A new round of funding calls via the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) has now been launched, with up to £8m available for projects to support growth and jobs in Dorset.
The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) aims to improve economic and social cohesion in the European Union by focusing its investments on areas such as innovation, research, and support for small and medium-sized enterprises.
The fund forms part of the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) – the EU’s main funding programmes for supporting growth and jobs across the EU – which is managed locally by Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).
The latest calls include funding for projects to in research & innovation, SME support and a support towards a low carbon economy in Dorset. A minimum value of £500,000 of funding can be applied for in all calls.
FREE Information event
Thursday 1 November, 08:30 – 11:30am, The Brewery, Blandford Saint Mary
Dorset LEP is holding a free ‘ERDF Information Event’ to help prospective applicants get to grips with the latest funding opportunities and what is needed for a successful ERDF application.
The session will focus on the three ERDF calls in:
- Research & innovation – up to £2m
- SME support – up to £2.5m
- Low carbon – up to £3.5m
1-2-1 technical assistance will be available.
REGISTER NOW HERE. Registrations will close at 5pm on Thursday 25 October or when full – whichever is the sooner.
Lorna Carver, Dorset LEP Director said: “Around £54m has already been allocated to projects and enterprises across the county as part of an overall £80m ESIF programme for Dorset. The launch of these three new funding calls is great news for the local economy and we encourage prospective applicants to come along to our information event to find out more and access the free support available to bid for funding.”
Further information about the ERDF funding calls is available here. The closing date for all calls is 23 November 2018.