About This Site

Application Pack

The Ireland Wales Programme is pleased to advise that the fourth call for proposals is now open. The call will open February 8th 2010 and is open for applications for all priorities and themes. The closing date for applications is as follows:

• Priority 1 30th April 2010 at 17:00
• Priority 2 11th June 2010 at 17:00

The INTERREG IVA Ireland Wales Programme provides financial support for project partnerships in Ireland and Wales who wish to work together to find solutions to common problems. The Programme focus is to further develop the cross border region, thus strengthening the competitiveness and sustainability of the cooperation area.

The INTERREG Programme is financed through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The principles and regulations for the implementation of the Programme are laid down in Council Regulation 1083/2006 (General Regulation) and in Council and Parliament Regulation1080/2006 (ERDF Regulation).

To download information pack information please click here

Interreg Summary Ireland

111

Development Officer Team

The Development Officer team assists organisations with preparing an application to the Programme.  The team also works with approved projects through its aftercare service to ensure successful implementation.  It is compulsory for all potential applicants to make contact with the Development Officer team in your area in good time before a call deadline.  Evidence of meaningful engagement with the Development Officers will be documented in Q.2c of the application form.

Please download the Round 5 Expression of Interest form here.

Ireland

Siobhán Rudden
Development Officer

Joint Technical Secretariat
Old Port of Waterford Building
3rd Floor
2 George’s Street
Waterford, Ireland

Tel:        +353 (0)51 318100
Email:   srudden@seregassembly.ie

North Wales

Roger Seddon - New Contact Details!
Development Officer

Territorial Co-operation Unit
Welsh European Funding Office
Department for the Economy and Transport
Welsh Assembly Government
Sarn Mynach
Llandudno Junction
LL31 9RZ WALES

Tel:         +44 (0) 300 062 5600
Email:    roger.seddon@wales.gsi.gov.uk

 
South West Wales

Patrick Lilly
Development Officer

Territorial Co-Operation Unit
Welsh European Funding Office
Department for the Economy & Transport
Welsh Assembly Government
Government Buildings,
Picton Terrace, Carmarthen
SA31 3BT Wales

Tel:        +44 (0) 1267 225471
Email:   patrick.lilly@wales.gsi.gov.uk
 

Projects

Internet Explorer 7

Changing your fonts in Internet Explorer 7

How to change the font style in Internet Explorer

Instructions

1. Click on the ' Tools ' menu with the mouse or press ' Alt ' + ' T ' or ' Alt ' + ' O '
2. Select ' Internet Options ' with the mouse or press ' O ' to bring up the ' Internet Options ' dialog box as shown in Fig 1 below.

Fig 1

Click on the ' Accessibility ' button with the mouse or press ' Alt ' + ' E ' to bring up the ' Accessibility ' dialog box as shown in Fig 2 below.

Fig 2

1. Click the checkbox marked ' Ignore font styles specified on web pages' or press ' Alt ' + ' S ' to check the box. This will override the font settings of any web page you view, with your own settings.
2. Click ' OK ' or press ' Enter ' to return to the ' Internet Options ' dialog box.
3. Click the ' Fonts ' button or press ' Alt' + ' N ' to bring up the font dialog box as shown in Fig 3.

Fig 3

1. Click in the list of fonts underneath the heading ' Web Page Font '. or press ' Alt ' + ' W '.
2. Use either the mouse or the ' up ' and ' down ' arrow keys to scroll through the list of fonts. You should see a sample of the font appearance in the grey box below.
3. When you are happy with the font you have chosen, click ' OK ' or press ' Enter ' to return to the ' Internet Options ' page.
4. Click ' OK ' or press ' Tab' until it is selected and then press ' Enter ' to return to ' Internet Explorer ' .

Note: If this does not work it could be because your computer settings cannot be changed due to local IT policies - contact your local IT support for further help.

Internet Explorer 6

Changing your fonts in Internet Explorer 6

How to change the font style in Internet Explorer

Instructions

1. Click on the ' Tools ' menu with the mouse or press ' Alt ' + ' T ' . 2. Select the ' Internet Options ' option with the mouse or press ' O ' to bring up the ' Internet Options ' dialog box as shown in Fig 1 below.

Fig 1

Click on the ' Accessibility ' button with the mouse or press ' Alt ' + ' E ' to bring up the ' Accessibility ' dialog box as shown in Fig 2 below.

