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European Social Fund (ESF)
Regional leadership > International > European funding programmes > European Social Fund (ESF)
European Social Fund (ESF)
The European Social Fund (ESF) provides the employment element of the Competitiveness and Employment objective of the European 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.
The East of England has been awarded an allocation of £174 million for the period 2007-13 as part of the England and Gibraltar ESF programme.
EEDA's 20011-13 Co-financing Plan had set out the employability and workforce development programme that the organisation expected to deliver over the next three years. However, following the Government’s decision to abolish all Regional Development Agencies by March 2012, EEDA will only deliver a reduced programme portfolio of approximately £5.8 million during 2011.
As with previous and current projects, this ESF programme will fund activity which address the employment and skills challenges in the East of England, focusing on extending employment opportunities to those not in work, developing a skilled and adaptable workforce for the needs of the region's businesses, and responding effectively to economic shocks.
The tendering process for the 2011 projects will commence in September 2010 and is expected to be completed by December 2010. This is to ensure that contracts can be put in place for co-financed delivery to commence in January 2011.
EEDA will launch the three individual tender specifications soon and announce the award of its co-financed interventions in due course.
EEDA is one of a number of CFOs in the East of England. The other CFOs are the Skills Funding Agency (SFA), the Department of Work and Pensions (through Job Centre Plus), Luton Borough Council, Central Bedfordshire Council and the National Offender Management Service(NOMS).
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