

Wokingham Borough Council, Oxfordshire County Council and Sustrans.

Example: Retrofit South East, Petersfield

This project was focused on retrofitting a small community of homes in Petersfield,

East Hampshire, and using the experience to develop expertise in advanced low-

carbon refurbishment across local and regional businesses and other organisations.

The project transformed the 14 homes concerned, and involved the provision of

business advice to 85 SMEs. The total budget for the project, which ran from 2009 to

2011, was 843, 000, of which the ERDF contribution was 421,000.

INTERREG

Although a separate programme in its own right, the EU's 'European Territorial

Cooperation' programme, INTERREG, is funded by the ERDF. This EU programmesupports projects between neighbouring regions which are nonetheless divided bya national border. Rather confusingly, there are no less than eight INTERREG

programmes which cover the UK: Two Seas, England-France (Channel), NWEurope, North Sea, Atlantic Area, Interreg Europe, URBACT and INTERACT. Full

details of all can be found on the European Commission'swebsite on TerritorialCooperation funds.

The different INTERREG programmes operate on the basis of different territorial

areas. Hence, there is an INTERREG France (Channel) England Programme,which has gone through a series of iterations (these are then referred to in the

programme name; we are currently within the INTERREG Va France (Channel)England Programme, for example).

Some areas of the South East are eligible for both the Channel programme and the

Two Seas programme (Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, Sussex and Kent areeligible zones; Surrey is classified as an adjacent area for proposal purposes).

The South East region is also covered by the Interreg IVb (North West Europe)programme. This programme is focused on the challenge of achieving sustainableeconomic growth in a context of relatively high population levels. As with the Two

Seas and Channel programmes, projects in this programme need to includepartners, in this case, from neighbouring countries within North West Europe.
http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/en/policy/cooperation/european-territorial/http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/en/policy/cooperation/european-territorial/http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/en/policy/cooperation/european-territorial/http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/en/policy/cooperation/european-territorial/http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/en/policy/cooperation/european-territorial/http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/en/policy/cooperation/european-territorial/


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Finally, the so-called Interreg IVc programme involves co-operation across all ofthe 28 members of the EU and Norway as well.

The Channel Programme will be launched later this year, whilst the Two Seas

programme was launched in November of last year. Whereas Upper Normandy was

previously the managing authority for the Channel Programme, this responsibilityhas transferred toNorfolk County Council. The managing authority for the Two Seas,

Interreg IVb and Interreg IVc programmes is the Region Nord Pas-de-Calais.

Example: IMPRESS Health 2 in Kent and beyond

The IMPRESS Health 2 project is a cross-channel research project to find out why

some people are being diagnosed comparatively late with HIV, and how earlier

testing could be promoted. In 2012, over half of the people diagnosed with HIV in

Kent and Medway had received a late diagnosis. This is bad for their health, and

also means that they are unable to take steps to stop passing on the virus to others.

The analysis being carried out within the project should help to reduce the numbers

of late diagnoses in the future. The IMPRESS Health 2 project receives 967,880 of

funding from the INTERREG IVa France (Channel) England programme. As well as

the local authority, charities and health care organisations in Kent and Medway, it

also involves partners in Picardie, France. The lead partner for the project in the UK

is Kent and Medway NHS Trusts Health and Europe Centre.

Example: Improvements to St Marys Parish Church, Ashford

The beautiful St Marys Parish Church, situated right in the centre of Ashford, Ke nt,

benefited from a 1.2million grant for sustainable renovation. Changes to the church

enabled it to perform a dual function as both a place of worship and a hub for arts

and performance. The funding was provided through the Greenov project,which

brought Ashfords Borough Council together with seven other organisations across

Europe, all focused on sustainable development. The Greenov project is funded

through the INTERREG IVb programme. The renovation has enabled the church to

host a number of high-profile acts in Ashford.

Example: The POSSE project, ReadingThe Promotion of Open Specifications and Standards in Europe (POSSE) project

was led by Reading Borough Council from 2012 until 2014. It supported the

development of EU-wide 'open' specifications and standards in the area of road

transport management. These kinds of 'open' specifications and standards help

transport systems to be better integrated such that, for example, automatic

responses can be developed across different elements of the transport system

during key events, and a more holistic view of the traffic situation can be developed.

They have also been shown to reduce the costs of capital investment and

procurement. The project involved Reading acting as an Urban Traffic Management

and Control demonstrator town, informing developments in five transfer sites acrossEurope and in the process further developing its own expertise in the area of Open
http://www.norfolk.gov.uk/business/business_support_and_funding/funding/european_funding/index.htmhttp://www.norfolk.gov.uk/business/business_support_and_funding/funding/european_funding/index.htmhttp://www.norfolk.gov.uk/business/business_support_and_funding/funding/european_funding/index.htmhttp://www.greenov.net/Projecthttp://www.greenov.net/Projecthttp://www.greenov.net/Projecthttp://www.norfolk.gov.uk/business/business_support_and_funding/funding/european_funding/index.htm


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traffic Specifications and Standards. The ERDF contribution to POSSE was

1.24million.

