D2N2 LEP & the Active Engagement Project

The Derby and Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire (D2N2) Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) covers Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire counties, including the cities of Derby and Nottingham.

The LEP is one of six LEP areas in the East Midlands, some of which overlap with each other or extend into other counties. For further information on LEPs and all the LEP areas covering the region click here.

The following description of D2N2 is taken from their website:

"D2N2, established in 2010, is one of the largest LEPs in England, covering an area with a population of more than two million people and with an economic output of over £42.9billion Gross Value Added (ONS report, February 2016). D2N2's vision is of a more prosperous, better connected, and increasingly resilient and competitive economy. Our purpose is to support and encourage economic growth in the D2N2 region. Our ambition is to be one of the most respected LEPs, known for our professionalism and effectiveness."

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has published a map showing the rural and urban areas covered by D2N2, which can be viewed here.

How to contact D2N2

Website: www.d2n2lep.org

Named contact: Matthew Wheatley, Growth Plan Manager

Address: 8 Experian Way, Nottingham NG2 1EP

Telephone: 0115 957 8250

Twitter: @D2N2LEP

The contact for VCSE/LEP engagement in D2N2 is Jane Howson, CEO of Autism East Midlands, who can be contacted via jane.howson@autismeastmidlands.org.uk

Strategy

D2N2 has made their final EU Structural and Investment Fund strategy available, which provides details on how they want to spend their EU allocation of money and which priorities and opt-ins they are interested in exploring.

Their final strategy, which provides an opportunity to look at where there might be a role for the VCS in the ESIF programme and how the LEP intends to work with the sector to deliver the EU thematic priorities, including the social inclusion priority, is available to download here.

The D2N2 ESIF subcommittee has agreed a set of Core Delivery Principles that define how it considers a good ESIF project should operate. They crystallise the preferred approach articulated in the D2N2 ESIF Strategy. D2N2 will consider how applications meet the Core Delivery Principles in formulating its commentary and advice on their local strategic fit. Download the Core Delivery Principles here.

Priority areas

Here is a link to the priority areas for the D2N2 area. Please note that the tables below the priority areas list individuals within the VCS who advised that they were interested in working in partnership to deliver collaborative projects within the priority area.

The lists were developed following the One East Midlands Reach & Impact project, in partnership with ACEVO, running a series of workshops across the D2N2 area in late 2013 and early 2014 to help third sector organisations, funding advisers and development workers start to prepare and think about how to take advantage of opportunities in the EU Structural and Investment Funds 2014-20 programme. The lists may therefore be out of date but remain available for reference purposes.

Funding allocation

The total D2N2 ESIF allocation for 2014-2020 is £196.5 million for the following programmes:

European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) - £98 million
European Social Fund (ESF) - £93 milliom
European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) – £5.5m

Useful D2N2 resources

The D2N2 LEP also manages a website dedicated to European funding. The D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership Technical Assistance website is an information source for partners and organisations with an interest in European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF). The site contains information on how to apply for and successfully run an ESIF-funded project and about projects already being delivered in the D2N2 area.

Please follow this link to the D2N2 TA website.

For more information on the work of the D2N2 LEP, please visit their main website.

Additional resources of interest:

One East Midlands produces regular e-bulletins on the D2N2 LEP and the opportunities for relationships with the VCS. To sign up to receive these email office@one-em.org.uk. Previous updates are available to download below.

Follow this link to the archived e-bulletins from 2014 - 2018.

D2N2 Social Inclusion & Equalities Advisory Group

The D2N2 Social Inclusion & Equalities Advisory Group was a strategic and advisory body to the D2N2 ESIF Programme Board and the D2N2 Board from 2014 to 2019. The group provided a mechanism for relationships between D2N2 and the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise sectors (VCSE) and strategic advice and guidance on issues of social and economic inclusion, equalities and the development of inclusive and sustainable growth strategies for the D2N2 area. The LEP is undergoing a governance review and a new structure will be in place in 2019.

For more information on the role, membership and how the group fit within the D2N2 LEP structure, please see the SIEAG terms of reference below. Minutes from SIEAG meetings are included in the relevant D2N2 Active Engagement monthly bulletin (see links above in the useful resources section).

The following resources relating from the D2N2 Social Inclusion & Equalities Advisory Group may be of interest to you:

D2N2 VCS representative

The VCSE representative to the D2N2 Board and ESIF Committee is Jane Howson, CEO of Autism East Midlands.

Jane was appointed following an open recruitment process managed by One East Midlands and attended her first Board meeting on Friday 19^th May 2017.

Here is Jane’s introduction to her view of the role and on her first attendance at D2N2 governance:

“I am delighted to have been appointed as the VCS representative on the D2N2 board. I have worked in the voluntary sector and public services for over 25 years. I am currently Chief Executive of Autism East Midlands, a large regional charity that supports families and people on the autism spectrum of all ages. I am also Chair of the Autism Alliance, which is a national network of 18 regional autism charities similar to our own.

I have only attended 1 meeting of the LEP Board so far and am clearly on a very steep learning curve. I am keen to engage more widely with the sector to inform views within D2N2 and my own participation within the LEP. My great passion is inclusion and equality. I will be working very hard during my tenure to ensure that the VCS is able to influence the D2N2 programme to ensure that it really delivers for the most disadvantaged within our communities.

I will be working closely with Rachel (Quinn) and colleagues to broaden participation and look forward to meeting with sector colleagues in the near future.”

Jane chaired her first SIEAG meeting on 1^st June 2017 and, alongside SIEAG colleagues, is developing an improved system for VCS engagement and communication.

Jane can be contacted via jane.howson@autismeastmidlands.org.uk.

Former D2N2 VCSE representatives

We acknowledge, with grateful thanks, the commitment of former VCSE representatives to the D2N2 Board and ESIF Committee:

Sylvia Green, CEO Rural Action Derbyshire and deputy Helen Kearsley-Cree, CEO Nottingham CVS

Rob Crowder, CEO Rural Community Action Nottinghamshire

Downloads: