Dr. Travis O'Doherty:

On the first point on the local authorities, the smaller local authorities definitely find it more difficult. A staff member may have been involved in several areas of work and they just do not have the size of teams to try to get around it. As regional contact points, we help them, encourage them to apply, answer any queries and put them in touch with whoever can answer their queries if we cannot. They might enter a project as an associate partner or junior partner or sub-partner to another organisation. We try to match-make them with suitable partners within the region or in that area of interest so they can do the lion's share of the work and the smaller local authority will come in as the junior partner. That is how we try to get their involvement. It is definitely more difficult for smaller local authorities.