The European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) or Indirect Funds represent the main instrument with which the European Union pursues - through the Cohesion Policy - the objective of reducing the profound disharmony that still characterises the plurality of European territories, which are extremely differentiated especially in terms of wealth and socio-economic development.
The centrality of this challenge is evident in the budget allocated to the Cohesion Policy 2021/2027 - whose implementing regulations came into force on 1 July 2021 - which will in fact have a total value of EUR 373 billion corresponding to almost one third of the long-term budget of the European Union.
What distinguishes this type of Indirect Funds from the European Direct Funds is that, while the latter are disbursed and managed directly by the European Union, the former are instead disbursed by the European Union but managed by the beneficiary States through National Operational Plans (NOPs) managed e.g. by Ministries, and Regional Operational Plans (ROPs) managed by Local Authorities.
This is the context in which the Tuscany Region's Operational Programmes are set, which regularly announce financial resources useful for significantly strengthening Tuscany's productive realities also through support for research and development activities.
For direct access to all funding and facilitation opportunities (calls for tenders), information and updates on the Regional Operational Programmes for the use of EU funds, please visit the Regione Toscana website.
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