EEDA - East of England Development Agency

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FAQs

What is ESF?

The European Social Fund (ESF) provides the employment element of the Competitiveness and Employment objective of the Structural Funds programme. It was set up to help reduce differences in living standards between the regions of the European Union (EU) by:

• reducing unemployment
• improving and developing the skills of employed people
• investing in industrial or rural areas which are in decline.

Who can apply for funding?

Any organisation that is legally formed can apply for funding. Applications by a consortium are welcome as long as the application is led by one legal entity. Individuals cannot able to apply for ESF funding. ESF funding is accessed through open and competitive tendering as required by the European Commission.

Who is responsible for ESF in the East of England?

The Department for Work and Pensions, as the Managing Authority, has the overall responsibility for ensuring the ESF Regional Frameworks meet the priorities and targets as set within the ESF National Operational Programme.

All Co-Financing Organisation activity will be monitored and approved regionally through the European Programmes Strategy Group (EPSG), chaired by the Government Office for the East of England (GO East), to ensure it meets the needs of the region as set out in the ESF Regional Framework.

What is EEDA's role in ESF?

EEDA has become a co-financing organisation in 2002 and continues to be firmly committed to maximising the skills opportunities provided by the region's European Social Fund programme, in tune with priorities established in the ESF Regional Framework.

However, following the Emergency Budget of 22 June 2010, the Government confirmed its intention to abolish all Regional Development Agencies by March 2012 and replace them with Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs).

As the demand for EEDA’s business support and workforce development schemes is unbroken - and until further detail on future economic development arrangements has been made available - EEDA will use part of its ESF allocation for 2011 to enable a continued provision over the coming months that will retain a sharp focus on supporting local businesses, creating jobs and raising skills levels across the East of England.

Under this much reduced programme, EEDA will deliver £5.8 million of ESF to improve and increase employment opportunities in the region and enhance the capacity of companies and their workforce to make the most of new challenges and respond effectively to economic shocks.

What's the value of EEDA's Plan?

EEDA's ESF allocation for 2011 is £5.8 million. £800,000 will support employability activity in Priority 1 and £5 million will be spent in Priority 2 to provide workforce development and support those employees that are at risk of being made redundant.

What is Co-financing?

Co-financing brings together ESF and mainstream public funding as a single funding stream through CFOs such as EEDA. This means that organisations wanting to deliver ESF activity on behalf of EEDA will be applying for a project tender that is 100 per cent funded.

What is the ESF Regional Framework?

The purpose of the ESF Regional Framework for the East of England is to establish how ESF spending can support regional priorities to tackle worklessness and low skills, within the parameters of the agreed ESF Programme for England for the seven years duration of the programme.

How long is the tendering period?

In order to enable organisations to develop and submit strong applications for EEDA's tender package of complex activities, a tendering period of a minimum 20 working days is granted.

What will happen if EEDA is closed before the end of 2011 and what are the liabilities for a tenderer if this happens?

Applicants will be aware of the announcement by the Government that Regional Development Agencies will close in early 2012. Whilst firm proposals for future management of ongoing projects have not yet been published, the management of ongoing matters (whether done at a local or central government level) will need to be resolved before EEDA, along with the other RDAs, can be formally wound up. The successful applicant/provider of this grant will be kept informed of any proposals and be advised of any changes in the identity of the public body responsible for administering the Grant throughout the term.

I notice that the current ‘Beyond 2010’ and ‘R2R’ activity runs until March 2011. If new projects start in January 2011, what will be the TUPE situation for staff involved?

The funding on offer begins in January 2011. The activities of the existing ‘Beyond 2010/R2R’ project will continue beyond this date, but will be focussed on the completion and evaluation of work already in progress. The funding offered under the newly tendered project will not be directed towards any of these existing activities, and the successful applicant/provider will not be expected to take on these completion/evaluation activities. 

However, EEDA recognises that the Transfer of Undertaking (Protection of Employment - TUPE) Regulations 2006 could apply if there is a "relevant transfer" as defined in those Regulations, and therefore  employees of current project deliverers could have the right to transfer. EEDA will provide, as far as possible, the information (on individual request) about current employment arrangements as it can as part of the tender process, and provision has been made in the "Employment Schedule" attached to the ‘ESF Offer Letter Terms & Conditions’ - attention is particularly drawn to the obligations this schedule imposes on the Beneficiary of the Grant. Bidders will need to take their own legal advice on how TUPE might apply to their specific proposals, and take the information EEDA will provide during the process into account when submitted proposals.

Are TUPE costs eligible under ESF?

Yes, TUPE costs are part of eligible staff expenditure. As ESF co-financing projects are being paid on contract costs (i.e. the delivery of milestones/outputs) instead of actual expenditure incurred, all relevant staff costs need to be incorporated into the proposed deliverables of a tender bid.

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