European Refugee Fund

Overview

The fund is mainly aimed at organisations involved in setting up projects that assist in the integration of refugees, or people who have been granted Humanitarian Protection (HP), or those who have been resettled through the Gateway Protection Programme.

The value of the fund available through this call is approximately £1.8m and is targeted at projects in the following areas:

• Innovative refugee specific entry level English language provision, in particular the need to provide alternative or supplementary English language provision at an early stage which allows them to meet requirements for support;
• Innovative solutions to housing for newly granted refugees including housing support especially to allow independent living for refugees and entry into private housing sector accommodation.

Project proposals from local, regional or national organisations will be considered. The minimum ERF grant that can be applied for is £75,000 per year per project, and the maximum is restricted to £350,000 per year per project.
The amount applied for must normally be matched 50:50 with funds from non-European Union sources, although projects which specifically target vulnerable groups including women, unaccompanied children, young people, elderly people or people with disabilities may be eligible for European Refugee Fund co-funding of up to 75%.

Eligible applicants include NGOs, charities, academic institutions, local government, intergovernmental organisations, limited companies and any partnership made up of these organisations. Projects can last a maximum of three years. Proposals will be assessed through demonstration of the following criteria:

• The project must be relevant to UK and EU identified priorities;
• The organisation must demonstrate it has the relevant experience and dedicated resources to implement the project and manage the funding;
• The proposed project must be cost-effective and provide value for money;
• The project will be effective in addressing an identified and well researched need.

In light of the objectives and priorities of the Hague Programme regarding the development of the Common European Asylum System in its second phase, it introduces support for three new actions:

• capacity building for the asylum systems of the Member States in general;
• the voluntary efforts of Member States to provide a durable solution in their territories to refugees and displaced persons identified as eligible for resettlement by the UNHCR and
• the voluntary burden sharing between Member States consisting of the transfer of beneficiaries of international protection from one Member State to another, which grants them a similar protection.

How to apply

Further details including the application form, documents and guidance are available on the Home Office Emptoris e-procurement site. To register for Emptoris please contact via the email address below.

Broadband access is recommended for use of this site. All enquiries regarding this call for proposals must be submitted through the website. Enquiries made by e-mail or telephone will not be permitted.

The UK Border Agency intends to hold a preapplication workshop during the call period for prospective bidders to attend. This will be held in March 2011 and limited spaces will be available on a first come, first served basis. Further information will be provided on the Emptoris portal.