URBACT

This EU programme, which is part of the INTERREG suite of programmes, supplies

funding for networks of cities to work together on common issues and work withlocal partners on devising an action plan to combat the problem. Information aboutdeadlines for applications can be found here.

Example: ESIMeC, Basingstoke and Deane

The ESIMeC project lasted between 2009-12 and included eight Europeanmedium-sized towns and cities, including the South Easts Basingstoke and Deaneborough, whose council was the lead partner. ESIMeC was focused on developing

new economic strategies to capitalise on the assets and specificities of medium-sized towns and cities, to make them better equipped to cope with both short and

long-term economic downturns. The ESIMeC project produced a cookbook ofworkforce development recipes for economic recovery, covering areas like skillsforecasting, green growth and preparing young people for the world of work. In the

area of skills forecasting, the project produced a special tool and manual whichenabled cities to bring together different approaches to understand the needs of

local businesses.

European Social Fund (ESF)

This fund invests in people, with a focus on improving employment and education

opportunities. It also aims to help disadvantaged people at risk of poverty or socialexclusion. As with the ERDF, in England LEPs have drawn up proposals for the use

of ESF funds. Again as with the ERDF, English applicants need to find matchedfunding for ESF funds. This match funding can come from a variety of sources,including local and national government (e.g. the Department for Work and Pensions),

governmental agencies (such as the National Offender Management Service), andothers including the Big Lottery fund.

Example: Oxford City Council welfare reform programme

This project is focused on individuals having to claim Local Housing Allowance

(Housing Benefit for people who rent privately, as opposed to for people living insocial housing), who cannot afford the full cost of their rent in Oxford. This leads to

people being at risk of homelessness. This has become a problem since the

introduction of welfare reforms by the current government which have reduced thevalue of the Local Housing Allowance, particularly in relatively high-cost rental areas

like Oxford.

The project is an example of innovative social policy development, and runs fromJune 2014-June 2015. It attempts to help people access the labour market so thatthey can cover some of the shortfall between incomings and outgoings in rent,themselves. By the end of its first six months, the project had engaged 139 people,with 25 people already helped into work.
http://urbact.eu/http://www.urbact.eu/open-calls-networkshttp://www.urbact.eu/open-calls-networkshttp://www.urbact.eu/open-calls-networkshttp://urbact.eu/


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Example: Job Deal Hampshire

Job Deal Hampshire focused on supporting ex-offenders into work. It helped them to,for example, produce CVs and applications, and provide advice about job

opportunities and interviews, as well as helping them access training opportunities.The project helped one ex-offender, for example, to access a special qualification so

that he could apply for a position as a qualified paint sprayer at a Formula 1 company.The project was run in the South East by the company Serco, and was join funded bythe National Offender Management Service (NOMS) and the ESF. The ESF

contribution amounted to 7,200,000 over four years up to the end of 2014.

Your local LEP

For queries concerning ERDF and ESF expenditure, the best place to contact may be

your local LEP. Please find details of the LEPs in the South East European

Parliamentary region below.


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Name Address Tel. no. Email Areas covered

SouthEast LEP

South East LEP Secretariatc/o Essex County CouncilCounty HallMarket RoadChelmsford

CM1 1QH

03330 138761

http://www.southeastlep.com/contact

Essex, Southend, Thurrock, Kent, Medwayand East Sussex (NB this LEP, the biggestoutside London, extends well beyond theSouth East European Parliamentaryconstituency into the East region European

Parliamentary constituency).Oxfordshi

re LEP

2nd Floor

Oxford Centre for InnovationNew RoadOxford

OxfordshireOX1 1BY

01865

261433

[email protected] Oxfordshire

BuckinghamshireThamesValleyLEP

The Saunderton EstateWycombe Road SaundertonBuckinghamshireHP14 4BF

01494568951

[email protected] Buckinghamshire

SolentLEP

Solent LEP OfficeGround Floor

Building 1000Lakeside North HarbourWestern Road

PortsmouthPO6 3EZ

02392 688924

[email protected] Hampshire


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Coast toCapital

LEP

Arun HouseHurst Road

HorshamRH12 2DN

01403333840

Seewww.coast2capital.org.uk/con

tact-us#sthash.AIGiHEoA.dpbs

West Sussex (and up to Croydon, which isin the London European Parliamentary

constituency)

Enterprise M3 LEP

c/o Hampshire County CouncilThe Castle

WinchesterHampshire

SO23 8UJ

01962846755

[email protected] North Hampshire and South West Surrey

ThamesValleyBerkshireLEP

100 Longwater Avenue GreenPark, Reading,BerkshireRG2 6GP

0118 9450200

[email protected]

Berkshire


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European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD)

The EAFRD is overseen by the European Commissions Directorate General for

Agriculture and Rural Development. It is used for a number of different purposes in

relation to rural development. These include the protection of the environment, support

for rural economies and communities, and action to increase the competitiveness ofrural businesses including in farming and food production and forestry.

