OVERVIEW OF EU FUNDSCOMMUNITY RESOURCES

NETWORK SCOTLAND

ANNUAL CONFERENCEFRIDAY 06 NOVEMBER 2015

Delivery of EU Programmes in Scotland and Access for Third Sector Organisations

• Who’s doing this? Senscot, Social Firms Scotland, Development Trusts Association Scotland and Scottish Community Alliance

What this Seminar Covers:

• European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) €476.8mn• European Social Fund (ESF) €464.1mn• European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD)

This is Scottish Rural Development Programme - over £1.3bn• European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) - €243mn for the UK

More Focused Approach:

• Scottish Government will deliver ERDF and ESF through 14 Strategic Intervention Leads – a devolved approach

• Scottish Government will deliver SRDP through various Schemes in Rural Payments and Services – includes openings to Third Sector

Strategic Lead Partner Organisations, including Local CouncilsMany not yet in position to provide further information

Registration for Public Contracts ScotlandGood idea to register and become familiar with way PCS works

Five Social Inclusion Strategic ObjectivesSocial Inclusion - most important part of ESF Programme

Four ERDF Strategic Packages Notes on most relevant packages for third sector access

Scottish Rural Development Programme Rural Payments and Services – not all Schemes are farming related. This site includes complete list of schemes, including LEADER

Headlines

• Please note this Presentation has a “Health Warning” Not seeking to mislead but things may change

• Part One - European Social Fund 7 most relevant Strategic Objectives

• Part Two - European Regional Development Fund 4 most relevant Strategic Packages

• Part Three - Scottish Rural Development ProgrammeMost relevant schemes, including LEADER

• Questions and Discussion

About this Presentation

PART ONE

EUROPEAN SOCIAL FUND

Promoting Social Inclusion, Combating Poverty and Any Discrimination - The Five ESF Strategic Objectives

9i: Active inclusion, including with a view to promoting equal opportunities and active participation, and improving employability

SO21: FINANCIAL CAPACITY IN 5 AREAS

Increase the financial capacity of the most disadvantaged individuals and households

SO22: POVERTY AND SOCIAL INCLUSION –32 LOCAL AUTHORITIES (coupled with EMPLOYABILITY UNDER SO 11 and SO 12)Increase number of disadvantaged participants, lone parent and low income households with positive employment or training outcomes

Big Lottery Fund Delivering an intervention focusing on financial inclusion in 5 targeted local authority areas. The programme will bring together existing services and support partnership working in order to better co-ordinate provision, referrals and performance management

Local AuthoritiesAllocation of funding available for Local Authorities to bid for to meet this specific objective.

9v: Promoting social entrepreneurship and vocational integration in social enterprises and the social and solidarity economy in order to facilitate employment

SO23: DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIESEnable disadvantaged communities to develop long-term solutions to increase active inclusion and reduce poverty

SO24: CAPACITY OF SOCIAL ECONOMYIncrease the sustainability and capacity of the social economy to deliver support to the most disadvantaged areas and groups.

SO25: SOCIAL INNOVATIONSupport and encourage social innovation and solutions

Scottish Government/Highlands & Islands EnterpriseFinding ways to empower at risk communities to develop and own sustainable solutions to their problems, build community resilience and capacity, and/or disadvantaged increase economic activity, and improve health and well-being.

Scottish Government/Highlands & Islands EnterpriseSupporting existing social enterprises to increase employment opportunities for disadvantaged excluded individuals, and encouraging new approaches to developing social businesses. There will be a focus on nurturing social innovation, linking to academia and research, testing and piloting different approaches to developing solutions to increase social inclusion, and supporting the third sector to adopt social innovation approaches to service redesign.

Promoting Social Inclusion, Combating Poverty and Any Discrimination - The Five ESF Strategic Objectives II

• Strategic Objective 21. Increase the financial capacity of the most disadvantaged individual and households.

