Growth Programme Board
The Growth Programme Board is the Programme Monitoring Committee in England for the 2014-2020 European Structural and Investment Funds growth programme. The growth programme comprises the European Regional Development Fund and the European Social Fund. Operational Programmes for both Funds were approved by the European Commission in 2015.
The Board delivers the monitoring and evaluation requirements of EU Regulation 1303/2013 (‘the Common Provision Regulations’). The Board also delivers non-regulatory, strategic functions. It advises the growth programme Managing Authorities and the separate Programme Monitoring Committees for the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund, helping to align all four Funds where possible and ensure that issues are considered across the European growth programme. The Board is supported by a small number of national level policy and operational advisory sub-committees.
Across the country, 38 Local Enterprise Partnership area European Structural and Investment Fund sub-committees advise the Managing Authorities on local project calls, applications and some aspects of implementation.
Role and responsibilities
The Growth Programme Board operates in accordance with the Common Provision Regulations to:
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Approve aspects of the European Regional Development Fund and the European Social Fund
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Review, examine and give its opinion on the implementation of the European Regional Development Fund and the European Social Fund
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Monitor the delivery of programme results and achievement against targets at a national level
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Help to maximise the impact of the European growth programme
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Provide strategic advice to help the Managing Authorities align with other local growth programmes and to promote co-ordination with other European Funds.
Membership and support
The Growth Programme Board includes a wide range of partners. Both Managing Authorities - the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government for the European Regional Development Fund and the Department for Work and Pensions for the European Social Fund are joined by Defra and representatives from local government; Local Enterprise Partnerships; the private, voluntary and community sectors; further and higher education; and rural, environmental and equalities interests. The European Commission attends as an advisory member of the Committee. A membership list showing all sectors represented is provided at the link below.
Meeting dates
Growth Programme Board meeting dates for the coming months:
- 19 March 2024
Past meeting documents
Complaints procedure
There is a procedure in place to ensure complaints against the Growth Programme Board, the Local Enterprise Partnerships area European Structural and Investment Funds sub-committees and national sub-committees are considered fairly and quickly.
Read the .
ESIF programmes continue to invest in projects after the transition period ended on 31 December 2020. All funding must finish by the end of 2023.