I really think that is an excellent proposal - I seriously feel that businesses here need a boost and business funding is not the only type of funding available from the EU - there are many EU community projects that could be possible sources of future funding to address some of the serious and underlying issues - beyond the bricks and mortar schemes that have been tapped into so far. Adult Education has been a high flyer in Europe for years and schemes involving increasing facilities for children, care and the disabled must be in there somewhere.

Some of us feel that some specialist skill and diligence could produce better results, and I have suggested that we could look at this project again and discuss its implications.

Chris

"How JEREMIE will help SMEs
The JEREMIE initiative will improve the SME financial environment at local level. Firstly, JEREMIE will increase the supply of SME finance in the regions, by matching product expertise and decision on investment schemes which are focussed on assisting SME growth with local need. JEREMIE will also contribute to the general improvement of regional financial conditions, by introducing flexible and tailor-made actions such as decreasing lending interest rates through JEREMIE guarantees, reducing the need for collaterals through the implementation of guarantee instruments, disseminating equity finance, and enhancing the availability of micro-credit."

Before everyone starts writing to Brussels for a grant or a Loan "JEREMIE funds are not issued directly to small businesses (SMEs). SMEs should therefore not apply to EIF or the EC for financial support. In due course, SMEs interested in obtaining finance will be able to identify and contact financial intermediaries in their countries based on information provided in this website, which will be provided as and when the JEREMIE initiative becomes active in Member States and Regions."

From what I can make out this is effectively a replacement of the Equal Fund Initiative which allowed a fifty percent input from the project initiator (in the UK often Local Government and Private Business partnership Initiatives) and a fifty percent grant from EU Funds - payable in stages after a lot of paperwork establishing the achievement of the projects aims at that point…

JEREMIE, on the face of it looks slightly less complicated with more involvement and monitoring at a local level - the funding going through applications made by Town Halls for specific projects to resolve specific local issues - once the need for funding has been accepted and the funds made available they would then be distributed on a case by case basis and then proof that the funds had been used for their intended purpose fed back into the system to the EIF. It is set to run until 2013 as a scheme

An example of the sort of project I believe it could be useful for would be one helping work place training to encourage new and small businesses and retraining to place the workers from economically depressed areas/ dying or recession hit Industries to find work in different and burgeoning industries

If anyone would like to follow this up - the following is the site link EIF JEREMIE WEBSITE But be warned - I don't think they have started paying out or taking projects, yet… but I will be really interested to know if the Town Hall has plans to apply (or has thought about the possibilities of applying) for funding on a scheme here

Gaile Griffin Peers (prosaic)