Introduction to NCVO and European funding

Ingrid Gardiner

EU Manager

Ingrid.gardiner@ncvo-vol.org.uk

What NCVO does

Training & Capacity Building on key areas:• Governance & Leadership• Volunteering• Sustainable Funding• Campaigning, Collaboration & ICT• Workforce Development• Helpdesk• Pilots, knowledge sharing and new ways of working• Co-ordinates the European Funding Network

European Funding Network

•These estimates refer to the voluntary sector only – based on the general charities definition

•The UK voluntary sector: at the heart of civil society

Size of sector

Income and expenditure

Trends in funding

Trends in funding

Funding & Finance

• Major reductions in public spending (20%) still coming through

• Shift from grants to contracts• EU funds 2014-2020• Move towards social investment, eg. bonds

and loans• Need to find ways to link public sector

funds with foundations and corporate partners

European Structural and Investment Funds

Introduction to the European Structural and Investment Funds

•The Structural and Cohesion Funds are the European Union’s main funding programmes for reducing social and economic disparities across the EU. In England, these funds comprise the:•European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) which supports research, innovation, business development and infrastructure investment •European Social Fund (ESF) which supports training, enhancing access to employment and social inclusion.•It will also include part of the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD), and will be aligned with the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF). This funding should begin to come on stream in mid-2014.

Proposed Delivery Arrangements

Local Enterprise Partnerships

European Structural and Investment Funds

LEPs are responsible for:

•coming up with an investment strategy for spending their allocation

•finding projects to deliver that strategy, using a mixture of commissioning, bidding and co-financing as best meets local need

•finding match funding for those projects •ensuring those projects deliver their targets •making sure their allocations are spent on time •monitoring how well they are delivering against their strategies and the programme priorities

European Structural and Investment Funds

Organisation/programme Primary thematic objective supported by service

Growth Accelerator

The Manufacturing Advisory Service

Enhancing the competitiveness of small and medium enterprises (SMEs)

UK Trade and Investment

European Investment bank (social housing)

Supporting the shift towards a low carbon economy in all sectors

The Big Lottery Fund Promoting social inclusion and combating poverty

The Skills Funding Agency Investing in education, skills and lifelong learning

Local focus new opportunities?

• Match funding for the sector (e.g. Big Lottery Fund) to complement Growth Programme

• Community Led Local Development

• Community Grants• Social innovation, social

inclusion, social investment, technical assistance and capacity building

• Volunteer time as match funding in-kind

Civil Society and LEPs

• Engagement with all stakeholders

• Building meaningful strategic relationships

• Help deliver social inclusion (20%!)

• That is not the only offer – civil society sector comes in many different forms – CICs, social enterprises, mutuals and trade unions

Big Lottery Funding

• Since June 2004, The Big Lottery Fund has awarded close to £6 billion to projects supporting health, education, environment and charitable purposes. The Fund is well connected with the voluntary and community sector; in 2011/12 92% of our funding was awarded to voluntary and community sector.

Big Lottery Funding

• National Lottery Act 2006 gave Big Lottery powers to distribute non-lottery funding

• Mission is to work collaboratively, putting experience, systems and learning at the disposal of others for the benefit of communities and people most in need.

• Two funds – National Lottery and the Big Fund

A possible model

Why should LEPs consider Big Lottery Opt-ins• Flexible bespoke offer to help

deliver 20% social inclusion target

• Brings in the civil society sector

• Complements objectives• Bespoke offer local

communities and business in control of needs of local area and preferred solutions

• Builds the capacity of communities to act & work in partnership to respond to economic, social and environmental challenges

Timetable

Domestic timetableSpring 2013 – Guidance to LEPs on EU Investment Strategies issued;UK Partnership Agreement out to formal consultation

July 2013 – Final Guidance issued to LEPs

October 2013 – Investment Strategies to BIS – final strategies to be submitted by the end of January 2014

October – November – feedback to LEPs

Partnership Agreement – end of December

Operational Programme – March 2014

Questions?

Thank you and remember that this is an opportunity for you…http://www.europeanfundingnetwork.euThank you!