EEDA - How to access ERDF funding

How to access ERDF funding

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How to access ERDF funding

Dedicated EEDA ERDF facilitators are available to help guide you through the application process and develop your project idea.

It is recommended that you do not complete a project concept prior to discussions with an ERDF facilitator. Contact details are available here.

Please note that:

responsibility for the delivery of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) transferred to the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) from 1 July 2011. If you have any particular enquiries, please contact the ERDF team via the contact details page available here.

Application process

To apply for ERDF funding, there is a two stage application process:

expression of interest (project concept)
full application and business case

Dates of the bidding rounds will be announced by EEDA and the timescale for all bidding rounds is also published in the prospectus. The commencement of each bidding round will be formally announced on this website but you may submit an expression of interest via a project concept form at anytime. Early submission will enable dialogue with an ERDF facilitator which may help your application. Project concepts will not be formally considered by the Competitiveness Delivery Group (CDG) until the date published in the bidding round guidance.

We strongly recommend that draft project concept forms should be submitted by email to ee.erdfenquiries@communities.gsi.gov.ukas soon as possible and no later than two weeks before the bidding round closing date. These will be considered by the ERDF facilitation team and discussed with applicants. Final project concept forms should be submitted in electronic form by e-mail to ee.erdfenquiries@communities.gsi.gov.ukand also by signed hard-copy to the address given at the end of this document.

Expressions of interest need to be submitted on a project concept form and guidance to complete this can be found at the bottom of this page.

At the project concept stage, prospective applicants will not be required to provide proof of match funding. However, information on likely source(s) of match funding together with details of contacts, delivery partners and anticipated approval timetable will be required. Under open bidding arrangements it will be the responsibility of the project applicant to identify match funding.

If CDG invites a prospective applicant to submit a full bid after submission of the project concept form, this should be developed in accordance with the bidding round timetable. A full bid will consist of a business plan and application form.

Alignment of Regional Growth Fund (RGF) Round 2 and ERDF Bidding Rounds

The Regional Growth Fund is a £1.4bn fund which is designed to encourage enterprise, growth and jobs in the private sector and support regions that are dependent on the public sector and is a potential source of match funding for ERDF projects. In common with other Regional Development Agencies we have been working with the RGF Secretariat to align the RGF2 application process with our ERDF processes to coordinate the assessment and appraisal of bids seeking support from both funds. The deadline for RGF2 applications is 1 July 2011.

Projects will need to satisfy the relevant criteria for both RGF2 and ERDF. It is important to note however that RGF2 is inviting applications for programmes of activity as well as for individual projects. ERDF cannot be used to support programmes of activity as defined in the RGF2 guidance but RGF2 programmes can identify individual project proposals to be co-funded by ERDF and RGF2.

Please contact the ERDF team, who will be happy to discuss any proposals you may have for joint RGF-ERDF funded projects and to advise on ERDF eligibility and contract requirements.

For more information on the Regional Growth Fund please visit: http://www.bis.gov.uk/policies/regional-economic-development/regional-growth-fund

High Speed Broadband and Low Carbon Innovation

A closer look at European Regional Development Funding for Innovation and Britain's Superfast Broadband Future.

Up to £5 million has been allocated for projects that include limited capital investment in broadband infrastructure (or other equipment) to achieve these aims.

ERDF can fund up to 40% of a project’s eligible cost, so the total value of activity could be £12.5 million or more.

For further information on Broadband in the East of England please click here.

Key Documentation

Super Fast Broadband Specification

Super Fast Broadband Project Concept Form

£5 million funding opportunity

The East of England has significant capabilities in low carbon vehicle innovation and technology. One key aim is to accelerate the growth and spread of such innovation by supporting the creation of one or more open innovation networks to share that knowledge and capability with SMEs, assisting in the process of innovation that turns knowledge into real commercial projects and services.

Up to £5,000,000 has been allocated to the networks for low carbon vehicle innovation theme. ERDF can fund up to 40 per cent of a project’s eligible cost, so the total value of activity could be £12 million or more!

Firstly, please discuss your ideas with the Plugged in Places and ERDF teams. For further information, please click here.

For additional information on future bidding rounds, please go to the Managing my Projects page.

£2.1 million for housing energy efficiency projects

The European Regional Development Fund has opened a £2.1 million housing call for proposals to deliver energy efficiency and renewable energy measures in social housing in the region. This call has now closed.

All project applications needed to show how they would return to EEDA four core elements; economic growth, measured change in CO2 emissions and energy usage reduction, innovative approaches to whole house solutions, and behaviour change from the inhabitants of the dwellings.

Key Documentation

Find out more please contact Michelle Burdettt, PA 3 Facilitator Michelle.Burdett@communities.gsi.gov.uk.

£8 million transport call

The East of England region is calling for proposals for transport-related projects under its European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) Competitiveness programme (2007-2013). An allocation of £8 million ERDF will be made available for this call leading to a minimum total value of projects of £20 million when match funding is taken into account. The key criteria that eligible projects need to address are:
- demonstrable and attributable economic benefits to SMEs in the East of England
- Measured reductions of carbon/greenhouse gas emissions through efficiencies or the development of lower carbon technologies or practices.

Further details on these criteria are provided in the main call document, which you can find below. The specification outlines details on potential project ideas, consortium approaches, and outcomes. The specification (click here) has been drafted to align with the recommendations from the regions Transport Carbon Study (TraCS).

Presentations from Transport Lauch Event

For more information please email Michelle.Burdett@communities.gsi.gov.ukor call on 01223 231327

Who can apply for funding?

Any organisation that is a legal entity can develop proposals and apply for funding.

Examples include:

local authorities
statutory or non-statutory public funded bodies
voluntary/community organisations
some private sector organisations (subject to eligibility rules and state aid compliance).

All funding applications will need to meet the overall programme theme of 'low carbon economic growth' and the aims of the priority axes. They will also need to meet specific environmental sustainability and equality criteria and will need to show multiple beneficiaries.

For further information please consult the programme prospectus or contact ee.erdfenquiries@communities.gsi.gov.uk