Some of EAFRD is delivered through the LEADER programme, which is a specific

method for delivery of both EAFRD funds and some British government funding which

come under the aegis of the so-called Rural Development Programme for England.

The LEADER programme is led by Local Action Groups or LAGS which involve

private sector, government and third sector representatives. They decide on which

projects to fund and how the overall programme will be implemented in their area.

Overall, the LEADER budget for the UK amounts to 140million, which is one twentieth

of the European contribution to the Rural Development Programme for England. LAGshave had to develop new Local Development Strategies which they submitted to Defra

last year.

Sign-off of the programme was held up but finally approved in February 2015. In

contrast to the previous spending period, the current LEADER programme is expected

to focus more strongly on job creation and the promotion of sustainable economic

growth, compared with other objectives. Although programmes have not yet been fully

approved, a list of the submitted LEADER programme areas is below (which is unlikely

to change substantially for the new funding round).

EAFRD allocations to Local Enterprise Partnerships in England, 2015-2020

Local EnterprisePartnership

Total EAFRD allocation inEuros (s)

Indicative Sterlingequivalent (s)

Buckinghamshire Thames

Valley

1,978,506 1,584,177

Coast to Capital 4,790,449 3,835,682

Enterprise M3 4,430,352 3,547,355

Oxfordshire LEP 3,488,507 2,793,225

Solent 2,912,578 2,332,083

South East 18,069,267 14,467,947

Thames Valley Berkshire 1,405,133 1,125,081


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Local Action Groups in the South East

Prospective

Local ActionGroup

Accountable Body Website

Aylesbury Valeand Rural MiltonKeynes (Clay

Vales)

Ngage Solutions Ltd http://www.leader-programme.org.uk/aylesbury-vale-milton-keynes#.VOUI7vmsXuo

Chilterns Ngage Solutions Ltd http://www.leader-

programme.org.uk/chilterns#.VOUI__msXuo

Fieldfare Winchester City

Council

http://www.fieldfareleader.org.uk/local-

action-group/

Isle of Wight Natural Enterprise Ltd http://www.naturalenterprise.co.uk/uploads/content_documents/778/Isle_of_Wight_

LDS_2015_-_2020.pdf

Kent Downs and

Marshes

Kent County Council http://www.kentruralnetwork.org.uk/leader

Loddon and

Eversley

Hampshire County

Council

http://www.ruralfunding.co.uk/

New Forest New Forest District

Council

http://www.newforestleader.org.uk/

SouthOxfordshire

Southern OxfordshireDistrict Council

Not available

Surrey Hills (nowrenamed Rural

Surrey)

Surrey County Council http://www.surreyhillsleader.org/

Sussex Downs &

Coastal Plain

West Sussex County

Council

http://www.westsussex.gov.uk/default.asp

x?page=8191


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Horsham, Lewesand Mid-Sussex

West Sussex CountyCouncil

http://www.westsussex.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=8191

Weald andRother Rural

Partnership

Rother District Council http://www.warrpartnership.org.uk/

West Kent Sevenoaks DistrictCouncil

http://www.westkentleader.org.uk/

East Kent Action withCommunities in RuralKent

http://www.ruralkent.org.uk/ourwork/EastKentLeader.htm

Example: EAFRD projects funded through theWest Kent Leader programme

During the last LEADER programme period, which finished at the end of 2013, West

Kent LEADER awarded over 1.25million in grants to over 60 projects. These covered

a diverse range of activities in the West Kent area. Grants were used, for example, for:the purchase of a log splitter for firewood production; the conversion of a barn for

business units; diversification of a farm into cheese making including conversion of

farm building, purchase of a woodchip boiler and hire of equipment; the purchase of a

forest trailer and crane; the promotion of locally-sourced breakfast menus; and the

provision of trees, seating, street lighting, bollards and litter bins to improve a village

centre.

European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF)

The final structural fund available to UK applicants is the European Maritime and

Fisheries Fund. This is the successor to what was called the European Fisheries

Fund, which closed at the end of November last year. The new fund is intended to aid

the European fishing industry to become more competitive. Full details have not yet

been released by the UK government of the new fund; they will appear on the MarineManagement Organisationwebsite later this year.

