EU Funding

Expert advice for community and voluntary groups and projects in Bridgend County Borough

Managing community and voluntary groups isn't always easy. You're creative, enthusiastic and have a great vision. But you're probably working on a shoestring, with voluntary managers and don't have enough hours in the day. If you sometimes wish you had an expert on hand to sort things out once in a while look no further...

EU Funding Information - local activities

Bridgend County Borough Council through the CYPP is taking the lead in developing a bid for 'Reaching the Heights', a project which local children and youth organisations will be familiar with. A local project board has been set up and BAVO is involved with that board. Further updates will follow.

Additionally the Bridgend Learning and Skills Network has also set up a project board to look at a bid to develop basic and broader skills to tackle economic inactivity. The sector is also represented on that Board by BAVO, although it has yet to determine direction. Further updates will be posted on the forum pages when they are available.

EU Convergence Funding: Implementation Gets Underway

The First Minister, Rt Hon Rhodri Morgan AM, announced at the official launch of the ERDF Convergence programme (5 October 2007) that the application process can now begin for the new round of European funding, which will help continue Wales' transformation into a thriving, enterprising, and sustainable country.

The Objective 1 Programme came to an end in December 2006 and has now converted into the Convergence Programme which will run 2007-2013. Around £1.5 billion of European funding from the West Wales and the Valleys ERDF and ESF Convergence and the East Wales ERDF and ESF Regional Competitiveness and Employment programmes will be channelled through the Welsh Assembly Government to help create jobs and sustainable economic growth in line with the European Union's Lisbon and Gothenburg agendas and Assembly Government strategies.

Convergence Funding will help regions like West Wales and the Valleys complete the transition into a leading-edge, competitive economy. .

BAVO has adapted an Information Sheet which provides current details on the Convergence Fund Programme, specifically for the Voluntary Sector in Bridgend County. To receive a copy, please email Pat Lindsay or contact her on 01656 810400. We hope to have a downloadable version available soon.

Download Criteria from the WEFO website - click here.

ERDF Operational Programme

For ERDF Convergence list of themes and frameworks click here

If you are interested in finding partners for your ERDF projects, or you want to see who is looking for partners on a particular priority or theme, go to the top of the WEFO page and click on 'Post an interest in Framework Development'. We have placed direct links to these WEFO pages if you click on the relevant priority and theme (P&T) in the left column of the table below.

However, WEFO Guidance is that if you are interested in joining in with a 'Project Idea' that has already been posted by someone else, then you need to call the contact of that project direct and discuss the idea with them - their contact details will be listed.

To view project ideas that have already been posted, click the relevant theme in the middle column of the table below.

ERDF Priority (P) Theme (T)	ERDF Priority / Theme Tile (click to link to project idea postings currently on WEFO website)	EU Grant (£m)
P1	BUILDING THE KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY
P1T1	Research and Development, Innovation & Technology	149
P1T2	ICT infrastructure and Information Society for all	58
P2	IMPROVING BUSINESS COMPETITIVENESS
P2T1	Entrepreneurship	60
P2T2	Business Finance	67
P3	DEVELOPING SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR A MODERN ECONOMY
P3T1	Sustainable Transport	142
P3T2	Strategic Infrastructure	76
P4	CREATING AN ATTRACTIVE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT
P4T1	Energy	51
P4T2	Tackling Environmental opportunities & risks for sustainable economic growth	50
P4T3	Environment for growth	50
P5	BUILDING SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES
P5T1	Physical regeneration	75
P5T2	Community economic development	29
P6	TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE	17

ESF Operational Programme

For ESF Convergence Programme list of themes and frameworks, click here

If you are interested in finding partners for your ESF projects, or you want to see who is looking for partners on a particular priority or theme, go to the top of the WEFO page and click on 'Post an interest in Framework Development'. We have placed direct links to these WEFO pages if you click on the relevant priority and theme (P&T) in the left column of the table below.

To view project ideas that have already been posted, click the relevant theme in the middle column of the table below.

To post project ideas, please follow the links on the top of the WEFO page

ESF Priority(P) Theme (T)	ESF Priority / Theme Tile (click to link to project idea postings on WEFO website)	EU Grant (£m)
P1	SUPPLYING YOUNG PEOPLE WITH SKILLS FOR LEARNING & FUTURE EMPLOYMENT
P1T1	Tackling under achievement	79
P1T2	Raising skills and aspirations	34
P2	INCREASING EMPLOYMENT AND TACKLING ECONOMIC INACTIVITY
P2T1	Helping people into sustainable employment	179
P2T2	Helping people remain at work	16
P3	IMPROVING SKILLS LEVELS & ADAPTABILITY OF THE WORKFORCE
P3T1	Raising the skills base of the workforce and supporting progression in employment through basic & intermediate level skills	135
P3T2	Skills for the Knowledge Economy; higher level skills and systems for workforce development	79
P3T3	Promoting gender equality in employment	11
P4	MODERNISING & IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF PUBLIC SERVICES (MAKING THE CONNECTIONS)
P4T1	Transforming public services through more effective collaborative working	9
P4T2	Building capacity of public services	13
P5	TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE	12

Expressions of Interest in Projects (EoI)

The actual application process begins with an 'Expression of Interest' (EoI), with prospective project sponsors (ie organisations that will undertake the management of the whole bid/project). It is BAVO's understanding that EOI's will also be posted on the website in due course.

Organisations are now able to submit their EoI via a 'request to submit an EOI' link available on the WEFO website [Strategic Frameworks] or click here for further information and follow the links.

The EoI stage is intended for prospective project sponsors that have already demonstrated their commitment to collaborative working with other organisations and major stakeholders, including by posting their project idea on the WEFO website. Prospective sponsors also need to consider a number of conditions, including whether they are eligible as an organisation to receive European funding and whether their proposed project meets the eligibility rules [Eligibility Guidance] and fits with a Strategic Framework [Strategic Frameworks]. Following submission of an EOI request, prospective project sponsors will be contacted directly by a WEFO Project Development Officer (PDO) who will discuss their request and help applicants to register their EoI.

Tendering and Procurement

For tendering and procurement opportunities of successful EU proposals, keep an eye on the Sell to Wales website, click here . Watch this space for updates .