Maureen Walby is Project Manager at Action with Communities in Rural Kent, an independent voluntary organisation which provides advice and support to community organisations. This presentation was prepared for and delivered at one of the Eden Project's Big Lunch Extras community development events: www.biglunchextras.com
1. Maureen Walby February 2014 Kent
EUROPEAN FUNDING
2014-2020
An overview of what EU funding is
and how we can use it for our
projects.
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Introductions
2 minutes please….
A bit about your organisation
Main client group
Past EU funding experience
Problems & pleasures you’ve had using
EU funds
Ambitions for future projects
What do you want to talk about today?
4. Maureen Walby February 2014 Kent
EUROPEAN FUNDING
2014-2020
Where does it come from?
What can we do with it?
Match funding?
Transnational Partnerships?
Local, regional, national partnerships?
How can we get some?
What happens then?
Do we really want some???
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Main points to cover…
What is European Funding and
where does it come from?
How relevant is it for us?
How can it help us?
What are the different
programmes and how can we
use them?
What do we have to do to win
some European money?
How do we manage it once
we’ve won some?
National (Structural) Funds
ESF Community Grants
Role of Local Economic
Partnerships (LEPs)
Transnational Partnerships
Erasmus Plus
Creative Europe
Other Direct from Brussels
funds
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Match Funding
All EU funding must be
matched
No double-funding
Can be from any non-EU
source
Much comes pre-matched
Volunteer time can be used as
match
For this notional values are
used
Sometimes 100% funding
comes from Brussels – but
exceptionally
Direct grants ratio match
varies.
All match funding must be
certificated and must be real
cash (salaries count as cash
or volunteer time
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UK Structural Funds
UK Management 2014-2020
ESF. ERDF. RDF. Agri/Fisheries
6/7 year programming periods
Negotiations with Brussels – priorities, regions,
targets etc.
Programme delivery – January 2014
Notional allocations to regions – delivery
mechanisms vary
delivered through 38 regional LEPs
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Regional Priorities & LEPs
“Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) will bring
together councils and business on an equal footing with
one voice, replacing the current Regional Development
Agencies (RDAs).
Vince Cable 2010
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Questions
What do you know about the LEP?
Have you had any engagement with your LEP?
Is there a VCS rep on your LEP?
Is there good contact with your DCLG local rep?
Are you likely to be working across the sectors
defined by the Growth Strategy?
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2014-2020 new 7 year programme
Began on 01.01.2014
ESF, ERDF & RDF plus Fisheries etc
Community Grants – part of ESF –
match funding by National Lottery ?
Scope for VCS, not just with Community
Grants!
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Structural Funds
ESF is for the
development of the
workforce, raising
skills, developing
jobs & providing
training etc
LEPs can choose to
offer integrated
funds
ERDF is for capital
projects,
infrastructure,
business
development,
communication, etc.
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National Priorities ESF
Economic Development
Developing business
Developing a skilled work-force
Regional competitiveness
20% ring-fenced for over-coming the problems of
poverty & exclusion
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ESF Community Grants
Guidelines
The application process
The “scoring” system
The approval process
Administration
Reporting
Case Studies
Applications open now in most English regions but
examples given relate to the Surrey CA led
consortia of which Kent is part.
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Project delivery
Local action – designed for small groups
Contracted to each county with each county/area
and having its own allocation of funds and local staff
team
Local board make decisions
Capacity building cash available too
Simplified process for administration of projects
But still top-heavy in admin!
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Progression towards work….
Can be confidence building
Can be work experience
Can be learning new skills
The aim is to reach those people farthest away
from the labour market and to make them more
work ready.
£15,000 – projects must end by April 2015
Community Grants Objectives
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Priority has been given to groups who work with:
Lone parents
People with disabilities / health issues
People aged 50+
People from ethnic minorities / diverse groups
Women
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Other Programmes - Transnational
Erasmus Plus
Creative Europe
Interreg
Leader Plus
Daphne
Life
Energy
Social Justice
Horizon 2020
Enlargement
(pre-accesion)
Social Innovation
Progress
Micro Finance
Direct to Brussels
DGs – 23 DG’s!
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Replaces….
Grundtvig
Leonardo da Vinci
Transversal
Comenius
Erasmus
Jean Monet
Tempus
Some changes, some parts discontinued
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Larger funds, merging programmes
The number of partners and funding will
vary depending on the project’s aims
and activities. Strategic Partnerships can
receive a maximum of 150,000 euro in
funding per year.
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Open to all…
Open to all organisations active in the
field of adult learning.