The previous fund, the European Fisheries Fund, provided funds to enable people

working in the fishing industry to take practical steps to improve their business. This

included providing grants for vessel upgrades, developing aquaculture businesses(involving fish for human consumption either directly or e.g. as farmed fish food),
http://www.westkentleader.org.uk/page164018.aspxhttp://www.westkentleader.org.uk/page164018.aspxhttps://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-a-european-fisheries-fund-granthttps://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-a-european-fisheries-fund-granthttps://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-a-european-fisheries-fund-granthttps://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-a-european-fisheries-fund-granthttps://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-a-european-fisheries-fund-granthttps://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-a-european-fisheries-fund-granthttp://www.westkentleader.org.uk/page164018.aspx


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improvements to ports and fisheries management, and the sustainable development

of fisheries. The latter task was delivered by Fisheries Local Action Groups orFLAGs. The only FLAG based in the South East is in Hastings.

Example: the Hastings FLAG

Hastings FLAGreceived a total of 963,000 in funding from the Marine Management

Organisation, which was comprised of equal parts from the EFF and from Defra. Theproject runs from April 2014 until December 2015.

As home to the largest under 10m shingle beach-based fleet in the UK, Hastings

fishing industry is unique, but was also under pressure for reasons including quota

restrictions in the Channel. The FLAG supports the local fishing industry, working in

partnership with the Hastings Fishermens Protection Society. FLAG supports a large

number of projects in the local area, including the revitalisation of the tradition of a

Herring Fair in Hastings, training programmes for local young people and thepurchase of equipment to aid the local fishing industry.

OTHER EU GRANT-FUNDED PROGRAMMES

Employment and Social Innovation (EaSI)

This programme is focused on promoting high-quality employment, decent social

protection, combating social exclusion and poverty, and improving working conditions.

Unlike the programmes mentioned above, EaSI works through the setting of an annualwork programme and different activities and priorities, with organisations then bidding

in relation to these according to a rolling set of deadlines. You can see the current

EaSI work programmehere.

There are three elements to the EaSI programme, which are described as axes. The

largest axis is the PROGRESS axis, which is focused on the modernisation of

employment and social policies. The EURES axis then covers the promotion of job

mobility, and the Microfinance and Social Entrepreneurship axis is, as its name

suggests, focused on improving access to microfinance and promoting social

entrepreneurship.The PROGRESS axis covers social policy experimentation and the promotion of social

inclusion and poverty reduction, analysis of this activity, action to promote learning

across organisations and support for key NGOs and networks, and would probably be

the most likely fund that South East region applicants would focus on.

The overall budget for PROGRESS at EU level for the period from 2014-20 is 561

million euros.

Creative Europe

Creative Europe is a new EU programme intended to support European cinema and

the cultural and creative sectors, enabling them to increase their contribution to jobsand growth. It is described as support[ing] tens of thousands of artists, cultural and
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audio-visual professionals and organisations in the performing arts, fine arts,publishing, film, TV, music, interdisciplinary arts, heritage, and the video games

industry.

The programme consists of two sub-programmes; the Culture sub-programme to

promote the culture sector, and the MEDIA sub-programme to support the audiovisualsector.

Funding opportunities come under five different headings: Producer Support,

Distribution Support, Training and Networks, Audiences and Other Initiatives.Creative Europe funding has been or is being used to support the followingactivities, as examples: help for independent production companies to develop new

projects and/or programmes, and for video game producers to produce new gameconcepts; support for distribution, e.g. to release films that might not otherwise be

economic; help for training film and TV industry professionals, and in the

development of access to markets for European professionals working in theaudiovisual industry; and support for film festivals and networks of European

cinemas, and to improve access to European audiovisual works.

Advice for potential participants in Creative Europe is available from the British Film

Institute (via [email protected]) and the British Council([email protected])

Example: the Stick Man, Orange Eye Ltd

Under the Support for TV Programming strand of Creative Europe, Orange Eye Ltd,

a firm based in Aldershot, is coordinating a project funded to the tune of 194,457 euros.

This is to produce a TV programme based on the well-known childrens Stick Manbook.

Horizon 2020

Horizon 2020 (H2020) covers a wide variety of programmes including the following:

the Framework Programme for Research & Technological Development (FP), theCompetitiveness & Innovation Framework Programme (CIP) and the European

Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT). Please see my booklet on the South Eastand research funding for elements of Horizon 2020 falling under the Framework

Programme.

Horizon 2020 as a whole is focused on a number of core aims, which include: the

growing need for sustainable healthcare; improved security and privacy; a lowercarbon economy; and intelligent transport. Funding through Horizon 2020 is providedthrough calls for proposals and calls for tenders.

