Main menu:
BLOG
Dateline 19th January 2020
It's been a while since I found time to update the website. That's a measure of just how busy it has been. It's almost counter intuitive given the referendum result, but 2018 and 2019 have been just about the busiest years since the company was formed.
It has been a great honour to have chaired the East of England steering group that put together the ERDF Financial Instrument Low Carbon Innovation Fund (LCIF) 2. The process started way back in 2014 but came to a halt with the referendum given considerable uncertainty that this type of project could go ahead. Once the required ex-ante assessments had been carried out the work of putting the proposal really got underway. It was only then that legal and financial issues (especially concerning risk and liability) came to the fore. There were numerous times I thought the project would be abandoned but thanks to the staff at University of East Anglia and Norfolk County Council the project was finally approved and is now up and running.
Oddly enough most of my work has taken me to other parts of the old region rather than my home County of Cambridgeshire. So it was great to be asked if I could support the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority to make best use of the circa £70m allocation of ESIF for the Greater Cambridgeshire and Greater Peterborough area. Significant progress has been made and the area has now, just about, fully allocated the funds for the benefit of the local economy and local people. There are some great projects and it has been a pleasure to work with some great people.
Further afield it has been a priviledge to support Thames Valley, Berkshire Local Enterprise Partnership (TVB LEP) deliver their allocation of ESIF by way of providing facilitation support for projects in development. It has been really interesting to get involved in an area with which I am not familiar and to work with some new people.
Thanks to all our clients in 2018 and 2019. I look forward to working with you in 2020 and beyond.
ACL
Dateline 21st December 2017
It's been a busy year and recent developments have been encouraging. It would seem that commonsense has broken out and that the European Structural and Investment Fund Programmes will continue until their scheduled end in 2023. Most of the work of ACL European is UK based but I have had the privilege, during 2017, of speaking at seminars attended by participants in ESIF across many Member States. There is great dissapointment and some bemusement at the UK decision to leave the EU. I find it difficult to articulate the reasons for the vote. It's always been clear to me that we have much more in common with the EU than we have differences. I've seen no evidence that comes anywhere near changing my view. I believe we should be at the centre of Europe not on the periphery. These are difficult times to state the obvious. Hopefully, a compromise agreement of some sort can emerge. It surely cannot be sensible to withdraw from all EU Programmes given the value we derive from our participation.
So 2018 will be an interesting year I'm sure. There is still work to be done on EU Programmes for the next year or so. Beyond that - who knows!
Thanks to all our clients in 2017. It's been great to work with you and I look forward to being of service in 2018 and, hopefully, beyond.
ACL
Dateline 28th March 2017
I'm not great at updating this website it has to be said! It seems amazing that ACL European is heading towards six years of trading. Understandably turnover during the 2015/16 company year was down on previous years due to my absence. Since then it might have been expected that the referendum result would lead to a reduction of work. However, the reverse has been true. Interest in accessing the remaining EU funding in the England Growth Programme is high. There is great uncertainty about what, if anything, will replace these crucial funds for economic development and skills.
The spring of 2017 brings some exciting challenges and projects. I am pleased to be supporting some key projects under development or already at full application stage. More news later in the year. I am also privileged to be supporting a number of organisations that have operational contracted projects. This has been a growing area of activity due to the complexity of compliance related issues.
A special mention to Hertfordshire LEP. It remains a great priviledge to support the LEP in ESIF matters. I look forward to continuing this work in 2017 and beyond.
ACL
Dateline 28th October 2015
Dateline: 15th September 2013
Into year three of trading .............
It has been a crazy, mad busy second company year (company year runs September to August). This summer has been particulary busy as the last few projects for the current 2007-13 Programme reach full business case stage and there is huge interest in preparation/planning for the opportunities the 2014-20 Programme period will provide. Plenty of work in the pipeline it seems. Once again a huge thank you to all of the clients that have used our services and for the many that offer repeat business!
The new delivery structures for the 2014-20 period will present new (but exciting) challenges. ACL European looks forward to working with existing and new clients in the coming year to explore the opportunities made available to access and use EU funding for maximum impact. Watch the website for announcements.
ACL
Date: 12th August 2012
12th August - One year on .....
It’s been a year since I left the employment of EEDA and set up ACL European Consultancy. The time has absolutely flown by! My role as Head of Programme ended a little earlier at the end of June 2011 on the transfer of responsibility for the ERDF Competitiveness Programme from EEDA to DCLG. I then completed a six week secondment to DCLG before finally leaving. However, I still remember clearing my desk at EEDA on Friday 24th June having returned to the office after a leaving do. A strange and sad day! For me that was really the end of my near 10 year career in structural fund programme management. Clear that it was time to move on and indeed I have.
It’s been hectic ever since and very much looks like it will continue to be so for the foreseeable future. ACL European has been more successful than I could have imagined. Many thanks to all of my clients to date and to my associate consultants. There are new clients and other developments in the pipeline. Announcements will follow - soonish.
ACL