SELP SPOTLIGHT REPORT
2007-2017 EU funded projects across
Southern England
Working Document
3 Spotlight on EU funded projects across Southern England
Contents A guide to the SELP Spotlight Report 2007-17 ........................................................................................ 4
Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 5
Spotlight on… Culture and Tourism ........................................................................................................ 6
Nuit Blanche: Brighton & Hove City Council ....................................................................................... 6
The Trans-National Creative Exchange: Southampton Solent University........................................... 7
Spotlight On: Entrepreneurship and Innovation ..................................................................................... 8
Everywhere International SMEs: Hampshire County Council & WSX Enterprise ............................... 8
TechTown: Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council ............................................................................ 9
Spark Social Enterprise Project: West Sussex County Council .......................................................... 10
DIFASS: WSX Enterprise Ltd .............................................................................................................. 11
Spotlight On: Environment & Sustainable Development (incl. Transport) ........................................... 12
The RESTORE Project: Surrey County Council ................................................................................... 13
Economic Strategies and Innovation in Medium sized Cities (ESIMeC): Basingstoke & Deane
Borough Council ................................................................................................................................ 14
Rural Development Programmes- Dorset LEADER: Dorset County Council ..................................... 15
LOTONO: Poole Borough Council ...................................................................................................... 16
Spotlight On: Health, Wellbeing & Social Inclusion .............................................................................. 17
PERCENTAGE: Surrey County Council ............................................................................................... 17
Channel Payments for Ecosystem Services: South Downs National Park Authority ........................ 19
Ports Energy and Carbon Savings (PECS): Southampton Solent University & Portsmouth City
Council............................................................................................................................................... 20
Lively Cities: Brighton & Hove City Council ....................................................................................... 21
Spotlight On: Maritime Affairs .............................................................................................................. 22
European Marine Science Applications Consortium: Portsmouth City Council ............................... 22
Building European Environmental Maritime Skills (BEEMS): Southampton City Council ................. 23
Hastings FLAG (MMO/ European Fisheries Funding Grant): Hastings Borough Council .................. 24
2OM: University of Portsmouth ........................................................................................................ 25
Spotlight On: Skills and Education ........................................................................................................ 26
Edison Project: University of Southampton ...................................................................................... 26
Regional Adult Learning Multipliers (REALM): Hampshire County Council ...................................... 27
Shaping Characters: Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council ............................................................ 28
CESTE2: University of Portsmouth .................................................................................................... 29
A guide to the SELP Spotlight Report 2007-17
Established in 2007, Southern England Local Partners (SELP) is a partnership comprising
Local Authorities, Universities and business intermediaries to pursue their European goals.
Over this time, we are proud to have been able to support 40 organisations from across
Southern England and helped them to secure a number of EU funded projects.
In celebration of SELP’s ten year anniversary (2007-17), this Spotlight Report has been
created highlighting some of the EU project achievements of our members. The report has
been split into SELP’s six broad policy areas:
1. Culture and Tourism
2. Entrepreneurship and Innovation
3. Environment and Sustainable Development including transport
4. Health, Wellbeing and Social Inclusion
5. Maritime Affairs
6. Skills and Education
The selected list of projects provided by our members spans the European funding spectrum
with a core focus on Interreg projects. The projects break down by programme as follows:
12 European Territorial Cooperation projects (Interreg & URBACT)
3 Lifelong Learning Programme/Erasmus+ projects
2 Framework Programme projects (Research & Innovation)
1 Creative Europe project
1 Civitas project
1 LEADER
1 DG Enterprise & Industry Grant Programme project
1 European Fisheries Fund project
We are indebted to Daniel Neat who worked at length to compile this report during his internship at
SELP in Brussels over the summer of 2017.
5 Spotlight on EU funded projects across Southern England
Introduction
Southern England Local Partners (SELP) is proud to be celebrating its ten year anniversary
this year. In this working report, we profile some of the EU funding achievements of our
members. Our spotlight report proudly highlights how projects across Southern England and
other European Union countries have made a difference.
Spotlight on… Culture and Tourism Culture and Tourism are widely recognised as hugely important for Europe. The EU notes
that Europe’s tourism offer can provide a boost to growth and jobs. It is estimated that
cultural tourism accounts for 40% of all European tourism: 4 out of 10 tourists choose their
destination based on its cultural offering. Below you can see a sample spotlight of EU
projects in Culture and Tourism across Southern England Local Partners:
Nuit Blanche: Brighton & Hove City Council
Key data
Project timeframe 01/2009-03/2012
Total project budget €1.26m
EC grant €631k
EC funding programme Interreg IVA Channel programme
Development of a night time festival to explore the culture of the city at night, improve the
night time economy and strengthen social cohesion. Following the footsteps of the concept
initiated by the City of Paris, a "White Night" was organised each year in October in Brighton
& Hove and Amiens, offering art performances, concerts and exhibitions taking place in
significant urban venues. Anglo-French cooperation included artist exchanges and visits.
Value-added of the European dimension:
The creation of a ‘Nuit Blanche/White Night’ network between Amiens and Brighton & Hove
artists, cultural organisations and council officers, bringing together those with shared
cultural heritage interests (Numerous meetings were held in both cities involving between
80-120 members). Learning best practice from the ‘Nuit Blanche’ in Amiens to inform the
creation of the first ‘White Night’ in the UK. Raising awareness of the common cultural
heritage and contemporary cultural practice in Amiens and Brighton & Hove. Building a
relationship between Brighton & Hove City Council and Amiens Metropole by producing
yearly White Night festivals in each city.
