ESFVON
European Structrial Funds Voluntary Organisations Northern

DECEMBER 2002
OBJECTIVE 2 BULLETIN

SEASON'S GREETINGS
DOES YOUR ORGANISATION WANT FUNDS IN THE NEW YEAR?

OBJECTIVE 2 HAS LOTS OF MONEY UP FOR GRABS - NOW

The current position of the Objective 2 Programme is that, as a region, we need to really start pushing to spend the remainder of the first half's allocation of funds (to end of 2003). As a Programme the North East needs to have spent £100m (£82m ERDF, £18m ESF) by the end of 2003 otherwise we will not receive an extra 4% of the Programme's value as the Performance Reserve during 2004-2006. Also, and perhaps most importantly, any money we do not spend must be sent back to the European Commission and will be lost to the Region. It should be noted that these figures are amounts actually spent and claimed back by projects, not projects receiving approval from Government Office for the North East (GO-NE). To date the Objective 2 Programme has allocated somewhere in the region of £69 million of European funds (ESF and ERDF). However actual spend to date claimed by projects amounts to around £10m. At current projected rates we need to considerably increase our rate of spend to get anywhere near these targets.

Your region needs your good ideas. Bring ideas forward and we will tell you whether Objective 2 can fund them.

CURRENT ISSUES

The 3 main issues concerning Objective 2 are:-

After an initial wave of projects having been sent to GO-NE earlier this year, over the last few months the numbers of projects being received has tailed off significantly, particularly for ESF projects. Elsewhere in this Bulletin you will find updates on the North East's Objective 2 packages. You will note that most packages have at least some resources available, indeed some have significant resources still available. At present packages are also being allowed to over-allocate resources, provided there is agreement from GO-NE. So, even if your local package has no resources immediately available to fund your idea, there should still be opportunities to get projects funded relatively quickly (provided you can secure match funding and, where necessary, planning permission).

ESFVON produces a range of Fact Files, general publications and Best Practice Packs on topics such as Objective 2 Application Form Common Errors, Understanding The Objective 2 Application Process and Horizontal Issues. These should help ease your progress through the Objective 2 process.

WHERE ARE FUNDS AVAILABLE?

Priorities 1 & 2 - Small & Medium Sized Enterprise (Business) Support

These Priorities are organised into 4 sub-regional packages covering Northumberland, Tyne & Wear, County Durham and Tees Valley as well as regional packages covering themes such as Culture & Tourism, Nanotechnology etc. The packages all address support to new (Priority 1) or existing (3 years or older) Small & Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs). They do this by building premises, providing business advice and guidance, running training courses in relevant skills etc.

There are funds available across all packages and all Measures within these packages.

Priority 3 - Strategic Sites (significant employment potential)

This Priority deals with large strategic infrastructure schemes (eg Bracken Hill in County Durham) and the packages are organised around each strategic site. Priority 3 supports the provision of major infrastructure projects to help business in the North East grow and develop as well as providing training for the supporting workforce.

There are funds available across all Measures within this package.

Priority 4 - Target Communities

Under Priority 4 projects can undertake a wide range of actions within the Region's most deprived communities. ESFVON and your local Package Co-ordinator can supply you with a list of these eligible areas. Most packages are organised on Local Authority areas with the exception of Rural Northumberland which covers areas of Tynedale, Castle Morpeth, Alnwick and Berwick and some small County Durham packages which only cover particular communities (eg Craghead, Burnhope). As with the other 3 Priorities, Priority 4 is broken up into themed groups of actions known as Measures. Some possible types of project are listed below, but your good idea is more important. If you let us know what you want to do, we will let you know if Objective 2 can fund it.

Measure 4.1 - Capacity building actions such as refurbishing or building community resource centres, training premises, childcare facilities etc; employing workers for your organisation to build its capacity to function and expand; community transport schemes (though not buying buses).

Measure 4.2 - Support for the development of new community based enterprises such as community businesses, credit unions, local exchange trading schemes (LETS) or support to such businesses where they are less than 3 years old. This could be by making capital purchases such as computers, furniture or employing key staff.

Measure 4.3 - Support, mainly through capital purchases, for community initiatives tackling environmental projects, tackling crime, improving safety or providing community businesses premises. Projects under this Measure must be directly linked to a training project under Measure 4.5.

Measure 4.4 - Training and support to residents of the Target Communities to help them improve their skills and qualifications in order to help increase their employment prospects. The type of training and support that can be funded is extremely broad and wide ranging in its scope. It includes work with 13-16 year olds excluded from mainstream education, NVQs, vocational counselling and guidance, work placements, wage subsidy schemes, help into self employment, Intermediate Labour Market (ILM) schemes which give a wage and training in job related skills etc.

