AQW 7503/22-27

Ms Sinéad McLaughlin
Social Democratic and Labour Party
Foyle

Tabled Date: 26/02/2024
Answered On Date: 03/03/2024
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for the Economy for a breakdown of the organisations affected by the loss of European Social Funding, broken down by (i) Assembly constituency; and (ii) amount of funding lost.

Answer:

Details of ESF Priority 1 & 2 projects for whom ESF funding ceased on 31 March 2023 can be accessed on a constituency-by-constituency basis on-line as follows: 65 ESF Call 3 Projects by constituency and council area.

The total amount of funding awarded (EU and Programme match was £26.8m for the 2022-23 period).

I understand that 18 bidders secured £57.5m from the British Government under Shared Prosperity (SPF) Economic Inactivity funding for 2023-25 (£26.75m per annum). Emergence of new, consortia or amended groupings bidding for SPF means that a direct comparison with previous ESF funding is not possible.

It should also be noted that ESF funding of c£12m pa for Level 2 & 3 apprenticeships has not been replaced, leaving my Department with a funding pressure for the NI Apprenticeships Programme.