Fig 2

1. Click the checkbox marked ' Ignore font styles specified on web pages' or press ' Alt ' + ' S ' to check the box. This will override the font settings of any web page you view, with your own settings.
2. Click ' OK ' or press ' Enter ' to return to the ' Internet Options ' dialog box.
3. Click the ' Fonts ' button or press ' Alt' + ' N ' to bring up the font dialog box as shown in Fig 3.

Fig 3

1. Click in the list of fonts underneath the heading ' Web Page Font '. or press ' Alt ' + ' W ' or use the mouse.
2. Use either the mouse or the ' up ' and ' down ' arrow keys to scroll through the list of fonts. You should see a sample of the font appearance in the grey box below.
3. When you are happy with the font you have chosen, click ' OK ' or press ' Enter ' to return to the ' Internet Options ' page.
4. Click ' OK ' or press ' Enter ' again to return to ' Internet Explorer ' .

Note: If this does not work it could be because your computer settings cannot be changed due to local IT policies - contact your local IT support for further help.

Firefox pre- 1.5

Changing your fonts in Firefox before version 1.5

How to change the font style in Firefox

Instructions

1. Click on the ' Tools ' menu with the mouse or press ' Alt ' + ' T ' .
2. Click on ' Options', or press ' O ' , to open the ' Options ' dialog box.
3. Make sure that the ' General ' option is selected - if not either click on it or press ' Tab ' until it is highlighted (in blue) and then press the ' Enter ' key.
4. Click on ' Fonts & Colors ' or press ' F ' , to open the ' Fonts and Colors ' dialog box (see Fig 1 below).
5. Click on box next to ' proportional: ' and choose your font type serif or sans serif or press ' Tab ' until the option box is highlighted, use the arrow keys to expand it and choose your font type and then press ' Enter ' to select it.
6. Next choose your specific font by clicking on the ' Serif: ' or ' Sans-serif:' drop down menus depending on what font type you selected for ' Proportional ' and scroll down and select the font you want or ' Tab ' into the relevant drop down menu ( ' Serif: ' or ' Sans-Serif: ' and use the arrow keys to move ' up ' and ' down' the list, once the font you want is highlighted press ' Enter ' to select it.
7. Click on ' Always use my:' 'Fonts ' checkbox, or press ' Tab ' until the checkbox is highlighted and press the ' Spacebar '.
8. Click ' OK ' button or press ' Enter ' .
9. Click ' OK ' button or tab to ' OK ' button and press ' Enter ' .

Fig 1

Note: If this does not work it could be because your computer settings cannot be changed due to local IT policies - contact your local IT support for further help.

Firefox 1.5/2

Changing fonts in Firefox 1.5 / 2.0

How to change the font style in Firefox

Instructions

1. Click on the ' Tools ' menu with the mouse or press ' Alt ' + ' T ' .
2. Click on ' Options', or press ' O ' , to open the ' Options ' dialog box.
3. Click the ' Content ' tab or use the arrow keys until it is highlighted (in blue).
4. In the ' Fonts & Colours ' section Click on ' Advanced ' , or press ' Alt ' + 'D' , to open the ' Fonts ' dialog box - see Fig 1 below.

Fig 1

1. Click on box next to ' proportional: ' and choose your font type serif or sans serif or press ' Tab ' until the option box is highlighted, use the arrow keys to expand it and choose your font type and then press ' Enter ' to select it.
2. Next choose your specific font by clicking on the ' Serif: ' or ' Sans-serif:' drop down menus depending on what font type you selected for ' Proportional ' and scroll down and select the font you want or ' Tab ' into the relevant drop down menu ( ' Serif: ' or ' Sans-Serif: ' and use the arrow keys to move ' up ' and ' down' the list, once the font you want is highlighted press ' Enter ' to select it.
3. Deselect ' Allow pages select their own fonts, instead of my selections above ' by clicking on the checkbox next to it or by pressing 'Alt' + 'A'.

Fig 2

1. Click ' OK ' button or press ' Enter ' to return to ' Options '.
2. Click ' OK ' button or ' Tab ' to ' OK ' button and press ' Enter ' .
Note: If this does not work it could be because your computer settings cannot be changed due to local IT policies - contact your local IT support for further help.

Resize Fonts

How to change the font style in your browser

Some people find certain text styles or fonts difficult to read on websites. For example, a seriffed style such as Times New Roman, or a "cluttered" script such as helvetica narrow. Most people find a non-seriffed style such as Arial or Verdana more comfortable or easy to read.

This section shows you how you can change fonts in your browser through the browser options.

