For which themes and projects can an ESF subsidy be applied for?
- Promotion of sustainable and high-quality employment and support for labour mobility (including sustainable employability);
- Promotion of social inclusion and the fight against poverty and discrimination;
- Investment in education, training and vocational training for skills and lifelong learning;
- Increasing the institutional capacity of public authorities and stakeholders and effective public administration.
What does a grant from the ESF entail?
The maximum co-financing rates range from 50-85% of the eligible costs. In practice, this may involve grant amounts ranging from a few thousand to hundreds of thousands of euros.
How much money is available for ESF grants?
€80.3 billion is available for the period 2014-2020. The total budget is divided between the various EU Member States and national operational programmes.
Where can an ESF grant be applied for?
In the Netherlands, you apply for an ESF grant through the SZW Agency. You then apply for a specific grant for a current opening such as ESF Active Inclusion or ESF Sustainable Employability.
When is an investment or project eligible for an ESF grant?
A project can be eligible for a grant from an ESF programme if it fits within one of the themes and meets the conditions associated with the opening in question. These conditions generally relate to the nature of the project, the applicant, the objectives set, the duration and the manner of accountability.
When can you apply for ESF?
You can submit an ESF application within the pre-announced periods. Some programmes have one opening per year, others make multiple application moments available. These application periods will be announced well in advance
ESF applications are not possible in 2021 ?
It is currently not possible to apply for an ESF grant. The fund is closed pending the new European framework programme 2021-2027. It is already certain that the ESF will return in the new programme under the name ESF +. The focus of ESF + will be on the vulnerable groups in the labour market. The possibilities for supporting long-term processes are also being looked into. Nothing has yet been announced about the budgets. It goes without saying that Vindsubsidies is keeping a close eye on the latest developments regarding the new ESF programmes. Important updates will be published on this website.
ESF administration and accountability
In order to carry out ESF processes within companies, educational institutions and governments, it is necessary to keep an extensive project administration. Applicants often see this as a complex and time-consuming task. However, it is important that these records are correct and set up in accordance with the most up-to-date grant regulations, because the grant provider strictly checks the financial accountability. Not having the administration in place can lead to a loss of grant or even a fine.
How we help
Vindsubsidies has more than twenty years of experience with applying for subsidies. We have ESF specialists with years of experience in the field of applying for and implementing ESF funding. Our government consultants work as ESF programme managers for provinces, municipalities and labour market regions.
We can assist you with:
- Assessing whether your organisation's project is ESF-proof;
- Applying for an ESF grant;
- Setting up the ESF project administration according to the latest legislation and regulations;
- Executing the project and keeping the project administration up to date;
- ESF project management;
- ESF programme management;
- Checks by the SZW Agency;
- The interim financial report;
- The final report.
The costs of the ESF services provided by Vindsubsidies
The costs of our services depend entirely on the type of work we perform. Feel free to contact us for more information.
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