Outcomes:
White Night created a framework for venues and artists to reclaim the city streets and
spaces and to explore a new contemplative aesthetic within a city wide festival. Audiences
had the opportunity to explore and rediscover the city at night and to have experiences that
act as a counter-balance to the loud, brash traditional Saturday night urban cultural offer
under the banner ‘Do something different in the middle of the night’.
7 Spotlight on EU funded projects across Southern England
The Trans-National Creative Exchange: Southampton Solent University
Key data
Project timeframe 8/2015 – 7/2017
Total project budget €200k
EC grant n/a
EC funding programme Creative Europe
The Trans National Creative Exchange (TNCE), led by Southampton Solent University, was funded by Creative Europe as a cooperation project and led by members of the creative and digital industries, research and innovation hub. It brought together international partners and provided an international platform for emerging creative talent from Europe and China. Aims
To provide recent graduates with support and resources to help them establish and
internationalise their careers;
To maximize graduate employability in the creative sector;
To support creative practice and make new work;
To encourage interdisciplinary working;
To develop digital solutions for promotion & audience development in creative sector;
To interact with local communities and audiences.
Value-added of the European dimension
Working with 300 children and young people including hard to reach groups in three
different countries. The project had four project partners from across the EU, each sharing
information and experience through creative talent in both Europe and China.
Outcomes
Six interdisciplinary activities with over 1,000 participants & an audience of over 13,000;
Touring physical & digital exhibitions in 5 countries, delivering work to new audiences;
Five creative conferences and events relating to internationalisation of creative careers.
A Virtual Exhibition product;
Tested Digital Solutions for promotion & audience development in the Creative Sector;
Work with 1,400 children & young people including hard to reach groups in 3 countries.
All partners state that long-term cooperation has already been realised. A significant
development in the project was the legacy funding provided by Associate International
Partners, China Academy of Art Shanghai Institute of Design that will allow the current
network of partners to grow and engage in a subsequent Summer International Graduate
Residency.
Project website: Trans-National Creative Exchange
Spotlight On: Entrepreneurship and Innovation Europe’s jobs and growth agenda is a key focus for the EU as it fully exits the financial crisis.
As a result, entrepreneurship and innovation transcends many of the EU funding
programmes. Examples of SELP member projects are provided below.
Everywhere International SMEs: Hampshire County Council & WSX
Enterprise
Key data
Project timeframe 01/2017 – 12/2020
Total project budget €1.67m
EC grant €1.4m
EC funding programme Interreg Europe (SME Competitiveness priority)
The four year Everywhere International SMEs (EIS) project (2017-20) was formed out of a recognised regional and European need to encourage more SMEs to internationalise as a central pillar of the post-crisis recovery to cement sustainable growth in the EU. The EU’s Single Market of 500 million consumers and the growing opportunities offered by the global economy provide Europe’s SMEs with huge potential if they push their business goals internationally. An estimated 90% of global growth originates outside the EU. Developing and emerging markets are expected to account for 60% of world GDP by 2030. There is huge potential for EU-based SMEs. EIS involves nine partners from seven EU regions. Value-added of the European dimension:
A series of interregional learning workshops provide a forum for Peer Reviews of how all
participating regions currently support SMEs to internationalise, leading to the identification
of 21 Good Practices and development of seven regional Action Plans involving local
stakeholders to guide the implementation of the project’s findings.
Outcomes:
Development of the EIS tool, a six step methodology to help the participating regions
develop robust Action Plans for implementation by their local stakeholder groups;
Partner regions to implement the common EIS tool in phase two (years 3-4) as part of
each Action Plan and apply it within the individual ESIF ERDF Operational Programmes;
The EIS project will impact on €19.5 million of EIS partner regions’ ESIF programmes;
Dissemination of knowledge to all EU regions via Interreg Europe’s Policy Learning
Platforms.
Project website: www.interregeurope.eu/eis
9 Spotlight on EU funded projects across Southern England
TechTown: Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council
Key data
Project timeframe 2015-18
Total project budget €750k
EC grant n/a
EC funding programme URBACT
Introduction:
TechTown will explore how small and medium sized cities can maximise the job creation
potential of the digital economy. It will examine whether there is potential for spill-over
from stronger city level digital economies, examine how clusters can work at city level and
look collaboratively at what cities can do to support businesses to access the digital skills
and innovations they need in order to start, grow and compete.
Objectives: As part of the project, TechTown partners want to further explore the role and viability of
digital, content creation and technology clusters and how benefit may be gained from major
city or national initiatives to support job creation and growth in small and medium sized
cities. The project will be 'of the digital economy' as well as 'for the digital economy' in that
it will use digital technologies as much as possible throughout its management and delivery.
Value-added of the European dimension:
TechTown will look collaboratively at new ideas and actions to help support all businesses to
access the digital skills and embed the digital innovations they need in order to start, grow
and compete. This will be an active network embracing the opportunities that digital
technology offers to support collaboration and co-creation and it will work closely with
digital communities in each city through activities such as hack days and meet-ups.
Outcomes:
TechTown will look at what role cities can realistically and effectively play within this
context and drive forward the agenda.