How to change the font size in your browser

Click the links to view the instructions for your particular browser. If you do not know the version of the browser you are using, click > 'help' > 'about [browser name]' in the top menu.

This will give you the version number of the browser being used.

Alternatively, if you hold down the 'Ctrl' key while moving the mousewheel up and down, the text will resize on the the page accordingly.

Priority 2 Theme 2

Sustainable Regeneration of Communities

Joint approaches to social inclusion – sharing best practice in innovative community regeneration – cultural heritage & linguistic initiatives

Priority 2 Theme 1

Climate Change and Sustainable Development

Publicity campaigns – developing renewable alternative energy sources/ biofuels – sustainable tourism opportunities – sustainable management & protection of habitats

Priority 1 Theme 2

Skills for Competitiveness and Employment Integration

Skills enhancement – exchange of good practice – joint initiatives between schools/ HE/ FE institutions – cross-border graduate placements in SME’s

Priority 1 Theme 1

Innovation and Competitiveness

clusters – joint product development – technology transfer – entrepreneurial culture

Managing Authority

The Managing Authority has overall responsibility for the management and implementation of the Operational Programme (the document approved by the European Commission which establishes the programme strategy and priorities).

The Managing Authority has a number of responsibilities established by EU Regulation. These include:

• Ensuring that projects are selected according to the criteria approved by the Programme Monitoring Committee
• Establishing and monitoring procedures for ensuring that project expenditure has been properly and legally incurred, claimed and paid
• Maintaining systems to store data on all aspects of programme implementation including financial management, audit, monitoring and evaluation
• Ensuring proper evaluation of the programme is undertaken; Guiding the work of the Monitoring Committee and providing it with the documents required to allow it to complete its functions
• Preparing annual and final reports on implementation, and submitting these to the European Commission following approval by the Monitoring Committee
• Ensuring that information and publicity requirements established by European Regulations are met

The Southern and Eastern Regional Assembly is designated as the Managing Authority for the Programme.

Certifying Authority

The Certifying Authority is responsible for certifying all declarations of expenditure and applications for payment before they are submitted to the European Commission while ensuring eligibility with EU and national rules.  This includes the review of processes and procedures by the organisations delivering the Programme and ensuring any irregularities are raised and addressed. 

The Southern and Eastern Regional Assembly is designated as the Certifying Authority for the Programme.

Members

Members Area Instructions, what you can do and what you can find here....

Partner Search

A strong partnership between compatible organisations is essential to the development of successful cross border projects. Our Development Officer team is in place to help you locate the partner that will suit your needs and will be able to advise you on how to move from building your partnership to building your project.

In addition, the Ireland Wales website has developed an online partner search and idea submission facility, which aims to provide assistance when searching for and attracting project partners.

Sitemap

Terms and Conditions

Freedom of Information

The provisions of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Acts have applied to the Ireland Wales Programme since 31st May 2006. The Acts establish three statutory rights:

1.  A right for each person to access information held by public bodies
2.  A right for each person to have official information relating to himself/herself amended where it is incomplete, incorrect or misleading  
3.  A right to obtain reasons for decisions affecting oneself.

The Acts assert the right of members of the public to obtain access to official information to the greatest extent possible consistent with the public interest and the right to privacy of individuals.

Routinely Available Information

The Ireland Wales Programme routinely makes information available to the public on its functions and activities. General information is available on this website.

The FOI Acts allow public access to information held by the Ireland Wales Programme which is not routinely available through other sources. Access to information under the Acts is subject to certain exemptions and involves specific procedures and time limits.

How to Obtain Information under the FOI Acts

All applications under the FOI Acts should be addressed to:

Queries addresses to Ms Orla Kelly, Staff Officer, Southern & Eastern Regional Assembly

How to Apply for Information

In order for a request for information/records to comply with the requirements of the FOI Acts and to enable the request to be dealt with as efficiently as possible:

• Your application should be in writing.
• Your application should also indicate that the information is sought under the Freedom of Information Acts
• You should indicate if information is required in a particular form, e.g. photocopy, computer disk, etc
• You should give as much detail as possible to enable us to identify the record/s. If you have difficulty in identifying the precise records we will be happy to assist you in preparing your request;
• You may be required to prove your identity, especially when requesting personal information you may, therefore, be asked to produce your passport, driving licence or other form of identification
• You should include a daytime telephone number so that you can be contacted if it is necessary to clarify details of your request  
•  You should pay the prescribed fee by cheque or bank draft made payable to the Ireland Wales Programme

We are obliged to respond to your request within four weeks.

