EU Funding

LONDON ERDF

As all members are doubtless aware by now, the 3rd and 4th (and most likely final) rounds of the 2007-2013 London ERDF programme are currently open, with a deadline of midday on Friday 15th October.

Capital Enterprise is working with a range of members and partners across London to broker project partnerships and help develop projects. We encourage collaborations where possible and we aim to help avoid similar bids competing against one another. If you would like to be considered as a partner in a Round 4 project, or you would like to lead a project, then contact us to discuss your project idea.

Don’t forget, Capital Enterprise offers a range of services to members, including

* Partnership development
* Proposal review – we will review your proposal before you submit it and make recommendations
* No win, no fee bid-writing service

If you are interested, please contact us.
Transnational cooperation to improve Innovation

INTERREG 4B – North West Europe Programme

Capital Enterprise are delighted to be involved in one of only two projects that were approved at the last Interreg 4b round, ‘Inspiring Open Innovation Team’ (IOIT). The project is led by Edinburgh City Council with a strong consortium of partners from across North West Europe. Activities will include Boot Camps for budding entrepreneurs and capacity building for Enterprise organisations.

There is still approximately €165m funding available in the Interreg 4b Programme, with the next deadlines in September 2010 and April 2011.

Interreg 4b is a transnational ERDF Programme, which funds collaborations across North West Europe. There is an Innovation Priority for projects stimulating Innovation, Knowledge Transfer and Entrepreneurship. The programme is particularly seeking more strategic projects that will capacity-build innovation and enterprise organisations.

If you are interested in Interreg 4b and would like to know more, then see the Interreg 4b website or contact us.

Date for your diary

LIFELONG LEARNING INFO DAYS

On October 14th ECOTEC will be holding their annual Lifelong Learning Programme Information Day in London at Newham College of Further Education. The Information Days are your chance to find out all you need to know about European opportunities in:

* vocational education and training (Leonardo);
* adult education (Grundtvig); and
* education planning (Transversal).

Find out how you can benefit from transnational partnerships, European study visits, work shadowing and much more. If you wish to attend you must book a place
Funding for pan-Europe Innovation and Knowledge Economy projects

Interreg 4c – Next call announced

The Interreg 4c Programme have just informed us that the next call for project proposals will probably open end-January or beginning February 2011, and close end of March or early April 2011. This upcoming call will be limited to ‘Regional Initiative Projects’ (except mini-programmes). These are traditional transnational projects whereby partners focus on a shared regional policy issue through networking or perhaps developing policy instruments.

There is a Priority focusing on Innovation and Knowledge Economy, which encourages regional and local authorities (or similar organisations) to improve their policies, methods and build capacity.

Around €100 million ERDF remains for project funding.

If you would like further information then contact the Capital Enterprise team and we will look to run an information session if there is enough interest. www.interreg4c.eu.
ESF – PQQ

As you are probably aware, the Skills Funding Agency has launched a pre-qualification questionnaire (PQQ) for the provision of Not in Education Employment or Training (NEET) services in England. The PQQ notice was published on the 18th August and will close at 5 p.m. on 17th September. Any provider who is interested in tendering to deliver NEET provision must respond to this PQQ.

To do this, you will need to register on the Skills Funding Agency e-tendering portal.

This PQQ will be open until 5PM on the 17th September with respondents being notified of results from the 4th October 2010. The Invitation to Tender (ITT) will then be launched however London’s will be launched later than the rest of England.
Progress

Microfinancing for Employment and Social Inclusion – Microcredit Guarantees
A new scheme has been launched by the European Investment Fund (EIF), which will provide micro-financing organisations with guarantees, to partially cover their portfolios of credit. The scheme is linked to ESF and aims to increase access to, and availability of, microfinance especially for certain at-risk groups such as the unemployed.

For more information, please contact us or visit the EIF website.