European Social Fund Objective 3

1. European Social FundObjective 3 Alternative (Direct) Bidding Round 13 The Application Process John Hacking - Angeliki Stogia

2. Today’s presentation aims • Introduction to the European Social Fund (ESF) • Overview of ESF Priorities and Measures • Developing your project and issues to consider • Eligible and non-eligible costs • Alternative bidding application process • Equal Opportunities Gateway Questionnaire • Go through the scored sections of the application process • How and where to submit your application

3. About NW Network • North West Network represents the interests of third sector (voluntary and community) organisations in the region in relation to European funding programmes at regional, national and European levels • Our aim is to increase the take up of European funding by the Third sector in the North West region of England • We also aim to promote and assist the Third Sector to network and develop partnerships at local, regional, national and European levels

4. Objective 3 • Objective 3 provides financial support for training, workforce development and vocational activities for employed and unemployed people and seeks to promote lifelong learning, equal opportunities and social inclusion. • Objective 3 is funded by the European Social Fund and will support projects taking place in the North West excluding Merseyside. • There are 5 priorities and each has a set of measures that detail the type of action that can be supported.

5. Round 12 Applications are welcome under P1M2, P2M2, P3M1 P3M2, P4M1, P4M2, P4M3 and P5M1 Applications are welcomed for projects which run between 1st July 2006 and 31st December 2007 Applicants can only apply under one priority / measure per application Under Round 13 only those projects falling outside the remit of Co-Financing plans published by the local Learning and Skills Councils and Jobcentre Plus will be eligible

6. Priority 1: Development of Active Labour Market Policies • Measure 2: To improve the employability of the unemployed, returners and young people of working age through targeted intervention to enhance vocational and other key skills, and remove external barriers to labour market entry

7. Priority 2: Promotion of Equal Opportunities and Social Inclusion • Measure 2: To provide help to improve the employability and remove barriers to labour market entry for those groups disadvantaged in the labour market, including economically inactive people of working age, with particular emphasis on combating race, disability and age discrimination, and to develop local responses to assist individuals with multiple disadvantage, especially economically inactive people of working age, in the labour market who face the risk of social exclusion

8. Priority 3: Promotion of Lifelong Learning • Measure 1: Promoting wider access and participation in Lifelong Learning (especially those groups least likely to take part in Lifelong Learning activities and lacking basic and key skills, including economically inactive people of working age

9. Priority 3: Promotion of Lifelong Learning • Measure 2: Improving employability through directing and supporting Life Long Learning provisions so that it is responsive to the changing needs of employers, such as in the fields of IT, management and the environment

10. Priority 4: Promotion of adaptability and entrepreneurship • Measure 1: To update and upgrade employees vocational, basic and key skills

11. Priority 4: Promotion of adaptability and entrepreneurship • Measure 2: To identify and meet emerging skill shortages, including those at a higher level

12. Priority 4: Promotion of adaptability and entrepreneurship • Measure 3: Encouraging entrepreneurship of individuals and competitiveness of business, particularly small and medium enterprises (SMEs)

13. Priority 5: Promotion of Participation of Women in the Labour Market • Measure 1: To improve access to learning and remove barriers to employment and to research issues related to gender discrimination in employment such as recruitment, pay, segregation and progression and to support follow up activities arising from the research

14. Overview Support from Objective 3 ESF is available for projects that fulfil the programme’s aims As demand for support usually exceeds the available budget, an open competition is held to select the best projects Projects are scored to distinguish their relative merits and then ranked according to the number of points scored

15. Overview Successful projects must address regional needs as identified in the revised 2005 North West Regional Development Plan (RDP) Applicants are also referred to the Statement of North West Learning and Skills Priorities. Please note that you must not amend a previous application form. This will be rejected by the Government Office software and returned to you without being scored

16. Financial Allocations

18. Round 13 guidance Round 13 remit is predominantly higher level skills activity (NVQ Level 4 and above or equivalent) If it is unclear as to whether the project falls within the remit of the Co-financing organisations, after consultation with them the GO would require a letter from the CFO advising of this with the application This applies to all policy fields and measures except measures 2.2 and 5.1 which, due to the nature of the provision (eg research activity), is open to all/any relevant activity under the measure

19. Applications guidance • You must use Version 14 of the application form downloadable from www.esf.gov.uk • Please note that the font size in the Interactive Application Form (IAF) has been changed to Arial 12 point. This change now means that the answers to the scoring questions should be limited to two pages • You can apply for one Policy Field and one Measure within that Policy Field on each application, if you wish to apply under one or more Policy Field / Measure, a separate application form is needed

20. Preparing your project Does your potential project • Meet Round 13 eligibility criteria? • Matches aims, strategy and values of your organisation? • Address a local need – do you have the relevant supporting information? • Fit with the RDP and other relevant strategies?

