Glossary: Glossary

Accountability

The obligation of one person or body to answer for the performance or the duties assigned usually to the line with a delegated authority or financed by another body

Accountable Body (Action Plan)

The accountable body is the organisation that enters into the funding agreement with the Government. To enter into such an agreement the Accountable Body must be a legal entity, nominated to act on behalf of the Partnership in taking responsibility for the receipt and use of funding and for the realisation of the Action Plan. The Accountable Body can be either the Partnership itself (if it has formed a company limited by guarantee) or one of the members of the Partnership acting on behalf of the rest

Action Plan Approval Letter

Letter from the Government Office to the Partnership offering grant according to the details contained in the Action Plan, and setting out the details of the grant offered and any conditions

Added-Value

Added-value is a core principle of ERDF funding and is designed to ensure that European funds do not merely substitute for existing funds. To ensure that ERDF funds are not used merely to substitute expenditure, the European Commission insists that individual projects must demonstrate the added-value that will result from ERDF funding awarded to a project

Advance Payment

Payment made to the project applicant when it is confirmed that the project has started

Agenda 2000

Agenda 2000 is an action programme adopted by the Commission on 15 July 1997, presenting a general document on enlargement and the reform of the common policies and a communication on the Union's future financial framework after 31 December 1999. Agenda 2000 tackles all the questions facing the Union at the beginning of the 21st century. Attached to it are the Commission's opinions on the countries that have applied for Union membership

Annual Business Plan

The Programme Monitoring/Regional Committee will agree at the start of the programme and annually thereafter a pattern of application and approval rounds and spending profiles which will help it assess progress towards meeting targets. The Plan is drawn up by the European Programme Secretariat

Annual Reports

These are mandatory Annual Reports from Member States to the European Commission detailing progress towards meeting the programme targets

Annual Review

A new and very important part of the increased emphasis the Commission places on assessing the effectiveness of the programme will be delivered through a meeting between the Member State, partners and the Commission

Applicant

The legally constituted organisation responsible for correctly administering and delivering the European funding project

Articles

Structural Funds are governed by legally binding agreements signed up to by all Member States of the European Union. These are written agreements, and each section tends to be called an Article and has a number

Audit

All approved projects are subject to audit at any time, both from the Secretariat and/or the European Commission. Inspections are made throughout the life of the Programme and beyond, and organisations are required to present regular monitoring information relating to physical completion, outputs and impacts, and financial performance

Auto De-Commitment

The process whereby money can be taken back by the European Commission from programmes that are not spending or delivering to a particular profile

Beneficiary

The person or organisation receiving support from a project

Berlin Profile

The Commission, as a way of ensuring programmes are managed in a more disciplined way, now insist that they spend to a particular annual profile also known as “n+2”. The shape of the annual spend was agreed under the German Presidency and is known as the Berlin Profile

BERR

Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR)

Capacity Building

A commonly used term for projects which improve the ability of communities to take the lead in their own social and economic renewal

Capital Projects

Capital projects are those which relate to physical works and the provision of infrastructure which results in the enhancement of an existing asset or the provision of a new, permanent asset

Caveat

A specific clause to make sure a particular activity is delivered

CFO

Co-financing Organisation

Claim

A return completed by an organisation to show financial and non-financial information for a specific period. Also includes the claim for cash payable for the project

Clawback

In the event of an ERDF-assisted asset not retaining the status for which funding was provided, the European Secretariat can require that ERDF grant be repaid or “clawed back”

Co-financing

Channelling both ESF money and the required match funding to providers in a single funding stream

Community Initiatives

Specific financial instruments of the European Union’s Structural Policy, provide added value and complementarity to mainstream regional programmes

Community Support Framework (CSF)

The chief programming document for Objective 3 Great Britain, which outlines how Objective 3 will be spent in the period 2000 – 2006

Completers

Beneficiaries who have finished on a project and will not return to the project

Concentration

The principal by which resources are focused on a particular area, community or sector so that there is real impact and visibility

Core Criteria

Each project application is assessed against a set of scoring criteria designed to assess the overall suitability of the project for ERDF funding. These criteria are known as the core criteria. In the NW Objective 2 Programme, there are eight core criteria which applications should address: added-value (formerly known as additionality), effect on targeted communities, compliance with equal opportunities; environmental impact; evidence of demand; participation of other agencies; and leverage of private sector investment

Cross-Cutting Themes:

In the main, environmental sustainability, ICT and equal opportunities (which, for the Commission, means gender). There is an expectation that these themes should run through all projects and programmes

DCMS

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Deadweight

Projects where a proportion of the benefits would have been achieved without ERDF assistance are said to display deadweigh

DEFRA

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Depreciation

The calculated loss in value of an asset due to age, wear and tear, deterioration, or obsolescence

DfES

Department for Education and Skills

Directorate General

These are the sections of the European Commission that deal with Structural Funds and are usually abbreviated to DGs

Distance Travelled

The progress made by a beneficiary towards either employment or other hard outcome as a result of the project

Dossier

The term given to an application after it has been approved

Dossier Number

The Secretariat’s reference number for the project

DTI

Department of Trade and Industry has now changed to The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR)

EAGGF

European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund. Finances the common organisation of agricultural markets, the processing of agricultural products and the structure of agricultural holdings

Early Leavers

People who leave the project before their expected leaving date and are not expected to return to the project

EC

European Commission

Eligibility

The conditions which have to be met by beneficiaries, costs and other activities if they are to be eligible to be included in a European funded project

EP

European Parliament

Equal Community Initiative Programme

An ESF Community Initiative Programme, funds projects which test and promote new means of combating forms of discrimination and inequalities in the labour market, both for those in work and for those seeking work, through transnational co-operation

ERDF

European Regional Development Fund. Provides regional funding to stimulate socio-economic development in the least prosperous regions of the EU

ESF

European Social Fund. Provides financial support towards the running costs for vocational training schemes, guidance and counselling projects, job creation measures and other steps to improve the employability and skills of both employed and unemployed people

ESFU

The ESF Unit, a part of the DfES with overall responsibility for administering ESF

EU

European Union

Expenditure

Amounts paid by an organisation for goods or services received or services rendered

FIFG

Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance. Finances measures for the adjustment of fisheries and aquaculture structures and the processing and marketing of their products

Final Claim/Project Closure Report

The final return completed by an organisation to show financial and non-financial information for a specific project

Global Grants

Small grants of up to £6000 maximum designed to help develop local social capital in deprived neighbourhoods, accessed through the Objective 3 Programme

GNVQ

General National Vocational Qualification

GONW

Government Office for the North West

GSE

General Statement of Expenditure, a form which must be signed by project match funders at the end of a project

ICT

Information and Communication Technologies

Impacts

Impacts or final outputs are those outcomes which occur as a result of a project’s activities

In-Kind Match Funding

An organisation or individual providing a service or product to your project free of charge

Interactive Application Form (IAF)

The electronic application form

Interim Claim Form

A periodic report by an applicant on the progress of a project. This report triggers interim payments

Interreg III

An ERDF Community Initiative Programme, funds projects designed to strengthen economic and social cohesion throughout the EU, by fostering the balanced development of the continent through cross-border, transnational and interregional co-operation

Intervention Rate

Regulations governing the use of Structural Funds give a limit to the maximum amount of grant that a project can be awarded, this maximum is called the intervention rate

Labour Market Information

Intelligence concerning local labour market conditions. In particular on employment levels, specific groups facing unemployment and employment opportunities...

LAP

Local Action Plan

Leader+

An EAGGF Community Initiative Programme, funds experimental, integrated local area-based development projects, which in turn will encourage the development and testing of new approaches to sustainable rural development

Letter of Intent

A letter from an organisation other than the applicant expressing its support for a project, either financially or through other means

Leverage

The level of private sector investment, which results from a project, is known as leverage

LSC

Learning and Skills Council

Managing Authority

The organisation deputed by the Member State to have overall responsibility for the running of Structural Funds

Match Funding

European Structural Funds meet only a proportion of the cost of any project, the rest of the cost of a project has to be funded from other sources, which can be either public or private sector – this is called match funding

Measure

Each programme has a number of main headings, known as priorities which outline objectives for the overall programme. Each priority is further broken down into a number of measures that outline the scope for activities which are appropriate for funding

MEP

Member of the European Parliament

MV

Millennium Volunteers, a government initiative delivered through the Department for Education and Skills (DfES). MV encourages young people aged 16 to 24 to get involved in local community activity which they care about using their interests or hobbies as a starting point

