Understanding what European Funding is available and how to get it – grant opportunities for

businesses & social enterprises in rural Gloucestershire

Mally FindlaterProgramme Manager

GFirst LEP

Overview of Gloucestershire European Structural Funds

European Growth Programme European Funding Streams and Terminology

ERDF ESF EAFRD EMFF

Focus Economic development (e.g. innovation, business support, place-based regeneration)

People - employment, skills and social inclusion

Rural businesses & service needs, e.g. tourism, Agri food, Business advice & support, renewables, Skills and Broadband

Fish sector

Typical Projects Revenue & capital projects

Revenue Grants & service provision

Managing Authority (legally and financially responsible)

DCLG DWP DEFRA DEFRA

Accountable to DG Regio DG Emploi DG Agriculture & Rural Development

DG Mare

EUSIF Funding £32.43 million

European Regional Development Fund£15.2 million

European Social Fund£14.4 million

European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development£2.7 million

• Innovation £1.48m• ICT £283,000• SME Competitiveness

£7.09m• Low Carbon £3.38m• Environment £3.02m

• Employment £2.8m• Social Inclusion

£2.48m• Skills £9.16m

• Tourism £1.7m• ICT Broadband £1m

Allocated funds

Totals Euros Sterling Allocated Unallocated

ERDF 19.5m 15.2m £9.4m £5.8m

ESF 18.5m 14.4m £9.8m £4.6m

EAFRD TBC 2.7m £200,000 £2.5m

Neil BattProgramme Manager

Forest of Dean & Tewkesbury Borough LEADER Programme

James WebbProgramme Manager Cotswold AONB and

Stroud LEADER Programme

Gloucestershire LEADER Programmes

Grant funding programme which is open on a first come first served basis.

Programme operates across most rural parts of the county.

Capital grants for businesses (and other organisations) which directly create jobs and business growth.

Funds are managed by a Local Action Group (LAG).

Average grant size £25-30K

Contributions of up to 40% for private businesses.

Higher rates potentially for not-for-profit organisations.

Grants are designed to fill the gap where finance options are out of reach or not viable.

1. Business Support/Farm Diversification

2. Rural Tourism

3. Farm Productivity

4. Forestry Productivity

5. Culture and Heritage

6. Rural Services

Capital funds to help pump-prime new and innovative activities.

LAG funds are used to target projects that would otherwise not take place.

LAG will be looking to fund projects which add value to the economy without displacing existing services.

Application process likely around 3-6 months

Claims paid retrospectively

• Farm diversifying into tourist accommodation

• £30K towards bespoke holiday units & access improvements (40%)

• 1 Full time and 1 part time job created

• Doubling the size of the business premises

• £48K towards building and structural work (39%)

• 4 new jobs created

• Bespoke tool manufacturer for motor and aircraft industry

• Grant of £32,000 (35%) awarded to develop extension and expand services

• 8 new jobs created

• High-end Furniture Business

• Grant of £17,000 (40%) towards specialist booth for painting/finishing products

• 4 new jobs created

• £27,000 grant to help with digital switchover

• Safeguarded valuable community & tourist facility

• Heritage value as one of countries oldest cinemas

• Safeguarding future of local business

Neil Batt

Programme Manager

Forest and Tewkesbury Borough LEADER

Tel. 01594 812608

Email: neil.batt@fdean.gov.uk

Website: www.forestandtewksleader.co.uk

James Webb

Programme Manager

Cotswolds LEADER

Tel. 01451 862033

Email: james.webb@cotswoldsaonb.org.uk

Website: www.cotswoldsaonb.org.uk

Jo JuryArea Manager

Rural Development Rural Payments Agency

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Gloucestershire LEPGFirst LEP Growth Hub EU Rural Funding Opportunities Workshop

Rural Development Programme for England –

January Growth Calls

Jo Jury

Rural Payments Agency

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Background

• The government has confirmed that it will guarantee funding for RDPE

Growth Programme grants if these are agreed and signed before the UK’s

departure from the EU, even if the grant agreements continue after we have

left the EU, subject to projects meeting the following conditions:

➢ they are good value for money

➢ they are in line with domestic strategic priorities

• Following the announcement Defra will launch RDPE calls for the following

socio-economic projects in January 2017;

➢ Food Processing

➢ Business Development

➢ Tourism Infrastructure

• Calls for Tourism Co-operation projects, as well as Countryside Productivity

grants may also to be launched in 2017

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How are the funds managed?

