ERDF Call Briefing: Innovation. WE ARE A PRIVATE/PUBLIC PARTNERSHIP THAT IS GROWING THE ECONOMY OF THE BRISTOL & BATH CITY REGION. SKILLS MANAGING FUNDS INWARD INVESTMENT PLACE & INFRASTRUCTURE MARKETING
Agenda 1. Introduction to ERDF I. General Introduction II. National Operating Programme III. Local EU SIF Strategy 2. The detail of the Call 3. Outputs 4. Questions and Answers with Hints and Tips: I. What will make a good application? II. State Aid III. Match funding
Introduction to ERDF Programme runs 2014 2020. It s about business growth, jobs, innovation with a low carbon slant. National Managing Authority Department for Communities and Local Government. National Operating Programme.
Introduction to ERDF West of England has 35.081m over the period. Worth between 25m and 30m. What is already done or planned? March calls - 4.5m Bristol s Sustainable Urban Development plan - 2.5m. Value of the November calls - 8m Low carbon call - 3m Local Impact Fund - 1m Remainder: 6m - 10m
Introduction to ERDF: Local Strategy
Guidance Two key documents you need to refer to for guidance on outputs: 1. The ERDF England Operational Programme (2014 to 2020) 2. The Output Indicator Definitions Guidance for the European Regional Development Fund (September 2015) Both are easily found on the ERDF website: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/europeanstructural-and-investment-funds-programme-guidance
Research Inputs Activities Outputs Results Analysis This Opinion Market failures If we do This Growth will happen Theory This
Inputs Activities Outputs Results Investment in development and upgrading of innovation space Research or innovation facilities improved Research infrastructure enhanced Indicators of change Number of researchers working in improved research facilities % Proportion of enterprises having cooperation agreements with research institutes
Priority Axis - Promoting research and innovation Investment Priority Specific objective Output indicator Subset indicator 1a: Enhancing research and innovation (R&I) infrastructure and capacities to develop R&I excellence and promoting centres of competence, in particular those of European interest 1.1: increase investment in research and innovation infrastructure that catalyses collaboration with the research community especially in sectors identified through smart specialisation C25 P2 Number of researchers working in improved research facilities Public or commercial buildings built or renovated None None
Priority Axis - Promoting research and innovation Investment Priority Specific objective Output indicator Subset indicator C2 No of enterprises receiving Grants 1b Promoting business investment in research and innovation: - Developing links and synergies between enterprises, research and development centres and the Higher Education sector, in particular promoting investment in product and service development, technology transfer, social innovation, eco-innovation, public service applications, demand stimulation, networking, clusters and open innovation through smart specialisation - Supporting technological and applied research, pilot lines, early product validation actions, advance manufacturing capabilities and first production, in particular in key enabling technologies and diffusion of general purpose technologies. 1.2: increase investment in research and innovation by small and medium enterprises in sectors and technologies identified through smart specialisation 1.3: increase in the number of small and medium enterprises engaged in knowledge exchange, collaborative and contract research and innovation with research institutions, public institutions or large enterprises in order to help them bring new products and processes to market C1 C6 C7 C8 C26 No' of enterprises receiving support Private investment matching public support to enterprises (grants) Private investment matching public support to enterprises (non-grants) Employment increased in supported enterprises No of enterprises cooperating with research entities C3 C4 C5 None None None None No of enterprises receiving financial support other than grants No of enterprises receiving nonfinancial support No of new enterprises supported C29 No of enterprises supported to introduce new to the firm products C28 No of enterprises supported to introduce new to the market products (where relevant) P2 Public or commercial buildings built or renovated None
Example: C1 Number of enterprises receiving support
C1 - Number of enterprises receiving support C2 - Number of enterprises receiving grants C4 - Number of enterprises receiving non-financial support Unit of measurement: Number of enterprises Number of enterprises Number of enterprises Criteria: Consultancy, information, diagnostic advice, guidance to individual businesses Financial assistance for investment that results in the production of goods and services Cash payment by the project which is not repaid Service or services by the project with no direct payment of monies All size of social enterprises engaged in economic activity Initial diagnostic assessments as well as defined subsequent support Face to face, telephone, web based dialogue, conference, seminars, meetings, workshops One to one or in groups Including but not limited to Management leadership support, corporate and social responsibility, access to new supply chains and markets including new international markets, marketing, innovation and commercialisation A specific business can only be counted once by a project. Multiple instances of financial or non-financial support within a project cannot be counted multiple times. So financial or non-financial assistance Threshold: One instance of either: Grant of at least 1000 2 days/ 12 hours of active consultancy support Travelling and preparation time Mail shots and brochures Exclusions Activity already counted toward achieving indicators for ERDF outlined in this note Any businesses ineligible for ERDF support under national eligibility rules