Privacy

Our website is designed to protect the privacy of all users.

In order to provide you with products and services, we will need to collect and use information about you. We are committed to protecting your privacy and managing your personal information in a secure environment. The website has been developed with your rights and needs in mind and will be maintained according to strict guidelines and policies. In particular, these include The Ireland Wales Privacy Principles which have been designed to ensure that personal information is protected and to specify the guidelines for the collection, use and disclosure of that personal information.

We will keep you informed about the sort of personal information we hold and for what purposes, and how we collect, use and disclose this information. You can request to access and correct any information Ireland Wales  collects about you at any time and advise us of any corrections you wish to make.

Accessibility

We have tried to make this website as accessible as possible and easy to use for everyone, regardless of circumstance or ability. This website has been designed and developed to be accessible to a wider range of people than before, including those using assistive technology,  making them easier to use, quicker to download, display better across a wide range of devices and platforms, and are simpler to update and modify. Below is information about some of the features we have implemented. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any problems accessing our content. We have tried to cater for as many people as possible but there may be occasions when we can further improve our accessibility.

Structural Content

Accessible websites start from the foundation of strucutral valid HTML code. As the building blocks of the internet, structural valid HTML displayed in conjunction with valid Cascading Style Sheets separate design from content, ensuring a quick download time, accessible viewing, and the most consistent look and feel across standards-compliant browsers. At the time of launch, this website is deemed fully-compliant to the W3C standards. However websites change over time and errors can creep in. If you find anything that needs addressing, please contact us and it will be rectified immediately.

All our page templates comply with the WCAG Priority 2 checkpoints as a minimum requirement. And we make every effort to ensure that all the content on our site meets this standard too.

Changing the font size

Accessible websites allow you to customize the font size to suit your personal preferences. Most browsers will allow you to change the font size. Most browsers have a similar feature - usually somewhere in the “View” menu. Please see the font size area in this section for more details on customisation

Alternative content

We are making every effort to ensure that we don't exclude any users. For example:

For those members of our audience who use screenreader or speech browser software, we’ve provided sensible alternative text for images where this alternative text will aid your understanding of the webpage. If you discover an image that does not have suitable alternative text,  please contact us.

We try to publish all our text content as accessible HTML rather than in other formats such as PDF. Where we do publish PDFs or other formats our policy is to make them as accessible as we can.

Javascript Alternative

We have provided alternative content for those users without the use of javascript enabled in their browsers. While scripting can be used to enhance functionality of web pages, they can also make the pages inaccessible. When designing web pages using scripts we ensure the JavaScript is directly accessible or provide an accessible, non-JavaScript alternative.

Headers

Our pages use structured headers to aid legibility. The first header on the page is the main content header followed by any appropriate sub-headers. This aids users of certain screenreaders and speech browsers - for instance: JAWS users can type INSERT+F6 to hear all the headers on the page, or CTRL+INSERT+ENTER to quickly navigate through the page by skipping to the next header.

Tables

We do not use tables, except for the display of tabular data. For users of screenreaders and speech browsers, we associate headers with their respective rows and columns to aid legibility.

Older browsers

CSS, which we use for layout and design, is not fully supported by older web browsers, resulting in unpredictable display. We recommend always updating your favorite browser to the most current and most standards compliant form to get the best out of the web.

Access Keys

We decided not to use access keys after they caused confusion in our user testing. (The users who might have benefited from access keys already used keyboard shortcuts, and said that additional, site-specific access keys were not helpful.)

Contact Us

Please contact us if you have any questions, if you are having difficulties using the site, or would like to know more about what we are doing to make our websites accessible.

Location Map

View Larger Map

Legal

Holder page

Contact Us

The Development Officer team assists organisations with preparing an application to the Programme.  The team also works with approved projects through its aftercare service to ensure successful implementation.  If you have a project idea and intend to apply for funding, please contact your local Development Officer.

Ireland Wales Programme
Joint Technical Secretariat
Old Port of Waterford Building
3rd Floor
2 George’s Street
Waterford
Ireland

Tel:   +353 51 318 100
Fax:  +353 51 318129

Email:  ireland_wales@seregassembly.ie

WIN2 Travel Scheme

The WIN2 Scheme aims to encourage the formation of partnerships that may lead to the submission of Ireland Wales Programme applications. The Scheme provides financial assistance to eligible organisations to travel between Ireland and Wales whilst developing a project application for submission to the Programme.

