Press Release: EBLIDA working together with library applicants to access European Structural Funds 2021-2027
22 June 2021
In 2020, EBLIDA created the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) European House offering services, reports, and tools to its members.
We are very pleased to inform you that the House has just published a training tool: the “European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) 2021-2027: a Guide for library applicants” .
The EU provides plenty of financial opportunities, both direct (Horizon, Erasmus, etc.) and indirect. ESI Funds are the most important source of European indirect funding. They target not only hard infrastructure (railway corridors, motorways, broadband wirelines, and subsidies to farmers, to name but a few) but also a more cohesive Europe taking into account the cultural dimension. This is an incredible opportunity that libraries should not jeopardize.
“The advantage for libraries to resort to ESI Funds is that the programs are administered at national level, oriented towards communities, adaptable to small as well as big library initiatives and are in general adequately funded”, says Ton van Vlimmeren, EBLIDA President.
The EBLIDA Guide provides references to websites and resources that are relevant for librarians willing to access ESI Funds. Another interest of the Guide is that information is embedded into the framework of the Agenda 2030 for sustainable development; therefore, potential applicants will be tooled up to go through the SDG test.
“In eight steps, library applicants will be provided with first-hand information on EBLIDA and national resources on SDG and ESIF, with ESIF webpages and interactive maps provided by the European Commission, and with the addresses of people who are able to assist library applicants in project preparation”, maintains Giuseppe Vitiello, Director EBLIDA.
The Guide, published in 2021, is the practical companion of the EBLIDA Report The European Structural and Investment Funds 2021-2027: Funding Opportunities for Libraries published in 2020. These reports together serve as an indispensable toolkit for librarians who wish to access ESI Funds.
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