Cornish translation available soon

Step 2. Developing an Idea for a Project

Introduction
Over the next seven years, Objective One will make over £300 million in European money (depending on exchange rates with the Euro) available to Cornwall & the Isles of Scilly - plus the same amount in match funding, plus over £120 million from the private sector. Not surprisingly, many people have ideas for how this money could be spent.

But, the key to finding out whether you are likely to be able to get money from Objective One is not to ask: "Is my business or organisation eligible for funding?"

The right question is: "Do I have an idea for a project that will contribute to what the programme is trying to achieve?"

That's because Objective One is not simply about financing interesting and innovative projects - however important these are in their own right. The programme's aim is to build the foundations for a prosperous future and improving quality of life for everyone in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

And to do this, more of the same is not the solution. To change our future we can not stay in the past; we have to think and act in new ways. Which is why - in addition to certain restrictions under the rules of European funding - the programme has identified particular priorities and important considerations that all projects need to address in order to get Objective One funding.

Seek advice
Anyone with a project idea should contact the Objective One office at the earliest stage. Staff at the office will then put you in touch with someone with the relevant expertise that can look at your idea.

It is also recommended that potential applicants continue to discuss their ideas and get guidance at all stages of the process.

This will help ensure the projects developed are those that most closely meet the aims of the Objective One programme - and are, therefore, more likely to have their funding applications approved. Guidance will also save applicants from spending time and money on ideas that will not work.

The Objective One office is at Castle House, Pydar Street, Truro TR1 2UD. Email: objectiveone@cornwall.gov.uk You can also call the Objective One Helpline on 0800 028 0120.

Think about your organisation
Money from Objective One will be distributed in various ways - which means there are a number of avenues for anyone trying to get funding for a project.

Some projects will be funded following direct applications for money from Objective One. However, many projects will get grants indirectly via Gateway and Key Funds. (See previous section on Routes To Funding for more details.)

There are also some important practical considerations for all applicants. In the first place, all projects need to be able to justify why the funding is needed - and what would happen without it.

People with ideas also need to think about the best way of making the project happen - including considering whether your organisation alone has the personnel and other resources needed for the project or needs to co-operate with others.

How your idea fits in
Every organisation with an idea will need to answer some basic questions about the project to decide if it would really be suitable - and therefore eligible under European funding rules - for Objective One.

Objective One is not a lottery win. As explained above, every project that gets finance will need to prove it is contributing to the programme's overall aims. To do that it will have to be eligible for European funding, address at least one of the priorities within the programme and take account of its three cross cutting themes.

Basic eligibilty
To begin with, Objective One is not for everyone. For example, with business the focus is on small and medium enterprises and the money is there to help business within the region grow as a whole rather than to give any one firm a competitive edge.

There are also a number of other criteria - laid down by the European Union - which all projects must meet. These include such things as the project having to take place in (or benefit) Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, having a sound funding package in place, not duplicating another service and providing good value for money.

European funding rules also mean there are certain costs that can not be paid for with money from Objective One - in particular for work that should be the duty of a statutory authority, e.g. housing and healthcare.

Other costs, such as road building, are only eligible in particular circumstances. There are also limits on certain types of expenditure and different levels of maximum grant rates.

Priorities
When the local partnership drew up the successful bid for European funding they looked at what had to be tackled in order to achieve Objective One's overall aim of regenerating the economy and improving the quality of life of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

As part of this work, the partnership identified five priorities for action most likely to achieve this overall vision - and produce the greatest benefit from the money available. These are:

These measures are the real building blocks of what Objective One is intended to achieve and, in order to get funding, every project must contribute to at least one measure.

Full information on what each priority and measure is intended to achieve is contained within the Single Programming Document. The precise details of how this will be measured in terms of outputs (such as jobs or other opportunities) are given in the Programme Complement.

Cross-cutting themes
In addition to the five priorities, the local partnership also identified three important considerations that they felt had to be addressed by the whole Objective One programme.

These are known as cross cutting themes and include:

In addition to the basic criteria and the priorities & measures, every application will have to show evidence of how the themes have been considered and will be applied.

Examples of eligible projects
Objective One is designed to be flexible - for instance, a range of projects may qualify under just one of the individual measures within the five priorities outlined above.

There are too many ideas for projects that would contribute to Objective One's aims to mention them all but click on the area headings below for possible examples:

For business:

For agriculture:

For equal opportunities:

Within Objective One, the needs of specific sectors are also being addressed by individual Task Forces, each of which will produce its own strategy and review on a regular basis what is happening within its own area.

For more information see the relevant Task Force section.

Flexibility
It is worth remembering that because the Objective One programme is designed to be flexible it is sometimes difficult to give hard and fast answers on precisely what is eligible for funding.

This means that every proposal for funding is considered on its merits. It also means that when experts from Government Office South West look at projects, an outright "no" is unlikely even if an idea clearly fails the eligibility criteria.

Instead the experts will advise on changes that could to be made in order to qualify, or a different way of approaching your aim within the Objective One framework.

Adding value
When projects are considered for approval, preference will also be given to those that can show they add value to Objective One in wider terms.

This may be where projects address the problems of a particular sector through a partnership that involves many potential beneficiaries.

Alternatively, a project may tackle a specific issue but within the context of what other organisations are trying to achieve within a specific sector or particular community, area or region.

That way, what one project tries to achieve can support what others are doing, making them all more likely to succeed, and vice-versa.

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