Project website: http://urbact.eu/techtown
Spark Social Enterprise Project: West Sussex County Council
Key data
Project timeframe 2016-2019
Total project budget €3m
EC grant €1.9m
EC funding programme Interreg 2 Seas Programme
The Spark Project enables social enterprises to develop and deliver more sustainable and
high impact innovations leading to increased growth. The Spark Project draws on the
existing range of knowledge, tools, networks and methods that support innovation to refine
the framework conditions that influence their development and involves a range of partners
across the EU, including West Sussex County Council.
Objectives:
A strategy and action to improve capacity of social enterprises to deliver sustainable
and high impact innovations;
A social enterprise Innovation Accelerator network;
A new framework methodology for sustainable innovation within social enterprises;
A cross-border innovation accelerator programme;
An online tool for start-up social enterprises.
Value-added of the European dimension:
The project enables enhanced cross-border cooperation, an increase in innovation
partnerships and research and development, and creating more effective models and tools
for social enterprise support. Currently there is no clear methodology for the consistent
harnessing of sustainable social enterprise innovation and a lack of joint tools and services
for their development.
Outcomes:
The project is working on a number of opportunities for business. The Spark Accelerator
programme has been designed to help established social enterprises achieve high impact
and sustainable innovation. The Accelerator is a structured support and development
programme for social enterprises in the Interreg 2 Seas Programme area. This area
incorporates regions in Belgium, France, the Netherlands and the UK. Indeed, the
Accelerator is a direct response to the Spark Research and associated Spark Innovation
Model. It is a practical way to provide support for social enterprises to develop repeatable
innovation capabilities. The Accelerator is also seen as a useful addition to local innovation
ecosystems in and across geographical regions.
Project website: https://www.sparksocialenterprise.eu/
11 Spotlight on EU funded projects across Southern England
DIFASS: WSX Enterprise Ltd
Key data
Project timeframe 01/2012-12/2014
Total project budget €3.2m
EC grant €2.5m
EC funding programme Interreg IVc
The DIFASS project facilitated access to finance for SMEs by exchanging innovative business
support measures. 26 partners from various EU regions committed themselves to work
together for three years in the project from 2012-2014.
The focus was on the development and implementation of non-grant based financial
support instruments, such as revolving funds, transregional funds and venture capital funds.
DIFASS resulted in 43 good practices. These have been captured per topic in eight brochures
and a Good Practice Guide with descriptions of the features of every good practice. The
brochures and guide are available on the project website below as downloadable PDFs.
All participating regions developed a Policy Implementation Plan based on exchange of
experience on good practice from other regions in Europe to improve their own policies
tackling access to finance for SMEs, innovation, internationalisation and sustainable growth.
The objective of the programme was to improve the effectiveness of regional policies.
Objectives
The regions participating in the DIFASS project teaming up to exchange experiences on
innovative business support measures from their own regions;
To support the transnational transfer of selected examples of good practice towards
other regions;
To exchange good practices regarding support measures for innovative SMEs and report
an improvement of access to finance by innovative SMEs over the period 2012-2014.
Value-added of the European dimension
The DIFASS partners have teamed up to exchange experiences and to support the
transnational transfer of selected examples of good practice towards other regions. These
good practices are innovative business support measures implemented or funded by (semi-)
public bodies. By providing the partner search, SELP enabled WSX Enterprise to join the
project consortium.
The project encouraged each partner to disseminate the good practice from partner
countries across the EU. In the UK it has helped WSX refine its offer under Access to Finance
for SMEs which is delivered across Southern England.
Project website: http://www.difass.eu
Spotlight On: Environment & Sustainable Development (incl. Transport) Environment & Sustainable Development (including. Transport) are key policy areas for
preserving and protecting our environment, and ensuring that it remains viable for future
generations. Examples of SELP members’ projects are provided below.
ARCHIMEDES: Brighton & Hove City Council
Key data
Project timeframe N/A
Total project budget £2.2m
EC grant N/A
EC funding programme Civitas
Similar to many cities across Southern England, our urban centres are often trying to balance sustainable living, tourism and the impact on the environment. The City of Brighton & Hove has the largest urban centre on the south coast, welcoming 8.5 million visitors a year.
Through the “Achieving Real CHange with Innovative transport MEasures Demonstrating Energy Savings” (ARCHIMEDES) project, the vision for the city is a place with a co-ordinated transport system that balances the need for all users and minimises damage to the environment.
Objectives:
To achieve a more sustainable, clean and energy efficient transport system for cities.
Value-added of the European dimension:
This CIVITAS funded project will raise the profile of the city both at national and European levels, and will raise the city’s profile in transport policy delivery.
Working with our European partners will enable exchange of best practice and problem solving on shared areas of interest.
Lessons learned from the programme will influence future European Policy in the fields of energy, transport, and environmental sustainability.
Outcomes:
The project partners will have the opportunity to put the funding they receive towards existing projects (in the case of B&HCC these will be an extension of the existing Local Transport Plan). The grant will also allow Brighton & Hove City Council to explore and trial new projects that it has been unable to fund to date.
Brighton & Hove City Council will receive £2.2m of grant funding to invest in trialling new and innovative ways to achieve a more sustainable, clean and energy efficient urban transport system for the city. Project website: http://civitas.eu/content/archimedes
13 Spotlight on EU funded projects across Southern England
The RESTORE Project: Surrey County Council
Key data
Project timeframe 09/2012-11/2015
Total project budget €3.9m
EC grant €1.9m
EC funding programme Interreg IVB
North West Surrey is an area which has been extensively worked for sand and gravel extraction. The heavily built up area running along the River Thames has a long legacy of mineral extraction that has contributed to a landscape of filled and unfilled sites. Many of these sites have become important habitats for a diverse range of biodiversity and are recognised as being important for nature conservation.