• Administration. In 5 priority intervention areas, Big Lottery will procure packages. Up to £8mn ESF - with up to £10mn Lottery funding

−Argyll and Bute - £3.75mn - esther.anderson@argyll-bute.gov.uk

−Dundee - £3mn – Susan Smith - susan@dundeesen.org

−Glasgow - 4.25mn – Group already formed

−Inverclyde - £2.25mn – Financial Inclusion Partnership

−North Ayrshire - £3mn - Third Sector involved

• Outcomes/Outputs Sought

− Increase in disadvantaged participants with improved money management skills

− Decrease in disadvantaged participants affected by debt as a barrier to social inclusion

Strategic Objective 21 – Financial Inclusion

• Big Lottery looking for (but not limited to):

−Innovations in affordable credit, debt advice, money management

−Tailored action plans

−Provision of financial and debt advice

−Provision of fuel/energy advice

−Set-up of first-steps banking services and credit unions

• Next Steps:

−Interested members should try to become involved in delivery partnerships

−Register interest - Lorna Finnie lorna.finnie@biglotteryfund.org.uk if you didn’t complete questionnaire or contact local group

−Read Senscot Bulletin LH Note on SO 21 Financial Inclusion

Timetable now seriously delayed

Strategic Objective 21 – Financial Inclusion II

SO 11 and 12– Local Authorities’ Employability

• Strategic Objective 11. Provide direct routes to sustainable employment for unemployed and inactive with multiple barriers

• Strategic Objective 12. Increase the skills and labour market opportunities of employed with multiple barriers

• Administration. 16 out of 32 Local Authorities so far ESF allocation

• Objective. Either directly with Local Authorities or through partnerships to become involved in delivery.

• Aims of Local Authority Employability Strategic Intervention

− sustainable and quality employment and supporting labour mobility

− access to employment for job seekers and inactive people, including long term unemployed and far from the labour market

− provide direct routes to sustainable employment for unemployed and inactive people with multiple employment barriers

− increase skills and labour market opportunities for unemployed people with multiple barriers

• Next Steps:

− Check latest news on local authority ESF Employability Allocations

− Get in touch with Local Authority Employability contacts

− Join Employability Network. Jayne.chappell@socialfirms.org.uk

• Outcomes/Outputs Sought (vary with local authority):

−focused on unemployed or inactive but more than one major barrier to progressing into employment - target harder to reach groups

−key results reflect need to create necessary support and skills to enable sustainable employment - targets reflect the more challenging nature of client groups and need to work more intensively than in previous programmes (tight definitions)

• ALSO SDS Third Sector Fund. Minimum of 8 (Lowlands) and 3 (HIE) LAs

• Next Steps (don’t forget to register on Public Contracts Scotland)

−Scottish Government’s Employability Pipeline

−Scottish Local Authorities Economic Development Group Note

−Bulletin EU Funds Update – Employability, Poverty and Social Inclusion

SO 11 & 12– Local Authorities’ Employability II

• Strategic Objective 22 –(coupled with Employability Strategic Objectives 11 and 12) Increase disadvantaged participants from workless, lone parent and low income households with positive employment, training outcomes

• Administration. 32 Local Authorities each receive ESF allocation: Poverty and Social Inclusion

• Objective. Either directly with Local Authorities or through partnerships to become involved in delivery.

• Outcomes/Outputs Sought (vary with local authority):

−Provision of intensive services and support for those with multiple barriers, including health and disabilities, to employment or education and training, including a more intensive approach to pre Stage 1 and 2 of the employability pipeline

−Provision of training, support, access to childcare, social care services

• Next Steps

Strategic Lead Partner Organisations, including Local Councils

SO 22 – Local Authorities’ Poverty & Social Inclusion

• Strategic Objective 23. Enable disadvantaged communities to develop long term solutions to increase active inclusion and reduce poverty

• Administration. Scottish Government and Highlands and Islands Enterprise still working out details

• Objective. For members involved in community structures, tackling exclusion and poverty. Begin working on potential solutions in most fragile and disadvantaged communities:

−Support for community-led actions to combat fuel and food poverty

−Support for community-led actions to provide enhanced child and social care solutions

−Community designed/delivered initiatives - support key target groups

−Business and financial management training for community anchor organisations

• Next Steps Awaiting further details from Scottish Government.

Strategic Objective 23 – Disadvantaged Communities

• Strategic Objective 24. Approx. £2.5mn – may change. Grow and increase the capacity and sustainability of third sector organisations to develop, enhance and deliver support programmes to disadvantaged areas and groups, and create more employment opportunities

• Administration. SG Third Sector Division and HIE still considering

• Objective. Exploring ways to augment social economy infrastructure

• Projected Outcomes

– will provide direct investment to enable organisations to grow and develop, increase capacity, develop and deliver better outcomes for targeted disadvantaged groups and communities, and create sustainable employment opportunities.