The assistance available takes the form of retrospective payments against the travel and subsistence costs incurred by applicant organisations travelling overseas to meet or seek potential partners, subject to the rules and eligibility criteria.

Click here for further details about the WIN2 Travel Scheme or contact Caitriona Phelan at cphelan@seregassembly.ie

Appraisal

Administrative check / Acknowledgement letter

On receipt of your application an administrative check is performed. This involves ensuring that the application is complete and that all the necessary documents have been included with the application. Following this check an acknowledgement letter will be sent to the project.

Technical assessment / Technical Check Letter

Each application is allocated to an Appraising Officer who carries out a technical assessment. This is followed up by a Technical Check Letter where the Appraising Officer may seek further information or clarification on some aspects of your application.

Cross cutting themes consultation exercise

Questions 13 and 14 of your application will be assessed by experts in the areas of Equality and Sustainable Development.

Theme leader consultation / Letter with Theme Leader queries

The application will be assessed by Irish and Welsh experts, each Priority has its own panel of experts. If the Theme Leader has any queries concerning the application a further letter containing the queries will be sent to the project partners.

Selection Scoring

Each application is assessed and a score awarded against core and priority level selection criteria.

Steering Committee / Approval or rejection

Based on your application and any further information that has been requested the Steering Committee will decide if your project is to be approved for funding or rejected.

Letter confirming decision of Steering Committee / Subsidiary Contract

A letter will be sent to you informing you of the Steering Committees decision. Subsidy contracts will be issued to Approved Projects in due course.

Partner Search

The partner search facility is intended to provide potential applicants to the Ireland Wales Programme with assistance when searching for and attracting project partners

To submit a project idea, you must register on the website. After submitting the information on your project idea, it will be stored on the website and can be edited, as required to update your project idea.

When completed, your project idea will be submitted for validation by the Joint Technical Secretariat for future publication on the website.

Please note:
The project ideas have not been assessed by the programme bodies. Therefore the Ireland Wales Programme is not responsible for the contents of the project ideas and does not guarantee for their suitability and eligibility

Programme Steering Committee

There are two Programme Steering Committees (PMC) each representing the Programme’s Priorities.  The main task of the Steering Committees is to ensure that the joint selection of projects complies with the selection procedures and criteria, as approved by the Programme Monitoring Committee.

This PSC comprises representatives from the Managing Authority, Welsh Assembly Government, the Irish Government (Department of Finance), regional and local authorities and other relevant Government Departments, state agencies and sectoral interests relevant to the priorities and themes of the Programme. A European Commission representative may participate in an advisory capacity.

The Programme Steering Committees meet to select projects after the close of each call.  The Committees are assisted by the appraisals process.

Programme Monitoring Committee

The Programme Monitoring Committee (PMC) has overall responsibility for the strategic management of the Ireland Wales Programme. It meets twice yearly and reviews the Programme’s progress against its objectives.

The Programme Monitoring Committee ensures the effectiveness and quality of project implementation by:

• considering and approving the project selection criteria
• reviewing the progress of the Programme based on reports by the Managing Authority
• examining the results of implementation, particularly for achieving the targets set for each Priority and Theme
• considering and approving implementation reports

The Programme Monitoring Committee is made up of representatives from the Managing Authority, Irish Government (Department of Finance), Welsh Assembly Government, Regional and Local Government, the environmental sector, Social Partners and the European Commission.

The PMC is jointly chaired by the Southern and Eastern Regional Authority as the Managing Authority and the Welsh Assembly Government.
 

View PMC Papers

Joint Technical Secretariat

The Joint Technical Secretariat (JTS) is responsible for the delivery of the Programme under the control of the Managing Authority. The JTS is based in the Southern and Eastern Regional Assembly in Waterford, Ireland.

Its tasks are to:

• Assist the Managing Authority in ensuring the efficient and correct management and implementation of the Programme
• Prepare and provide the information needed in meeting their responsibilities
• Process payments to beneficiaries
• Assist the Monitoring Committee and Steering Committee: meetings, implementation and follow-up of decisions
• Assist applicants and liaise with Development Officers in the project development and implementation process and monitor progress of projects on receipt of regular reports from project promoters
• Ensure applications comply with EU and national requirements and with the agreed project selection criteria for the Programme, and with obligations on information and publicity

Programme Management Structure

About the Programme

Programme Overview

The Ireland Wales Programme seeks to further develop the cross border region by:

• Improving the overall economic, environmental and social well-being of the Ireland Wales co-operation area;
• Achieving a more cohesive, balanced and sustainable development of the area;
• Contributing to the greater competitiveness of the region and that of the EU in a globalised world.

