Learning By Doing

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Border, Midland Western Regional Operational
Programme 2007-2013
Learning By Doing Study Tour February 12th
2008 Kieran Moylan Assistant Director
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Presentation Outline

• Context for 2007-2013 Programmes
• Programme Planning
• Development Strategy
• Proposed Priorities
• Implementation Timetable

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Context Commission Proposals

• Three priority strands
• Convergence (objective 1)
• Competitiveness and Employment (objective 2)
• Territorial Co-operation (objective 3)
• BMW Region will be a phasing-in region under
  Competitiveness and Employment strand (obj. 2)
• Higher levels of state aids on a reducing scale
  to 2011
• Ireland will receive 901m in Structural Funds
  overall
• Over 75 of national allocation to be earmarked
  for measures supporting Lisbon objectives
• Frontloaded in early years of the programme (79
  in 1st 3 years)

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Geographical Eligibility for Structural Funds
Support 2007-2013
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Context National Framework

• Member States prepare a National Strategic
  Reference Framework
• Sets out national strategy for the Structural
  Funds
• Identifies national priorities
• Defines operational elements
• Two regional OPs funded by ERDF to be managed by
  Regional Assemblies
• One national OP funded by ESF with regional
  allocations to be managed by Dept. ETE
• Cross-border Transnational OPs
• 5050 split between ESF and ERDF proposed
• 229m ERDF in the BMW Regional OP

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Programme Planning (1)

• Consultation during drafting took place with
  Government Departments and Agencies, Local
  Authorities, CEBs, 3rd Level Sector, Regional
  Assembly, Monitoring Committee and Operational
  Committee, EU Commission
• OP subject to independent ex ante evaluation
  Fitzpatrick Associates Economic Consultants
  appointed 1st July 2006 draft ex ante report on
  Assembly web-site www.bmwassembly.ie
• OP subject to Strategic Environmental Assessment
  Environmental Report completed

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Strategic Environmental Assessment

• New Regulatory requirement
• Intended to influence thinking very early in the
  preparations
• Early consultations with the national
  environmental authorities
• Screening and scoping exercises concluded
  limited SEA required
• External consultants recruited as part of ex ante
  contract
• Close consultations with consultants through
  meetings and emails
• Environmental Report completed mid December

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Programme Planning (2)

• Public Consultation launched on January 12th.
  Draft OP Issued to
• All relevant Implementing Departments and
  Agencies
• Higher Education Institutions in the BMW Region
• Elected Members of the BMW Regional Assembly
  (29)
• BMW Regional OP Monitoring Committee, including
  social partner representatives and Advisors (45)
• Heads of Public Bodies represented on the
  Operational Committee of the BMW Regional
  Assembly (34)
• Environmental Authorities (3) specified in the
  SEA legislation
• R egional Authorities (3)
• Local Authorities (14)
• Department of Finance and its Central Expenditure
  Evaluation Unit
• Other Managing Authorities (4) and
• Horizontal Interests Gender, Equality, Social
  Inclusion, Sustainability (4)
• 22 submissions received

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DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY (1)

• The Proposed Strategy takes account of the
  following EU/National Considerations
• The EU policy context set by the Lisbon
  Gothenburg Agendas
• The Community Strategic Guidelines and the
  interventions eligible under the ERDF Regulation
• The requirement that a minimum of 75 of national
  expenditure should be earmarked for Lisbon
  objectives
• The limited Funds available to the region under
  EU Cohesion Policy and the profile (frontloading)
  of the funding
• The need to maximise the visibility of the funds
  and EU Added-Value.

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DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY (2)

• The Development Strategy also takes account of
  the following regional issues
• The agreed vision for the region, arising from
  the Regional Foresight exercise
• The SWOT analysis and the specific areas of need
  identified
• The strategic priorities defined in the National
  Strategic Reference Framework
• The need for both concentration of resources and
  for balance in interventions (both spatially and
  thematically)
• The National Spatial Strategy and other relevant
  strategies

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Development Strategy (3)

• Having regard to the 184bn investment proposed
• under the NDP across 5 investment priorities and
• the 7bn Rural Development Programme, the
• priorities chosen
• Must be niche investments in selected areas
• Must complement the mainstream investment
  programmes
• Must be consistent with EU national regional
  priorities

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Priorities Chosen

• Three Priorities are Proposed
• Innovation, ICT and the Knowledge Economy
• Environment and Risk Prevention
• Urban Development and Secondary Transport
  Networks
• There will be a small Technical Assistance
  Priority

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Priority 1

• To raise the Regions Research, ICT
• Innovation capacity to generate and absorb
• new technologies
• Applied Research Enhancement, Incubation and
  Collaboration
• Competitive research funding
• Micro-enterprise supports
• Broadband delivery and demand stimulation
• Experimental Actions

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Applied Research Enhancement, Incubation and
Collaboration

• Support the development expansion of campus
  company activity
• Encourage support the commercialisation of R/D
  carried out in the IoTs
• Provide Incubation space for the
  commercialisation of innovative ideas
• Embed the IoTs as major supports for companies
  in the Region

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Competitive Research Funding for Higher Education
Institutions

• Build research capacity core research
  competencies in strategic areas
• Enhance collaboration and support selectivity
• Support research management knowledge
  management within Institutions
• Build on the BMW regions marine research
  capacity

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County Enterprise Entrepreneurship Innovation
Measure

• Promote local enterprise culture
  entrepreneurship
• Support owner/managers of micro-enterprises
  through provision of information services
• Support business start ups expansions
• Encourage facilitate greater levels of
  exporting, greater innovation use of R/D
• Develop appropriate training development
  measures, including mentoring, networking
  including womens networks
• Support greater levels of ICT usage within small
  business

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Broadband Provision and Demand Stimulation

• Support provision of Broadband in un-served areas
• Construction of backhaul infrastructure to
  connect MANS to alternative backhaul networks
  the provision of rural broadband
• Address demand, stimulation through a series of
  initiatives

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Priority 2

• Contribute to the protection enhancement of
  the rural environment and stimulate energy
  efficiency, renewable energy production
• Rural water source protection
• Pilot village sewerage scheme
• Renewable energy/energy efficiency

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Rural Water Source Protection and Village
Sewerage Schemes

• The provision of funding for the protection
  enhancement of sources used for the abstraction
  of drinking water with an emphasis on high risk
  locations
• The provision of funding for collective sewerage
  treatment systems in rural settlements

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Renewable Energy Energy Efficiency

• Pilot Projects for the production of energy from
  renewable sources energy conservation measures
  on a small scale
• Integration of renewable energy in Public
  Buildings
• Sustainable Energy Zones

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Priority 3

• Strengthen spatial structuring, integrated urban
  development strategies, with improved secondary
  transport linkages
• Integrated urban development
• Public transport
• Key linking secondary routes

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Integrated Urban Development

• Support for investment in designated gateways and
  hubs in the BMW region
• Integrated proposals in nature involving a
  coalition of local partners
• Proposals can address both hard soft
  infrastructure
• Urban renewal
• Sports recreation infrastructure
• Parks Built Heritage
• Recycling and water conservation
• RAPID measures

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Key Linking Routes

• A limited number of key secondary routes will be
  supported
• Aimed at improving connectivity within the BMW
  Region
• Widening, realignment and reconstruction
• Provision of small bypasses etc.
• Safety improvements and traffic calming

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Public Transport

• Support a small number of environmentally
  sustainable transport initiatives including
  Commuter Services, Park Ride, QBCs, Track
  Station Upgrades

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Priority Allocations BMW Region