The strategic objectives of the Competitiveness Operational Programme are to:

• increase productivity of the region's business base
• reduce intra-regional disparities
• work towards reducing carbon emissions and a low carbon economy.

The Programme will have three Priorities, which are:

• to increase the rate of innovation and knowledge in the region's businesses and improve the links between higher and further education and business.
• to focus on the development of high added value business, through enterprise and growth, across a range of sectors with particular emphasis on environmental technology.
• to increase the level of enterprise creation in some of the region's most deprived neighbourhoods through Urban Enterprise.

The Operational Programme's objectives of improving regional competitiveness through developing research, innovation, skills and knowledge whilst addressing the challenges of internationalisation chime strongly with those of the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.

Latest News

May 2008 
 
The minutes of the first formal meeting of the SW Competitiveness Joint ERDF Programme Monitoring Committee and ESF Regional Committee, which took place on 4 February 2008, are now available: Joint ERDF and ESF committee meeting minutes - 04 Feb 08 (Adobe Acrobat Reader Document - 126.37kb)

February 2008 
 
Following the launch of the ERDF Competitiveness and Employment Programme amd the Rural Development Programme for England, the presentations given by Phil McVey (Adobe Acrobat Reader Document - 128.30kb) and Sir Harry Studholme (Adobe Acrobat Reader Document - 314.16kb), are now available. 
 
Also available are the press release (Adobe Acrobat Reader Document - 69.55kb) and a question and answer document (Adobe Acrobat Reader Document - 50.03kb).

December 2007 
 
The ERDF Competitiveness Operational Programme has been approved by the European Commission and is expected to begin early in 2008. The final version of the document, along with all annexes, is available in the publications section: South West Competitiveness Operational Programme - Adopted Documents.

November 2007 
 
The lastest version of the Competitiveness Operational Programme has been submitted to the European Commission, we anticipate approval by the end of the year.

May 2007 
 
The final draft of the Competitiveness Operational Programme was submitted to the European Commission in May. This marked the beginning of a formal negotiation period with the Commission, which is expected to run until the end of the year. 
 
You can view the submitted draft, along with all the annexes and attachments, by visiting the publications section: Competitiveness Operational Programmes documents