Who leads the Programme?

The Ireland Wales Programme is managed by the Southern and Eastern Regional Assembly on behalf of the Government of Ireland and the Welsh Government.

What are the aims of the Programme?

The Ireland Wales Programme 2007-2013 has an overall aim of addressing issues relating to innovation, entrepreneurship, the knowledge economy, climate change, sustainable development and providing more and better jobs between the two EU neighbours.

What are the Programme's key objectives?

The Programme has two key Priorities, each containing two themes:

Knowledge, Innovation and Skills for Growth

• Theme 1: Innovation and Competitiveness
• Theme 2: Skills for Competitiveness & Employment Integration.

Climate Change and Sustainable Regeneration

• Theme 1: Climate Change and Sustainable Development
• Theme 2: Sustainable Regeneration of Communities.

For more information on the Programme's Priorities and Themes click here.

How to get to Ireland / Wales

Ireland and Wales are well connected by rail, sea and air.

Co-operation Criteria

To qualify as a Lead Partner, organisations will have to demonstrate financial management competence and provide evidence of satisfactory Corporate Governance procedures.

Another essential building block in developing cross border partnerships is the 4 cooperation criteria. The aim of these criteria is to link them to the Lead Partner Principle which should maximize the level of joint working between partners. The Lead Partner Principle will work best if it is based around these criteria. These criteria are aimed at ensuring joint working, true cooperation and greater transparency.

The reason that these criteria have been introduced as a formal European Commission requirement is that there have been a number of criticisms in the past that similar programmes did not demonstrate sufficient levels of cross border working and that many projects were in fact just operating on a parallel basis on both sides of borders.

Article 19 of EC Regulation No 1080/2006 says that projects ‘’shall cooperate in at least two of the following ways for each operation:

• Joint Development
• Joint Implementation
• Joint Staffing
• Joint Financing

They should not be viewed as a difficulty, rather an opportunity to work closer together to deliver top quality truly joint projects.

Lead Partner Principle

A major new feature of the Ireland Wales Territorial Cooperation Programme is the full adoption of the Lead Partner Principle. This is to facilitate a more structured and effective approach to building and managing partnerships and projects.
While approved projects under the 2000-2006 Ireland Wales Programme did have a Lead Partner it did not involve many responsibilities and they were very loosely defined.

For the purposes of this programme the responsibilities are more significant and are clearly defined in Article 20 of EC Regulation No 1080/2006.
The aim is to focus and streamline the administration requirements for project managers and ensure greater levels of joint working. Compared to the arrangements in place for the 2000-2006 programme it is a more structured and organized way of managing projects.

What this means in practice for projects is as follows:

1. Project partners will initially have to decide who takes on the role of Lead Partner. When deciding this it is important to be sure that the Lead Partner has sufficient capacity in place to manage the project on behalf of all partners and deal with the administrative requirements of running an Ireland Wales funded project.
2. The Lead Partner will have to coordinate the drafting of the application in cooperation with the other partners, liaise with the Development Officer team, and submit it on time via the Development Officer team to the Joint Technical Secretariat.
3. The Lead Partner will have to draw up a partnership agreement between it and the other partners to govern their relations and to ensure that the partnership works effectively. An overview of the issues that need to be addressed in such an agreement and available for download here.
4. The Lead Partner will be responsible for signing the grant offer letter on behalf of the entire project partnership and will be the sole point of contact between the partnership and the programme management team from the submission of the project to its completion.
5. The Lead Partner will be responsible for the overall management of the project and ensuring that all of the project work packages are delivered in accordance with the project proposal and the grant offer letter.
6. The Lead Partner will be responsible for collecting all project information and monitoring and reporting about progress of the whole project in the framework of the agreed monitoring and reporting system.
7. The Lead Partner will be responsible for collecting all financial information and progress reports and will submit these as one single claim for payment to the payments section of the JTS. They will also need to ensure that all spend by the partners is directly related to the delivery of the project. Not withstanding this it should be made clear that all partners are equally responsible for financial control and coordination and will be liable for any irregularities or ineligible costs which are claimed.
8. The Lead Partner will receive all ERDF payments on behalf of the partnership and will be responsible for distributing them to their project partners.
9. The Lead Partner is only the administrative head of the project. All partners have equal responsibilities regarding its successful delivery.
10. Each project has to be a joint project. The Lead Partner Principle is simply a management and organizational tool.

