Committee Report NSC

                                                                                                                                    Item 6.5

North Somerset Council

 

REPORT TO THE strategic planning and economic development policy and scrutiny panel

 

Date of Meeting: 19th December 2005

 

Subject of Report: The European and External Funding Service

 

Town or parish: All

 

Officer/Member presenting:  Dominie Dunbrook

 

Key Decision: No

 

 

RECOMMENDATIONS

 

To refer the report to the Finance and Resources Scrutiny Committee.

 

1.                  Summary of Report

 

The purpose of the report is to update Members on the current work being undertaken by the European and External Funding Officer.  European and funding advice is delivered across the Council in a variety of ways.  Funding advice to the voluntary and community sector is managed through a service level agreement with the Volunteer Centre by the European and  External Funding Officer. 

 

2.                  Policy

 

The council agreed a policy for external funding in August 2003.  The policy is currently being reviewed.

 

3.                  Details

 

The European information and funding advice service is based in the Economic Development and Regeneration Team.  The service provides advice, information and signposting on European policies and programmes and sources of external funding.

 

As part of the European information service North Somerset Council is a member of the South West UK Brussels Office.  Being part of this partnership gives the Council access to staff and information direct from Brussels.  Monthly updates on EU information are provided through the ‘Insight’ policy brief.  There are also more targeted briefing papers circulated to officers across the authority.  An example of where the Brussels Office has supported our work is when they provided us with contacts in Amsterdam of local authority Energy officers.  This information was provided to North Somerset Council’s Energy Officer who is now setting up a joint conference to share best practice and information.  Where European  funding is becoming increasingly difficult to access, forming closer working relationships with other European  states may well be one way of accessing funding through other routes.

 

Regional and Sub Regional working also takes place around current key European policy agendas such as the Lisbon Strategy (European policies and programmes adopted by the member as states to promote economic competitiveness and the growth of the knowledge economy)..  This will impact at regional, sub – regional and local level and local authorities are expected to be involved with delivery.  

 

The funding advice service provides internal council colleagues with a point of reference and support when seeking external funding.  To date 30 projects have received funding advice from the European and External Funding Officer.  An internal funding officer group (FOG) has been established to create a forum for discussing funding issues and as a means to circulate funding information.  50 Officers now receive monthly funding information via this forum.  Meetings are held twice a year to look at funding trends, issues the authority faces and other general opportunities or issues.

 

Through the service level agreement with the North Somerset Volunteer Centre the voluntary and community groups of North Somerset receive a comprehensive funding advice service.  Since December 2004 70 groups have received detailed funding advice from the Volunteer Centre.  The Volunteer Centre has 180 groups on their circulation list to receive a monthly funding newsletter. 

 

Both the European Information and the funding advice services will continue to evolve.  In terms of Europe, stronger working links to support local organisations and businesses will be forged at a sub regional level with the other unitary authorities.  European information will be available on the North Somerset Council website and European information champions will be developed across the authority to disseminate information.  The funding advice service will also continue with a focus on developing stronger links between drawing down external funding and the Corporate Plan and Community Strategy aims.  The external funding policy will be revised and reprinted to bring it in line with the council’s current corporate aims and agenda.

 

 

4.                  Consultation

 

The service level agreement with the Volunteer Centre includes a requirement to consult with users of the service

 

5.                  Financial Implications

 

External funding provides additional resources for the delivery of council services and for the delivery of partnership projects in North Somerset

 

6.                  Equality Implications

 

A wide range of voluntary sector organisations concerned with the promotion of equalities   has been assisted through the service level agree with the Volunteer Centre

 

7.                  Corporate Implications

 

Bids for external funding are targeted at the priorities set out in council’s corporate plan and directorate business plans

 

8.                  Options considered

 

There is no comparable specialist service available to the council as a whole. The European and External Funding Officer works closely with officers involved with external funding bids across a wide range of council services

 

Author

 

Domine Dunbrook

European and External Funding Officer

019434 634461

 

 

Background Papers

 

The council’s external funding policy August 2003