ESPON 2020National INTERREG Information Day, 11th June

The renewed

ESPON 2020 Cooperation Programme

About ESPON

• ESPON was established in 2002 and aims at promoting a territorial and spatial dimension in European policy making.

• Funded through the ERDF/Cohesion Policy - €48 million euro.

• Geographical coverage – all 28 member states + 4 partner states (Norway, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Iceland)

• Primary target groups: Policymakers at European, national and regional level.

• Current Monitoring Committee Member: Stephen Blair (Southern Regional Assembly)

• Maynooth University serves as ESPON Contact Point for Ireland – key role in disseminating information, undertaking outreach etc.

• Main Beneficiaries/Eligible Applicants: Research and academic institutions across Europe.

Types of Outputs

Types of Outputs

Types of Outputs

ESPON 2013 in Ireland• Ireland a partner to nine projects- Maynooth University (x6)- University College Dublin (x1)- Teagasc (x1)- University College Cork (x1)

• Total Value at €5,789,771• Split across priorities as follows:- Priority 1: Applied Research – 25 projects: Ireland in 3- Priority 2: Targeted Analyses – 23 projects; Ireland in 3- Priority 3: Scientific Platform – 10 projects; Ireland in 1- Priority 4: Transnational Networking Activities – 8 projects; Ireland in 2

• Scope to build on this! ESPON 2013 Programme funded research in Ireland - €750,000

Renewal, refocus and upgrade of the ESPON 2020

Key messages from policy arena and evaluations:− Improvement of the transfer of European territorial

evidence− More effective outreach to more users− More policy relevant analyses upon demand from policy

and also from ESIF Programmes and macro-regions − Rapid deliveries to ongoing policy processes− Improved validation of scientific quality and data − Enhanced in-house capacity related to science, knowledge

transfer and communication− Lower administrative burden by change of contracting

logic to service contracts only− Renewed setup with an EGTC as Single Beneficiary

Key Questions to be addressed:− What is the thematic focus & priority axes of ESPON 2020?− What type of projects will be supported?− Who is ESPON 2020 targeted at?− How to participate in the ESPON 2020 Programme and

how to benefit from the programme?− What knowledge transfer and outreach activities are

foreseen?− What is the envisaged timing for calls?

Key Questions for Today……

ESPON 2020 to cover 11 Thematic Objectives

Research & innovation Information and communication technologies (ICT) Competitiveness of SMEs Shift towards a low carbon economy in all sectors Climate change adaptation, risk prevention & management Environmental protection & resource efficiency Sustainable transport & removing bottlenecks in key network infrastructures Employment & supporting labour mobility Social inclusion & combating poverty Education, skills & lifelong learning Institutional capacity building & efficient public administrations

All considered relevant for ESPON 2020 support....with evidence produced, generated and disseminated supporting the delivery of Thematic Objective 11.

Thematic Focus

Priority Axes

Two Priority Axes

Priority Axis 1:

Territorial Evidence, Transfer, Observation, Tools and Outreach•Budget around 45,7 mio. Euro

(The Single Beneficiary – the ESPON EGTC - will be contracted to implement this Priority Axis on content)

Priority Axis 2:

Technical Assistance (TA)•Budget around 3 mio. Euro

(The ESPON Managing Authority, the Ministry for Sustainable Development and Infrastructures in Luxembourg, will implement this Priority Axis)

1. Applied research – analysing territorial trends across Europe e.g. demography, poverty, accessibility etc (c. 22 projects/€15.5 million euro)

2. Targeted Analysis – Bottom-up/stakeholder driven projects (c.25 projects/ €6.5 million euro)

3. Online Web-Tools – Analytical tools for policymaking (c. €3.5 million euro)

4. Outreach Activities – Events, publications etc (c. €4.5 million euro)

Key Objectives

Actions and Activities (1)

Specific Objective 1: Continued Production of Territorial Evidence Through Applied Research and Analyses.

•Cross-thematic and thematic on territorial structures and trends •Prospective visions and scenarios•Territorial impact studies of EU policies

Target: 22 applied research projects

Call for tender and service contracts

Transnational teams of service providers

Actions and Activities (2)

Specific Objective 2: Upgraded Knowledge Transfer and Use of Analytical User Support.

•Targeted Analyses defined by stakeholders at national, regional and local level (interest driven)•Territorial evidence support to ETC, other ESIF programmes and macro-regions (interest driven)•Short territorial policy briefs/working papers, fast and timely (upon demand)

Target: 25 Targeted Analyses and 45 policy briefs / working papers, etc.

Calls for tender on analytical support and service contracts

Stakeholder Driven Targeted Analyses

Opportunity for policymakers at trans-national, national and regional scale to develop projects aimed at:

•Enhancing their understanding of the larger territorial context•Making comparisons to other territories, regions and cities•Including a European perspective to considerations on the development of their territories and•Networking with European policymakers and accessing best-practice.

The Targeted Analyses are carried through in close cooperation between stakeholders, a group of experts and the ESPON Programme and emphasis is put on the operational use of the results of the analyses in practice.

Actions and Activities (3)

Specific Objective 3: Improved Territorial Observation and Tools for Territorial Analyses.

•ESPON Database focusing on data update and user-friendliness.•European territorial observation and monitoring system with custom-made macro-regional and transnational territorial monitoring systems (upon demand). •European monitoring reports for policy development.•A revised ESPON Toolbox, fine-tuning and promotion of tools.•User support related to tools (hotline, TIA, etc.)

Target: 8 tools

Calls for tender and service contracts

Actions and Activities (4)

Specific Objective 4: Wider Outreach and Uptake of Territorial Evidence.•ESPON events at European level focusing on target groups•Events at transnational and national level in cooperation with national ESPON Contact Points, focus on target groups •Active participation at events at European, transnational and national level •Publication of thematic and synthetic report based on research analyses and tools as well as short easy-understandable briefs on themes of particular political interest. •Web-based communication and media efforts, re-vamped and more digital, including social media, ‘apps’, e-learning, interactive e-books, etc.

Target: 60 events and publications

Calls for tender and service contracts

Funding Available

• Total budget of €48,678,851• Budget = ERDF + member state contributions• Split of 85 : 15

• Average Project budget c. €300,000• Projects 100% funded

• Typical project 4-6 partners from different countries• Find partners through

- Completion of ‘Partner Information forms’ - ESPON Partner Cafe- Newsletters- European / National Contact Points

Participation & Target groups

Primary target groups−European policymakers (EP, EESC, EC, CoR) −National policymakers and practitioners−Authorities implementing ESI funded programmes −Regional and local policymakers and practitioners involved in territorial and urban development and cooperation in larger territories

Secondary target groups−Organisations at EU level with regional/urban interests −University academics (researchers and students)−The private sector and European citizens

Who can participate?•Public and private actors located within EU 28 and the 4 Partner States participating in ESPON 2020

From an Administrative Perspective…..

Benefits of renewed ESPON 2020 setting?• A more streamlined process....from tendering to reporting

to financial management

• Public procurement via service contracts

• Public and private actors eligible for participating in service contracts

• No progress reporting by service providers, only invoices

• Progress reporting only needed from the Single Operation contracted to the Single Beneficiary

• National first and second level financial control in one country only, Luxembourg

• Only one beneficiary for the MA to manage

Tentative timing in first calls

What are current expectations?• First call ‘Expressions of Interest’ late 2015 and every year

to 2020

• Currently expected that 7 Applied Research (SO1) projects and the ESPON 2020 Database (SO3) will open calls for tender in late October 2015

• More efficient harvesting of ideas for Targeted Analyses (SO2) will be started in Autumn as well as screening of interest for evidence support to other ESIF programmes and territorial monitoring systems for macro-regions

• Knowledge transfer and outreach by the ESPON EGTC will be continuous

• Outreach services, such as transnational, earliest in 2016

Further Information

•Information & Support for Applicants - Maynooth University (ESPON Contact Point) www.espon-ireland.ie

•Subscribe for Newsletters and Information Updates at www.espon.eu

•ESPON Launch Seminar Latvia 3/4 June 2015 – Next Open Seminar – December 2015, Luxembourg

•New partner search initiative, especially aimed at ETC/cross-border programmes, to be launched end 2015

Thank you for your attention

Inspire policy making by territorial evidence

Look forward to participate in ESPON 2020!

mark.g.boyle@nuim.ie

caroline.creamer@nuim.ie