In order to rationalise European funding projects, Horizon 2020 now covers

previously discrete programmes such as the Intelligent Energy Europe (IEE) fund. As

with IEE, Horizon 2020 includes an Energy Efficiency Call which focuses on tackling

non-technological (i.e. economic, administrative and skill-related) barriers to the

spread of efficient use of energy and greater use of new and renewable energysources.
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Horizon 2020 also includes theActive and Assisted Living programme. This focuses

on bringing organisations across Europe together to develop ICT measures to helpwith active and healthy ageing. Innovate UK (formerly known as the Technology

Strategy Board) is the UK contact point for this funding stream. Examples of

involvement of UK companies and organisations in the previous version of theprogramme can be found here.

Horizon 2020 is also the EU funder for Eurostars, a joint funding stream from both the

EU and those countries involved in the Eureka network (South Korea, Turkey and

Israel as well as most EU countries). The responsible organisation for the programme

in the UK is, as with AAL above, Innovate UK.Eurostars funding is open to SMEs who

devote at least 10% of their turnover to research and development activity (what is

described as R and D performing SMEs). The maximum grant is 360,000 per UK

participant, with funds being provided for projects that involve other partners within the

EU/Eureka network. The UK has a strong success rate in applications for Eurostars,comprising 16% of successful project participants.

Funding for Horizon 2020 is provided on the basis of calls to tender and for projects.

Details of current funding opportunities can be found here.A dedicated website for

Horizon 2020 applicants from the UK is availablehere.

Example: Oxfutures

This programme involves co-funding from the Intelligent Energy Europe fund (nowincorporated within Horizon 2020), alongside funding from Oxford City Council and

Oxfordshire County Council, in order to deliver 20million of investment into local

energy projects. The first programme of its kind, it is designed to offer a new

approach to financing community energy projects. Oxford City Council will receive a

return of 5% on its contribution to the fund, which overall is intended to lead to the

installation of 7.6 megawatts of renewable energy capacity. This includes 1

megawatt of solar panels on over 20 schools in Oxfordshire, 1 megawatt of

renewables for local businesses and potentially up to 5 megawatts of community

schemes. The project will work on an innovative share basis. A social enterprise,

the Oxford Low Carbon Hub, provides the initial construction funding, but oncerenewable infrastructures are built a community share offer is launched. Funds

received upon sale of the shares then enable the Hub to pay back the loan from

Oxford City Council and then provide more project funding.

Connecting Europe

Connecting Europe is a new programme of funding for 2014-2020. The ConnectingEurope Facility covers both transport and digital connections, and includes co-funding

for so-called TEN-T networks. It will invest31.7 billion to upgrade Europe's transport

infrastructure, build missing links and remove bottlenecks. By focusing on transportmodes that are less polluting, the Connecting Europe Facility will push our transport
http://www.aal-europe.eu/http://www.aal-europe.eu/our-projects/#United%20Kingdomhttp://www.aal-europe.eu/our-projects/#United%20Kingdomhttps://interact.innovateuk.org/https://interact.innovateuk.org/http://ec.europa.eu/easme/en/energyhttp://ec.europa.eu/easme/en/energyhttps://www.h2020uk.org/https://www.h2020uk.org/https://www.h2020uk.org/https://www.h2020uk.org/http://ec.europa.eu/easme/en/energyhttps://interact.innovateuk.org/http://www.aal-europe.eu/our-projects/#United%20Kingdomhttp://www.aal-europe.eu/


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system to become more sustainable. It will also give consumers more choice abouthow they want to travel. In addition, theDigital element of the programmehas a budget

of 1.14 billion euros. Out of this, 170 million euros are earmarked for Broadbandactivities, while 970 million euros are dedicated to Digital Service Infrastructures (DSIs)

delivering networked cross-border services for citizens, businesses and public

administrations. These projects are to contribute to improving economiccompetitiveness, promoting the interconnection and interoperability of national,

regional and local networks, and promoting access to such networks, thus supportingthe development of a Digital Single Market.

Example:TEN-T funding in the South EastNumerous projects have been funded affecting the South East over the last twenty

years by predecessors to the Connecting Europe Facility. Examples include 5 millioneuros in 2011 for the line from Southampton Port to the West Coast Main Line which

was on top of 1 million euro for this purpose in 2003, 27 million euros for ChannelTunnel Rail Link Works in 2006 following 25 million euros for this purpose in 2004 and20 million in 2003, and 1 million euro for Reading Station in 2004.

Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme

The new Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme integrates the previous EUprogrammes Fundamental Rights and Citizenship, Daphne III, and the sectionsAntidiscrimination and Diversity and Gender Equality of the PROGRESS

programme. The programmes main objective is enhancing the awareness of EU lawand of the rights, values and principles underpinning the Union. Funds from thisprogramme can be used for a variety of activities including analysis, training, mutual

learning and cooperation, and support for key organisations e.g. in networking but alsoin their implementation of actions with European added value.

