Northampton Waterside Campus Northampton Waterside Campus

ESF

Northampton Waterside Campus
School students having a discussion with their teacher School students having a discussion with their teacher

ESF

School students having a discussion with their teacher
A Starship Robot driving down a street A Starship Robot driving down a street

ESF

A Starship Robot driving down a street
Northampton College Advanced Engineering Centre Northampton College Advanced Engineering Centre

ESF

Northampton College Advanced Engineering Centre
East Northamptonshire Enterprise Centre East Northamptonshire Enterprise Centre

ESF

East Northamptonshire Enterprise Centre
People talking in a building under construction People talking in a building under construction

ESF

People talking in a building under construction

European Social Fund (ESF)

The European Social Fund (ESF) aims to increase labour market participation, promote social inclusion and develop the skills of the potential and existing workforce.

The fund is managed by the Department for Work and Pensions. SEMLEP’s remit is to take a strategic view on how best to prioritise ESF funding to deliver growth and jobs in the South East Midlands area.

The total value of the SEMLEP ESF Programme is around £54m (depending on exchange rate).

ESF is a fund aimed at people, rather than businesses. It focuses particularly on people who are unemployed or economically inactive; young people aged 15-24 who are not in education, employment or training; and people who face multiple and often complex barriers getting into employment.

ESF also funds projects that support people in work by investing in basic, intermediate and higher level and technical skills to help employees progress in work or in business and help drive growth in their organisations by improving productivity.

Projects currently being delivered (up until December 2023) also include:

  • pre-employment training in core work-related skills
  • preparation for apprenticeships or outreach work to engage marginalised young people aged 15-18 in customised training and volunteering activities
  • assisting people in work to develop their basic skills particularly in SMEs
  • enhancing intermediate, technical and higher skills at level 2, 3 and above
  • entrepreneurial/business skills in target groups

ESF-funded projects meet stringent national eligibility requirements and fit with local priorities. These are outlined in the European Structural Investment Fund Implementation Plan and described fully in the SEMLEP ESIF Strategy. More information and resources, including data, can be found in our resource hub. You can read more about national requirements in the European Regional Development Fund Operational Programme 2014-20.

For more information regarding ESF projects, please contact info@semlep.com.

The European Social Fund (ESF) is currently closed for applications. No further open calls are planned.

The last South East Midlands call for proposal closed on April 30th 2021. No further calls are planned at present.

In 2022 the UK Government will launch a new funding programme provisionally titled; ‘UK Shared Prosperity Funds’. Details will be published as soon as they are available.

For further advice regarding applications, please contact info@semlep.com.

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