The European Social Fund (ESF) was set up to improve employment opportunities in the European Union and so help raise standards of living. It aims to help people fulfil their potential by giving them better skills and better job prospects.
As one of the EU's Structural Funds, ESF seeks to reduce differences in prosperity across the EU and enhance economic and social cohesion. So although ESF funding is spread across the EU, most money goes to those countries and regions where economic development is less advanced. (The other main Structural Fund is the European Regional Development Fund which invests in projects to improve innovation, the environment and infrastructure. A link to our ERDF page can be found below or to the left hand side of this page.)
The priorities in the 2007 to 2013 ESF programme are designed to focus ESF spending on specific activities and to ensure that it reaches people in most need of support. There are two main priorities in England:
- Priority 1 is 'Extending employment opportunities’ by tackling barriers to work faced by people who are unemployed or disadvantaged in the labour market;
- Priority 2 is 'Developing a skilled and adaptable workforce’ by training people who lack basic skills and good qualifications
Delivery of the 2007-2013 programme is through Co-Financing Organisations (CFOs), and there are three CFOs carrying out this function for the East Midlands, each with their own delivery plans which can be found through the links below:
Technical Assistance funding
Please see the link below or on the left hand side to our separate page for details of the East Midlands strategy, framework and application process for Technical Assistance funding for the 2007-2013 ESF programme.
Community Grants
ESF Community Grants enable small third sector organisations, which would not otherwise be able to access ESF, to apply for small grants through simplified application arrangements. Grants focus on progression towards the labour market but will not duplicate provision that is available through mainstream ESF activity. Grants strengthen the ability of small third sector organisations to deliver employment and skills activities to disadvantaged people.
ESF Community Grants are awarded and administered by the LSC in the East Midlands, a link to their website is below.
Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE)
emda is delivering the socio-economic elements of the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) 2007 – 2013.
Funded by Defra and the European Union, emda has approximately £60million available for projects in the East Midlands until 2013.
RDPE will mainly target land-based businesses in the East Midlands including farmers, foresters, horticulturists and equine businesses.
For more information on RDPE, please visit the emda website.
Operational Programme for ESF 2007-2013
The Operational Programme can be found on the European Social Fund website, which you can access from the link below.
Regional implementation arrangements
You can find out more about the arrangements for developing the ESF programme for 2007-2013 in the East Midlands by reading the East Midlands ESF Framework document and the individual CFO plans.