The North West Surrey strategy sought to deliver benefits for wildlife and people and also served to demonstrate best practice in what can be achieved through visionary minerals planning over a large-scale area. Covering the Borough of Spelthorne and parts of Elmbridge and Runnymede, RESTORE created a strategy and vision for mineral sites restoration across the whole of the study area.
Objectives: Support and reinforce existing nature conservation designations in the project area;
Ensure compatibility and safety for good habitat design which minimizes the risk of
collision between birds and aircraft (bird strike);
Identify opportunities to contribute to plans to reduce flood risk in the area;
Promote appropriate access and recreation provision;
Enhance the visual landscape.
Value-added of the European dimension Surrey County Council and seven organisations from across North West Europe delivered the EU funded RESTORE project. RESTORE developed a framework for the restoration of mineral sites after extraction, to provide benefits for biodiversity, habitats and local people. The RESTORE project established a number of demonstration sites and pilots to showcase what can be achieved through mineral restoration. This included the North West Surrey study area which developed a restoration strategy and long-term vision for mineral workings.
Outcomes The restoration strategy was developed in partnership with local stakeholders including mineral operators, residents' associations, local interest groups, individual landowners, Heathrow Airport and environmental organisations. Five engagements aimed at residents' associations and local interest groups looked at generating ideas about how mineral restorations can enhance the quality of the landscape, support nature conservation interests and improve public access. This helped shape the vision for the study area, looking at the restoration of past, present and future mineral sites to develop a long-term vision for the area. Project website: http://restore-quarries.eu/
Economic Strategies and Innovation in Medium sized Cities (ESIMeC):
Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council
Key data
Project timeframe 11/2009-12/2012
Total project budget €425k
EC grant n/a
EC funding programme URBACT
Lead partner Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council worked alongside seven other European partners during 2009-12 to understand how medium sized cities can generate new employment opportunities, prepare workers for jobs, and address mismatches between the supply of labour and demand for workers.
Objectives
To develop innovative economic strategies that capitalise on the assets and specificities
of medium-sized cities to ensure they are better equipped to cope with economic
downturns;
To encourage faster economic recovery as well as long-term economic growth and
resilience;
The ESIMeC partners will explore how workforce development and demand-led skills
initiatives can ensure sustainable economic recovery, growth and resilience in medium-
sized cities.
Value added of the European dimension
ESIMeC brought together eight medium-sized cities from across Europe that share similar
challenges and priorities.
Outcomes
To remain competitive, towns and cities across Europe must work together and exchange
knowledge, information and good practices. Working in isolation simply is not possible any
longer in an ever globalised world. By working with partner cities that share the same
priorities and aspirations, the aim was to be more innovative and creative thus ensuring our
cities remain vibrant and modern and contribute to the overall economic development of
Europe. A follow-up project, ESIMeC II, ran from 2013-15 with a smaller number of partners.
Project websites: http://urbact.eu/esimec and http://urbact.eu/esimec-ii
15 Spotlight on EU funded projects across Southern England
Rural Development Programmes- Dorset LEADER: Dorset County Council
Key data
Project timeframe N/A
Total project budget £650k
EC grant N/A
EC funding programme LEADER
The Rural Development programme focuses on economic and quality of life issues faced by communities living in isolated and sparsely populated areas of Dorset. A total of £138 million is available in the England between 2015 and 2020 under the scheme. LEADER is part of the RDPE, a French acronym (Liaison Entre Actions de Développement de l’Économie Rurale) which roughly translates as ‘Liaison among Actors in Rural Economic Development’. In the Dorset area, there are two local action groups; Northern Dorset Local Action Group and Southern Dorset Local Action Group. Both share similar objectives for the Dorset area. Objectives
Create jobs;
Help businesses grow;
Support the wider rural economy;
Increase farm productivity;
Support micro and small businesses and farm diversification;
Support rural tourism;
Provide rural services;
Support cultural and heritage activity;
Increase forestry productivity.
Value-added of the European Dimension
The LEADER programme has its roots in a European movement which has for the past 20
years or so engaged local people in the creation of strategies designed to meet local
priorities and need and then to deliver resources to meet those needs.
Outcomes and funding information
There are a range of grants available subject to priority area under faming, forestry, rural
business, culture and heritage, tourism and rural services.
Southern Dorset LAG supported 12 businesses or organisations through the awarding of 11
grants totalling £598k – ultimately creating 18 new FTE jobs in the rural area.
Northern Dorset LAG supported 5 businesses or organisations through the awarding of 5
grants totalling £57k – ultimately creating 2.75 FTE jobs in the rural area.
Project website: https://dorsetleader.org.uk/
LOTONO: Poole Borough Council
Key data
Project timeframe 01/2014-12/2015
Total project budget £100k
EC grant £100k
EC funding programme EC Enterprise and Industry Grant Programme
The LOTONO project focused on supporting innovation and trans-European co-operation in the low carbon business sector (renewable energies and energy saving) in Dorset, the Borough of Poole, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
Objectives
The project partners to research best practices and supportive polices for low-carbon
development and business innovation at the European level;
250 low carbon business representatives to engage in innovative networking activities
and brokerage platforms (for example Innovation Labs) with a target over the life of the
project to identify 25 innovative new business initiatives in the low carbon sector;
To monitor outcomes and prepare a final report to disseminate learning.
