What is ESF?

The European Social Fund (ESF) is funding from the European Union designed to improve the skills of the workforce and help people who are having difficulty finding work.

This money is distributed by the Government Office for the North East (GONE) to the co-financing organisations in the region:

• Learning and Skills Council; and
• JobCentre Plus.

These organisations set out their respective priorities and invite providers to bid for project funding to deliver activities that will help them to achieve their priorities.

ESF funding is awarded for time-limited projects through an open and competitive tendering (OCT) process. Once contracts have been awarded the co-financing organisation (CFO) works with the providers concerned to ensure they are delivering to agreed targets.