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Issue 23

October 2014

CONVERGENCE UPDATE

Carmarthenshire: Specialist European Team (SET)

2014-2020 European Structural Funds Programme:

Latest News

The negotiations on the new Operational Programmes for

Wales under the European Structural and Investment

Programmes are drawing to a close. Approval is expected

from the European Commission by end of November.

The delays have resulted from longer than anticipated

negotiations between the UK Government and the

Commission on the UK Partnership Agreement (PA). The

Partnership Agreement is the national strategy document

each member state must submit to the EU, which sets out

how the UK as a whole will meet EU growth targets.

The delay has not stopped the Wales European Funding

Office from its negotiations with the Commission on the

Wales Operational Programmes. It is anticipated that once

the UK PA is formally adopted, the approval of the Wales

Operational Programmes will follow shortly behind.

The Welsh European Funding Office aim to organise a formal

launch of the Operational Programmes before the end of the

year. To assist with project development, WEFO has made

available the following documents:

• Draft Operational Programmes:

http://wefo.wales.gov.uk/programmes/westwalesvalleys/westwalesvalleysop/?lang=en

• Draft guidance documents:

http://wefo.wales.gov.uk/publications/guidance20142020/general/appraisalprocess/?lang=en

SETs Contacts in

Carmarthenshire

Rhian Phillips

European Programmes Manager

01267 242 356

Karen John

European Officer

01267 242 355

Website:

http://wwec.org.uk/english/convergence

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Issue 23

October 2014

CONVERGENCE UPDATE

Carmarthenshire: Specialist European Team (SET)

Regional Delivery Plan

During August and September the RLP Team arranged a series

of Brokerage Group meetings to facilitate collaboration

between prospective delivery partners that submitted EOIs to

address the employment and skills needs of the region. 180

participants contributed to the meetings and almost 30% were

employers or represented employers in the region. From these

meetings a number of collaborative ideas and prospective

partners were identified, with some specific ideas and cross

cutting themes being agreed and progressed. Continued...

Action logs from the groups are in the process of being finalised

and will be circulated shortly. Each group identified that further

information was required on Welsh Government national

projects in order to refine any collaborative proposals.

This will ensure that any proposals currently being developed

will avoid duplication with national projects, identify gaps in

provision or align with any procurement process to deliver that

provision.

Work to update the 3rd version of the Regional Delivery Plan

for Employment and Skills is underway. This version will

reference a range of information that has become available

since the 2nd version was circulated in May.

Additions will include the Employer Voice report by Dr Grahame

Guilford, extracts from reports such as the Williams

Commission, Welsh language skills needs in eight sectors and

the Teifi Valley Local Growth Zone along with information

mapping regional provision available post 2015.

Department for

Education and Skills -

Footprint Document

The Welsh Government’s

Department for Education and Skills

(DfES) has issued their latest

iteration of the ‘Footprint for ESF

Delivery’ document.

This Footprint document is a guide

for stakeholders on DfES supported

interventions from 2014 onwards

which can be used to identify gaps in

provision across Wales.

It outlines the Department’s

approach to the European Social

Fund and provides a map of youth

and adult employment and skills

provision across Wales.

This is the first in a series of

quarterly updates. The document

can be accessed at:

http://wales.gov.uk/topics/educationa

ndskills/allsectorpolicies/europeanso

cialfund/footprint-for-esf-

delivery/?lang=en

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Issue 23

October 2014

CONVERGENCE UPDATE

Carmarthenshire: Specialist European Team (SET)

Next Steps

October / November 2014

• RLP Team to circulate Brokerage Group action logs.

• Processes to support organisations to identify partners and refine collaborative EOI proposals will

continue. This will include convening further meetings with organisation - details of which will be

circulated shortly.

• It is recognised that whilst the revised DfES Footprint document contains additional information on

strategic national projects, a request to DfES will be made for detailed information as and when

available to allow development of regional activities.

• A review of proposed Welsh Government strategic national projects against EOIs received to

establish priority regional activities will be undertaken. Following which, the RLP will make

recommendations of priority regional activities to take forward and engage relevant stakeholders.

• A process to be established for the facilitation of regional responses to procurement opportunities.

