As the UK begins the process of leaving the EU, we look at what it will mean for EU funded projects here in Wales.
Friday 31 of January 2020 marked the date at which the UK left the EU. Here at WCVA we run a number of different EU funded projects and it’s only natural for people to have questions about how these will continue in light of Brexit.
To put it simply: Brexit will have no effect on how WCVA delivers our current programme of EU funded projects.
The current programme of European Funding will continue to run as planned. All approved operations will continue until their planned end date and any projects still in business planning will continue through the process as they always have done. All of the rules related to running a European funded project still apply from submitting claims, evidence requirements through to document retention periods. It’s business as usual!
The doors are very much still open if you think you have a project that could benefit from European funding. It is possible that projects can run into 2022/23 so there’s still time for you to get involved. All of the support to help you identify relevant funding and guide you through the application process is also still available to you, whether that’s through ourselves in the 3-SET team or the Regional Engagement Teams (RETs). So, if you have an idea for a project please get in touch with us to discuss how you could benefit from the funding by emailing 3set@wcva.cymru.
Our focus for the remainder of the funding programme is still to:
- support all voluntary organisations with an interest in delivering European funding access the relevant pots of money
- support all voluntary organisations delivering ESF and ERDF projects to do so in a compliant way to help ensure their success
- celebrate the success of the voluntary organisation using European Funding to benefit our most deprived communities across Wales
- help the voluntary organisations to plan for the succession and legacy of the current European funding programmes
Of course, we also recognise that just because we have now left the EU, that doesn’t mean our work surrounding Brexit and its effect on the voluntary sector in Wales will stop.
If you have any questions on how Brexit will affect the voluntary sector in Wales, then the Wales Civil Society Forum on Brexit is a project that connects voluntary organisations and leading industry experts to stimulate informed debate and discussion, share knowledge and co-ordinate the sector.
It’s a project in partnership with Cardiff University and we’ve run a series of events and produced several publications to help better inform the sector. If you’d like to find out more, please visit www.brexitforumwales.org or contact Charles Whitmore (WhitmoreCD@cardiff.ac.uk).
We’ll continue to liaise with the sector over the coming months and run events, such as the ‘Disabled people and Brexit: What next?’ regional events coming up in Conwy and Carmarthen.