21. Preparing your project Does your potential project: • Take into consideration the Level 4 occupations where there is expected to be significant demand in the region according to the Statement of North West Learning and Skills Priorities? • Deliver outcomes identified in these documents? • Meet the scoring criteria? • Have its sources of match funding secured? • Is this match funding clean?

22. RDP Outcomes Your project should deliver or contribute towards one of the following outcomes as identified in the RDP: • People moved towards the labour market • Individuals experiencing skills progression • Jobs and qualifications • Support for adaptability in industries / areas / sectors subject to change • Support for new, developing and growth businesses

23. Developing your project and what you need to consider What will your project do? • Are you clear about what you want to do? • Why is the project needed / what will it achieve? • Who is / are your project group (s)? • How will it meet their needs? • Have they been consulted? • What will be the outcomes of the project? • Can you deliver the project if it is approved?

24. Important considerations Important considerations for all applicants include: • Is your organisation fully aware of and equipped to comply with the relevant equal opportunities legislation? • Justification why the funding is needed and what would happen without it • Does your organisation have the personnel and other resources needed to run the project?

25. Essential Documents • National Objective 3 Application Pack • North West Regional Development Plan Feb 2005 • North West Regional Strategy • Operational Plan for England and Gibraltar • Objective 3 Programme Complement • Statement of North West Learning and Skills Priorities 2006/07 • Labour Market / Sectoral Research • Equal Opportunities Mainstreaming Strategy 2003 Websites: www.nwnetwork.org.uk www.esf.gov.uk www.eurofundingnw.org.uk

26. Eligible Staff Costs Staff salaries can include superannuation, national insurance and pension contributions (you should include in the application any expected increases in Grade or pay scales) Clearly show the number of staff involved in carrying out the project Sick pay / maternity leave (if it is in line with your organisation’s staff policy or on the individual’s contract of employment)

27. Eligible Staff Costs (cont) • Staff travel / subsistence costs (must be only related to ESF work) • Staff training (if justified) • External staff (trainers) – if in connection with ESF activity • Volunteer time (under the appropriate staff cost heading NB You must show a full breakdown of all costs for all cost headings

28. Eligible beneficiary costs • Beneficiary travel / subsidence – costs should be estimated for each beneficiary for each day • Child / dependent care – costs should show the weekly of hourly costs likely to be involved (best estimate) • Board and lodging for external courses • Wage subsidy - £4.85 per hour for those aged over 22 and £4.10 per hour for those aged 18-21 (INC) see www.dti.gov.uk/er/nmw • Protective clothing etc

29. Eligible other costs • Rent of premises – if you use only one part of a building for ESF purposes, you should work out the amount you charge to ESF accordingly • Utility costs – heat, light, water etch. (apportion accordingly) • Hire and lease of equipment • Depreciation of equipment and buildings • Small items of equipment (up to £1000)

30. Eligible other costs (cont) • Phone / fax / email / print / postage / consumables • Professional fees – annual audit certificates • Insurance costs • Training materials • Advertisement / recruitment / publicity • VAT is eligible only if your organisation can not reclaim it – if in doubt contact your local customs and excise office to verify your VAT status Remember to keep all invoices for all items of expenditure

31. Non-Eligible Costs • Any expenditure incurred before project start date • Any expenditure that does not actually relate to the project’s delivery • Time spent on completed ESF application • Service charges and cost of financial leases • Bank charges • Capital items over £1000 • Consultancy fees eg bid writing etch • No more than two levels of subcontracting • Charging again for equipment that has previously attracted EU funding • Any expenditure for which there is no clear audit trail

32. Volunteers • Volunteer time is defined as private match funding in-kind • Below are upper limits only – you should use your own rates for the above volunteer posts where possible. Higher rates need the approval of the Government Office • Timesheets should be kept reflecting hours and duties • Paid employees are not eligible as volunteers • Beneficiaries CAN NOT be counted as volunteers

33. Tips for writing applications • Read and answer the questions • Do not assume the person scoring your project automatically understands everything about it • Get someone not involved in the project to read your proposal before submission • Allow time to complete

34. Hints and tips for answering questions (cont) • Remember to thoroughly relate and cross-reference your answers to the Regional Development Plan (RDP) whenever possible. Quote the relevant points with page and reference numbers • Remember that you have a maximum of two pages of Arial 12 point font text to answer your question – make use of this space • Look at the points allocation for each question (and sub-sections) and allocate your answers the research and space accordingly • All evidence must be recent, relevant and sourced

35. Hints and tips for answering questions (cont) • Fully answer each questions with the appropriate evidence in the space given – repeat yourself if appropriate to do so. Scorers will not refer backwards or forwards to other parts of your application • Remember that those assessing your application will have no knowledge of your project. Try to look at your application from the scorer’s point of view. Make your answers understandable, easy to read (bullet points, paragraphs etch) and provide what is asked for in each question

36. Questions?