Value-added of the European Dimension
There was a strong emphasis on co-operation at the European level.
Outcomes
To award innovation vouchers with a value of €10k each to 25 business growth
initiatives generated through the innovation labs. A programme board with
representatives from each project partner will evaluate innovation voucher applications;
Develop and enhance support mechanisms for the 25 initiatives awarded innovation
vouchers.
Project website: https://www.wsxenterprise.co.uk/programmes/growing-your-
business/lotono/
17 Spotlight on EU funded projects across Southern England
Spotlight On: Health, Wellbeing & Social Inclusion In the field of Health and Wellbeing, the EU works closely in promoting healthy lifestyles,
supporting mental illness, education and cooperation between schools, youth workers,
health professionals and sporting organisations.
Social exclusion and poverty among young people increased during the economic crisis. In
particular, projects are being undertaken in the EU to realise the full potential of youth work,
encourage a cross-sector approach to address exclusion in areas such as education,
employment and society, and to support the development of intercultural awareness and
combat prejudice and offer support in the fields of homelessness, housing, poverty and
young families.
PERCENTAGE: Surrey County Council
Key data
Project timeframe 2006-08
Total project budget €380k
EC grant €285k
EC funding programme Lifelong Learning Programme (Leonardo da Vinci Pilot Project)
Through the PERson CENtred Training: AGE care planning (PERCENTAGE) Project, partners from
five countries worked together over two years to jointly develop a training programme for
staff working in residential care homes for the elderly.
Objectives
To promote the value of care planning in residential care settings for the elderly;
To develop a training course for front-line care and health workers;
To test this training course in all five participating countries;
To develop guidance materials for trainers and learners;
To share this work widely and to use its results in the future;
Value-added of the European dimension
Staff from Surrey County Council worked with counterparts in Estonia, Finland, Italy and
Sweden. This proved an invaluable learning experience to all involved as well as being a
highly effective team-building exercise in itself. The staff involved were able to observe and
question different ways of working as well as having the opportunity to consider and explain
their own working methods and suggest improvements and effective changes.
Outcomes
The project partnership succeeded in putting together a learning programme consisting of
13 learning units. This was very much the focus of the project and all partners took part in
a protracted process of identifying content, determining appropriate delivery mechanisms,
developing and/or identifying suitable learning resources and applying it in practice via a
two-cycle trialling process.
The learning programme was accompanied by a series of support guide materials reflecting
those listed as results in the original application for funding: a guide document for trainers;
a guide for learners and; a detailed “course planner” document which sets out the lessons
learned in developing and testing the learning programme.
All partners helped in different ways to disseminate the work and each developed plans as
to future use and sharing, in Surrey for example the programme has been introduced into
staff training programmes in a growing number of care homes.
Project website: http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/projects/eplus-project-
details-page/?nodeRef=workspace://SpacesStore/54060ec2-7df4-4348-b38a-9f771e841718
19 Spotlight on EU funded projects across Southern England
Channel Payments for Ecosystem Services: South Downs National Park
Authority
Key data
Project timeframe N/A
Total project budget €3.6m
EC grant N/A
EC funding programme Interreg Channel Programme
Many industries (e.g. agriculture and tourism) within the Channel region rely on ecosystem
services that utilise our coastal and transitional waters. However, UK River Basin
Management Plans (2015) suggest that 60-70% of English water bodies entering the
Channel are poor, bad or of moderate quality (e.g. sedimentation, low oxygen levels, excess
nutrient load); not classified as of Good Ecological Status. While earlier projects have
established the principles of Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) schemes as a viable
management tool for improving water quality, their aim was not to implement sustainable
PES schemes and they did not establish methods that can be applied across different
catchment types. Research by Portsmouth Water (2016) confirmed that land use changes
and specific packages of catchment management are the most cost-effective way of
improving ecosystem quality. However, challenges to the success of PES identified by the
Ecosystem Knowledge Network (Feb, 2015) include a lack of market pricing, lack of
knowledge of intervention options and limited understanding of their value by user groups
(e.g. farmers, land owners). CPES will address these challenges by engaging key stakeholders
in the ecosystem cycle in the systematic design and implementation of a pilot study to
establish PES schemes in four different water catchment areas: lake-reservoir with direct
links to the coast (Brittany); groundwater (Sussex, Hampshire); river based (Sussex);
estuarine waters (Cornwall, Devon).
Objectives
Enhance and protect the coastal and transitional water systems
Value-added of the European Dimension
The requirement for interregional partners has meant that we have engaged in a wider and
more varied partnership than we normally would have. We hope that this will result in a
more successful project with more scope for replication and scaling-up.
Outcomes
With recent approval obtained, we look forward to learning about the outcomes of this
project.
Ports Energy and Carbon Savings (PECS): Southampton Solent University &
Portsmouth City Council
Key data
Project timeframe 09/2017-
Total project budget €8m
EC grant €4m
EC funding programme Interreg 2 Seas
Developing, testing and validating various methods, tools and concepts and realising and
demonstrating proven and innovative applications for energy efficiency, specific coast-
related renewable energy sources and energy storage in such a way that small- and
medium-sized (SMS) ports will adopt and use these technologies much more, will start-up
energy cooperation with all local stakeholders (in and outside ports) and are able to reduce
their carbon emissions significantly.
