European Structural and Investment Funds

Replacement funding consultation report

June 12, 2020 by Patrick Douglas No Comments | Category Replacement funding

This week our Future Funding Team published its findings report from the consultation into the Replacement of the European Structural Funds in Scotland Post-EU Exit.

The consultation concluded on 12 February; in total, 171 organisations were represented in the consultation process. We previously wrote about how we conducted the consultation in March.

The consultation report pulls together the findings from the various engagement exercises and offers insights into the needs and wishes of respondents. Some of the key findings in the report are:

• The core principles, aims and objectives should be broadly similar to previous ESIF programmes but expanded to include wider social objectives
• Recognising the inherent differences between Scotland’s (and its regional) economy, and other parts of the UK as well as regional disparities within Scotland
• The UK Industrial Strategy was frequently considered to have too narrow a focus on economic outcomes such as productivity, and EU Cohesion Policy too broad
• Calls for any replacement fund to be significantly less bureaucratic and burdensome, and more proportionate to the level of investment sought
• Awareness of the various post Covid-19 support schemes emerging from UK and Scottish Government and steps required to ensure compliance but not duplication.

The report will help guide the Scottish Government’s approach to proposals for the replacement fund when they are brought forward by the UK Government.

We would like to thank everyone who was involved in this whole process with a special thank you to all of the Steering Group members for all their hard work from the very start. We would also like to thank EKOS, who were engaged to support the delivery of the consultation analysis and report.

Tags: future funding, Replacement funding, shared prosperity fund, SPF

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