Measuring the Funding Gap

Author(s): Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action (NICVA)
Document Type: Report
Year: 2000
Publisher: NICVA
Subject Area(s): Economic Issues

Abbreviations: NICVA - Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action, EU - European Union

Background to the Research

  • This report is based on a survey undertaken by NICVA's European Unit in June/July 2000. The aim of the survey was to measure the likely impact on community and voluntary organisations of the gap in EU funding provision opening up between the end of the 1994-1999 EU programmes and the delayed start of the new EU programmes for the period 2000-2006.

Research Approach

  • A questionnaire was sent out to 1,221 voluntary and community organisations and 405 forms were returned from 119 organisations representing a 33.2% response rate.

Main Findings

  • Nearly two-thirds of respondents were reliant on EU funding for part or all of their work. Of these, well over a third received 50% of more of their income from EU sources, the overwhelming majority from PEACE 1.
  • The most common cut-off-date for grants made under the last 994-99) EU programmes is December 2000, although a significant number (13.5%) ran out of funding during the first six months of 2000.
  • One fifth of projects surveyed indicated that they have, or will have to, close down. Whilst nearly half the projects surveyed expected to find some alternative funding from an as yet unidentified source, only 13.5% actually had secured alternative funding, and only 6% at the same level as previously. One in six projects surveyed were time-limited and had come to an end.
  • The survey results indicated that around 350 jobs were expected to be lost as a result of the funding gap. Those that indicated an expected reduction in services due to the funding gap projected job losses totalling the equivalent of 113,5 full-time jobs. Those that indicated they expected to close projects entirely, projected further job losses totalling the equivalent of 229.5 full-time jobs.
  • Just over 80% of the projects surveyed were technically eligible to apply for gap funding. This does not, however, mean that all of these will receive funding, or that those who do, will receive funding at previous levels.
  • Given that the annual EU funding available to community and voluntary groups in recent years has been at the level of tens of millions, it is likely that the £2 million allocated to fill the funding gap, whilst very welcome, will struggle to fill the gap.

 

 

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