In this edition of EDIC newsletter we intend to inform our readers about some of the significant European funding opportunities that are either open for application now or will become available in 2015.

€6 billion of the Growth Programme Funds are to be made available in the UK. These funds are to be administered by Local Economic Partnerships (LEPs). The 2 LEPs covering Hampshire are Solent LEP and Enterprise M3 who have been allocated £43.1m and £43.6m respectively.

The top priorities of this programme are innovation, support for SMEs, low carbon, skills, employment and social inclusion. (click here to find out which LEP your business is in): Solent http://solentlep.org.uk/about and enterprise M3 http://www.enterprisem3.org.uk/map/

These funds will be distributed through 4 separate channels:

• The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)
• The European Social Fund (ESF)
• The European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD)
• The European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF)

Grants for start-ups, innovation and low carbon economy will be made available through the ERDF and support for young people, job creation and social inclusion will all be made available through the ESF.

The European Structural & Investment Funds will need to be match funded with other non-EU funding. This can come from public and private funds.

Bidding for these funds will not be open until early 2015.  To be kept in touch with opening dates and to express an interest in our EU funding workshop click here.

Interreg was first developed as a Community Initiative in 1990 with a budget of €1 billion covering exclusively cross-border cooperation. It was one of the two goals of the European cohesion policy.

Interreg programmes are funded by the European Regional Development Fund to support good relationships, joint actions and policy exchanges between European Union states. It has three types of programmes: cross-border, transnational and interregional.

Now entering its fifth programming period (2014-2020 period – Interreg V), Interreg has a budget of EUR 10.1 billion investing in over 100 cooperation programmes between regions.

Currently there is only a  tentative timeframe for the new programme that will see the first call launched around April 2015 with a September deadline (tbc).

New projects will require coverage of at least three Member States/ programme participating countries and an average of 5-10 partners is recommended by the Joint Technical Secretariat (JTS) who administer this programme. Projects will probably average between €1-2m each and programme priorities are, Innovation, SME competitiveness, Low Carbon Economy, and Environment & Resource Efficiency.

Erasmus+ is the EU programme for education, training, youth and sport. It started on 1 January 2014 and runs until 2020 and is open to applications now.

Erasmus+ aims to boost skills and employability as well as modernise education, training, and youth work across Europe. It has a budget of approximately 14.7 billion euros across Europe and will, over the next seven years, provide opportunities for over 4 million Europeans to study, train, gain work experience and volunteer abroad and will also support transnational partnerships between education, training and youth organisations, as well as support grassroots sport projects.

Erasmus + UK programme power point presentation: http://www.slideshare.net/ErasmusPlusUK/an-introduction-to-erasmus-40772259

Calls of proposals are now open!

• Key Action 1 "Mobility of Individuals" is about providing opportunities for individuals to improve their skills, enhance their employability and gain cultural awareness by going to another country's organisation in Europe:

https://www.erasmusplus.org.uk/how-to-apply/key-action-1-learning-mobility-of-individuals

• Key Action 2 "Co-operation for innovation and  exchange of good practices":

https://www.erasmusplus.org.uk/how-to-apply/key-action-2-co-operation-for-innovation-and-exchange-of-good-practices

• Key Action 3 "Support for policy reform :

https://www.erasmusplus.org.uk/how-to-apply/key-action-3-support-for-policy-reform

There are various deadlines for application to Erasmus+ funding streams throughout the year:

https://www.erasmusplus.org.uk/how-to-apply