Isle of Wight businesses and organisations have a chance to secure a share of over £130 million in grant funding through the Interreg France (Channel) England programme.
Available until 2023, with calls open until 2018, this funding offers a unique opportunity for higher education and research institutes, government authorities, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and businesses on the Isle of Wight to make a direct impact in their region.
In line with the Europe 2020 strategy, Interreg FCE funding is aimed at supporting cross-border cooperation projects in the Channel border region. Eligible areas stretch across the south of the UK and north of France.
The Programme has 3 core priorities divided into 5 specific objectives. These priorities, specifically focus on the France (Channel) England Area to: support innovation in order to address economic and societal issues, support the transition to a low-carbon economy and enhance the attractiveness of the territories.
Interreg FCE programme manager Carolyn Reid said:
“Interreg FCE provides a great platform for organisations across the eligible regions to work together and tackle a range of important issues that exist in both France and the UK. The funding enables organisations to work together to address shared challenges and to develop projects which have a direct impact on the lives of those on both sides of the channel”.
This funding is already benefitting the programme area with projects such as PONToon (Partnership Opportunities using New Technologies fostering sOcial and ecOnomic inclusion) tackling the digital skills shortage in France and the UK.
According to the 2017 Digital Economy Survey by The British Chambers of Commerce, 3 out of 4 UK businesses have a digital skills shortage with 84% saying these skills are more important than 2 years ago. The House of Commons Digital skills crisis report estimates 12.6 million adults lack basic IT skills.
The picture is similar in France with the European Commission stating 8% of France’s working population possess no digital skills and 33% having a basic level. Even those who already have good IT skills need to be prepared to adapt in the ever-evolving digitalised workplace.
Led by the University of Portsmouth, in partnership with 10 other UK and French bodies, the project focuses on the Social Innovation objective by developing digital tools such as virtual reality interviews, webinars and bespoke computer games to upskill women from disadvantaged backgrounds, who may face challenges such as single parenthood and mental health issues.
Professor Joan Farrer, Associate Dean (Enterprise & Innovation) from the University of Portsmouth said:
“This project offers an exciting new opportunity to tackle social inequality on both a local and international scale through developing digital tools that cut right to the heart of the problem.”
This 3-and-a-half year project receiving €3,997,634 co-financing through the Interreg FCE programme will produce a scalable, transferable method for tackling the digital skills gap. The toolkit is to be shared with local authorities, service providers and job centres across the programme’s eligible area for application across a broader range of socially excluded groups and geographical regions for continued impact.
With a deadline of October 2018 for final applications any prospective applicants considering becoming a project partner and or applying for funding should email [email protected] to start the process or for more information visit: https://interreg5a-fce.eu/.
