Update on Greater Manchester’s European Social Fund activity – 24th May 2016

In line with Greater Manchester’s European Structural Investment Fund (ESIF) Plan we will shortly be launching a further ESF call through the Skills Funding Agency for:

· Greater Manchester Start & Grow a Business: ESF

In advance of the call being launched, we are seeking comments on the draft specification for the programme and would welcome input to the survey from a wide range of partners, external stakeholders and other individuals /organisations who may wish to contribute.

Please follow the link to the draft specification for Start & Grow a Business

The survey is open for comment until 5pm 31st May 2016.

It should be noted that the Skills Funding Agency (SFA) will procure and manage these calls on Greater Manchester's behalf as part of its existing Memorandum of Understanding with the ESF Managing Authority (Department of Work & Pensions).

All interested parties should be made aware that the SFA informed all LEPs in October 2015 that due to the outcome of the Spending Review and devolution deals it will not commit activity or match funding beyond March 2018.

As a result the SFA will only commission calls for short-term contracts (between 18-24 months) which must start by 1st September 2016 at the latest and finish by 31st March 2018.