What's new in European funding 2007-13

Bedfordshire County Council list of successful tenderers from the March 2008 Prospectus|.

Update on Co-financing at Bedfordshire County Council|

ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) Competitiveness Programme (2007-13) Prospectus Launched|

Information for Businesses wishing to work in Europe - September 2008 update|

New ESF Programme for 2007-2013 agreed  

The European Commission has given the green light to the new ESF programme for England and Gibraltar for 2007-2013. The programme will invest £4 billion, of which £2 billion will come from the ESF, over seven years in two key priorities:

• extending employment opportunities by tackling barriers to work faced by people who are unemployed or disadvantaged in the labour market;
• developing a skilled and adaptable workforce by training people who lack basic skills and good qualifications.

The decision to agree the new programme was taken by the European Commission on 9 August 2007.  Welcoming the decision, Work and Pensions Minister Mike O'Brien said: “The new European Social Fund programme will support our aim to achieve full employment. It will complement our national initiatives by funding additional opportunities for people who are most disadvantaged in the labour market.