Measure 4.5 - Training and support to volunteers or employees of community organisations and enterprises, ILM schemes for environmental skills, community safety, crime reduction, community wardens etc. Training and support under this Measure must be linked to a project under Measures 4.1, 4.2 or 4.3.

NORTHUMBERLAND

The general position in Northumberland is that there are significant resources still available across every part of Priority 4. Collectively across the three packages this equates to approximately £2m of ESF/ERDF still available to prospective project sponsors.

Blyth Valley

Blyth Valley has allocated all of its Measure 4.1 resources for both capital and revenue. It has allocated some 4.4 ESF resources but still has a significant amount available. The other three Measures (4.2, 4.3 and 4.5) currently have no projects in the package but there is some interest from potential project sponsors.

Rural Northumberland

The package has considerable resources available for all activities in all.

Wansbeck

Wansbeck had fully committed Measure 4.1, but due to a withdrawal resources are now available. In Measures 4.2 & 4.3 potential projects are coming forward but resource is still available, as it is in Measure 4.4. There are no projects in Measure 4.5 so there is plenty of resource available.

The Package Co-ordinator has added that if you are interested in Objective 2 Priority 4 funding opportunities in Wansbeck then you are welcome to attend the Wansbeck Neighbourhood Economic Renewal Forum. This Forum meets every 2/3 months. To find out more please contact Lynda Watson on 01670 843453 or e-mail l.watson@wansbeck.gov.uk

TYNE & WEAR

Most of the Tyne & Wear packages are allocating resources to eligible projects well, with some over-programming necessary where demand is outstripping allocated resource. However all 5 packages are still keen to receive your project ideas.

Gateshead

Gateshead has not yet fully allocated any Measures resources. The package still has significant amounts of ESF available (approx. £1m) in Measure 4.4 and 4.5. In addition there is in excess of £500,000 of ERDF available in Measure 4.3.

Newcastle

The Newcastle package is particularly keen for organisational capacity building projects for the voluntary and community sector. These could either be building the capabilities of one organisation (probably their own organisation) or several organisations. The package is allocating funds well but is still keen to hear from potential project sponsors for all Measures as they are beginning to over programme. For further information please contact either Claire Prospert or Tina Symm on 0191 211 5693.

North Tyneside

A number of projects have withdrawn from the package and has resulted in a large amount of resources still being available across all Measures. Currently there are no projects in Measures 4.3 and 4.5 so any potential ideas would be welcomed.

South Tyneside

The South Tyneside package is allocating resources well but is still keen to bring forward project ideas across all Measures, particularly from anyone seeking to train jobless people in the near future.

Sunderland

The package has a number of projects already up and running, but is still welcoming projects across all Measures. Projects operating in the eligible target community areas north of the river are particularly encouraged.

COUNTY DURHAM

Most of the packages in County Durham started very slowly, with some only very recently receiving official Regional Executive Group (REG) approval for their Package Delivery Plans (PDPs). That aside, ideas are coming forward to all packages, but the Package Co-ordinators would all like to hear from you if you have an idea for a project.

Chester-le-Street

The Chester-le-Street package was recently endorsed and project ideas would be welcomed covering any of the Priority 4 Measures.

Derwentside

All of the packages within the district of Derwentside (Green Corridor, Consett South, Catchgate, Stanley Hall and Burnhope) have now been approved. Measure 4.1 is 80% allocated, Measure 4.2 is well allocated and extra resources may be sought. Measures 4.3 and 4.5 are fully allocated, but little interest has been shown in Measure 4.4. New ideas are still welcomed for all Measures, particularly for 4.4.

Durham City

The Durham City Community Appraisals and PDP have recently been endorsed. Proformas are being sought from potential applicants to enable the package to select projects it wishes see happen on the ground.

Easington

Several projects have been submitted to GO-NE for approval with many more submitted to the package's scoring panel for consideration. Proformas are still welcomed under all 5 Measures and there is currently a bidding round in progress.

Sedgefield

The package was endorsed at the October REG. The package is currently focusing primarily on retrospective projects although the package is also looking for projects for all Measures.

Teesdale

The PDP and Community Appraisals for both the Core and Transitional packages in Teesdale were endorsed at the October REG. The next bidding round for the Core package will be held in early December 2002. There have been a considerable number of expressions of interest and the package is looking to develop these initial ideas further.

Wear Valley

The 3 Wear Valley packages (Crook/Willington, Bishop Auckland and Weardale) were approved at the October REG. Project ideas are being sought across all 5 Measures.

TEES VALLEY

Tees Valley packages are probably the closest in the Region to fully committing their package resources, indeed many are now actively over-programming. That being said, all packages are actively encouraging new project ideas to be brought forward to ensure that the North East spends as much of its Objective 2, Priority 4 funds as it can.

