LEP engagement project

Regional Voices have been commissioned by NCVO European Funding Network to do a national piece of engagement and support work with civil society organisations and Local Enterprise Partnership (LEPs), with One East Midlands the lead agency for this piece of work. 

This remit of work includes a number of support activities within a short timeframe to ensure civil society organisation are inputting and feeding into EU Structural Investment Funds  strategy plan, through engaging and working with their LEPs. 

This commissioned work will focus on identifying gaps where there is no/minimal engagement taking place in LEP areas with civil society organisations. Identified gaps will receive targeted support through activities such as events, awareness raising and one-to-one support to LEPs.

As part of the project, Regional Voices are also developing a range of online tools for civil society organisations and for LEPs to use. 

In particular One East Midlands and Regional Voices have developed a framework that forms the basis of a practical methodology for addressing Social Inclusion issues in the next European Union Structural & Investment Funds (SIF) Programme 2014-20. This guidance is designed for use by the VCS in shaping the sector’s views on social inclusion in relation to local growth. It is intended to support the sector to formulate a response to LEP boards, helping them develop a considered approach to addressing social exclusion and combating poverty through their EU investment strategy.

To access the tools and guides visit http://europeanfundingnetwork.eu/policy/cohesion-policy-2014-2020/local-enterprise-partnerships.

To download the project evaluation report visit http://europeanfundingnetwork.eu/policy/cohesion-policy-2014-2020/copy2_of_LEPengagementwiththeVCSEinESIFwebsite.pdf.

For further information on the LEP engagement project contact Rachel Quinn at rachelquinn@one-em.org.uk or on 0115 934 8471.

For more information on LEPs visit www.oneeastmidlands.org.uk/leps.

Other useful resources produced by members of Regional Voices can be downloaded below: