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.
- Encouraging businesses to utilise superfast broadband.
- 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.
Low Carbon Funding Call Now Open
£2.5m of ERDF funding is available to support projects to deliver low carbon schemes throughout Cumbria.
The call is open until 31st October 2017 with fixed assessment points on 30th April and 30th July.
The call seeks applications that can deliver under the following key areas;
Business Premises Funding Call Now Open
£5m of funding support available to support investment in business premises.
The call seeks applications that can deliver in the following key areas;
Further information is available at https://www.gov.uk/european-structural-investment-funds.
If you are interested in applying for funding and would like advice to develop your application, please call 01900 706000 or email cumbriaesif@cumbria.gov.uk.
£2.5m of ERDF funding is available to support projects to deliver low carbon schemes throughout Cumbria.
The call is open until 31st October 2017 with fixed assessment points on 30th April and 30th July.
The call seeks applications that can deliver under the following key areas;
- Energy efficiency and renewable energy use in enterprises
- Energy efficiency, smart energy management and renewable energy use in public infrastructure and in the housing sector
- Promoting the production and distribution of energy derived from renewable sources
- Promoting research and innovation and the adoption of low-carbon technologies
- Promotion of low carbon strategies and whole place low carbon solutions
Business Premises Funding Call Now Open
£5m of funding support available to support investment in business premises.
The call seeks applications that can deliver in the following key areas;
- Creation of new incubation, managed workspace and/or grow on space.
- Refurbishment of existing incubation or managed work premises to provide attractive and appropriate facilities.
- Provision of drop-in zones to provide SMEs with access to facilities for shorter periods.
- Specialist business support tailored to the needs of occupants in any incubator space.
Further information is available at https://www.gov.uk/european-structural-investment-funds.
If you are interested in applying for funding and would like advice to develop your application, please call 01900 706000 or email cumbriaesif@cumbria.gov.uk.
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;
| ESIF Guidance Note: ERDF Prioirty Axis 4 Guidance |
| DCLG Presentation: Cumbria P4 Workshop |
| ERDF Operational Programme - Priority Axis 4 |
| Cumbria LEP P4 Workshop Presentation |
* subject to exchange rate fluctuation
