ESF Technical Assistance

In the London European Social Fund (ESF) Programme 2007 to 2013 there is provision for Technical Assistance (TA). TA is different to mainstream ESF funding and is intended to support programme implementation, including programme management and development, communications, presentation, research, and evaluation and publicity.

The ESF intervention rate for Technical Assistance is 50%, which means that the other 50% of the eligible costs of the project must be found from elsewhere.

Priorities

The London Regional ESF Committee (LREC) has developed the following priorities for TA in London:

1. Assisting project provider sectors - Third Sector, Local Authority, Sector Skills Councils, and post-16 statutory sector. For example:
• dissemination of information and good practice on tendering for projects
• supporting the Managing Authority (MA) and Co-Financing Organisations (CFOs) during tendering rounds
• integrating Sector Skills Agreements
• developing and managing special projects such as publicity and evaluation project and
• policy/strategy support to the MA and CFOs.
2. Support to the MA for extra staff, systems and work needed to carry out its role in developing and launching the new programme.
3. Ongoing support to the MA so that it can maintain structural capacity for its role in monitoring, managing and developing the Programme.
4. Project/s to support and further develop capacity and quality for funded projects. This to be on a provider type/sector/geographic basis across CFOs, although, as within all TA projects, there may be separate work programmes by CFO.
5. Projects to support the Programme Framework Cross-Cutting Themes (Sustainable Development, Diversity and Equal Opportunities, and Londoners' Health). These can include relevant new research, support to CFOs through Programme management and monitoring, specific evaluation, support to projects across the Programme, and policy support to the MA.
6. Relevant new research and evaluation in support of delivering other specific parts of the Programme Framework.
7. Evaluation of tendering rounds and delivery of the Framework. (Including an impact assessment in late 2008 on the opening tendering rounds, and an evaluation of the implementation of the London Framework at the Programme’s mid-point to determine priorities for second phase.)
8. Projects to transfer relevant knowledge and good practice between ESF partners (e.g. CFOs, the MA, European Social Fund Division in DWP (ESFD), other regions, European Commission).
9. Projects to support Programme communications, the provision of information, and projects to publicise the Programme. (These to be in-line with relevant ESFD plans, strategies and requirements that emerge, as well as London Structural Funds communications strategies.)
10. Projects to help develop progression routes for participants by developing links between providers and activities across CFOs and into work or mainstream support.

Important Points to Note

• TA project proposals must clearly address at least one of the above priorities.
• The rules for projects are largely the same as for other ESF projects including the rule that no more than 50% of project costs can be funded by ESF. The remaining 'match funding' must be provided by the project provider and/or other partners.
• Technical Assistance expenditure must be declared on the basis of actual ESF expenditure (including match funding). Expenditure declared must be justified by supporting paid invoices or other appropriate accounting documents.
• Projects will be overseen by the European Programmes Management Unit, with the support of CFOs as appropriate – e.g. Priority 4.
• It is important that proposals are discussed with appropriate Co-financing Organisations at an early stage, and that any support by them is set out.

Examples of previous projects, funded through the 2000-2006 ESF Programme (Objective 3)

• A voluntary sector support organisation has been supported by TA to help voluntary and community sector projects, and represent the sector generally. Similarly, London Councils has received funding in respect of the local authority sector.
• The London Development Agency provided the required match funding to review the Objective 3 Regional Development Plan.
• TA has been used to support a project to look at and improve equal opportunities, and ensure that good practice is 'mainstreamed' throughout ESF programmes.
• London Environment Centre (LEC) has been awarded TA to support environmental sustainability through the Objective 3 Programme's projects. LEC are helping to integrate environmental good practice into delivery practices.
• Using TA, Government Office for London and the LDA has developed a 'toolkit' to provide effective succession strategies for Single Regeneration Budget and ESF funded projects. The toolkit is now used nationally.

Further Guidance

You can find more information about Technical Assistance and a copy of the national ESF Technical Assistance Strategy for 2007-13 on the national ESF website.

Please contact the LDA European Programmes Management Unit in the first instance if you have any new suggestions for ESF TA projects.

Telephone: 020 7593 8684 or email: esf@lda.gov.uk.

All proposals are subject to the availability of funds and the current regulations of the EC and UK Government Departments, as well as LREC requirements.