The European Regional Development Fund is a funding programme which helps stimulate economic development and regeneration in the least prosperous regions of the EU.
Investment is targeted to meet three objectives set down by the EU: Convergence, Regional Competitiveness, as well as Employment and European Territorial Co-operation.
Since 2000, England has benefited from over £3.4 billion of ERDF investment, with a further £2.5 billion being invested in projects for the new round of programmes (current to 2013).
