Publication - Advice and guidance
European Structural and Investment Funds: formal evaluations
Analytical documents of the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIFs) from 2014 to 2020.
Preparing operational programmes needs extensive analytical work to support the selection of priority axes and targets.
These documents include:
- an evidential baseline of the need for investment
- an equalities impact assessment and strategic environmental assessment of the draft programmes
- a full ex-ante evaluation of the programmes, their design and the likelihood that this design will deliver against the selected objectives and targets
Also included are evaluations of the current 2014-2020 programmes with regard to delivery structures and partnership working, and the programmes in the Highlands and Islands.
Development programmes impact study 1975 to 2025
We commissioned the University’s European Policies Centre (EPRC) to produce the study ‘What has EU Cohesion Policy funding done for us?’ (November 2025). This study looks at the impact of more than 60 development programmes between 1975 and 2025 when the last Scottish programme finally closed.
