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What is ESF?

ESF logoThe 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 South East (GOSE) to the co-financing organisations
in the region:

  • Learning and Skills Council
  • Job Centre Plus
  • South East England Development Agency (SEEDA)

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.

Here in the south-east the LSC has run two regional ESF programmes, On Your Marks and Action for Skills, and a number of local programmes.

This is the new website for the LSC South East and we are working on the ESF pages at present. If you are in urgent need of any information relating to ESF, please contact Katie Merrien, our Regional ESF Administrator, on 01273 783614 or email SE-ESFCo-financing@lsc.gov.uk .