• The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) delivers the grants, working with

European Structural and Investment Fund (ESIF) Sub-Committees in Local

Enterprise Partnerships (LEP) areas.

• RPA’s role is to assess applications for grants, with advice from the ESIF

sub-committees.

• Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) are partnerships between public

bodies and businesses. Their role is to decide local priorities for the grants –

where money should be directed to give the most benefit locally.

• You won’t automatically get a grant. When you apply for a grant, you’re

competing with other applicants in your LEP area. RPA assesses all

applications to see how well they fit the priorities for funding and which

projects provide best value for taxpayers’ money.

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Lessons Learnt From Previous Calls

• Previous calls for projects applications were launched in the summer 2015.

• The numbers of applications received was lower than we would have liked.

• Following a review we have made a number changes to hopefully help you

make applications this time (further details in remainder of the presentation);

➢ Simplified applicant information – one handbook per subject area (rather

than separate info for every LEP area)

➢ Moved to longer application windows (12 months rather than 3 months),

with larger associated budgets available.

➢ Introduced a shorter (4 page) Expression of Interest (EoI) form rather

than an outline application.

➢ We will aim to provide a response to your EoI within 30 working days (6

weeks) from point of submission, including input from your local

European Structural and Investment Fund (ESIF) Sub-Committee.

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Overlapping LEP Areas

• Some areas of the country are part of two LEPs, and may have two grant

application calls available at the same time but with differing priorities/

support available.

• You can only apply for to one source of Rural Development Programme for

England funding per project.

• Therefore, you should apply to the LEP or LEADER call where your project

best meets their identified local priorities.

• If we find that you have applied to the wrong LEP call at EoI stage, we can

address this with you through the appraisal process.

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Tourism Infrastructure Calls

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Gloucestershire LEP (gfirst LEP)

• GFirst LEP has 1 open Call under the Growth

Programme

1. Tourism Infrastructure

- £1,500,000 budget available

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Tourism Infrastructure

Who can apply?

• If the project is commercial and will make a profit, only small businesses and farmers who

want to diversify can apply.

• If the project won’t make a profit, a wide range of organisations can apply (including public

bodies and charities).

• Who can’t apply

• Crown bodies

• Projects that are carried out only to meet a legal requirement

What are the grants for?

• The grants will help fund the costs of capital expenditure on tourism infrastructure. The aim

is to support projects that will encourage more tourists to come, to stay longer and to spend

more money in rural areas.

How much money can you apply for?

• Normally, a minimum of £35,000 – though this will vary depending on the project.

• Maximum grant rate for commercial projects will be 40%, higher levels of support for non

commercial activity

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Tourism Infrastructure

National priorities for funding

Your project is more likely to get a grant if it achieves at least 2 of these;

• Create jobs - Creates at create at least 1 FTE job for every £30,000 of grant

funding. Creates skilled jobs.

• Extend the tourism season - Attracts tourists outside the usual period of

May to October

• Develop tourist attractions and infrastructure - Creates or develops

tourist attractions and infrastructure to increase the range of attractions

available locally, encourage tourists to stay longer and increase their spend.

• Collaborate - Encourages collaboration and links between local tourism

businesses.

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Tourism Infrastructure

gfirst has a Tourism Infrastructure Call with a value of £1,500,000

These grants are for capital investments that will help grow and develop tourism in rural

areas. The aim is for visitors to spend more time and money in the rural parts of the LEP

area.

