1. Centre for Strategy & Evaluation Services Evaluation of the SME Funding Schemes - summary European Agency for Safety and Health at Work

2. Centre for Strategy & Evaluation Services Aims of evaluation An evaluation of the SME funding scheme was carried out in the first half of 2003. The main aims were to: Assess the impact and sustainability of the 2001 projects Carry out a preliminary evaluation of the 2002 projects Prepare recommendations for future funding schemes

3. Centre for Strategy & Evaluation Services Overall conclusion A well-run programme that is achieving useful results in the field of health and safety at work. Relevant to the health and safety issues faced by SMEs and shows a high degree of financial additionality. Considerable added value, beneficial impacts on the target group of SMEs, and wider demonstration effects.

4. Centre for Strategy & Evaluation Services Methodology – key phases 6

5. Centre for Strategy & Evaluation Services Numbers of projects A total of 103 projects involving total costs of some 14.7 million from the Agency.

6. Centre for Strategy & Evaluation Services Types of projects Projects supported under the SME Funding Scheme addressed a very diverse range of subjects. The analysis below is limited to the 2002-03 scheme

7. Centre for Strategy & Evaluation Services Acceptances A large number of applications. Relatively few accepted - 12% under the 2001-02 scheme and 14% the following year. Calls for proposals and subsequent procedures were clear. More time is needed to prepare project proposals.

8. Centre for Strategy & Evaluation Services Financing National projects received funding of up to 90,000 and transnational projects generally received amounts up to 200,000. The Agencys intervention rate was 55.6%. There is a higher intervention rate for transnational projects (67%) than national projects (54%).

9. Centre for Strategy & Evaluation Services Additionality Very few projects would have gone ahead without some input from Agency funding.

10. Centre for Strategy & Evaluation Services Projects that did not go ahead Of projects that did not receive Agency funding, most were unable to obtain alternative funding and did not go ahead.

11. Centre for Strategy & Evaluation Services Achievement of objectives Most projects considered that they had fully or partially achieved their objectives.

12. Centre for Strategy & Evaluation Services Help and advice Those carrying out projects rated highly the help and advice received from the Agency.

13. Centre for Strategy & Evaluation Services Numbers of SMEs benefiting Of the order of 700,000 SMEs will have benefited from the scheme in some way (after scaling up for non respondents). Of these 700,000 SMEs of the order of 80,000 SMEs will have received direct advice.

14. Centre for Strategy & Evaluation Services Number of SMEs benefiting Note: A = Number of respondents; B = Average number of beneficiaries claimed by respondents; C = Total. For the 2001-02 scheme a further total D is shown which excludes one Netherlands scheme where the data includes beneficiaries from other non Agency work

15. Centre for Strategy & Evaluation Services Period for which SMEs benefit Project holders considered that SMEs continue to benefit from the results of projects.

16. Centre for Strategy & Evaluation Services Benefits to SMEs Feedback from interviews and case studies suggests that the benefits of the SME Funding Scheme are very diverse (and consequently difficult to measure): For example: Useful case studies but difficulties in transferring experiences. The challenge of reaching SMEs. Spin off into other areas, for example reduced insurance premiums.

17. Centre for Strategy & Evaluation Services Timescale for each programme Each funding scheme takes two years from start to completion. But this only allows about 9 months for fieldwork.

18. Centre for Strategy & Evaluation Services Project timescales The one-year period for completion of projects is too short. Not enough time after completion of schemes to disseminate the results.

19. Centre for Strategy & Evaluation Services Publicity and dissemination Most projects involved a research phase and a publicity or dissemination phase. Need to concentrate more on dissemination. There are many studies carried out by others who bring together research on safety and health.

20. Centre for Strategy & Evaluation Services Recommendations - General Continued support, preferably on a larger scale, for the SME Funding Scheme. Consider whether the SME Funding Scheme should continue in its current form, i.e. as a separate scheme, or become part of a larger EU-funded programme. If the SME Funding Scheme continues in its present form, the funding arrangements should be altered to allow projects to be supported on a multi-annual basis. Similarly, if the SME Funding Scheme continues in its present form, there should be a greater focus on the types of projects that deliver the highest Community added value. There also needs to be more emphasis on ensuring that the results of projects are disseminated as widely as possible.

21. Centre for Strategy & Evaluation Services Recommendations – Using other EU funds Steps should be taken to ensure that synergies with other EU funded networks and programmes are maximised. Horizontal theme in major EU-supported programmes such as the Structural Funds. Prepare guidance aimed at policymakers in regional authorities explaining what sorts of health and safety projects are eligible for support. The Agency should investigate the possibility of similar guidance being included in other major EU funding initiatives, in particular the agricultural and fishery funds.

22. Centre for Strategy & Evaluation Services Recommendations – New Member States Whilst a transfer of know-how from the Agencys EU15 SME Funding Scheme to the New Member States (NMSs) is desirable, this should be a two-way process. Following EU enlargement, there is a strong case for a special SME Funding Scheme for the NMSs. There is a need to review experience from EU15 to identify ideas and good practices in the safety and health at work field that are especially relevant to the NMSs. Support should be provided, where necessary, to help develop safety and health at work institutional capacity and policies in the NMSs. Many of the suggested improvements to the SME Funding Scheme that has operated in EU15 are especially relevant to the NMSs and should be implemented there if a scheme is to be launched that goes beyond transferring best practices.