ESIF 2014-20 The Government Priorities

David MorrallDepartment of Communities and Local Government24 April 2014

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European Structural and Investment Fund

• A single Growth Programme combining ERDF, ESF and some EAFRD

• Aligned with other EU funding instruments such as Horizon 2020 and domestic policies and programmes

• National Operational Programmes for ERDF, ESF and EAFRD – the end of regional OPs

• 39 LEP area ESIF Funds strategies

  

ESIF Government Priorities

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Thematic Objectives and Strategies

• Menu of ten policy themes ‘Thematic Objectives’

• Thematic Objective 1 (‘Innovation’) most relevant to Higher Education

• Local Enterprise Partnership areas have allocated £662,423,882 to this objective which equates to 22.22% of their ERDF allocations

• Most ESI Fund strategies identify opportunities for local business-HEI collaboration

• Very few propose cross-boundary working

ESIF Government Priorities

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Smart Specialisation – a New Approach

• Adoption of concept patchy across LEP areas • eg.  26 of 39 ESI Fund strategies claim

national/international excellence in Life Sciences

• Smart Specialisation Advisory Hub

ESIF Government Priorities

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Competitiveness and Innovation

• Horizon 2020 will be the largest financial instrument implementing the Innovation Union, €80bn.

• In the current version of Horizon 2020 (FP7) the UK has won more than 16% of all funding to EU member states and 27% of European Research Council (ERC) funding.

• Funding for competitiveness and innovation makes up nearly 18% of the UK’s receipts from the EU, almost the same as the UK receives in Structural Funds (ERDF and ESF).

• Higher education consumes the lion’s share of this (70%).

ESIF Government Priorities

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Challenges ahead

• Cross –LEP area working in innovation space

• Role of HEIs to facilitate

• SSS Advisory Hub – what role could it play?

• Improved alignment with EU initiatives, especially Horizon 2020

• Role of innovation/HE bodies – Universities UK, HEFCE, TSB, etc

ESIF Government Priorities