Objectives
Increase the adoption of low-carbon technologies and applications in sectors that have
the potential for a high reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
Specific targets
Eight demonstrated technologically and economically feasible, innovative and state of
the art low-carbon technologies in SMS-ports;
Four developed and validated tools and methods to achieve carbon reduction: energy
audit; assessment of potentials of renewables; identification of energy savings; decision-
making to select the best mix of options;
One developed and demonstrated model of an energy cooperation structure;
Nine independent verification studies of feasibility of implemented low carbon
technologies brought together in an overall report useful for other SMS-ports.
Value-added of European dimension
To achieve the main project objectives, outputs and results and to make them usable for all
SMS-ports in the 2 Seas area, it is necessary to work cross-border and to have a partnership
which includes a variety of ports and experienced knowledge institutions. It is only then
possible to develop widely applicable and useful tools and methods and to carry out pilot
investments with low carbon technologies in order to demonstrate and validate their
feasibility. When this can be demonstrated, these examples can convince other ports to
take the same measures. Also, to develop good concepts and business models which consist
of a mix of measures, it is necessary to involve different ports with very different
circumstances in which these concepts and models can be tested and validated for wide use
21 Spotlight on EU funded projects across Southern England
in the 2 Seas area. Ultimately, cross-border cooperation is required to achieve flexible and
workable transnational and transferrable governance structures in which authorities and all
users of SMS-ports can cooperate.
Project website: http://www.interreg2seas.eu/nl/ports-energy-and-carbon-savings
Lively Cities: Brighton & Hove City Council
Key data
Project timeframe 03/2011-12/2014
Total project budget €3m
EC grant to BHCC £112k
EC funding programme Interreg IVB
Lively Cities was an Interreg IVB project that started in 2011 looking at transforming the area
around Ann Street and Providence Place Gardens, a small park in the London Road
regeneration area in Brighton, into a lively, safe and successful public space and
experimenting with temporarily enhancing it to encourage more use.
The project involved a competition for ideas and innovated with the use of temporary
transformation to test the winning proposal and assess benefit to the local community and
the regeneration of the London Road area as a whole.
Value-added of the European dimension
By working with partners undertaking similar projects in their own cities, we were able to
share methodologies. Partners were from Scotland, the Netherlands, Belgium and France
and so it brought a wealth of different experiences and procedures to learn from. We
hosted regular visits from our partners and received what amounted to free consultancy on
our local project idea.
Outcomes
The project was a contributory factor, along with other large local developments, to kick-
start the regeneration of the London Road area. It was the first dedicated public realm
project to be implemented as part of the London Road Masterplan adopted in late 2009.
With the temporary installation being regarded as a success, many of the features were
made permanent or adapted, using developer contribution monies arising from private
developments in the area. The techniques used in consultation and in planning a design
competition are being adapted for the new Interreg 2 Seas SCAPE project which looks at
testing landscape-led solutions that can help reduce the risk for flooding in the city.
Project website: https://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/content/planning/lively-cities-project
Spotlight On: Maritime Affairs
A key focus at EU level is the Blue Growth Strategy, supporting sustainable growth in the
marine and maritime sectors. The ‘blue economy’ represents roughly 5.4 million jobs in the
EU and generates a gross added value of almost €500 billion a year.
European Marine Science Applications Consortium: Portsmouth City
Council
Key data
Project timeframe 01/2010-12/2012
Total project budget €1.7m
EC grant €1.5m
EC funding programme Framework Programme 7 (Research & Innovation)
Water resource management is becoming an urgent challenge for
Europe and the world as populations grow and demand increases.
Degradation of our coastal estuarine waters is of particular concern
to policy makers at regional, national, EU and international levels,
and increasingly to the public.
Objectives
Address the challenge by ensuring that Europe’s knowledge resource is effectively
directed towards building the mix of solutions required;
Advanced sensing and surveillance systems, improved operational management for
resource extraction including renewable energy;
Better management of coastal ecosystems and protected areas;
Techniques to minimise impacts of flooding due to sea-level rise;
Advances in resource-efficient desalination.
Value-added of the European dimension
Portsmouth City Council led the EMSAC project’s goals working collaboratively with clusters
of expertise in different regions of Europe, involving research institutions, businesses and
public authorities. These new relationships will facilitate a shared action plan of priorities in
RTD, innovation and their supporting infrastructure. With many world-class research bodies
in the field of coastal and estuarine sciences in Europe, including a vibrant mix of companies
operating in the coastal zone management, renewable energy & monitoring markets.
Outcomes
Stimulating an integrated investment portfolio of RTD priorities and innovation capacity;
Positioning Europe’s businesses to exploit the commercial opportunities to the full;
Delivering improved resource management in coastal and estuarine waters.
Project website: http://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/109305_en.html
23 Spotlight on EU funded projects across Southern England
Building European Environmental Maritime Skills (BEEMS): Southampton
City Council
Key data
Project timeframe 09/2012-08/2014
Total project budget €1.7m
EC grant €864k
EC funding programme Interreg IVa Channel Programme
BEEMS focused on identifying how cross-border workforce requirements will develop over
time and where skills gaps lie. Furthermore it identified and promoted the career
opportunities and pathways that are available to young and mature entrants alike.