C1 - Number of enterprises receiving support Record of business (name, address including postcode, contact details, company registration number C2 - Number of enterprises receiving grants C4 - Number of enterprises receiving nonfinancial support Unique identifier Evidence required Record, electronic or paper of support over the minimum threshold. Signed and verified by senior member of staff in the enterprise assisted including time period claimed Copy of signed loan agreement, signed grant funding agreement or other risk finance investment documentation demonstrating value over minimum threshold has been provided to the business Additional info Details of company (size, sole trader, SME, large company) Indicators C2 - C4 are subsets of indicator C1. All instances reported under C1 should also be reported under C2, C3, C4 Enterprises reported under C2 may also be reported under the following where they meet the relevant definition, criteria and count threshold - C28, C29 Enterprises reported under C2 may also be reported under the following where they meet the relevant definition, criteria and count threshold - C28, C29 Relationship to other indicators: Enterprises reported under C1 may also be reported under C5, C28, C29. Enterprises reported under P13 may be reported under C1 but only where they have met the C1 count threshold of 12 hours. The 3 hours can be counted towards the 12 hours needed for an output under C1
Subset Subset Subset Related C2 No of enterprises receiving Grants No of enterprises supported to C29 introduce new to the firm products No of enterprises supported to introduce new to C28 the market products (where relevant) C8 Employment increase in supported enterprises C1 No' of enterprises receiving support C3 No of enterprises receiving financial support other than grants No of enterprises supported to C29 introduce new to the firm products No of enterprises supported to introduce new to C28 the market products (where relevant) C8 Employment increase in supported enterprises C5 No of new enterprises supported No of enterprises supported to C29 introduce new to the firm products C8 Employment increase in supported enterprises
Example: C25 Number of researchers working in improved research facilities
Unit of measurement: Criteria Threshold Exclusions Evidence Additional info C25 - Number of researchers working in improved research facilities Full-time equivalents New or existing working positions in research infrastructure that a) directly perform R&D activity b) are directly affected by the project. If more researchers are employed in the facilities as a result of the project, the new posts are included Vacant posts are not counted Facilities may be private or public Research infrastructure includes: facilities, resources and related services that are used by the scientific community to conduct top-level research in their respective fields and covers major scientific equipment/ sets of instruments knowledge base resources such as collections, archives or structures for for scientific information Enabling Information and Communications Technology based infrastructures such as Grid, computing, software and communication or any other entity of a unique nature essential to achieve excellence in research Infrastructures may be single sited or distributed and an organised network of resources Full time equivalent Full time, part time or seasonal Maintenance or replacement without improving quality is excluded This indicator focuses only on research infrastructure and therefore researchers in broader innovation structures such as incubators should not be counted Support staff are not counted (i.e. jobs not directly involved in research and development activity) Written confirmation from senior member of staff in the supported entity, confirming the position is wholly or predominantly based in the research facility improved by the ERDF project. Copy of job description for each post Gender: Male/female/prefer not to say Age: The following age categories should be used: 16-24/25-29/30-34/35-39/40-44/45-49/50-54/55-59/60-64/65+/Prefer not to say Disability: "Do you consider yourself to have a disability?" Ethnicity: White/mixed/multiple ethnic groups/asian - Asian British/Black-African/Caribbean - Black British/Other Ethic group/prefer not to say
Equality and diversity Equality and diversity information required for some indicators: Gender Age Disability Ethnicity May be worth collecting this data across all indicators where relevant.
Recommendations Build simple management information systems (MIS) in to your project design to form the backbone of project activities Ensure a clear intervention logic is in place for your project from the start and make sure the support you provide to beneficiaries fits within this logic File information regularly and systematically Make templates! Set targets for the achievement of outputs and monitor progress against targets regularly
Project Appraisal
Four Delivery Models
Managing Authority Department for Communities & Local Government (DCLG) Outputs Funding Funding Agreement Lead Partner/Grant Recipient Reflects terms of Funding Agreement Outputs Funding Legally binding agreement Legally binding agreement Sub-contractors Delivery Partner Delivery Partner Invoice Invoice Sub-contractors Sub-contractors
What can be claimed? Lead and Delivery Partners Direct costs exclusively for the project Essential for delivery Procured Auditable Direct staff costs Project time hourly rate options Timesheet records Indirect costs 15% of direct staff costs applied as FLAT RATE Alternative rate for Horizon 2020 activity Not individually claimed/audited
A Good Application Wrong question: a good project is what you need. Your activities need to be clear what are you spending money on? How those activities deliver the outputs required what is the link between the two?
A Good Application Value for money cost per output: Base this on your project and the activities that you will undertake Needs to be realistic and deliverable. There are reference figures but they show how cost vary depending on the nature of your activity.
State Aid CLG assume that all applicants will be an undertaking State Aid will be a key consideration for all applicants. The focus of your thinking should be the activity you are doing, not your legal status. If your match is already State Aid you will have further difficulties.
Match funding For a more developed region - 1 to 1 All claims paid in arrears spend 2 get 1 back. Your match becomes ERDF. You must secure it during the application process.
Match funding Capital can match revenue and vice versa PROVIDED: It is a single holistic project that can demonstrate a need for ERDF Capital and revenue activities are mutually dependent. Beware timescales if your capital is already spent ineligible If not, will it be spend in-line with the ERDF spend (and in three years)?
WE ARE HERE TO HELP: Call us: Cassie - 0117 357 4852 Abbie - 0117 903 6207 Jess - 0117 922 2769 E-mail us: eusifinbox@westofengland.org Web: www.westofenglandlep.co.uk/funding/eu-sif