European Funding Requirements,Opportunities &

Barriers

March 10thth 2015 - Manchester

John Hacking - Network for Europe

Aims of Presentation

• What routes are available to access ESF

• What are basic requirements to access ESF

• Opportunities and Barriers

Routes to Access ESF• In GM the ESF “procurement” will be on a GM

footprint.• Tender specifications are being developed between

GM EU team and the Opt-Ins• Appraisal will be done jointly with GM and Opt In

GM‘s Ambition for ESF

• GM hoped that projects would be able to fully integrate employment support and skills support.

• Not possible as Opt Ins unable to merge funding streams (their match funding).

• Eg DWP (who fund employment support through ESF) will not allow SFA provision (mainly skills support) within a DWP procured project.

So What?

• Well…• This has led to more Lots (referred to

previously) than envisaged.• More Lots being ‘split out’ to ensure activity is

additional and the right groups are targeted.In other words it looks a bit more complicated than was hoped.

• Procurement is expected to be mixture of:

–GM wide projects managed via Opt Ins

– Smaller ad hoc projects

–Projects able to supply own match

Two main routes for making funding available: ‘calls’ or ‘ESF Opt-Ins’

• Call: open invitation for applicants to submit proposals against a published specification issued by the Managing Authority (Limited amount of this in GM as Devolution has/or will give(n) more control to GM over Opt-Ins “match”)

• Opt-in: a procurement process undertaken by the Opt-In organisations working with LEPs. For ESF programmes delivered through Opt-in organisations, applications will go through the Opt-in Organisations who will be responsible for procuring ESF activity

• They are national public bodies or equivalent to national public bodies.

• They fulfil their statutory functions in relation to one or more of the activities described in the Operational Programme.

• They have sufficient eligible match funding for an agreed duration within the time period of the Operational Programme.

• They have sufficient infrastructure and expertise to carry out the duties.

• Opt in organisations in GM are:

– DWP– Skills Funding Agency– Big Lottery Fund

**National Offender Management Service (NOMS)(the successful contract holders for provision have been announced to individual tenderers. This happened last Friday (27/2 – made public in 10 days).

VCS Providers could access as:

– Lead providers – Sub contractors–Other supply chain provision–Partnership–Consortium

“ESIF Readiness”– Organisational Details (Inc. some specific Opt In

requirements such as SFA Provider Registration Number PRN)

– Insurance & Health and Safety Policies– Training status (accredited? What QA? Matrix?)– Equal Opportunities and Equality Policies. Are they

in existence? Are they current?

• Finances – Up to date financial accounts. Different situations will require different levels of accounts but minimum will be some externally verified financial statements of account.

• Audit and Record Keeping– “Simplification” is ambition of EU!– Varies according to Opt In and Status (eg

partner/subcontractor etc)– Financial record keeping usually very stringent

– Learner Beneficiary Records usually detailed.

• Irrespective of your position in any ESF supply chain a minimum will be in relation to the project.

- all financial information - all non-financial information

This will make sure that there is a complete audit trail for the project, and will enable accurate claims and reports on your project/contract to be made.

Opportunities and Barriers• Look at the LOTS.

• What can we offer in terms of:– Activity• What do we do that meets aspirations of the calls?

Eg Informal/Formal Learning-Training – Target Group Engagement• Who do we do it to, and how do we engage?

- Outputs

• Indicative ESF Outputs/Target Groups. Numbers Will Change

Opportunities (2)• Which Opt-in(s) are we focussing on? • i.e. which Opt-in covers our activity/target

group?SFA – Mainly training and skills provision. – Register of Training Organisations (RTO)– RTO GuidanceDWP – Employment Related Support

BLF - Building Better Opportunities ProgrammeBLF/BBO in GM

In GM BBO likely to be targeted at:Pre-pre-employmentUnemployed and economically inactive not on WP,

Working Well or JCP+ Programmes

Potential Barriers?!

• We aren’t doing what the LEP/ESF Programme wants to buy

• GM EU Investment Strategy (ESIF Plan)• GM ESIF Plan

• Are we “ESIF”Ready ?/What do we need to address to seize opportunities:– Compliance?– Activity?– Get more help? – What kind of help/support

Table Top ExerciseOpportunities

• Which Opt-in(s) are we focussing on? • i.e. which Opt-in covers our activity/target group?

Barriers• We aren’t doing what the LEP/ESF Programme wants

to buy• Are we “ESIF”Ready ?/What do we need to address

to seize opportunities

QUESTIONS?

John.hacking@networkforeurope.eu