Possible to work in multi-sector
partnerships
Only one project in each Key Action per
organisation per year.
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Just 3 Key Actions
Key Action 1
Mobility
Closing date 17th
March 2014
11.00am UK time
Individual mobility,
applications only
through
organisations
Key Action 2
Strategic
Partnerships
Closing date 30th
April 2014 at
11.00am UK time.
Key Action 3
Policy Reform
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Two types of “activity”
divided into main two types of activity.
Decentralised activities for the UK are run by the
British Council, in partnership with Ecorys UK.
Centralised activities are run by the European
Commission’s Executive Agency which is based in
Brussels.
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Erasmus Plus Key Action 1
Learning Mobility of Individuals is all
about providing opportunities for
individuals to improve their skills,
enhance their employability and gain
cultural awareness.
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KA 1 Decentralised
UK National Agency: British Council
Mobility for
Higher Education
Vocational Education Learners and Staff
School Staff
Adult Education Staff
Young People & Youth Workers
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Key Action 1 - Mobility
Open to organisations only –individual mobility
enables organisations to offer structured
study, work experience, job shadowing,
training and teaching opportunities to staff and
learners.
2 weeks to 2 months in another country
covers the five fields of Higher Education,
vocational education and training, schools,
adult education and youth.
target groups and activities vary by field.
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KA 1 –Centralised (Brussels)
Joint Masters Degrees
Erasmus + Masters Loan Schemes
Large-scale European Voluntary Service
Events
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More than one destination
Several “flows” possible within each
application
Depending on field, could include staff
and Learners
Could be work shadowing, professional
development, certified courses etc.
2 weeks to 2 months duration
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“Unit Price” budgets
Driven by activity
Calculated on
numbers,
destination, length of
mobility etc.
Simplified
accounting and
reporting system
Evidence of journey,
certificate of
attendance.
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ERASMUS PLUS
KEY ACTION 2
Co-operation for Innovation and
Exchange of Good Practices
enabling organisations to work together
in order to improve their provision for
learners and share innovative practices
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KA 2 – National Agency: Ecorys
aims to increase the positive impact of
European activities at all levels to ensure
benefits for the individuals, organisations
and countries involved in projects.
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KA 2 – 6 fields at national level
Strategic Partnerships for…
Higher Education
Vocational Education & Training
Schools
Adult Education
Youth
More than one field
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KA 2 Centralised Activities
Direct to Brussels
Knowledge Alliances
Skills Alliances
Capacity Building in the field of Youth
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Unit Costs
Calculated through
drop-down menu
format
Driven by activity &
location
Max 150,000 euros per
year x 2 or 3 years
Lead partner applies on
behalf of whole
partnership - contracts
with other partners.
Simplified
administration
Minimum 3 programme
countries
Can have 2 UK based
partners
Deadline 30th
April
11.00am UK time for
KA2
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Who can apply?
Any UK organisation involved in adult
education
Can be lead (Coordinator) or as a
partner. Coordinator makes the
application for funding.
UK organisations leading a project must
apply to the UK National Agency on
behalf of the partnership.
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Key Action 3 – Policy Reform
covers any type of activity aimed at
supporting & facilitating the
modernisation of education and training
systems.
fields of higher education, vocational
education and training, schools, adult
learning & Youth.
supports strategic action across
European to reform systems & influence
policy.
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Inter-active forms only….
Applications must be submitted by 11am
UK time on 30 April 2014. There will
only be one deadline in 2014. Projects
will be able to start on 1 September
2014.
No paper this time!
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How to apply
www.erasmusplus.org.uk
form will be available in February. In the meantime,
you can:
Use the
model e-form for Strategic Partnerships for Adult Educa
as a guide to start planning your application.
Use the Distance Calculator to calculate travel
costs for your project.
Register your organisation on ECAS and the
Participant Portal.
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Example Projects
Academy of
Community
Entrepreneurs (ACE)
Compared structure,
operations & targets
of social enterprises
in each country
2 x UK partners
Sweden
France
Czech Republic
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Example projects
Into Caring Europe
Compared legal,
fiscal, social aspects
plus state support
available to older
people and those
with disabilities
2 x UK partners
France
Spain
Slovakia
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Greener Futures for Young People –
Progress Programme
Direct to Brussels
One-year project,
300,000 euros to
share with partners.
Promoting careers in
the VCS sector for
able, keen young
people
Social enterprise
training, creation &
progression to self
employment or set
up of new
community
enterprise.
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Contact
Maureen Walby
Maureen.walby@ruralkent.org.uk
mawmont@gmail.com
077030 48602 or 0033 5 49 72 52 97