European Structural Funds
The European Structural and Investment Fund Strategy (ESIF)
The ESIF Strategy has £160+ million of Structural Funds from the EU which is the SELEP area’s indicative allocation awarded by the Government for the 2014 – 2020 EU funding period. These funds are for projects that will deliver growth and jobs.
ESIF funding is made up of the following funding for projects in the SELEP area.
- £74.2 million European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)
- £71.6 million European Social Fund (ESF) and
- £14.5 million European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD)
SELEP’s Role
In 2012, SELEP was given an indicative allocation of £160+ million of EU funding for projects to create jobs and growth across the area. We created the ESIF Strategy after extensive stakeholder consultation and this was approved by the SELEP Strategic Board in December 2013 and submitted to the Government in January 2014.
Project applications submitted under the ERDF, ESF and EAFRD programmes are evaluated for strategic fit with the ESIF Strategy.
This is considered by the SELEP ESIF Sub-Committee, which is formally constituted according to national terms of reference and reports to the National Growth Board. It is chaired by businessman and National Growth Board member George Kieffer and meets quarterly. The Sub-Committee also agrees the content, size and scale of a rolling programme of calls for applications under the EU funds.
European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)
SELEP has been given an indicative allocation of £74.1 million of European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) for projects to support jobs and growth in our area. The funding is focused as follows:
- Support for Research and Innovation (priority axis 1)
- SME Growth and Competitiveness (priority axis 3)
- Shift Towards a Low Carbon Economy (priority axis 4)
European Social Fund (ESF)
The European Social Fund (ESF) focuses on improving employment opportunities, promoting social inclusion and investing in skills by providing the help people need to fulfil their potential.
So far over £50 million has been invested in a range of programmes and projects to help people in the SELEP area onto the escalator of opportunity and improve their lives.
We are also working with partners from across the area to prioritize future areas for investment for the remaining £20+ million.
Find out moreEuropean Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD)
SELEP has been given one of the largest European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) allocations in the Growth Programme: £14.5 million for the period 2014-2020. The Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) Operational Programme was agreed with the European Commission in 2015. Click here to view the programme document.
The EAFRD component of the Growth Programme is only a very small fraction (5%) of all funding available through the RDPE, which also includes investment in environmental and land management schemes, LEADER and Countryside Productivity.
The focus of EAFRD in the SELEP ESIF Strategy is:
- Provide support for rural businesses
- Optimise the growth and development of the Agrifood sector
- Support the development of sustainable rural tourism
- Support development and provision of enhanced levels of connectivity (not including Broadband)
- Support development of a more efficient low carbon and sustainable rural economy