European Social Fund South West

Welcome to the European Funding page

What is ESF?

The England and Gibraltar European Social Fund (ESF) programme will contribute to sustainable economic growth and social inclusion by extending employment opportunities and by developing a skilled and adaptable workforce.

The programme establishes the national priorities for spending ESF money in line with the Lisbon agenda and the Government’s employment and skills strategies.  Within these priorities, each region will develop its own strategy for addressing its distinctive regional, sub-regional and local needs.

For further information on European Social Fund, visit www.esf.gov.uk

What is Co-financing?

Co-financing means bringing together both ESF funds and the required match funding into a single pot for providers to access from one source.  Organisations that distribute ESF funds in this way, such as the LSC, are called Co-financing Organisations (CFOs).  The Co-financing Organisation is responsible for finding the match funds, enabling successful applicants to receive 100% funding for their projects.

How do I apply for funds?

The process of applying for ESF funds is called "Open and Competitive Tendering" (OCT).  This is managed by the LSC in two stages, the first being a Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ stage) and the second being an Invitation to Tender (ITT stage).  The Pre-Qualification Questionnaire is open to all organisations that are interested in accessing any funds via the LSC, not just ESF.  The purpose of this stage is to identify and select potential LSC providers.  Organisations that have successfully passed this stage are invited to submit an application in response to the Invitation to Tender.  Applications are then assessed in competition with each other and successful applicants proceed to the contracting stage.