– might be through expansion of existing business activity, or by diversification and creating new products, services or business models

– funding support will be directly linked to organisational development, increased employment opportunities and job creation.

– applicants must be able to demonstrate the positive impacts funding investments will bring

Strategic Objective 24 – Capacity of Social Economy

• Strategic Objective 25. Approx. £6.2mn – may change. Increase sustainability and capacity of social economy to deliver support to most disadvantaged areas and groups

• Administration. SG Third Sector Division and HIE still considering

• Objective. Encourage and support Social Innovation

• Projected Outcomes

–encourage and support social innovation approaches to tackling poverty, creating stronger links between social economy, communities, academia and research institutes.

–social enterprises to engage in partnership with academic sector and stimulate social innovation

–encourage ‘in house’ social innovation, providing people working in third sector with permission, space, resources to be creative, develop and test new ideas for products and services, and design ‘prototype’ models that, if successful, can be scaled up and replicated.

Three Stages –1) Pilot – 6 months; 2) Implementation; 3) Scaling Up

• Next Steps Scottish Government/HIE Draft Note on SO 24 and 25

Strategic Objective 25 – Social Innovation

PART TWO

EUROPEAN REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT FUND

• Objectives

– support including project development, expert advice and funding for development of private, public and community low-carbon projects

– covers resource efficiency, materials recycling and re-use, energy efficiency, low carbon and/or renewable electricity and heat generation, local energy economies, energy storage and distributed energy systems, and hydrogen projects.

– innovative and local finance solutions as well as investor readiness community involvement/potential for community investment are core

• Administration SG, HIE, Scottish Enterprise and Scottish Futures Trust

• Outcomes Supporting shift towards low carbon economy – all sectors

–promoting low-carbon strategies for all territories, particularly urban areas, including promotion of sustainable multimodal urban mobility and mitigation-relevant adaptation measures

–encourage investment in low carbon technology and development

• Next Steps Read through Low Carbon Infrastructure Presentation

ERDF Strategic PackagesLow Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme

LCITP – Scotland's new low carbon project development unit

1. An introduction to the programme

2. Process for applications and timings

3. Case studies of projects supported to date

4. Taking applications forward

HIE Low Carbon Infrastructure Presentation

• Green Infrastructure. Approx £35mn ERDF and SG. SN Heritage

• Objective. Exploring potential projects for members. Projects should:

− Benefit larger urban areas (population 10,000+)

– Can be outwith urban boundary but should benefit urban population

– Areas with high levels of deprivation. Vacant and derelict land.

– Engage local community or poor environmental quality. High levels of sensitivity/vulnerability to climate change.

• Outcomes

– land on Vacant and Derelict Land Register remediated as greenspace

– connecting green network - greenspace/water course improved, and/or paths/cycleways created/improved that link to greenspaces

– participation in greenspace - people engaged through events/ activities and/or volunteering

– events/ activities - biodiversity, community growing, outdoor activities such as walking, cycling, sport or green skills.

• Next Steps Read Scottish Natural Heritage Interim Guidance

ERDF Strategic Packages – Green Infrastructure

• Objectives remain as previously drafted

• Looking for small number of strategic green infrastructure proposals (averaging £2-4mn eligible spend)

• Involve and deliver for deprived urban communities across a wide range of social, economic and environmental outcomes.

• ERDF is a fund of last resort that can provide up to 40% of eligible spend

• Match funding will need to be in place, or at least a sensible package identified and applied for at the point of application to us.

• Next Steps Read Scottish Natural Heritage Interim Guidance

ERDF Green Infrastructure - Latest

• Circular Economy and Resource Efficiency – Zero Waste Scotland

• Objective

Exploration of potential projects, which might involve:

–CRNS and relevant members. Food and drink too

–Hubs, including run by third sector

–Third sector and volunteer element

• Potential Community Outcomes

–Circular Economy. Involves third sector but still evidence gathering phase. Delivery of engagement programme

–Resource Efficiency. Sector programmes for third sector running offices, buildings? Community retail good example. Funding £1mn annually to support elements and demonstrations from audits

• Next Steps

−Read through Zero Waste Scotland’s Interim Note - Resource Efficient Circular Economy Accelerator Programme

ERDF Strategic Packages – Circular Economy and Resource Efficiency

• Sustainable Transport. £25mn ERDF for £63mn ProjectsAdministration by Transport Scotland

• Objective. Exploration of potential projects for members

–Possible discussions with local authorities and others in existing projects. Much to be based on hubs. Need to explore possibilities for role for Community Transport.