Applicants need to consider annual work plans produced by the Commission for thisprogramme, which detail what will be funded, how much will be allocated, and anindication of the timetable. The allocation of funds is organised by the Commission bya call for application for action grants or operating grants.

Example: Tackling child-to-parent violence, Brighton

The Responding to Child-to-Parent Violence (RCPV) project is coordinated by two

Brighton-based organisations, and funded partly by the Daphne programme (now part

of the Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme). The two lead organisations arethe University of Brighton and Brighton and Hove Council, with the project also

involving social workers, NGOs and academics from a variety of other EU countries .

The project involves work to identify the scale of child-to-parent violence, to understand

the experiences of some of the children and parents involved, and to develop

interventions to prevent this largely hidden type of violence.

The Asylum and Migration Fund

This brings together many pre-existing EU funds such as the European Refugee

Fund, the European Fund for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals and theEuropean Return Fund. Unusually the EU provides a greater contribution than usual
http://ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda/en/connecting-europe-facilityhttp://ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda/en/connecting-europe-facilityhttp://ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda/en/connecting-europe-facilityhttps://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/138382/ten-t-awards-list.pdfhttps://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/138382/ten-t-awards-list.pdfhttps://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/138382/ten-t-awards-list.pdfhttps://www.brighton.ac.uk/ssparc/research-projects/responding-to-child-to-parent-violence.aspxhttps://www.brighton.ac.uk/ssparc/research-projects/responding-to-child-to-parent-violence.aspxhttps://www.brighton.ac.uk/ssparc/research-projects/responding-to-child-to-parent-violence.aspxhttps://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/138382/ten-t-awards-list.pdfhttp://ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda/en/connecting-europe-facility


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to projects funded through this route, with a three-quarter contribution comingthrough this route, and a full 90% where projects involve a number of different

countries. UK applications are routed through the Home Office.

In 2012, Theresa May commented on how the UK had benefited from the funding

streams that have now been amalgamated into the Asylum and Migration Fund:[t]he current EU migration funds partly finance our charter flight programmes and

have enabled the UK to expand the range of destinations and programmeparameters. The UK also has a well-established resettlement programme due to

the co-financing from the current EU migration funding streams. Without thisfunding UK Border Agency would not be able to continue the scale of resettlementactivity currently undertaken. Furthermore, the current European fund for the

integration of third-country nationals has become an important source of funding forthird-country nationals seeking to integrate into British society.

Europe for CitizensThe Europe for Citizens programme is designed to connect communities across

Europe, and provides relatively small amounts of funding to a large number ofprojects for this purpose out of its pot of 164 million euros for the period from 2014-

2020. Streams within this programme include Network of Towns, which has fundeda number of British towns in their town twinning activities, and EuropeanRemembrance, which was focused on events related to commemoration of the

Second World War in Europe.

LIFE - Programme for the Environment and Climate Action

This is the EUs main funding programme focusing on the conservation of nature andthe promotion of sustainable development. The new programme for the period 2014-

2020 is sub-divided into two strands: Environment, and Climate Action. The budget forthe Environmental strand is 2.6billion euros, while that for climate action is 0.8billioneuros. Almost four fifths of the funding is allocated to project grants within individual

EU countries, whilst 15% is earmarked for projects spanning more than one country.

The Environment strand supports projects in the fields of: nature and biodiversity;waste; resource efficiency; environment and health, including chemicals and noise;and air quality and emissions, including urban environment information and

governance.

The Climate Action strand supports projects in the fields of: implementation and

development of EU policies and legislation and mainstreaming of activities across

policy areas; improvement and application of the knowledge base around climate

change; the development and implementation of integrated strategies and action

plans; and the development and demonstration of innovative technologies and

systems, and methods and instruments for their replication, transfer or mainstreaming.

The responsible UK government department (Defra) has contracted Beta

Technologies Ltd as the national contact point for LIFE applicants. Their website

includes up-to-date information about funding opportunities and how to apply.
http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/citizenship/index_en.phphttp://www.betaeurope.co.uk/LIFE_Help.htmhttp://www.betaeurope.co.uk/LIFE_Help.htmhttp://www.betaeurope.co.uk/LIFE_Help.htmhttp://eacea.ec.europa.eu/citizenship/index_en.php


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Example: LIFE projects, the New ForestThe New Forest is well-known as a biological hot spot, containing a wide variety of

different types of habitat, including rare bog woodland, and many rare flora and fauna,including the richest moss and lichen flora in lowland Europe. One of the largest

projects ever to be funded by the LIFE scheme was based in the New Forest and

focused on restoring vulnerable habitats and ensuring the long-term viability ofconservation efforts in the area. The project was worth 5.2million of which half was

covered by the EU and the other half by a variety of project partners. This was followedby an additional LIFE project with the EU contributing 1million, which focused

specifically on the sustainable management of wetlands in the New Forest.