N+2

This is the principle by which the spend required of a programme under the Berlin Profile is calculated. N is the commitment year and +2 is the year by the end of which funds committed in N have to be spent or returned

NGO

Non-Governmental Organisation

NWDA

North West Development Agency

NWRA

North West Regional Assembly

Objective 1

European Structural Fund Programme, supports the development of regions that are significantly falling behind the rest of Europe

Objective 2

European Structural Fund Programme, promotes the economic and social convergence of areas facing structural difficulties and targets areas undergoing socio-economic change in the industrial and service sectors, declining rural areas, urban areas in difficulty and depressed areas dependent upon fisheries

Objective 3

European Structural Fund Programme, the main human resource development framework, lending support to education, training and employment initiatives, supporting both the employed and unemployed

Offer Letters

Contains details of the grant offered and conditions which must be satisfied in order that grant will be paid

Outputs

The physical products, or measurable results, of Action Plans or projects

PAG

Programme Advisory Group

PCR

Project Closure Report, a form completed at the end of a project to record actual project costs

Performance Reserve

The Regulations require Member States to hold back a certain amount of funding. At the end of 2003 all programmes will be assessed to see how effective they have been. Programmes which have been demonstrably effective will receive more money from this programme reserve

PMFC

Public Match Funding Certificate

PMRC

Programme Monitoring Regional Committee

Primary Audit Evidence, Prime Information, Prime Data

Used to confirm a particular transaction or activity, for example invoices, bank statements and signed declarations

Priority

Within a programme there are a number of main headings that identify an objective for the overall programme. Each of these headings is known as a Priority

Private Match Funding

Private match funding comes from private enterprise, for example funding from companies

Profile

Forecast timing of project expenditure, triggers advance payment

Project Selection Criteria

Projects coming forward seeking funding must be assessed fairly, transparently and speedily. The PM/RC will agree a selection framework where this can happen

Promoters Declaration

The form that must be submitted with an Objective 3 application if project activity specifically targets a particular sex or ethnic group

Public Match Funding

Public match funding comes from any organisation which receives over 50% of core funding from central or local government. Registered charities also classify as public match funders

RDP

Regional Development Plan, provides information on the way the Objective 3 Programme will be delivered in the region and details the priorities and measures under which funding can be applied for

Retrospection

Expenditure prior to receipt of an offer letter is regarded as retrospective

Revenue Projects

Revenue applications encompass the provision of advice, services and other business support and promotion without any element of infrastructure development

SAM

Self assessment manual

Secretariat

The Government Office department with responsibility for the management of European Programmes within the North West region

Significant Change

Changes to a project's activity, expenditure or outcomes from those originally agreed at approval, different percentage rate changes apply for ESF and ERDF

SME

Small or medium sized enterprise

Soft Outcomes

Qualitative monitoring indicators used to assess project performance

SPD

Single Programming Document, provides information on the way the Objective 2 Programme will be delivered in the region and details the priorities and measures under which funding can be applied for

Structural Funds

Financial support to promote economic development and social inclusion delivered through a series of inter-related funds

Sub-Contract

The delivery of elements of projects by organisations other than the applicant or project partner

Sustainable Development

Economic growth which does not occur in a socially exclusive or environmentally damaging manner

Technical Assistance

Money allocated from within a European Structural Fund Programme budget. The aim of technical assistance funding is to maximise the quality of programme implementation and impact, used to support administration, management, representation, publicity, policy development, capacity building and evaluation activities

Technical Assistance Levy

An agreed amount of money paid by a successful project applicant, distributed to organisations providing technical assistance services

Third Sector

The voluntary and community sector

Transitional Areas

Some areas, though eligible for Structural Funds in the 1994-1999 period, have not met 2000-2006 eligibility. These areas are deemed to be in transition from Structural Funds and will leave the programme in 2005

Transnational

Projects which require a partnership with other European Union Member States or other stated countries

Urban II

An ERDF Community Initiative Programme, funds innovative development projects for the economic and social regeneration of urban areas in crisis. It is also designed to strengthen exchanges of information and experience on sustainable urban development in the European Union

Value for Money

This term is widely used to describe the optimal balance between outputs and inputs. Good value for money gives efficiency (the ratio of an activity to the resources input), economy (the purchase of goods or services at lowest cost) and effectiveness (the extent to which objectives are achieved)

VCS

Voluntary and Community Sector