Objectives
Increase the economic viability of the sector;
Stimulate the growth and development of the offshore wind-energy industry through
environmental and maritime skills training;
Developing common standards in offshore wind-energy skills and training through a
cross-Channel survey of the strengths and weaknesses of current practice in the
industry;
Working with existing stakeholders (industries, governmental departments / regional
authorities and workforce representatives) to develop and implement a strategy for jobs
and skills development;
Providing businesses with information and advice on how to diversify their contribution
to the offshore-wind industry.
Vale-added of European dimension
Launch a new, internationally recognised training certificate for those who wish to work
in renewable marine energy industries;
Adapt the region’s existing services to the needs of the offshore wind-energy industry;
Boost local economies in the areas touched by the project;
Identify how cross border workforce requirements will develop over time and where
skills gaps lie;
Identify and promote the career opportunities and pathways that are available to young
and mature entrants alike;
Collaborate in order to devise appropriate employment strategies and training
programmes to meet the skills gap.
Project website: http://www.marinerenewableskills-beems.eu/uk/
Hastings FLAG (MMO/ European Fisheries Funding Grant): Hastings
Borough Council
Key data
Project timeframe 2012-14
Total project budget £1.4m
EC grant £862k
EC funding programme European Fisheries Fund
Hastings Borough Council was among six areas to receive £800k for the Fisheries Local
Action Groups (FLAG) under the EMFF scheme. FLAG2 is the second round of funding to help
benefit local fisheries, coastal communities and the wider supply chain infrastructure. In
round one, Hastings FLAG used the funding to support more than 20 projects. The EMFF
Operational Programme has been developed by the Department for Environment, Food and
Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and approved by the European Commission.
Objectives
Promotion of economic growth, social inclusion and job creation, and providing support
to employability and labour mobility in coastal and inland communities which depend on
fishing and aquaculture, including the diversification of activities within fisheries and
into other sectors of maritime economy;
Adding value, creating jobs, attracting young people and promoting innovation at all
stages of the supply chain of fishery and aquaculture products;
Supporting diversification inside or outside commercial fisheries, lifelong learning and
job creation in fisheries and aquaculture areas;
Enhancing and capitalising on the environmental assets of the fisheries and aquaculture
areas, including operations to mitigate climate change;
Promoting social well-being and cultural heritage in fisheries and aquaculture areas,
including fisheries, aquaculture and maritime cultural heritage.
Value-added of the European dimension
The European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) provides funding for Community Led
Local Development (CLLD) in fisheries and aquaculture areas. The funding is managed by the
Marine Management Organisation (MMO) in England. It is a tool that enables local fisheries
communities to address these challenges at a grass-roots level using the knowledge of local
stakeholders to tackle local issues.
Outcomes expected:
Employment created (FTE): 55 Businesses created: 22. Funding Stream: FLAG 2 (EMFF
CLLD) £4.8m of funding offered to 6 Fisheries Local Action Groups under EMFF scheme.
25 Spotlight on EU funded projects across Southern England
2OM: University of Portsmouth
Key data
Project timeframe 2011-15
Total project budget €1.9m
EC grant €940k
EC funding programme Interreg IVa Channel
The 2OM project focussed on the mapping of offshore wind Offshore &Maritime sector.
Objectives
Research into dismantling options and strategies for a wind farm;
Identification of potential cost reduction measures during life cycle;
Development of prototype algorithms.
Value-added of the European dimension
The 2OM project led to the establishment of marine renewable energy research and
innovation expertise in the South Coast region. This has led to significant involvement in
further European Union projects promoting extensive research and innovation linkages
between South Coast partners and renewable energy stakeholders (manufacturers,
operators, ports, consultants, academic institutions) throughout Europe. Ultimately, the
published results of the project are helping to inform offshore wind policy and practice,
leading to successful reductions in the cost of energy produced.
Outcomes
Mapping and Stakeholder Classification of the offshore wind supply chain;
Decision support tool for predicting offshore wind farm maintenance requirements
(published in the renewable energy journal);
Location analysis for UK wind farms (published in the Annals of Operations Research
journal);
Project website: https://www.keep.eu/keep/project-ext/23132/2OM
Spotlight On: Skills and Education The European Union’s education and training programme Erasmus+ and the Research and
Innovation programme Horizon 2020 cover nearly all spheres of the education and training
sector. SELP’s member organisations draw down funding from these programmes on a
regular basis.
Edison Project: University of Southampton
Key data
Project timeframe 09/2015-08/2017
Total project budget €2.5m
EC grant N/A
EC funding programme Horizon 2020
The EDISON project aims to establish the role of data scientist as a profession. This will be
achieved by aligning industry needs with available career paths, and supporting academies
in reviewing their curricula with respect to expected profiles, required expertise and
professional certification. This will result in a significant increase in the number and quality
of data scientists graduating from universities and being trained by other professional
education and training institutions in Europe.
Objectives
To establish the role of data scientist as a profession;
Aligning industry needs with available career paths, and supporting academies in
reviewing their curricula with respect to expected profiles, required expertise and
professional certification.
Value-added of the European Dimension
The project worked in close co-operation with industry experts and research practitioners
involved and interested in the development of the data scientist profession, which is a
mainstream feature of the European scientific landscape. This EDISON Data Science
Framework (EDSF) comprises a range of crucial documents that formally capture key
elements of the data scientist profession, various ongoing processes that can ensure that
the relevance of the information is maintained and a collection of guidelines and discussion
documents that enable optimal use to be made of the Framework.