Darlington

Darlington's package is committing quite well, but so far has no projects in Measure 4.5. It is still interested in receiving applications across all 5 Measures.

Hartlepool

The package has 18 projects approved with a further 17 having been selected by the package for submission to GO-NE. Although the package has fully allocated all of its resources except Measure 4.3 (Investing in Sustainable Communities) the package will consider proformas for the fully allocated Measures.

Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough has allocated 81% of the packages resources and has projects approved by GO-NE within the package of over £2million. The package is still working up potential projects and is very keen to see new ideas coming forward.

Redcar & Cleveland

Redcar & Cleveland still have resources available in all Measures. Potential ideas and proformas would be most welcomed.

Stockton

The Package Co-ordination post has recently been put out to tender and the successful bidder will be advised to the partnership in due course. The Stockton package is still seeking project ideas across all Measures.

MID-TERM REVIEW

The Objective 2 Programme 2000-2006 is split into two halves. The first half runs from 2000 to the end of 2003, the second half 2004-6. By the end of 2003 the North East need to undertake a mid-term review of the Objective 2 Programme to that point. The evaluation was offered to tender with the successful organisation being EKOS Consulting who have a considerable amount of experience of evaluating Objective 2 Programmes across England, including the North East in 1997-99.

They have just finished a quick analysis of the pressing issues which can be seen on the GO-NE website:- www.go-ne.gov.uk/corporate/europe/obj2_initial_review.pdf

We will look at the findings of this report and the further work EKOS will be doing and how you may be able to feed into the process in our next Objective 2 Bulletin.

PUBLICITY MATERIALS

Meeting publicity requirements is an essential element for all Objective 2 projects. The Programme now has a range of materials that can be received free of charge. ESF posters, ERDF plaques and sticky labels for both ESF and ERDF are available from a range of organisations including ESFVON, your local Package Co-ordinator and GO-NE.

In addition there is now an ESF plaque. The plaque (code ESF2002PLQ) and its fixing kit (code ESF2002PLQFIX) can be obtained free of charge, quoting the relevant codes, from:-

Prolog, Unit 8 Sherwood Park, Annesley, Nottinghamshire, NG15 0DJ
Tel: 0845 6022260, Fax: 0845 6033360, E-mail: dfes@prolog.uk.com

Please don't underestimate the importance of the publicity requirements (ie showing the contribution made by ESF/ERDF). It is part of the contract you agree to undertake when signing the Offer Letter.

NEW PRIORITY 4 TEAM LEADER AT GOVERNMENT OFFICE FOR THE NORTH EAST

As a number of you will probably know, Julie Fionda, Priority 4 Team Leader at Government Office for the North East left post to join the European Commission in Brussels at the end of August. Her replacement, Adelle Rowe, started in October. No doubt over the coming months we will all get the chance to meet Adelle as she will be attending Priority 4 partnerships and events across the region.

FORMS ACCOMPANYING OFFER LETTERS

When an Objective 2 project is approved by GO-NE an Offer Letter will be sent to the project sponsor. The project sponsor should read the Letter, sign and return the relevant sections if they agree. In addition the Offer Letters should include the following:

For ERDF projects
*Claim form
*Detail of suppliers and creditors form
*Contracting form
*Authorised signatory form

For ESF Projects
*Profile and advance claim forms
*Progress and interim claim forms
*Performance indicator form (see below)

PERFORMANCE INDICATORS READY RECKONER

In recent months GO-NE have produced a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet computer programme designed to assist Priority 4 projects reduce the chances of double counting outputs. Whilst this may seem like an extra piece of bureaucracy and paper work, the system is easy to follow and is particularly helpful when it comes to unravelling the complex ESF outputs in Priority 4. It is expected that every project submitted to the Priority 4 Team at GO-NE for appraisal will have completed and enclosed a copy of the Performance Indicators Ready Reckoner.

If you require a copy of the Ready Reckoner please contact ESFVON or your local Package Co-ordinator. It is available both via e-mail and in the post.

ENVIRONMENTAL CHECKLISTS

Please note there are now 4 Environmental Checklists for Objective 2 instead of previously where there was just one. Don't panic, usually you will only need to complete one of the 4. The only exception being that a joint capital and revenue project will need to complete two. This change has been brought about as it was felt the original checklist was too wide ranging and as such a number of the questions were not appropriate to particular parts of the Programme. The four Environmental Checklists now in use cover the following four types of project:

If GO-NE receive projects using the old version of the checklist, they will simply ask for the correct form to be sent to them.

Last Updated: 22 December 2002

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