COSME

COSME is the EU programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and Small andMedium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), running from 2014 to 2020. The project budget is2.3 billion euros overall. It aims to support access to finance and to markets for SMEs,

to help new entrepreneurs, and to promote business growth and creation.

When it comes to access to finance, COSME promotes lending to SMEs by providingfinancial intermediaries with a Loan Guarantee Facility (LGF). By controlling theEquity Facility for Growth (EFG), it also provides finance for funds providing venturecapital and mezzanine finance for SMEs. The LGF and EFG are both managed by theEuropean Investment Fund (EIF). Details of the financial intermediaries used by the

EIF are available here. Calls for proposals and tender relating to the promotion ofbusiness growth and creation, within the COSME programme, are available via theParticipants Portal.

SMEs across the South East can also access services from the Enterprise Europe

Network via the contact point for the South East, which is

Oxford Innovation Services LimitedOxford Centre for InnovationNew Road

OxfordOX1 1BY

The contact point offers services including: information on EU legislation and EU

programmes; help finding a business partner abroad; advice on how to access finance;support for innovation and technology transfer; and obtaining SME's views on EUlegislation.

Other support for entrepreneurs

Mentoring

The European Commission also provides free mentoring via the European Network of

Mentors for Women Entrepreneurs. The national contact person for the network isLisa McMullan, and one of the mentors is based in the South East of England:
http://www.newforestlife.org.uk/life2/background.htmhttp://www.newforestlife.org.uk/life2/background.htmhttp://www.eif.org/what_we_do/where/gb/index.htmhttp://www.eif.org/what_we_do/where/gb/index.htmhttp://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/portal/desktop/en/opportunities/cosme/index.htmlhttp://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/portal/desktop/en/opportunities/cosme/index.htmlhttp://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/portal/desktop/en/opportunities/cosme/index.htmlhttp://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/portal/desktop/en/opportunities/cosme/index.htmlhttp://www.eif.org/what_we_do/where/gb/index.htmhttp://www.newforestlife.org.uk/life2/background.htm


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Sarah Steel - The Old Station NurseryThe Old Station Nursery

7 Park RoadFarringdon

SN7 7BP

[email protected] 049744

Erasmus for entrepreneurial exchange

The Erasmus programme (on which see more below) also provides support for young

entrepreneurs to undertake cross-border exchanges so that they can learn from

experienced entrepreneurs running small businesses in other countries. (You can also

serve as a host entrepreneur as well). Relevant UK local contact points for the schemefor South East-based young entrepreneurs are:

EISC Ltd, 53 Bugle Street, Southampton, SO14 2LF

Contact person: Ms Elina [email protected]

Euclid Network, 8 All Saints Street, London, N1 9RL

Contact person: Ms Giorgia Chille

Tel. [email protected]

University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT

Contact person: Mr Nicolas Ulloa [email protected]

UnLtd, 123 Whitecross Street, Islington, London, EC17 8JJ

Contact person: Ms Julie Nicholson

[email protected]

Erasmus +

Erasmus + is a wide-ranging programme which covers a variety of different activities

funded by the EU which are focused on education, training, youth and sport. Whereas

previously the programme in the UK was dealt with by the Department of Education,the responsible Department is now that for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). In

practical terms however, the programme is jointly administered by the British Council

and Ecorys. The latter manage bids for adult education and vocational training, while

the British Council covers school, university and youth applications. Sport and so-

called Jean Monnet activities are not devolved however and are managed centrally

by the EU.

Education and Training is the best funded element of Erasmus+, receiving 1,536.5

million euros for example under the 2015 call. This compares with 171 million euros

for youth, 11.4 million euros for Jean Monnet and 16.8 million euros for sport. Generallyspeaking, Erasmus+ now provides funding for mobility for individuals engaged in
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education or other forms of learning; cooperation to promote innovation and best

practice; and support for policy reform (e.g. the engagement of young people with

policy makers).

Contact details for the UK are as following:

For Higher Education, Youth, and School Education:

British Council, in partnership with Ecorys UK - British Council

10 Spring Gardens

London, SW1A 2BN

Tel: 0161 957 7755 www.erasmusplus.org.uk [email protected] rg

For Youth, Vocational Education and Training and Adult Education:

British Council, in partnership with Ecorys UK - Ecorys UK

Albert House

Quay Place

92-93 Edward Street

Birmingham

B1 2RA

Tel: 0845 199 2929 www.erasmusplus.org.uk [email protected]

Example: Construction ECO-project,Chichester College

Funding from Leonardo (now part of Erasmus+) was used to help support a renovationproject undertaken by construction students from Chichester College, led by their

Lecturer Neil Redman. The two-week-long project involved the students being

engaged in the renovation of a chateau and outbuildings in Tinchebray, France, which

were being converted into an eco-hotel.

