This publication aims to contribute to the improvement in knowledge on EU Structural and Investment Funds amongst public social services in order to ensure that they are better able to access the Funds and, once accessed, that they are able to use Funds effectively, generating sustainable impact in their country, region or local community. The paper focuses in particular on the use of European Social Fund (ESF) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

The guideline is a response to a recent survey conducted by ESN in which 100 public authorities working in the field of social services were asked about their past experience with European Funds. The survey revealed that public social services face certain difficulties when it comes to accessing and using European Funds, such as finding matched funding and reliable project partners or issues around organisational capacity.