The European Regional Development Fund provides support to encourage research, development and innovation, create and grow SMEs, develop a low carbon economy and reduce the risk to businesses from flooding. The breakdown of funding can be found in the table below.
Cumbria LEP is particularly interested in hearing from organisations interested in developing projects in the following key areas;
If you would like to discuss a project idea, please email cumbriaesif@cumbria.gov.uk as soon as possible.
Cumbria LEP is particularly interested in hearing from organisations interested in developing projects in the following key areas;
- R&D, Innovation and STEM development.
- Business support and business premises development.
- Low Carbon initiatives including retrofit, renewable energy generation, SMART grids and energy efficiency advice.
If you would like to discuss a project idea, please email cumbriaesif@cumbria.gov.uk as soon as possible.
Priority Number |
Objective |
Total Allocation* |
Key Activities |
1 |
R&D and Innovation |
£8.798m |
Technology and innovation Commercialising innovation R&D facilities |
2 |
Superfast Broadband |
£0.470m |
Superfast broadband for business |
3 |
Entrepreneurship |
£16.502m |
SME start up SME growth International trade Advanced manufacturing supply chains Access to finance |
4 |
Low Carbon |
£7.416m |
Low carbon business growth Low carbon R&D Energy efficiency and micro-generation |
5 |
Climate Change Adaption |
£3.716m |
Providing flood relief measures to enable business security and growth |
6 |
Resource Efficiency |
£1.200m |
Providing resource efficiency advice and support to businesses |
Funding will be made available through open and competitive funding calls which will be issued at regular intervals. Applications will involve a two stage process, submitted to the Department for Communities & Local Government who will evaluate applications and contract with successful bidders. The minimum ERDF request is £500,000.
All information required to submit an application will be available at https://www.gov.uk/european-structural-investment-funds. Information on live funding opportunities will be made available on the LEP website as well as publicised in the local press.
ERDF funding calls during 2017 are likely to include;
All information required to submit an application will be available at https://www.gov.uk/european-structural-investment-funds. Information on live funding opportunities will be made available on the LEP website as well as publicised in the local press.
ERDF funding calls during 2017 are likely to include;
- Business premises for growth
- Support to access business finance
- District heating and energy distribution
- Research, development and innovation facilities
- Support to utilise superfast broadband
- Renewable Energy Generation including Micro Generation
Do you have a potential project?
If you have a potential ERDF project you would like to discuss please download and complete the Strategic Outline Case form the Documents and Links page and submit to cumbriaesif@cumbria.gov.uk. The form allows us to look at your idea in more detail and consider whether ESIF funding is appropriate for the project. Completing the Strategic Outline Case form is no guarantee of any funding.
There are a number of live ERDF funding calls open at present;
Funding Call specifications, guidance and eligibility criteria can be found at https://www.gov.uk/european-structural-investment-funds?keywords=&fund_state%5B%5D=open&fund_type%5B%5D=business-support&location%5B%5D=north-west
- Access to Finance - Up to £500,000 available
- International Trade Support - Up to £500,000 available
- Business Start Up - Up to £1,000,000 available
- Manufacturing Support - Up to £215,000 available
- Business Support - Up to £2,000,000 available
Funding Call specifications, guidance and eligibility criteria can be found at https://www.gov.uk/european-structural-investment-funds?keywords=&fund_state%5B%5D=open&fund_type%5B%5D=business-support&location%5B%5D=north-west
In January, the LEP hosted a Low Carbon Workshop to provide potential applicants with information on how to apply for ERDF as well as the types of activities that can be funded through Low Carbon ERDF funding calls.
The information from the session can be found below;
The information from the session can be found below;
| ERDF Priority 4 Guidance |
| DCLG Presentation: Cumbria P4 Workshop |
| ERDF Operational Programme - Priority Axis 4 |
| Cumbria LEP P4 Workshop Presentation |