Connecting Classrooms

The Connecting Classrooms funding stream, run through the British Council, createspartnerships between clusters of schools in the UK and around the world. There isfunding of 1500 per school in the partnership. All educational establishments with

students aged from 3 to 18 years are eligible to apply. Partnerships last for betweentwo and three years.

NON-GRANT FUNDING FROM THE EU

European Investment Bank (EIB)

The European Investment Bank provides loans and finance, rather than grants. Theseloans can, however, be paid off over a relatively generous schedule (albeit not a non-

commercial one). The EIB has supported numerous projects in the UK including major

enhancements of the Southampton freight port and improvements to a number ofeducational, health, energy and transport facilities. Overall, the EIB has provided more
http://www.erasmusplus.org.uk/http://www.erasmusplus.org.uk/mailto:[email protected]://www.erasmusplus.org.uk/mailto:[email protected]://eco-chateautinchebray.blogspot.co.uk/http://eco-chateautinchebray.blogspot.co.uk/https://schoolsonline.britishcouncil.org/programmes-and-funding/linking-programmes-worldwide/connecting-classrooms/partnershipshttps://schoolsonline.britishcouncil.org/programmes-and-funding/linking-programmes-worldwide/connecting-classrooms/partnershipshttp://eco-chateautinchebray.blogspot.co.uk/mailto:[email protected]://www.erasmusplus.org.uk/mailto:[email protected]://www.erasmusplus.org.uk/


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than 1.6billion in the last five years to UK universities and colleges, and its largest everloan to a higher education institution was in the South East, with a 200 million loan

for Oxford University having just been announced (September 2015).

Example: University of Kent, Canterbury

The University of Kent, Canterbury is receiving 75 million from the European

Investment Bank, which will be repayable over 25 years. The funding will help with

the development of the universitys Templeman Library on its Canterbury campus,

and support improvements to research and teaching facilities at its Medway campus.

The funding will also be used to provide a new space for the universitys schools of

business and of mathematics, and enable the expansion of other schools. A key part

of the project is the reduction of the universitys energy costs linked to the

development, with this anticipated to amount to a 19% reduction over time. In

addition to benefiting the university and its students, the funding is also to be used to

provide new facilities for the Kent Law Clinic, which is the universitys pro-bono legal

advice service.

In addition to EIB general call funding, specific programmes within the EIB are

earmarked for different areas of investment. These include the JESSICA and ELENA

programmes. The JESSICA programme (Joint European Support for Sustainable

Investment in City Areas) is an EU initiative with the objective to assist all regions to

establish strategies for sustainable urban development and realise urban

development projects through the set-up of (revolving) financial instruments. The

ELENA programme (European Local Energy Assistance) is a technical assistance

facility supporting the preparation and implementation of cities and regions

sustainable energy projects. It aims to increase the capacity of local authorities byproviding advisory services and financial aid for measures such as feasibility and

market studies or energy audits, promoting cross-sectoral approaches and

encouraging the exchange of best practice among actors.

Juncker investment package

The Juncker investment package is a flagship programme for the new European

Commission, and an official recognition that mere structural change within economies

has not delivered economic growth. The investment package overall is intended to

stretch to 315 billion euros, with a ratio of 16 to 1 private to public funding. The exactimpact of the project on existing EU funding is difficult to call at this stage. The draft

proposal for the package has some of the funding for the package coming both from

the EIB and from Horizon 2020 and Connecting Europe Facility funds.

National governments were required to submit a list of projects which could be funded

by the Juncker investment package. The list for the UK did not, it appears, include any

projects explicitly within the South East, although some areas of potential investment

mentioned in the government list could have covered this region (e.g. upgrading all

railway stations to make them accessible for disabled people). The package will

provide an Advisory Hub for potential project applicants to gain advice about how to

access the funds, although the precise details of how this will work have not yet beenset out.


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CONCLUSION

Despite being in aggregate terms one of the less disadvantaged areas of the EU, the

South East of England has benefitted substantially from EU funds over the years. This

report has shown how EU funding has paid for everything from street lighting in a smallvillage to major civil engineering projects in the transport sector, not to mention

significant investment in local peoples skills in a range of areas. Crucially, much of

these EU funds have been controlled, not by central government in London, but by

community groups, local councils, local businesses and educational institutions, from

Milton Keynes to Dover and almost everywhere else in between.

eu funding a record of success across the south east

Documents