Technical Assistance

In both the Objective 2 and Objective 3 Programmes there is provision for Technical Assistance (TA) funding to support programme implementation, management, evaluation and information/publicity.  It is the task of the London European Programmes Committee (LEPC) to define the range of technical assistance activities to be adopted in London.

Priorities

To put this into practice, LEPC has developed the following priorities for TA.

1. Assisting project provider sectors - voluntary, Local Authority, private employer, and post-16 statutory sector.  E.g. dissemination of information and good practice in relation to bidding for funds, developing and managing special projects, and policy/strategy support.
2. Supporting the costs of running bidding rounds, such as panel expenses and extra administration (direct bidding to GOL).
3. Evaluating application rounds in relation to round plans and objectives.
4. Evaluating the Programmes and their impact in relation to the Objective 3 Regional Development Plan (RDP) or the Objective 2 Single Programming Document (SPD), and complementarity with each other and other London strategies/funds/initiatives.
5. Building regional and organisational capacity to implement Objective 3 Co-financing and Objective 2 structures.
6. Improving the record keeping, financial controls and general management of projects.
7. Reviewing and updating the RDP and SPD.
8. Developing the quality of projects and outputs within specific Objective 3 Policy Fields and Measures and Objective 2 Priorities and Measures.
9. Supporting communications, including the LEPC Information and Communications Strategy, and Department for Work and Pensions Action Note 62 for Objective 3.  
10. Developing, promulgating and implementing the London Structural Funds Equal Opportunities Mainstreaming Strategy
11. Supporting other Programme Cross-cutting Themes, which are:
    1. Sustainable Development
    2. Information Technology
    3. Innovation (Objective 2 only)

TA project suggestions and proposals - which are initially discussed with Government Office for London (GOL) before endorsement by the Objective 3 Support and Advisory Group or the Objective 2 Area Partnership Chairs Group - need to show how they address one or more of these. 

It is also important that proposals are discussed with the appropriate intermediary bodies at an early stage, i.e. The Objective 3 Co-financing Organisations and the Objective 2 Area Partnerships.

In Objective 3 (and Objective 2 ESF) there is a separate application form for TA, although the rules for projects are the same as for other ESF projects that are funded by GOL - including the rule that no more than 45% of project costs can be funded by ESF.  The remaining “matchfunding” is provided by the project provider and/or other partners (public or private).

In Objective 2 the application form is the same as that used for other ERDF projects.  And the maximum amount of support is 50%.

The amounts that have been provided for projects range from around £10,000 for short-term logistical support projects, to several hundred thousand pounds for long projects assisting specific sectors and policy development.

Examples of projects

• London Voluntary Sector Training Consortium has been supported by TA for several years to help voluntary and community sector projects and GOL, and represent the sector generally.  Similarly, the Association of London Government has received funding in respect of the local authority sector. (TA Priorities 1 3 5 6 and 9)
• The London Development Agency provided the required matchfunding for a TA project to review the Objective 3 RDP in 2002. (Priority 7)
• Objective 2 Area Partnerships have received funding to promote, develop and support the Programme in their parts of London. (Priority 5)
• Objective 3 Co-financing Organisations that now approve and fund ESF projects are eligible for TA to support specific activities not reasonably covered by their administration fee. (Priority 9 in particular applies – LSC-London North ran an ESF Celebration event in June 2004.)
• GOL has used TA to support a project to look at and improve equal opportunities, and ensure that good practice is “mainstreamed” throughout both Programmes.  (Priority 10) 
• TA has supported research into ethnic minority led businesses to help target Objective 2.

Guidance

For Objective 3, national guidance - and the application form that needs to be used after endorsement - can be found on the national ESF website, at esf.gov.uk/applying/tech/index.asp

Objective 2 enquiries can be made direct to GOL.  The GOL email address for these, and for local information on Objective 3 TA is enquiries-europe.gol@go-regions.gsi.gov.uk

NB: TA Priorities 1 – 8 were identified prior to the implementation of Co-financing in the London Objective 3 Programme. Some may also apply to CFOs, subject to London policy and DWP regulations.  All TA applications and projects are subject to current budgets commitments and DWP/ODPM/EC regulations.