Outcomes
To have a significant increase in the number and quality of data scientists graduating
from universities and being trained by other professional education and training
institutions in Europe.
Project website: http://edison-project.eu/
27 Spotlight on EU funded projects across Southern England
Regional Adult Learning Multipliers (REALM): Hampshire County Council
Key data
Project timeframe 2012
Total project budget €169k
EC grant €127k
EC funding programme Lifelong Learning Programme
The REALM project from 2012 originated from a need to better connect adult learning in the regions of the European Union with EU policy development. By focusing on one sector, adult learning, and addressing the relevance of each of the seven designated Europe 2020 Flagship Initiatives to this target group, REALM sought to bring EU policy closer to EU citizens. The project is held up as a good practice example by the European Commission. Objectives
Address the gap between the EU and adult learning in the regions by focusing on the
seven key Flagship Initiatives of Europe 2020 Strategy;
Design and deliver four seminars over 12 months;
Create a REALM website with regional good-practice case studies;
Develop materials on the Flagships for dissemination across Europe;
Establish a network of regional practitioners.
Value-added of the European Dimension Implemented in 2012, REALM was essentially about the multipliers, the local and regional
adult learning agencies responsible for the provision of adult learning either directly or
through institutions. Through its series of seminars, the project highlighted the disconnect
that can exist between the European and local/regional levels. The real challenge comes in
how EU policy can generate exposure for its work, be better championed by those who
could advocate its benefits and at the same time be better incorporated into the daily work
into which it relates.
Outcomes
A developing network of regions interested in incorporating the work at European level
of the Europe 2020 Strategy’s flagship initiatives into their work at local/ regional level
through the case studies presented during the four seminars;
A process of engaging policymakers at European and local/regional level in dialogue
about their respective worlds and the links that bind them together in the adult learning
sector through relevant polices that benefit citizens across the EU;
A mutual exchange of ideas and examples of things that have worked well in specific
settings at local/ regional levels and which can be recycled into others.
Project website: REALM project
Shaping Characters: Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council
Key data
Project timeframe 10/2015-09/2017
Total project budget n/a
EC grant €250k
EC funding programme Erasmus+
The two year project focused on character education to
support young people in making the transition from school or
college to the world of work. Partners had the shared goal of
making sure more pupils leaving schools and colleges in the borough are prepared for work
by building their ‘employability’ skills and confidence. The partners and other Basingstoke
groups worked with schools, local authorities and youth organisations from the three
European cities to share ideas and develop joint activities. They also created resources to be
used in and out of the classroom as part of the project.
Objectives
Create an innovative approach to character building and employability education;
Promote partnership working at local level between educators, youth workers &
businesses;
Increase students’ motivation and resilience;
Develop attitudes and attributes that will facilitate young people’s transition to the
world of work;
Improve educators’ and young people’s understanding of techniques they can use to
build character resilience;
Achieve a common understanding of character education and of the role each
stakeholder can play.
Value-added of the European dimension
The Shaping Characters project, funded under the Erasmus + programme, was launched
during a two-day event hosted by The Costello School. During the event, local partners the
Costello School, Basingstoke Consortium and the council worked with their European
partners from Latvia, Sweden and the Czech Republic on identifying some of the main issues
around work-readiness of young people and started planning the activities they would
deliver together. Knowledge and intelligence was then shared and disseminated throughout
the project partners.
Outcomes
New methods and techniques;
Shared understanding of character education;
More effective engagement at local level;
29 Spotlight on EU funded projects across Southern England
Raise educational engagement and motivation;
An online website and toolkit to share character education information and resources for
teachers, youth workers, parents and businesses.
Project website: http://www.shapingcharacters.eu/
CESTE2: University of Portsmouth
Key data
Project timeframe 09/2017-09/2020
Total project budget n/a
EC grant €100k
EC funding programme Erasmus+ (Jean Monnet Programme)
The University of Portsmouth was awarded the maximum amount from the Erasmus+ funding programme to continue the highly successful work of the Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence for the Study of Transnational Europe (CESTE1), established in 2013. The new Centre will retain CESTE1’s focus on cross-border phenomena of European and EU governance as well as addressing crucial themes in current EU politics, European integration and disintegration. Objectives
Investigating and understanding:
Actors and Stories: Narrating European Integration in Times of Disintegration
Societal Actors and (Trans)National Networking in a Disintegrating Europe;
Examining Europe’s Responses to Transnational Challenges in an Increasingly Turbulent
World.
Value-Added of the European Dimension
Building on the university’s strong track record in interdisciplinary European Studies, CESTE2
will strengthen global research on European integration by bringing together different
disciplinary perspectives and building new global networks.
Outcomes
CESTE2 proposes a range of activities focused on strengthening innovative interdisciplinary
research, enhancing teaching about the EU and increasing engagement with users. CESTE2
will inter alia organise three academic conferences and four academic-practitioner
workshops. It will also deliver a new EU-related teaching unit and a seminar series.
Project website: www.port.ac.uk/ceste
Southern England Local Partners
35 Avenue de Tervueren
B-1040 Brussels
Belgium
Tel: 00 32 2 504 0736
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.selp.org.uk
Twitter: @SELPBrussels
Enhancing understanding, opportunity & engagement
in European affairs across Southern England