Application Process

How to apply for funding?

• Download the Programme documents
  Operational Programme
  Programme & Project Management Guide

• Contact your local Development Officer
  Working with the Development Officers is mandatory. Projects will not be considered by the JTS or Steering Committee otherwise. It’s important to document the project development process.
• Submit an Expression of Interest form
  This formally registers your interest with the JTS and will be forwarded to Wales; beginning of Partner Search process.

• Develop the Partnership
• Agree who will be Lead Partner and project working relationships
• Agree your main objectives for the project
• Download the Application Form and Guidance Notes
• Download Guidance Notes for completing the Application Form
• Start filling in the application form
• Send drafts to the Development Officer team for comment
• Ensure matched funding is in place
• Final check with the Development Officer teams Submit application form and enclosures

Who can apply?

• National, Regional and Local Authorities;
• Public and State Supported agencies;
• Higher Educational Institutions, Colleges and Research Institutions;
• Private Enterprises, Voluntary and Community Sector Organisations (acting as non-profit organisations in the context of the project).

Partner Development and Search

A strong partnership between compatible organisations is essential to the development of successful cross border projects.

Our Development Officer team is in place to help you locate the partner that will suit your needs and will be able to advise you on how to move from building your partnership to building your project.
Applicants are required to work on their proposals with the Development Officers prior to formal submission of a project. Projects that have not been developed in conjunction with the Development Officer WILL NOT be deemed admissible and WILL NOT be considered for funding.

Projects will be required to show evidence of this development on the application form, and therefore applicants should keep note of their contact with the Development Officers (emails, phone calls, meetings, correspondance, etc).

How To Apply

How to apply for funding?

• Download the Programme documents
  Operational Programme
  Programme & Project Management Guide

• Contact your local Development Officer
  Working with the Development Officers is mandatory. Projects will not be considered by the JTS or Steering Committee otherwise. It’s important to document the project development process.
• Submit an Expression of Interest form
  This formally registers your interest with the JTS and will be forwarded to Wales; beginning of Partner Search process.

• Develop the Partnership
• Agree who will be Lead Partner and project working relationships
• Agree your main objectives for the project
• Download the Application Form and Guidance Notes
• Download Guidance Notes for completing the Application Form
• Start filling in the application form
• Send drafts to the Development Officer team for comment
• Ensure matched funding is in place
• Final check with the Development Officer teams Submit application form and enclosures

Who can apply?

• National, Regional and Local Authorities;
• Public and State Supported agencies;
• Higher Educational Institutions, Colleges and Research Institutions;
• Private Enterprises, Voluntary and Community Sector Organisations (acting as non-profit organisations in the context of the project).

Partner Development and Search

A strong partnership between compatible organisations is essential to the development of successful cross border projects.

Our Development Officer team is in place to help you locate the partner that will suit your needs and will be able to advise you on how to move from building your partnership to building your project.
Applicants are required to work on their proposals with the Development Officers prior to formal submission of a project. Projects that have not been developed in conjunction with the Development Officer WILL NOT be deemed admissible and WILL NOT be considered for funding.

Projects will be required to show evidence of this development on the application form, and therefore applicants should keep note of their contact with the Development Officers (emails, phone calls, meetings, correspondance, etc).

Priorities and Themes

Resources were concentrated on two key priorities to add value to the programme area:

Priority 1 – Knowledge, Innovation and Skills for growth

Development of the knowledge, R&D/innovation and entrepreneurial base of the region’s economy and enhancement of its capacity by providing targeted programmes to develop the skills and abilities of the population and the workforce. This is intended to boost job creation and foster competitiveness.

The priority is divided into two separate but related themes:

• Innovation and competitiveness
• Skills for competitiveness and employment integration

Priority 2 – Climate Change and Sustainable Regeneration

Managing physical and natural resources in an environmentally sustainable manner and providing opportunities for those living in the region to renew and sustainably regenerate their communities.

The priority is divided into two separate but related themes:

• Climate Change and Sustainable Development
• Sustainable Regeneration of Communities

For a full description of the programme, including a definition of the eligible area, please read the Operational Programme here.

Programme Objectives

The Ireland Wales Programme aims to further develop the cross border region by:

• Improving the overall economic, environmental and social well-being of the Ireland Wales co-operation area;
• Achieving a more cohesive, balanced and sustainable development of the area;
• Contributing to the greater competitiveness of the region and that of the EU in a globalised world.

