Indirect funds (or structural) are provided by the European Commission through the national or regional authorities who publish notices for their allocation.
Funds are disbursed in accordance with the following steps:
- the European Commission sets priorities
- Member States prepare a national strategy paper
- regions develop a regional operational program (ROP) and publish tender notices in which public and private entities can participate
- management authorities are tasked with implementing operational programs
- the certifying body verifies the status of expenditures and payment requests
Structural funds are aimed at products, processes or services having a local impact that is circumscribed to the region that issued the tender notice. The five structural and investment funds are:
European Rural Development Fund,Cohesion Fund, European Social Fund, European Regional Development Fund and European Maritime and Fisheries Fund.
