Questions About European Funding


Where can I find information about ESF (European Social Fund)?

The most significant development in ESF has been the introduction of Co-Financing, which is designed to streamline European funding for most people. It means that you can bid directly to an intermediary organisation like a local Learning & Skills Council, EEDA, County Council or Job Centre Plus and these organisations will have inportant information on their websites. It is recommended that you investigate the Co-Financing route first before examining other options.

Click here for frequently asked questions relating to the current EEDA regional Co-financing round

The official European Social Fund News at www.esfnews.org.uk is very useful. It has a range of information, including technical issues, good practice publications and a frequently asked questions page.



How should I start to write my bid for ESF funding?

Even if you are an experienced bidder, it is vital that you read all the relevant documents. You should obtain and read the relevant sections of:-

- The Framework for Employment and Skills Action (FRESA )
· The Regional Economic Strategy (RES)
· The relevant strategic plan from your local Learning & Skills Council (www.lsc.gov.uk )
· The Regional Development Plan for Objective 3

Where can I find information about other European funding?

The European Commission's Representation in the United Kingdom has a comprehensive list of links to various sources of useful information at www.cec.org.uk/links/index.htm, under the heading of "EU databases".

The Commission's main site at www.europa.eu.int/index_en.htm is also useful. You can find information relating to funding opportunities by looking under the themes listed on the home page.

Another good source of information on European funding relating to employment and skills is Eurodesk (www.eurodesk.org/new/index.asp)




General questions about funding


How do I decide which fund to go for?

Start by thinking through your project idea. Try to decide early on if your project is an experimental or developmental project, or an operational project which complements other mainstream delivery. Try to identify clearly the end users (beneficiaries) and target group.


How should I start to write a bid?

Start by reading any relevant documents thoroughly. These are usually available from the funder or published on the funder's website.

It is recommended that you do not start to write your bid straight onto an application form but construct your text in Word first and paste in the final version once all corrections have been made. This way you will be able to follow the thread of your argument more clearly. It also helps to overcome technical problems such as being able to use spell check and other formatting options.


What about running my project?

Believe it or not applying for the money is the easy bit. Running a successful project is where it gets difficult. It is vital that you have competent staff in place to manage your project and you may like to consider either informal or formal training. Funders sometimes run networking events or seminars for informal training. These are usually advertised on the funder's website.


How does the money work?

In general, most funding sources are not grants unless they specifically say so (this may be the case with grant making trusts and charities for example). UK Government or European Funding is usually based on the principle of a contribution to the overall cost of a project. As an applicant, unless you are applying to a Co-Financing Organisation, you will often have to provide evidence of other contributions, called "match funding", either in cash or “in-kind”. Money is usually paid in arrears so it is important to ensure that you have enough cashflow to generate activity. Most funding for skills and learning is revenue not capital funding and there are often strict limits on purchasing equipment such as computers. Keeping accurate records is very important as most funders will require an annual Audit Certificate from Accountants to support your claim. If your Organisation is new to external funding then we recommend taking the time to brief your Finance Director or Chief thoroughly before embarking on this route because external funding can sometimes cause problems for internal accounting procedures.