Ingrid Gardiner (ESF Effectiveness Manager) discussed how to strengthen engagement of civil society in structural funds. This presentation was given to the European Commission in Croatia, September 2012. Find out more about NCVO's European policy work: http://europeanfundingnetwork.eu/

1. How to strengthen the
engagement of Civil Society in
Structural Funds? Ideas from
the United Kingdom
Ingrid Gardiner
ESF Effectiveness Manager
ingrid.gardiner@ncvo-vol.org.uk

2. •These estimates refer to the voluntary sector only – based on the general charities definition
The UK voluntary
sector: at the heart
of civil society

3. The civil society mosaic
National and local charities | Arts and Cultural organisations
Independent Schools | Foundations | Development Trusts
Universities | Trusts | Trade Unions | Housing Associations
Friendly Societies Faith groups
Building Societies Museums
Scouts & Guides Social clubs
Political Parties Credit Unions
Co-operatives
‘Below the radar’ community groups | Armed Forces charities
Exempt charities | Community Interest Companies (CICs)
Community Amateur Sports Clubs (CASCs) | Industrial and
Provident Societies (IPSs) | Social Enterprises | Charities
established by Royal Charter | Excepted Charities
Community Benefit Societies (BenComs) | NCVO
•data.ncvo-vol.org.uk - comment, analysis, download
•900,000 organisations
•Income of £170 billion
•Assets of £228 billion
•Workforce of 2.0 million

4. Basic Facts
about NCVO
• Established in 1919
• England wide remit
• Cross-sectoral approach
• 8000+ member organisations
• c. 90 staff
• £12 million approx. income

5. How is NCVO
Financed?

6. What NCVO
does
Training & Capacity Building on key areas:
• Governance & Leadership
• Sustainable Funding
• Campaigning, Collaboration & ICT
• Workforce Development
• Helpdesk
• Pilots, knowledge sharing and new ways of
working
• Co-ordinates the European Funding
Network

7. Overview of
Structural Funds
• European Social Fund (ESF), European Regional
Development Fund (ERDF), the European
Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD)
and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund
(EMFF).
• In the 2007-2013, programme worth over £2.5
billion ESF + £2.5 billion national funding
• Programme themes – innovation & transnational
approaches, community grants, and technical
assistance
• Who can access funding? private, public and
civil society organisations

8. ESF – A past and
current perspective
in the UK

9. Region Total Contract value Contracts Subs Av. Contract Value Av. no of subcontracts
Cornwall £95,525,918 38 173 £2,513,840 5
East Mids £619,794,365 124 130 £4,998,342 1
East £295,851,025 105 530 £2,817,629 5
Gibraltar £4,246,096 5 0 £849,219 0
London £559,894,315 299 811 £1,872,556 3
Merseyside £113,819,351 97 363 £1,173,395 4
NE £305,107,221 81 196 £3,766,756 2
NW £126,666,576 108 498 £1,172,839 5
SE £315,709,388 77 386 £4,100,122 5
SW £119,862,206 76 297 £1,577,134 4
South Yorks £68,019,270 23 321 £2,957,360 14
West Mids £316,354,291 131 60 £2,414,918 0
Y & Humber £471,911,955 48 342 £9,831,499 7
Eng Total £3,412,761,977 1212 4107 £2,815,810 3
Total Value and number of Prime Contracts
awarded by Region 2007-2010

10. •Region Total Contract value % Contracts % Av. Value No. of subcontracts
•Cornwall £1,599,081 1.7% 2 5.3% £799,541 81
•East Mids £11,153,981 1.8% 35 28.2% £318,685 38
•East £43,254,436 14.6% 27 25.7% £1,602,016 110
•Gibraltar £0 0.0% 0 0.0% £0 0
•London £61,445,694 11.0% 137 45.8% £448,509 316
•Merseyside £5,317,595 4.7% 11 11.3% £483,418 106
•NE £3,357,583 1.1% 1 1.2% £3,357,583 71
•NW £44,079,605 34.8% 16 14.8% £2,754,975 154
•SE £79,034,538 25.0% 14 18.2% £5,645,324 106
•SW £16,746,228 14.0% 19 25.0% £881,380 97
•S Yorks £2,638,376 3.9% 1 4.3% £2,638,376 87
•West Mids £24,193,972 7.6% 18 13.7% £1,344,110 25
•Y & Humber £3,093,922 0.7% 1 2.1% £3,093,922 76
Eng Total £295,915,010 8.7% 282 23% £1,049,344 1267
Value and number of Prime Contract awarded to
CSOs by Region 2007-2010

11. Structural
Funds: What is
happening
 Economic landscape : recession
 EU budget & Structural Funds in particular :
MORE focussed on driving the EU forward vs global
competitors / EU 2020
 Concentration of EU investment on top drivers of EU
growth & delivering UK National Reform Plan
 More flexibility to align EU funds to increase impact
(regional, social, rural and fisheries)
 Streamlining red tape

12. EU Common strategic
framework investment
themes
1. Innovation and R&D
2. ICT: Improving access; quality and usage
3. SMEs: Improving competitiveness, incl. in the agricultural and
aquaculture sectors
4. Shift to low carbon economy
5. Climate change adaptation and risk management
6. Environmental protection & resource efficiency
7. Sustainable transport and unblocking key networks
8. Employment and labour mobility
9. Social inclusion and fighting poverty
10. Education, skills and lifelong learning
11. Improving institutional capacity for efficient public
administration

13. European Commission’s
UK priorities
Structural Funds
• Increasing R&D spend &
‘localising’ impact of national investment
• Improving access to finance for SMEs
• More renewable energy
• NEETS; troubled families; ex-offenders; unskilled
people (including employees of SMEs); self-
employment/entrepreneurship
• Higher level skills

14. Local focus :
new opportunities
More integrated programmes
/ geographic flexibility
• Community-led local development (all 4 funds)
‘Local Action Groups’ able to draw on all 4 Strategic Framework funds
according to an integrated plan.
• Joint Action Plans (ERDF & ESF only)
Lump sum payments to a single beneficiary more than €5m or 10%
(current proposals) of an Operational Programme - whichever is
lower - to manage a group of projects aimed at a specific purpose
(but not for major infrastructure)
• Integrated Territorial Investments (ERDF & ESF only
Urban development or Territorial strategy drawing on a multiplicity of
programme strands and programmes. Aspects of management can
be delegated to a city or NGO.

15. Priorities for CSOs
 Support the Commission’s proposal to ring-fence at least
20% of ESF for social inclusion and anti-poverty
 Direct access to funding for Civil Society through:
 - A specific Civil Society work stream within ESF
 - An expanded global grants programme
 - Simplified access through lump sum payments
 Ability to utilise volunteer time as an eligible source of in-
kind match funding throughout the UK Structural Funds
programmes
 Civil Society country representation on the arrangements for
the UK Partnership Contract (England, Wales, Scotland and
Northern Ireland)

16. Priorities for CSOs
 Support for financial instruments (mixed grant/loan funding)
for Civil Society
 Increased promotion of and support for transnational
funding opportunities
 Support for community-led local development approaches,
community economic regeneration and social innovation
 Valuing the contribution of the social enterprise sector to job
creation, including professional skills and personal
development
 Recognising and valuing Civil Society’s contribution to the
environmental and sustainability agenda
 100% funding for Civil Society Technical Assistance