The ESF is an important labor market policy instrument of the European Union (EU) for promoting employment in Europe. Since the European Economic Community was founded in 1957, it has improved employment opportunities, supported people through training and qualifications, helped to reduce disadvantages in the labor market and combated poverty and social exclusion. In the current funding period 2014 - 2020, EU funds amounting to around 260 million euros are available in Baden-Württemberg. The Baden-Württemberg Ministry for Social Affairs and Integration is supported in its regional funding by the regional ESF working groups, which are based in the city and district authorities.
At its annual strategy meeting, the regional ESF working group for the district of Ludwigsburg defined the regional working group strategy and the objectives for the implementation of the ESF in the district for the 2020 funding year. Funding amounting to an estimated €449,600 is available for one-year project periods - from January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020. The funding focuses on disadvantaged groups of people with particular problems:
"Improving the employability and participation opportunities of people who are particularly at risk of poverty and exclusion"
The focus here is primarily on target groups that are often disadvantaged and distant from the labour market, for whom integration into the labour market will only be possible through intermediate steps of social, psychosocial and health stabilization. These include the long-term unemployed with particular barriers to placement, long-term benefit recipients in the legal sphere of SGB II, immigrants and people with a migration background, refugees, people who have experienced flight, single parents, older people, people with disabilities and people with psychosocial problems.
"Preventing early school leaving and improving employability"
The aim here is to reach pupils who are at risk of dropping out of school and who cannot (or can no longer) be addressed by other regular school systems. This also includes marginalized young people who are not reached by the transition systems at the interface between school and work and by youth vocational assistance.
Project applications must fulfill one of the two objectives mentioned.
In addition to the two specific labor market policy objectives, implementation also takes into account the ESF's cross-cutting objectives of "equality between women and men", "equal opportunities and non-discrimination" and "environmental sustainability". In addition, the ESF provides for the aspects of "transnational cooperation" and "social innovation" as cross-cutting themes.
Project sponsors can submit their applications in writing to the L-Bank in Karlsruhe by September 30, 2019. The electronic application form ELAN, available on the website www.esf-bw.de in the "Apply for and implement funding" section, can be used for this purpose. Private individuals benefit from their participation in ESF-funded projects and funding programs and therefore cannot submit their own funding application. At the ranking meeting of the local ESF working group of the Ludwigsburg district at the end of October 2019, the project sponsor will present the project applications. After the content has been evaluated and prioritized according to state standards, the applications will be forwarded to the L-Bank for approval.
Information on the ESF, the call for proposals and the application procedure can be found on the Ludwigsburg district website at https://www.landkreis-ludwigsburg.de/de/landratsamt-landkreis/kreisverwaltung/dezernat-iv-arbeit-jugend-und-soziales/fb-43-soziales-pflege-und-versorgungsangelegenheiten/. If you have any questions, please contact the ESF office at the Ludwigsburg district office (Birgit Seiberling, Tel. 07141 144-45142, e-mail: birgit.seiberling[at]landkreis-ludwigsburg.de).