• Circulation of the 3rd version of the plan at the end of November.

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Issue 23

October 2014

CONVERGENCE UPDATE

Carmarthenshire: Specialist European Team (SET)

ADREF Digital Window Unveiled

A‘Ffenest Digidol’ has been unveiled outside the ERDF funded Ffwrnes Theatre that will give a

fascinating glimpse of Llanelli’s industrial past.

It will be a permanent canvas for artists and filmmakers to showcase moving image works in the

public realm.

The digital images are superimposed with views in and out

of the theatre, showcasing the artists’ work and activating

the public space below. Animated artworks and films will

be specially commissioned for the unique canvas every six

months.

The Studio Of Cinematic Architecture was commissioned

by Carmarthenshire County Council and EMP Projects to

create the ‘Digital Window’ as part of the Adref Llanelli

Town Centre Regeneration Programme public art strategy.

It includes the bespoke bench and free standing canopy in the central square, and the poles in

Eastgate.

The ADREF programme is part funded by the European Regional Development Fund.

‘Audience’ is the first six-month commission, created by Studio of Cinematic Architecture. The site-

specific interactive artwork explores the relationship between audience and performer.

The studio worked with the local community and filmmaker Tom Gripper of Broadside Films to create

the characters, filming participants in the theatre’s Stiwdio Stepni. The groups who took part include

Ysgol Heol Goffa, Ysgol Dewi Sant, Coleg Sir Gar, SA15 Stage School, Ffwrnes staff and visitors.

Director of Ffwrnes Theatre Carwyn Matera-Rogers said: “The combination of technology and

community programming creates an innovative and unique artwork for the East Gate

development. It celebrates the creative talent of groups using the theatre and is a great

opportunity for us to engage with even more members of the public.”

Found out more about Ffenest Digidol here: www.socalondon.com

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Issue 23

October 2014

CONVERGENCE UPDATE

Carmarthenshire: Specialist European Team (SET)

Castles and Princes: Carmarthen Launch

More than 900 years after King Henry commissioned Carmarthen Castle’s foundation stones to be

laid, it is being refreshed.

This is part of the £900,000 regional Castles and

Princes scheme led by Carmarthenshire County

Council which is part of Cadw’s £19million

Heritage Tourism Project, funded by the

European Regional Development Fund through

the Welsh Government.

The Marketing & Tourism section of

Carmarthenshire County Council has secured

£900,000 to deliver a regional CADW Heritage

Tourism Project

that will

combine and depict the two intertwined histories of the Princes of

Deheubarth and Lords of the Southern March into one unique

timeline. Castles and Princes has been part-funded by the European

Regional Development Fund and the Welsh Government’s Target

Match Fund (TMF) with over £500,000 going into Carmarthenshire

itself and the remainder assisting projects in Swansea and

Pembrokeshire. The Heritage Tourism Project will run until

December 2014.

As well as benefitting the County Council run castle in Carmarthen,

other key locations in the County are Dinefwr Castle and Carreg

Cennen Castle. The Princes of Deuheubarth had their seat of power

here in Carmarthenshire in the National Trust’s Dinefwr Park.

Castles and Princes is part of a pan Wales CADW project worth

£19million, which will promote Wales as a cultural destination. The

project will also help open Wales’s outstanding heritage to a wider

audience by making it more enjoyable both for visitors and for

people who live in Wales.

Executive board member for regeneration and leisure, Cllr Meryl

Gravell, said the interpretation that has been installed at Carmarthen Castle consists of a ‘welcome

panel’ on the concourse and audio visual figures located in and around the castle, as well a timeline

located in one of cells at Old Castle House.

Cllr Gravell said: “A key feature of the project we are hoping local schools will use as well as

being informative for visitors, is a ‘touch table’ detailing the history and story of the Princes of

Deuheubarth and their relationship with Carmarthen Castle.”

The Castles & Princes Trail: For more info visit: http://www.visit.carmarthenshire.gov.uk/castles/castles-and-princes.html

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Issue 23

October 2014

CONVERGENCE UPDATE

Carmarthenshire: Specialist European Team (SET) For more details contact Angharad Lloyd Probert or call 01554 742634