• Potential Community Outcomes

–Active Travel Hubs. National Cycling Network. Cycling and walking routes. Exercise and recreation benefits of active travel.

–Low Carbon Transport Hubs. Alternative fuel producing and sources for local communities. Awareness raising. Community scale renewable generation, including wind and hydrogen. Typical bids from local authorities and communities.

• Homework

−Read through Transport Scotland’s Interim Programme Note

ERDF Strategic Packages – Sustainable Transport

• Latest. Waiting official ERDF approval and offer letter from SG

• Objective. An overarching aim to foster community buy-in to low carbon agenda and embed positive environmental behaviours into daily community life.

• Sources of funding and support within programme open and promoted to local authorities, third sector organisations and partners in community sector. Future workshops.

• Challenge Fund to support a range of activities - sustainable transport hubs, including definition of aims, objectives, scope, timescales and eligibility criteria. Ensure that activities supported in range of geographical locations - cities, smaller urban centres and rural areas.

• Challenge Fund primarily targeted at public sector. Hoping for public sector match funding. Could encourage public/private sector investment. Although private contributions ineligible for match funding they can reduce the total cost of the project.

ERDF Strategic Packages – Sustainable Transport Latest

PART THREE

SCOTTISH RURAL DEVEOPMENT PROGRAMME

• SRDP Basics

–Access to some SRDP Schemes may require Business or Land Registration. But applications without these may still proceed.

–Access depends on characteristics and location of applicants

• Next Steps Explore projects to work up and develop under the following Schemes – Rural Payments Offices and online :

• Agri Environment Climate Scheme - £350mn. Includes:

−improve public access (system of basic payments)

– improved links and connectivity

– improved path conditions

– barrier-free access for all

−preserve the historic environment

−to preserve historic environment. Basically concerns environmental damage and other encroachment to scheduled monuments.

−Heritage Management. Historic Scotland is the main contact at Ann.MacSween@scotland.gsi.gov.uk

Scottish Rural Development Programme

• Forestry Grant Scheme - £252mn - new and existing woodlands

–new woodland – Scottish Government target 10,000 hectares p.a.

–sustainable management of existing woodlands

Support is available under eight categories:

–two for creation of woodland

–six for management of existing woodland

• Rural Broadband - £9mn - through Community Broadband Scotland

–support communities to establish and increase demand - superfast broadband where unlikely to be served by Scot Superfast Programme

–support community projects - superfast broadband - remote and rural

• Environmental Cooperation Action Fund - £10mn

–Facilitation of cooperative projects where multiple landowning

–Launch of ECAF Scheme WED 07 OCT 2015. Check guidance.

Scottish Rural Development Programme - II

• Food Processing, Marketing, Cooperation - £70mn. Start-up grants for new business. Development grants existing business.

–develop/create food processing facilities, buildings, equipment

–market products - home and export

–co-operative ventures - value retained by farmers and growers

– improve supply-chain efficiency

–Non-capital and co-operation funding guidance published later in 2015. Examples of projects could be: feasibility studies, product development, development of websites (but not operational costs).

• Knowledge Transfer and Innovation - £10mn. Group operational costs

–for vocational training, coaching, workshops, courses, farm visits

– improvements in agricultural competitiveness, resource efficiency, environmental performance and sustainability

– includes non profit organisations that deliver knowledge transfer, skills development and/or information actions to the benefit of those engaged in agricultural and rural land management.

Scottish Rural Development Programme - III

• LEADER Community Part of SRDP

−21 Local Action Groups devising Local Development Strategies

• Scottish Rural Network – visit this site for links to all Local Action Groups. Budget £86mn. Previous LEADER projects included:

–community account management

–cultural events, museums

–footpaths

–landscape activities

–skills, employment

–broadband

–now extended to include farm diversification and other possibilities

• Next Steps – Scottish Borders LEADER same as local authority

−From Scottish Rural Network site, get to know LEADER contacts for Local Development Strategies. This link to SRDP and LEADER Update.

−Each Local Action Group (LAG) has funding allocations for local community development projects and Farm Diversification.

Scottish Rural Development Programme – LEADER

That’s All, Folks

Thank you for your patience

Any Questions?

LESLIE HUCKFIELD RESEARCH

Mobile: +44 779 626 6002Skype: leshuckfield or +44 131 618 7434

E Mail: info@eufunds.scot