Cheshire and Warrington European Structural and Investment Fund Strategy 2014-2020 European Structural and Investment Funds Strategy 2014-2020 December 2015 Cheshire and Warrington European Structural and Investment Fund Strategy 2014-2020 Contents Foreword ...................................................................................................................................... i Executive Summary .................................................................................................................... ii INTRODUCTION TO THE STRATEGY AND OUR VISION .................................................................... II THE CONTEXT FOR INTERVENTION ............................................................................................. II OUR ESIF ALLOCATION ............................................................................................................. II OUR PROGRAMME .................................................................................................................... III OUR TARGETS ..........................................................................................................................V TAKING THE PROGRAMME FORWARD: DELIVERY AND GOVERNANCE ........................................... VI 1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 1 INTRODUCTION TO THE STRATEGY............................................................................................. 1 DOCUMENT CONTENT AND SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION ........................................................ 2 2 The Context for Intervention ............................................................................................... 3 WHY CHESHIRE AND WARRINGTON MATTERS ............................................................................ 3 CHESHIRE AND WARRINGTON – THE PLACE ............................................................................... 4 A STRONG PERFORMING ECONOMY .......................................................................................... 5 OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH ................................................................................................ 10 THE NEED FOR INTERVENTION ................................................................................................ 13 RATIONALE FOR EU INVESTMENT ............................................................................................ 18 CHESHIRE AND WARRINGTON’S STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, OPPORTUNITIES AND THREATS ..... 20 3 Cheshire and Warrington’s Vision and Objectives ........................................................... 24 THE CHESHIRE AND WARRINGTON VISION … ........................................................................... 24 … AND STRATEGIC IMPERATIVES ............................................................................................ 24 4 Investment Priorities ......................................................................................................... 28 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................... 28 ALLOCATIONS BY PRIORITY AXES AND INVESTMENT PRIORITY .................................................. 30 DEVELOPING THE PROJECT PIPELINE ...................................................................................... 31 OUR PROGRAMME STRUCTURE AND PRIORITIES ...................................................................... 31 PRIORITY AXIS 1: STRENGTHENING RESEARCH, TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT AND INNOVATION ............................................................................................................................................. 32 PRIORITY AXIS 2: ENHANCING ACCESS TO, AND USE AND QUALITY OF, INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGIES ......................................................................................... 40 PRIORITY AXIS 3: ENHANCING THE COMPETITIVENESS OF SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES .... 43 PRIORITY AXIS 4: SUPPORTING THE SHIFT TOWARDS A LOW CARBON ECONOMY IN ALL SECTORS ............................................................................................................................................. 49 PRIORITY AXES 5, 6 AND 7 ...................................................................................................... 54 PRIORITY AXIS 8: PROMOTING EMPLOYMENT AND SUPPORTING LABOUR MOBILITY ................... 55 PRIORITY AXIS 9: PROMOTING SOCIAL INCLUSION AND COMBATING POVERTY ........................... 59 PRIORITY AXIS 10: INVESTING IN EDUCATION, SKILLS AND LIFELONG LEARNING ........................ 62 Cheshire and Warrington European Structural and Investment Fund Strategy 2014-2020 TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ......................................................................................................... 66 EAFRD PROPOSALS .............................................................................................................. 67 5 Integration of the Cross Cutting Themes and Social Innovation ...................................... 72 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................... 72 PROMOTING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT .............................................................................. 72 PROMOTING EQUALITY AND COMBATING DISCRIMINATION ........................................................ 74 SUPPORTING SOCIAL INNOVATION ........................................................................................... 77 6 Financial Plan ................................................................................................................... 78 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................... 78 ALLOCATIONS BY PRIORITY AXES ............................................................................................ 78 ANNUAL EXPENDITURE PROFILE ............................................................................................. 80 OPT-IN PROPOSALS................................................................................................................ 80 MATCH FUNDING .................................................................................................................... 82 7 Programme Targets ......................................................................................................... 83 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................... 83 OUTPUTS ............................................................................................................................... 83 RESULTS ............................................................................................................................... 84 8 Programme Alignment ...................................................................................................... 86 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................... 86 EUROPEAN ALIGNMENT .......................................................................................................... 86 CONTRIBUTION TO NATIONAL POLICY OBJECTIVES ................................................................... 89 ALIGNMENT WITH LOCAL PRIORITIES ....................................................................................... 92 9 Delivery Arrangements ..................................................................................................... 93 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................... 93 PROGRAMME DELIVERY ARRANGEMENTS ................................................................................ 93 FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS ........................................................................................................ 95 COMMUNITY LED LOCAL DEVELOPMENT .................................................................................. 96 CROSS-LEP WORKING ........................................................................................................... 96 LEARNING FROM PREVIOUS PROGRAMMES .............................................................................. 97 10 Governance and Programme Management .............................................................. 100 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................... 100 PARTNER INVOLVEMENT IN STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT ........................................................... 100 PROGRAMME GOVERNANCE ARRANGEMENTS ........................................................................ 101 ESTABLISHING AND MAINTAINING A ROBUST PROJECT PIPELINE ............................................. 105 RISK MANAGEMENT .............................................................................................................. 108 Annex 1: Stakeholders Involved in Strategy Development ................................................... 109 Annex 2: Key Sectors: Sub-Sector Profiles ........................................................................... 115 Draft Cheshire and Warrington European Structural and Investment Fund Strategy 2014-2020 Foreword The Cheshire and Warrington LEP Board and its partners are pleased to present this European Structural