Before revision: The European Social Fund (ESF), known as the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) since 2021 , is the European Union's main financial instrument for supporting employment in the member states of the European Union as well as promoting economic and social cohesion.
After revision: The European Social Fund (ESF), merged in 2021 with the EU Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived and the EU Programme for Employment and Social Innovation to form the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) , is the European Union's main financial instrument for supporting employment in the member states of the European Union as well as promoting economic and social cohesion.