Address: Government Office for the North West Cunard Building Pier Head Water Street Liverpool L3 1QB
Contact: Communications (European Programmes Merseyside) Team
Website: www.esf.gov.uk
Projects European Social Fund is involved in:
European Social Fund
The European Social Fund (ESF) is one of four Structural Funds designed to strengthen economic and social cohesion in the European Union. The current programmes run from 2000 to 2006. ESF will provide about £4.5 billion in Great Britain (£3.5 billion in England) in this period.
ESF's main purpose is to support the annual UK Employment Action Plan, which sets out how UK policies and initiatives take account of the Employment Guidelines established within the European Employment Strategy. ESF is channelled through three Structural Fund Objectives and the EQUAL Community Initiative.
The European Social Fund aims to:
- help unemployed and inactive people enter work
- provide opportunities for people at a disadvantage in the labour market
- promote lifelong learning
- develop the skills of employed people
- improve women's participation in the labour market
ESF is one of four Structural Funds. The others are:
* European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) - funds projects to improve communications and services, for example building roads.
* European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF) - funds projects in the agriculture sector
* Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance (FIFG) - funds projects in the fisheries and aquaculture (farming water life) sector.