More than £1.3 million of European money has been earmarked for deprived areas of Keighley over the next two years.

But the Objective 2 money will only come to the town if businesses and organisations promise to stump up cash too.

A further £1.02 million is in the pipeline for the years 2004 to 2006 through the special fund for job creation projects.

The ideas range from flagship projects by the likes of Keighley College and the Youth Service to new "grassroots" businesses based in local community centres.

The Euro cash can only be spent on people in Keighley's South and West wards, which include Braithwaite, Guard House, Bracken Bank, Woodhouse, Ingrow, Parkwood Rise and Highfield.

Bradford has benefited from £100 million of Objective 2 over the past few years and Keighley South and West were added to the funding map last year.

The overall aim is to increase employment, particularly by supporting the sort of people who currently find it hard to find jobs.

The flagship projects will only go ahead with significant cash input from major organisations in Keighley and Bradford.

There will be smaller "community innovation grants" for projects and activities that let local people develop entrepreneurship and confidence-building in their neighbourhoods.

Sarah Shaw, the council officer responsible for Objective 2 projects in Keighley says these could include maths and English lessons, childcare, community businesses and LETS schemes, where people exchange their time and skills rather than paying cash.

A new group has been formed to oversee the development of ideas so they might become viable projects.

The Pact group brings together business people, councillors and representatives of community groups and statutory agencies in the area.

Several get-togethers have been held over the past few months to set up the group, and the first official meeting is on June 18.

Local groups and firms are welcome to attend and join the Pact but should fill an application form in beforehand.

Sarah adds that about 60 people have already shown an interest.

She says that although the Pact will investigate potential projects, the final funding decisions will be made by the government.

But she says: "In theory anything that is approved by the Pact should go through without a problem because it will meet the criteria.

"Pact will also be a forum for generation ideas. People will come together to look at what we can support."

Application forms and more details are available from Sarah on 01535 618018.