Co-financing
Walsall Council is implementing the European Social Fund (ESF) Objective 3 programme in Walsall along side the Black Country Learning and Skills Council and Job Centre Plus.
The actions from the Regional Development Plan (RDP) will be taken forward through the Walsall Community Plan 2005. Emphases will also be given to the emerging Local Neighbourhood Action Plans which will influence how funds will be targeted and the New Deal for Community Delivery Plan.
This plan is being delivered in conjunction with the Walsall Borough Strategic Partnership Local Area Agreement and Walsall Council mainstream and external funds. (Walsall’s co-financing plan) is currently running from April 2005 to December 2007.
What Is Co-financing?
Co-financing provides 100% of costs by channelling both ESF money and the required match funding to providers in a single funding stream. Bodies that do this, have their ESF money direct from the Government Office, and are called Co Financing organisations (CFOs).
Co-financing is intended to:
- Promote greater coherence, co-ordination and targeting of provision. But it is not the aim of Co financing to benefit any particular sector at the expense of another
- Reduce bureaucracy and administration of providers
- Ensure more systematic monitoring of provision
- Ensure that the ESF adds more value to the delivery of government programmes
- Address the regional priorities in European programmes and continue to allow for innovation and creativity at regional and local levels
- Place more emphasis on the quality of provision
As a Co-financing Organisation Walsall Council is responsible for:
- Submitting the co-financing plan to government office
- Drawing down funds from government office
- Collating and reporting monitoring information to government office
- Preparing the project closure report and final claim
- Ensuring that ESF publicity regulations are met
- Audit, performance and quality monitoring of provider
- Overall evaluation
Walsall Council applied for Co-financing status under its extended remit within the Local Government Act 2000, Part 1 ‘The power to promote or improve economic, social and environmental well-being'.
Contact us
Christine Donaldson
LNP and Programmes Officer
Neighbourhood Partnerships
Challenge Building
Hatherton Road
Walsall
WS1 1YG
Telephone 01922 652205
Email donaldsonc@walsall.gov.uk