Priority will be given to projects that:

• create new or develop existing attractions particularly

– outdoor activities

– arts and crafts,

– local history and heritage

– local food and drink

• extend the tourism season for both the application business and the wider destination

particularly for the tourism sectors shown in the priority above

• create infrastructure to develop outdoor activities particularly walking and cycling for

both the Forest of Dean and Cotswold areas

• create at least one new full time equivalent skilled job in the applicant business

• develop the film and TV tourism offer in both the Forest of Dean and Cotswold areas

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Application Process

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What we look for at Expression of Interest stage?

• EoI stage intended to give you a relatively quick view on whether your

proposed project;

➢ is eligible for RDPE funding

➢ if it ‘fits’ with local priorities for grant support.

• Circa 4 page form seeking key information.

• RPA will aim to provide an outcome 30 working days (circa 6 weeks) after

submission, including seeking a view on ‘strategic fit’ from your local

European Structural and Investment Fund (ESIF) Sub-Committee.

• EoI application forms and handbook guidance will be available from the

following website: https://www.gov.uk/topic/farming-food-grants-

payments/rural-grants-payments

• Completed EoIs should be e-mailed to: growthapps@rpa.gsi.gov.uk

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What we look for at Full application stage?

• If invited to the next stage, a full business case is required for the RPA to make a

funding decision on your project.

• Full application stage remains competitive – just because your EoI was successful is

no guarantee your full application will be funded. national priorities.

• We will agree a submission date with you, but given the limited time available to

commit the funds, you should aim to submit your application as soon as possible.

• Although it can take a number of months (average of 3 months) to pull together your

application. You will be given a specific RPA point of contact to support you.

• At this point, it is expected that a project would have received;

➢ All required approvals (such as planning permission),

➢ Secured match funding,

➢ Can evidence the case for need/ demand, and

➢ Demonstrate value for money against costs (such as providing three like for like quotes for

each area of expenditure).

➢ .

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What we look for at Full application stage?

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Strategic Fit How well the project meets the national as well as the local priorities for funding.How the project will impact on the environment.That the project does not disadvantage anybody in terms of ethnicity, disability, age or gender.

Value for Money How the project Costs represent value for money.The amount of grant required to deliver the outcomes and outputs (E.g. Cost per Job).What difference grant funding will make compared to what would happen without grant funding.

Need and Demand

Why grant funding is required for the project.A clearly identified market need for the project.The impact the project has on other businesses.

Financial Viability

How the project impacts on your existing business operationsHow you will fund the project until the grant can be claimed.How the business will benefit from the project financially.

Deliverability and sustainability

Whether the project will be delivered within budget and on time.That the right skills and resources are in place to deliver the project successfully.How the project outputs and other benefits will be monitored and recorded.That risks to project delivery have been identified and how they will be mitigated.

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Top Tips

• Jobs & Growth – whole purpose of the Growth programme is to create jobs and

economic growth across rural areas, so tell us how your project will do this.

• Sell us your idea – explain clearly what your project does and how will benefit the

economy. It is a competitive process.

• Don’t ask for full amount if you don’t need it – we will assess your application for

public funds represents value for money, in a competitive process. Just because you

can apply up to 40% doesn’t mean you will receive it, you should apply for the least

amount required to enable your project to take place.

• Show us what the grant funding means to your project – why is it critical you

receive public money to enable it to happen.

• Do the market research – you have to be able to evidence that there is a real need/

demand for what you want to do.

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Further info

• All information (including the handbook for each call and EoI application form) will

be available on the .gov.uk website https://www.gov.uk/topic/farming-food-

grants-payments/rural-grants-payments

• Please also contact the RPA if you would like to discuss your project/ would like

any further advice

Rural Payments helpline : 03000 200 301

Email: GPEnquiries@rpa.gsi.gov.uk

Completed EoIs should be e-mailed to: growthapps@rpa.gsi.gov.uk

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