Communities and Local Government

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• ERDF

Cities and regions

European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)

The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) helps stimulate economic development and regeneration in the least prosperous regions of the European Union (EU).

Funding is targeted to meet three objectives set down by the European Commission (EC):

• Convergence
• Regional Competitiveness
• European Territorial Co-operation

Since 2000, England has benefited from more than £5bn of ERDF funding, with a further 3.2bn Euros being invested in projects for the new round of programmes (2007-13). These programmes are designed to meet current needs by targeting employment, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), innovation, high-tech business investment, among other key priorities identified by each region.

Achievements

ERDF has helped a wide variety of projects - from large scale public works to small local initiatives. All are designed to benefit the regional or local economy. Grant goes to projects that would not have taken place without ERDF.

To date, key achievements with ERDF assistance in England include:

• over 86,000 jobs created or safeguarded
• over 70,000 SMEs assisted
• over 1,000 hectares of brownfield land reclaimed
• over 340,000 square metres of workspace constructed or improved

Notable projects which have benefited from ERDF funding include:

• The Eden Project in Cornwall, a recipient of £12.8m of ERDF
• King's Dock redevelopment in Liverpool: £48m ERDF assistance
• East Midlands Media Investment Fund: awarded a £6m ERDF grant to support film and digital media projects in the East Midlands (recent film successes include Control and This Is England)

More generally, ERDF-aided projects have:

• encouraged industrial development and provided workplaces by reclaiming land, refurbishing buildings and providing services to open up sites
• improved public transport access as well as road, rail and inland waterway networks, to support business and tourism
• encouraged the setting up and growth of SMEs
• encouraged tourism by improving or developing attractions and providing facilities for tourists
• improved local environments to make areas more attractive to business and visitors
• supported local communities in developing economic strategies

In this section

• Applying for ERDF funding
• Management of the funds
• ERDF in the regions
• 2007-13 programmes
• European Territorial Co-operation programmes (2007-13)
• Frequently Asked Questions

Related publications

• Ex-Post Evaluation of the English, Scottish and Welsh Objective 5b Programmes

  • Published: 21 March 2006
  • Site: Cities and regions