£521m Northwest ERDF Programme Underway

• £521m Northwest European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) Programme officially launched today
• Launch marks start of £1 billion of investment in the Northwest between 2007-13
• Programme targets include 26,700 net additional jobs and improving the region’s annual GVA by £1.17 billion

The Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) - as the new administrator of the Northwest European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) – with the support of Government Office North West (GONW), officially launched the Northwest ERDF Programme 2007-13 today (Friday 15th February) at a ceremony in St George’s Hall in Liverpool.

The launch event reveals more details of the strategy, the Northwest ERDF Programme and how the new delivery arrangements work.

The 2007-13 ERDF Programme is the first time that funding from Europe has been aligned into one single Programme for the region. The £521m programme has a single set of objectives that supports the EU ‘Growth and Jobs’ agenda and is aligned to the Northwest Regional Economic Strategy. For the first time applications for funding will go through a single appraisal process, through the NWDA, simplifying the application process.

The Programme has 5 Priorities and 11 Action Areas (see notes to editors). Overall it is focused on supporting and enhancing the competitiveness of the region, with a secondary focus on the creation of the right conditions for growth. Targets include creating 26,700 net additional jobs, improving the region’s annual Gross Value Added (GVA) by £1.17 billion and a 25% reduction in additional CO2 emissions generated from programme investments.

NW ERDF in summary 2007-13
• Total Northwest ERDF is £521m
• Northwest ERDF (excluding Merseyside) is £308m (Within the Programme, Merseyside has transitional status and a ring-fenced financial allocation to allow the area to adjust gradually to the change in funding status).
• Merseyside ring-fenced ‘phasing-in’ ERDF is £212m (for the period 2007-11)
• Taking account of match funding and the current exchange rate, this provides for total funding of £1bn between 2007-13 (double ERDF total).

A Programme Management Committee (PMC) has been formed to monitor, oversee and advise on the delivery of the Programme. It is comprised of 25 senior representatives from across the region including GONW, NWDA, NWRA, Communities and Local Government, sub regional partnerships, local authorities, higher education, the trade unions and the private and voluntary sector.

Steven Broomhead, Chief Executive of the NWDA, said: “The management and delivery of ERDF funding in the Northwest is a significant new role for the Agency and the launch today marks the start of £1 billion of investment in the region. The Programme will be in line with the Regional Economic Strategy for the first time and will make a massive difference to the competitiveness and growth of the region in the years ahead.”

ERDF funding will be administered by the NWDA through The European Programme Team, led by the new Director of European Programme, David Malpass. David will ensure that the Northwest Programme is continually aligned with the Northwest Regional Economic Strategy and conforms with the ERDF regulatory framework. David will be responsible for supporting the PMC in managing the strategic direction of the programme and will build and maintain a strong partnership with the PMC and other key stakeholders at a European, National, Regional and Sub Regional level.

Keith Barnes, Regional Director, Government Office for the North West (GONW) and Chair of the Northwest PMC said: “Here in the North West we have worked hard to build a strong relationship between local and regional players, the European Commission and Whitehall departments. The results are plain to see across the region. The launch of the new programme marks a new and important phase in that relationship and the funding available to us needs to be wisely invested in creating economic growth and jobs across the region.”

David Malpass, Director of European Programme at NWDA, said: "Previous European funding has paved the way for hundreds of projects across the Northwest and this renewed investment will deliver real benefits - accelerating productivity, linking people with jobs and driving up overall employment rates. It will underpin growing private sector confidence by supporting a programme of strategic investment sites and improvements in transport infrastructure, as well as stimulating additional public sector investment in enterprise development."

José Palma Andrés, Director of UK ERDF programmes at the European Commission, said: “The Commission looks forward to continuing our close working relationship with Northwest partners and growing the prosperity of the Northwest region. The programme is firmly embedded in the Lisbon Agenda which aims to boost economic growth and the creation of higher value jobs across the European Union. The programme is designed to improve the overall competitiveness of the North West England economy, hence the pronounced focus on innovation and enterprise development."

A new Northwest ERDF website is also launched today. The full Northwest ERDF Programme can be downloaded and news, projects and events will be updated throughout the life of the Programme. Visit www.erdfnw.co.uk

Notes to Editors:

The Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) leads the economic development and regeneration of England's Northwest and is responsible for:
• Supporting business growth and encouraging investment
• Matching skills provision to employer needs
• Creating the conditions for economic growth
• Connecting the region through effective transport and communication infrastructure
• Promoting the region’s outstanding quality of life

Source: Northwest Regional Development Agency. 15 February, 2008