The European Union Structural & Investment Funds (EU SIF) 2014-2020 will help unlock economic growth potential and reduce economic and social disparities between regions across Europe. From 2014 the use of these funds in England is being shaped by Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs). The funds draw their focus from the Europe 2020 strategy which includes clear targets for promoting social inclusion, in particular through the reduction of poverty; aiming to lift at least 20 million people out of the risk of poverty and social exclusion.

In the UK, the Government’s strategy for social justice, ‘Social Justice: Transforming Lives’ sets out its commitment to giving individuals and families facing multiple disadvantages the support and tools they need to turn their lives around. Thematic Objective 9 (TO9) of the EU SIF is the primary vehicle for achieving this objective.

Early research undertaken by D2N2 in the development of the EU SIF strategy identified the following local priorities for TO9:

Objectives for Promoting Inclusion and Combating Poverty:

- Deliver integrated and innovative solutions that tackle the root causes of social exclusion;
- Address barriers to work and provide pathways towards employment to allow all adults to play an active role in the labour market;
- Lift people out of poverty wherever they live including overcoming persistent pockets of poverty and
- Support active inclusion through the use of local initiatives.

Delivery of these objectives will take place under two D2N2 strategic delivery strands with the following proposed activities under each strand:

Strategic Activity 15: Targeted Community Support Programme:
- Support that addresses both the root causes of social exclusion and its consequences;
- Strategic delivery models to tackle the above through comprehensive needs identification and personalised interventions focusing on the needs of individuals and families;
- Specialist, tailored support targeting groups experiencing high rates of social exclusion and poverty;
- Support to develop the capacity of social enterprises and community groups to address local support needs as well as support for the delivery of other bottom up active inclusion measures;
- Developing locally specific inclusion initiatives, including through Community Led Local Development and community based learning approaches;
- Initiatives that support enterprise and social enterprise as a route to economic activity and inclusion;
- Partnership models that bring strategic focus to the above, complementing rather than duplicating current work at local level, filling the gaps that exist and adding value to existing programmes.

Strategic Activity 16: Helping Excluded Groups Back Into Training and Work:
- Tackling barriers to work faced by a range of communities facing exclusion (target groups and groups with protected characteristics – see below);
- Specific support for young people who are distant from the labour market including those who are not in education or employment, those who have never had a job and / or those whose background or circumstances has left them without positive role models;
- Integrated approaches to reduce or remove barriers associated with (but not limited to) low literacy, numeracy & IT skills, lack of work experience, poor work histories, health problems, caring responsibilities, limited access to transport, lack of stable housing and digital exclusion;
- Activities that provide people excluded from the labour market with experience of a structured working environment to help them build their skills and confidence, including (but not limited to) volunteering & training opportunities, work-tasters and work experience placements;
- Activities to combat discrimination in the labour market and promote equal opportunities.
Big Lottery funding (‘Opt-In’) will support the delivery of Strategic Activity 15.

Eligible activities and target audiences for TO9 are set out below.

Eligible activities
- Tackling barriers to work.
- Complementing and adding value to other services and funds locally, especially helping those with more complex barriers move closer to employment.
- Tackling barriers to work in a holistic and integrated way, including through supporting early action before problems become entrenched, outreach activities and access to locally provided services. This may include additional issues such as: English languages skills; family, parenting and relationship intervention; access to flexible and affordable childcare, health problems (including mental health); homelessness; life skills; and access to transport.
- Providing additional and/ or more intensive and flexible support identified by Universal Credit Local Support Service partnerships and health and wellbeing boards. This may include actions to help Universal Credit claimants progress into the labour market, support their career progression (better pay/ work/ hours), and move from the hidden economy to legitimate work.
- Supporting early interventions for young people.
- Supporting specific activities to combat discrimination of groups with protected characteristics in the labour market, and promote equal opportunities.
- Targeting specific communities or ethnic minorities with high levels of poverty and social exclusion.
- Helping grow the social investment market to support social enterprises and the social economy.
- Developing the capacity of social entrepreneurs to address the needs of their local communities.
- Supporting bottom-up active inclusion activity in particular geographic locations, for example, through Community Led Local Development.
- Supporting local ‘Community Grant’ type activity.
- Supporting activities that are designed to promote social inclusion whilst also tackling environmental issues such as environmental protection, waste recycling, energy efficiency, and renewable energy.
- Promote a dynamic and inclusive rural economy with fair access to services and basic amenities
- Developing the capacity of community groups to participate in the delivery of services to those furthest from the labour market.
- Encouraging Social Investment models by providing (matched) outcome funding that enables payment by results programmes to be established (Social Impact Bonds).
- Capacity-building for non-governmental organisations (i.e. Civil Society), to encourage adequate participation of and access by non-governmental organisations to actions supported by the European Social Fund, notably in the fields of social inclusion, gender equality and equal opportunities

Target audiences
- People living in the D2N2 area who experience poverty and / or social exclusion due to physical disabilities, learning difficulties, mental health problems, alcohol and substance misuse, other forms of ill-health, history of offending behaviour or multiple or complex needs.
- People living in the D2N2 area who face barriers to employment, including low levels of literacy numeracy and IT skills, low educational attainment and qualifications, lack of employment experience and/or poor work history, caring responsibilities, lack of stable housing, limited access to transport, digital exclusion, or multiple barriers.
- People living in troubled families.
- Care leavers.
- Young people who are not in Education, Employment or Training.
Activities and interventions must lead to an increase in economic activity but not necessarily to employment. Key indicators will include:
- Number of inactive participants newly engaged in job searching upon leaving.
- Number of participants gaining a qualification upon leaving.
- Number of participants in employment upon leaving.
- Number of participants engaged in positive activities that address barriers to work or widen participation in training
- New business start ups.

One East Midlands has been tasked by D2N2 to develop a Social inclusion Framework to support potential proposals for ESIF grant and BLF ‘opt-in’ funding later this year. The Framework will identify and evidence needs, current provision, gaps in services and inclusion priorities.

In order to help us develop the framework we are seeking views and contributions from within the local VCS sector and from wider Civil Society organisations in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. As a starting point we would like agencies to answer the questions below. It will be helpful when considering responses to take a ‘sector- wide’ perspective as far as possible.

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