The Programme focuses on co-operation to ensure integrated regional development through common strategies. This Programme is seeking projects that aim to jointly address the challenges laid out in EU, Irish and Welsh policies and have a positive impact on local communities in the cross border area.

About The Programme

What is the Ireland Wales Programme 2007-2013?

The Ireland Wales Programme 2007-2013 has an overall aim of addressing issues relating to innovation, entrepreneurship, the knowledge economy, climate change and community regeneration between both countries.

Meaning 'inter-regional', INTERREG is an EU Community programme that aims to strengthen economic and social cohesion by promoting international and cross-border co-operation.

Areas covered

The geographic areas eligible to participate in the Programme are:

In Ireland: Dublin, Meath, Kildare, Wicklow, Carlow, Wexford, Kilkenny, Waterford, South Tipperary, Cork & Kerry;

In Wales: Isle of Anglesey (Ynys Mon), Gwynedd, Conwy, Denbighshire, Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire, Swansea, Flintshire & Wrexham.

The Irish Sea forms a unifying link throughout the Programme area. Its role as the main access point for people and goods travelling between Ireland and Britain, and thereon to the Continental market, is of vital importance to the success of the Programme.

Objectives

The Ireland Wales Programme aims to further develop the cross border region by:

• Improving the overall economic, environmental and social well-being of the Ireland Wales co-operation area;
• Achieving a more cohesive, balanced and sustainable development of the area;
• Contributing to the greater competitiveness of the region and that of the EU in a globalised world.

The Programme focuses on co-operation to ensure integrated regional development through common strategies. This Programme is seeking projects that aim to jointly address the challenges laid out in EU, Irish and Welsh policies and have a positive impact on local communities in the cross border area.

Priorities

Resources were concentrated on two key priorities to add value to the programme area:

Priority 1: Knowledge, Innovation and Skills for Growth

Development of the knowledge, R&D/innovation and entrepreneurial base of the region’s economy and enhancement of its capacity by providing targeted programmes to develop the skills and abilities of the population and the workforce. This is intended to boost job creation and foster competitiveness.

The priority is pided into two separate but related themes:

• Innovation and competitiveness
• Skills for competitiveness and employment integration

Priority 2: Climate Change and Sustainable Regeneration

Managing physical and natural resources in an environmentally sustainable manner and providing opportunities for those living in the region to renew and sustainably regenerate their communities.

The priority is pided into two separate but related themes:

• Climate Change and Sustainable Development
• Sustainable Regeneration of Communities.

For a full description of the programme, including a definition of the eligible area, please read the Operational Programme here.

Funding

As the distance between the Irish and Welsh coastlines is less than 150km, the Ireland Wales Programme is eligible for funding under the cross border strand of the European Territorial Cooperation Objective.

The Ireland Wales Programme 2007-2013 differs from its predecessor in that it is a fully fledged structural funds programme. It has a total budget of €70m over the period of its operation, with approximately €52m in grant provided through the European Regional Development Fund. During Round 1 and Round 2, the Programme approved 17 projects worth €21.7 million or 43% of the overall ERDF grant allocation.

Programme

Holder Page

Our Staff

staff text here.

Home

This website will help you find information on the Ireland Wales Programme.

It will also deliver up to date information on the activities of the projects funded by the Ireland Wales Programme as well as information on the overall progress of the programme.

Some of your initial queries may be answered in our FAQ page or feel free to Contact Us directly.

About Us

What do we do?

The Ireland Wales Territorial Co-operation Programme 2007-2013 (INTERREG 4A) aims to further develop Irish Welsh co-operation in the areas of employment, innovation, climate change and sustainable development. It follows on from the Ireland Wales INTERREG IIIA Programme, which ran from 2000 to 2006 and covered themes of business and rural development, training, ICT, marine environment, culture, heritage and tourism.

INTERREG means ‘Inter-regional’ and denotes the building of links between EU regions.

The Current Programme is managed in Ireland by the Southern and Eastern Regional Assembly. It does this on behalf of the Irish Government and the Welsh Government

The Welsh European Funding Office was the lead authority of the former Ireland Wales Programme 2000-2006.

Partnership and Project Development

The Development Officer Team advises applicants on the preparation and implementation of projects, helping them to find partners in other parts of the programme area and to promote the programme. The work of the Development Officers is co-ordinated by the Joint Technical Secretariat and the Welsh Government.

The Development Officer Team is the first point of contact for all project applicants, whether you are a project promoter or are looking for a project partner.

Contact your local Development Officer.