Cornwall Council announces up to £2.25m match funding for new ESF projects

Up to £2.25 million match funding has been made available by Cornwall Council to support organisations looking for additional match funding for new and innovative projects in response to the latest Funding Calls from the European Social Fund.

• Up to £750,000 of match funding will be made available in relation to the ESF funding call for Access to employment for jobseekers and inactive people: Engagement and activity for the unemployed and inactive.
• Up to £500,000 of match funding will be made available in relation to the ESF funding call for Active Inclusion: Future Peninsula Community Grants.
• Up to £500,000 of match funding will be made available in relation to the ESF funding call for Sustainable Integration of Young People into the Labour Market: Integrated Support for Young People.
• Up to £400,000 of match funding will be made available in relation to the ESF funding call for Sustainable Business and Future Skills.

Organisations interested in applying for match funding from Cornwall Council, must do so before the deadline of 30th October 2020. More information on how to apply for this opportunity can be found here.

The proposal from Cornwall Council stems from the latest funding calls issued by the Department For Work and Pensions, as £10.7 million funding is available through the European Social Fund for new projects in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

This latest tranche of ESF funding will focus on supporting new initiatives that will help the recovery of businesses and people of Cornwall, support them in overcoming current challenges and provide pathways to specialist support, training and employment, addressing some of the major economic and social concerns brought by the impact of Covid-19 in Cornwall and Isles of Scilly.

More information on the latest ESF calls is available here: www.cornwallislesofscillygrowthprogramme.org.uk/funding-calls

Through the CIoS Growth Programme technical assistance EU funded project, organisations interested in applying for ESF funding can access free specialist technical support from the Programme Facilitation Team. The service is delivered by Cornwall Development Company to provide technical support for interested applicants, helping them develop robust applications. To complement this service, and further facilitate partnerships development ,CDC recently announced the appointment of independent consultant Jim Cooper, from Cooperesource. Jim’s role will be to assist the CDC Programme Facilitation Team and help foster a collaborative dialogue between organisations interested in becoming lead applicants and those coming forward as potential delivery partners. Find out more on the partnerships brokering service here.

Throughout October, the Programme Facilitation Team is running online one to one support sessions for organisations looking to apply to  the current ESF funding calls. More information can be found on the Growth Programme website here: www.cornwallislesofscillygrowthprogramme.org.uk/support/applicant-and-delivery-partners/