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European Union
Funding from the European Regional Development Fund
Delivered in Wales by the Welsh European Funding Office
Opportunity Wales services are sponsored by the Objective 1 and Objective 2 programmes.
What is Objective 1?
Those regions in the Union lagging behind in their development, undergoing restructuring or facing specific geographical, economic or social problems are to be put in a better position to cope with their difficulties and to benefit fully from the opportunities offered by the single market. West Wales and the Valleys is the name of one of four areas designated as Objective One for the UK (the other three being Cornwall and the Scilly Isles; South Yorkshire; and Merseyside).
Within the Single Programming Document (PDF) of Objective One, Opportunity Wales falls within measure 2 (Stimulate and support demand for ICT applications) under priority 2 (Developing innovation and the knowledge based economy).
What is Priority 2?
The aims and objectives of Priority 2 are to improve the competitiveness of the region through the acquisition and use of knowledge and new technologies, leading to to five broad objectives:
- Create a culture of innovation.
- Diversify the economic base by growing more technology and knowledge driven firms and improving their links to the knowledge base.
- Increase investment in R&D.
- Stimulate increased demand for, and adoption of, ICTs.
- Improve environmental performance through the adoption and use of clean technologies.
It will be delivered through five measures, all funded through the European Regional Development Fund except measure 4, which is through the European Social Fund:
- Information and Communication Technology Infrastructure
- Stimulate and support demand for ICT applications
- Support for the Development of Innovation and Research and Development
- Skills for Innovation and Technology
- Clean Energy Sector Developments
What is Priority 2 Measure 2?
Priority 2 Measure 2 is "Stimulate and support demand for ICT applications", funded through ERDF.
The acquisition, analysis and use of knowledge will be the key to sustained competitiveness. Information and communication technologies will therefore need to be exploited to the full if the region is to achieve greater economic prosperity.
Stimulating the demand for ICTs is one element of the transition to an Information Society. The capacity to satisfy that increased demand via a strong indigenous supply side industry is also vital. There are three key drivers in improving the strength of the supply side - an effective existing supply industry, access to capital, and access to skills - this last point being dealt with in Measure 4.
- Enhance awareness-raising activities amongst SMEs;
- Stimulate demand by building local exemplars to demonstrate the benefits of ICTs;
- Support the use of ICT in the development of solutions to key environmental issues.
What is Objective 2?
The Objective 2 programme aims to revitalise areas that face socio-economic difficulties that can be the source of high unemployment. Objective 2 areas are more prevalent across the UK than Objective 1.
The area of Wales designated Objective 2 is called East Wales, and is broken down into specific electoral wards within the three border counties (Wrexham, Powys, Monmouthshire), as well as Newport, Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan. It has a diverse and relatively prosperous economy in terms of output, although prosperity in parts is substantially below the national average. However, significant growth potential is forecast in the region for both tourism and the development of small businesses.
Priorities
The three priorities of Objective 2 are to: develop competitive and sustainable SMEs; to provide sustainable rural development; and to regenerate urban communities.
Opportunity Wales’ work with other European programmes
As a European-funded initiative, Opportunity Wales works closely with a number of organisations and initiatives both across the entire EU, and within specific countries or regions.
Opportunity Wales has an arrangement with a number of these organisations and initiatives to share content on each others’ Web sites. This content is shared on the Opportunity Wales Web site primarily through our member services, including our News area, and our weekly eMail newsletter.
You can find further information on who we work with to disseminate news and updates, by logging into our Members’ Area, then clicking News then News information.
If you wish to find out more about how we work with other European programmes, or you belong to a programme yourself and would like to get in touch, please contact us.
 Welsh European Funding Office - delivering European structural funds throughout Wales.
European Regional Development Fund - information on the ERDF programme from the European Union.
Objective One - information on Objective One from the European Union's Inforegio site.
Objective Two – information on Objective Two from Inforegio.
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