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Corona Virus (COVID-19)


In line with action taken by many of our clients, ACL European will not be engaging in face to face meetings for the time being or travelling to client premises.  We will continue to work from our office and can be contacted by telephone, Skype or can participate in meetings via Microsoft Teams.  We will continue to offer a service in normal working hours as much as is possible.


We have received a number of enquiries about the impact of the current crisis on project delivery.  We know that the Managing Authorities are exploring flexibilities and guidance will be issued.  In the meantime ESF Managing Authority have issued initial guidance which can be found here. 


Please stay safe and healthy ....

Coronavirus - European Commission Response Investment Plus

The European Commission have now enhanced their Coronavirus Response Investment Initiative (2nd April 2020) with further measures and flexibilities (now known as CRII+). The Commision say that the new package complements an earlier initiative by introducing extraordinary flexibility to allow that all non-utilised support from the European Structural and Investment Funds can be mobilised to the fullest. This flexibility is provided for through:

  • transfer possibilities across the three cohesion policy funds (the European Regional Development Fund, European Social Fund and Cohesion Fund);
  • transfers between the different categories of regions;
  • flexibility when it comes to thematic concentration;
  • a 100% EU co-financing rate for cohesion policy programmes for the accounting year 2020-2021, allowing Member States to benefit for full EU financing for crisis-related measures.

More information, including a factsheet and Q & A brief can be found here. It is not yet known which, if any, of these measures will be adopted in the UK.
Brexit, EU Programmes and Beyond

The UK 'officially' left the European Union at 23:00 on 31st January 2020. Effectively, this means, through the withdrawal agreement, we have entered the 'transition' phase leading up to 31st December 2020. During the transition phase little changes apart from we no longer participate in the institutions of the European Union such as the European Parliament. We are, however, still subject to EU law and still part of the single market and customs union for the time being. It was always going to be the case that the real negotiations wouild be around our future relationship.

As far as the current (2014-2020) period EU Programmes are concerned, its business as usual (or was before Coronavirus). The general election outcome and implementation of the withdrawal agreement actually provides some certainty. We now know that the EU programmes can continue as planned for the whole period. The Government's guarantee for EU Programmes still applies, so applicants for funding can have confidence that approved projects will be funded.

As far as the England Programmes are concerned, the pre-Coronavirus plan was to move towards a set of final calls based on a National Reserve Fund approach. The last Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) area based calls closed in 2019. 

European Social Fund (ESF)

A National Reserve Fund has been created. This has mopped up all the remaining unallocated ESF from LEP area notional allocations. The fund is worth over £390m across England. The Managing Authority have decided not to publish calls but LEP areas may request calls to fill any identified gaps in provision. A case must be made by the LEP (or Combined Authority) area. If successful, a call will be published. No funds are retained for 'Opt-Ins' ESFA, DWP or Community fund but it is understood that they can also make a case to DWP MA.  Update:  Further Reserve Fund calls suspended March/April 2020. 

European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)

The ERDF National Reserve Fund call was expected in March 2020 but did not happen.  It is understood that the Managing Authority (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG)) are considering the implications of the Coronavirus and how best the remaining funds (thought to be around £70 to £80m) can be used.  

European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD)

For the Growth Programme part of this fund, final calls were published in November 2019 and closed on 16th February 2020. There are three themes:

  • Food Processing
  • Business Development
  • Rural Tourism Infrastructure

These are direct grants to businesses and details of the application process can be found here. Minimum grant is £20k and maximum £175k and match funding is required. To qualify businesses must be located in rural areas. There is some support available by way of application Expression of Interest (EOI) workshops the details of which can be found here.


As for the future, further information is expected on the proposed UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) which is supposed to replace the European Structural and Investment Funds from 2021.  Further consultation is expected and, inevitably, the size of the fund will be subject to the Comprehensive Spending Review.  A briefing can be found here.

May I take this opportunity to thank all the clients that have used our services in 2019. It has been a very busy year.  It's been great to work with new and existing clients during this period.  It's been good to work locally supporting the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority on European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) matters and it has been a great pleasure to provide facilitation support for Thames Valley, Berkshire LEP.  We look forward to working with all of our clients in 2020 and beyond Brexit!


Andy Luff LLB (Hons.)
Director
ACL European
Updated: January 2020 and 2nd April 2020

Andy Luff is speaking at the following seminars:


ABOUT ACL EUROPEAN

ACL European Consultancy is a registered private limited company. Director of ACL European is Andy Luff who has over eighteen years of practical experience of European Structural Fund Programmes.

Andy was Head of ERDF Programmes at GO-East from 2001 to 2007 and Head of Structural Fund Programmes at the East of England Development Agency from 2007 to 2011. He has also worked on a secondment at the England Managing Authority the Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) (now MHCLG).

ACL European is now into the ninth year of trading and has helped clients access over £60m of ERDF funding to date.  ACL European continues to advise clients on the opportunities offered in the current 2014-20 programme period.  Andy is also working across three Local Enterprise Partnership areas, Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough and Thames Valley, Berkshire providing support on European Structural and Investment Funds. 


Andy holds a degree in Law (first class honours) from Anglia Ruskin University.

Further details of Andy’s experience can be found here.

 Quick Contacts

      E-Mail: enquiries@europeanfunding.org.uk

      Tel Office: +44 1223 968878
      Mobile: +44 7825 827210

      Linked in:       http://www.linkedin.com/in/andyluff

ACL European - What we do

Welcome to the ACL European website. ACL European is a consultancy specialising in European Funding with specific expertise in European Structural and Cohesion funds based on fifteen years of practical experience.

Expert and professional services are offered on the following:

  • Support for the development of projects seeking to access European funding;

  • Project and Programme evaluations and evaluation planning;

  • Developing strategies and implementation plans to access the opportunities that will be made available in the programme period from 2014 to 2020;

  • Training and capacity building of staff working on the delivery of European Structural Fund Programmes or projects;

  • Expert advice and support to structural fund administrations on the management and control systems required to deliver compliance with EC regulations;

  • Support for delivery and review of structural fund strategies and action plans such as Technical Assistance;

  • Hands on expert advice for structural fund Managing Authorities, Intermediary Bodies and other organisations based on ten years of experience delivering programmes;

  • Support for the delivery of existing projects, especially compliance related advice and support including preparation for verification and audit

  • Raising awareness of access to European Funding
  • Training in the application process


Associates

ACL European Consultancy is pleased to be working with a number of experienced associates and other organisations including:

  • Deyton Bell

  • T33 Ancona

  • Nautilus Associates


More details can be found on the about us page of this website.

News - Please visit the ‘news’ page.



Useful Quick Links


Adoption of the ERDF Operational Programme - Commission Announcement
Open Calls .GOV page
ESIF Managing Authority Guidance
Rural Grants Guidance
 
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