Economic Development projects and activities are partly funded through European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Working Neighbourhoods Fund (WNF).

North East England ERDF competitive programme 2007-2013

ERDF resources are aligned with the Regional Economic Strategy (RES), where the characteristics of the funding will maximise its regional benefit. A minimum of 50% match funding must be provided by the applicant. £255 million will be invested in the ERDF Programme for the North East from 2007 - 2013.

The minimum ERDF request will be £500,000, which will mean an overall project value of £1 million. There are some exceptions to the project value, such as community engagement projects and each will be considered on its own merits.

The ERDF Programme will be delivered via two main priorities: -

Priority one: Enhancing and exploiting innovation (£135m)

To promote and embed opportunity by advancing science, technology and innovation within the region’s business base and broader communities linked to the region’s Strategy for Success and three pillars approach.

Priority 1.1 Investment in innovation connectors (£65m capital);
Priority 1.2 Support for innovation and technology-led sectors (£60m revenue); and;
Priority 1.3 Exploitation of science base (£10m revenue).

Priority two: Business growth and enterprise (£110m)

Promote measures that develop the enterprise and business base of the region, including in disadvantaged areas, to address the relative underperformance in terms of business formation, sustainability and environmental performance.

Priority 2.1 Cultivating and sustaining enterprise including social / community based enterprise (£33m revenue); and
Priority 2.2 Enhancing the competitiveness and growth of existing SMEs (including social/community based enterprises (£77m revenue).

For further information on the new ERDF 2007-2013 Programme, please log onto the ONE NorthEast website: http://www.onenortheast.co.uk/page/erdf/index.cfm  

Working Neighbourhoods Fund

Central Government has acknowledged that there has been significant progress in tackling deprivation in recent years. Investment in public services – schools, hospitals and children`s centres – in deprived areas has increased significantly. However, concentrations of deprivation remain, and despite rapid improvement in some of the most deprived areas, worklessness in particular remains persistent in some local communities. Between 2008/2011, the Working Neighbourhoods Fund (WNF) in Middlesbrough will be £24.75 million. This will be invested in the most deprived areas of Middlesbrough in an effort to tackle worklessness (see WNF Area Map in downloads section of the web page for a list of the eligible areas).

The Working Neighbourhoods Fund will increase social and economic regeneration by improving rates of work, enterprise and economic performance. This will be achieved by increasing skill and enterprise levels, whilst supporting people to get off benefits and back into employment, targeting the most hard to reach. It will help create a sustainable Middlesbrough where people want to live and can work, and businesses want to invest.

Solutions for Business

The Business Grants for Growth project and the Enterprise Gateway project are Solutions for Business products. Solutions for Business is the government’s streamlined portfolio of business support products.

In order to make government grants, subsidies and advice more targeted and easier to access the Business Support Simplification Programme (BSSP) has reduced the thousands of publicly-funded support schemes to 30 via one, transparent, easy to find portfolio of products under the readily identifiable banner, Solutions for Business.

Solutions for Business products, which have been developed with the input of the business community, were in place March 2009 and will be followed by a twelve month transition period.