EU Peacebuilding Initiative (EUPI) 2020

Deadline: Feb 22, 2021  
CALL EXPIRED

 

1.1. Background

The EU remains committed to a just and comprehensive resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, based on the two state solution, with the State of Israel and an independent, democratic, contiguous, sovereign, and viable State of Palestine, living side by side in peace and security and mutual recognition, and with Jerusalem as shared capital of the two states – the State of Israel and the State of Palestine. This position is based on the Oslo Accords and the international consensus embodied in the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions. The EU has consistently maintained its position that this is the only realistic and viable way to fulfil the legitimate aspirations of both parties. To this end, the EU is remaining politically engaged in the Middle East Peace Process (MEPP) via policies which aim to maintain the viability of the two-state solution and encourage the parties to return to negotiations. The EU seeks to contribute to addressing the underlying causes and to re-build the conditions for a dialogue between Israeli and Palestinians also through this specific programme.

Since 1998, the EU has been actively supporting civil society and Non State actors’ initiatives in the Middle East as an essential mean of reinforcing dialogue and restoring mutual confidence. Initially such support was provided through the European Union’s People to People (P2P) Programme (1998 - 2001) and subsequently from 2002 to the present, through its successor, the EU Partnership for Peace Programme (PfP), currently renamed "EU Peacebuilding Initiative" (EUPI). 

Regrettably, the peace process has been stalled for a number of years while at the same time, the situation on the ground has continued to deteriorate with the two-state solution and the perspective for peace viewed by many observers as under real and increasing threat. In the current circumstances, it is therefore of utmost importance to help preserve the viability, and acceptance by society, of a two-state solution on the ground, pending the emergence of a more favourable bilateral, regional and international context. For this, Palestinian and Israeli constituencies need to continue to build mutual trust and confidence in a negotiated settlement of the conflict. To this end, through this call for proposals, the EUPI programme aims at supporting actions that can contribute to an improved atmosphere in which peace negotiations can resume and progress, or, at the other end, to prevent violence and escalatory tensions. 

 

1.2. Objectives of the programme and priority issues 

OBJECTIVES

The global objective of this call for proposals is to support and promote the conditions for a sustainable resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through civil society and citizens' positive engagement, helping to maintain and foster the conditions for the viability of a negotiated two-state solution.

The specific objectives of this call for proposals are divided by Lot.

Proposals must state the lot under which they are applying and demonstrate that the action aligns with the objective of that lot.  

LOT 1: CIVIL AND POLITICAL ENGAGEMENT IN PEACEBUILDING

Specific Objective 1: 

Promoting conditions for a negotiated settlement of the conflict via participatory civil and political engagement of men and women.

Expected outcomes

1.1) Citizens (women and men) support and advocate for political efforts so that the resolution of the conflict is reinforced.

1.2) Stronger advocacy is carried out by citizens (women and men), CSOs (including Women CSOs) and by other Non-State Actors in the local and international arena in favour of a peaceful settlement of the conflict and a negotiated two-state solution. 

Type of Actions, indicative list:

• • Initiatives creating a specific and measurable impact among political decision makers that either promotes or preserves the conditions necessary for a negotiated settlement of the conflict; 
• • initiatives aiming at supporting participatory and inclusive civil and political engagement of women and men on both sides through advocacy and awareness-raising for peace-oriented policy-shaping initiatives including at the grass-roots level; 
• • capacity-building support to peace activists; 
• • actions that increase inclusive youth and women’s participation in peacebuilding initiatives;
• • initiatives aiming to broaden support  for a negotiated two-state solution at the local, national, or international level(s);
• • collecting, researching, documenting and disseminating information in service of the two-state solution, including the consequences of continued confrontation;
• • initiatives aiming at strengthening the capacities of Civil Society Organisations and Non-state actors as well as reinforcing cross-border networks, platforms and fora.

LOT 2: TRUST-BUILDING

Specific Objective 2: 

Fostering mutual understanding, tolerance and trust amongst Israelis and Palestinians including at grass roots level.

Expected outcomes

2.1) Commitment to the values of peace, tolerance, non-violence and human rights as a set of value supportive of peaceful coexistence; and understanding of how these values have contributed to resolution of conflicts is strengthened within diverse communities.

2.2) Better understanding of barriers to conflict resolution caused by misinformation, incitement and biased narratives amongst Israelis and Palestinians is fostered.

2.3) Confidence between both sides and better understanding of the benefits of the two-state solution is supported. 

2.4) Fear and mistrust between Israelis and Palestinians is reduced. 

Type of Actions, indicative list:

Initiatives aiming at building mutual understanding, tolerance and trust by:

• • deconstructing traditional narrative about "the other" and fighting stereotypes (including gender ones);

• • trauma healing;
• • counteracting incitement and misinformation;
• • promoting a culture of peace and cultural-diversity; 
• • promoting inter-religious dialogue; 
• • promoting values, skills and attitude that foster sustainable peace by cultivating fairness and mutual respect;

LOT 3: STRATEGIC COOPERATION

Specific Objective 3: 

Fostering cross-border cooperation between Israelis and Palestinians based on mutual interests.

Expected outcomes

3.1) New policy arrangements are put forward in strategic areas of mutual interest.

3.2) Stronger advocacy is carried out jointly by CSOs (including Women CSOs) and by other non-state actors in the local and international arena in favour of a peaceful settlement of the conflict and a negotiated two-state solution. 

Type of Actions, indicative list:

 

• • Initiatives that harness the mutual interests of Israelis and Palestinians to foster cross-border cooperation at the level of policies and institutions; 
• • Initiatives that positively influence policies at the level of bilateral relations, such as fostering policies that are conducive to co-operation and resisting those that are detrimental to such cooperation. 
• • Initiatives that conduct, advocate for or preserve cross-border engagement by Israelis and Palestinians, as equals and based on matters of mutual interest.

 

CALL's PRIORITIES

The priority(ies) of this call for proposals are: 

•  Engaging youth (young men and young women) in conflict transformation and in building a culture of peace based on human rights according to international standards within both societies.This should be reflected in inclusive initiatives promoting youth (young men and young women) involvement in planning and policy-making, political participation, violence prevention, and promotion of societal peace by means of positive change towards peacebuilding in conflict.
•  Empowering women and girls and enhancing their role and meaningful participation in conflict prevention and conflict transformation as agents of positive change at societal level. This should be reflected in initiatives directly addressing women and girls and their meaningful participation in the entire project cycle.
•  Engaging stakeholders and constituencies that are traditionally less exposed or less, or not at all, committed to the MEPP and the two-state solution vision.

Priority will be given to initiatives targeting at least one of the above priorities. In case the action addresses more than one priority, the interconnectivity between the chosen priorities must be clearly explained in the Application.

1. 1.3. Financial allocation provided by the contracting authority

The overall indicative amount made available under this call for proposals is EUR 4,450,000. The contracting authority reserves the right not to award all available funds. 

LOT 1: EUR 1,500,000

LOT 2: EUR 1,450,000

LOT 3: EUR 1,500,000

If the allocation indicated for a specific lot cannot be used due to insufficient quality or number of proposals received, the contracting authority reserves the right to reallocate the remaining funds to other lots.

Size of grants

Any grant requested under this call for proposals must fall between the following minimum and maximum amounts:

LOT 1:

• • minimum amount: EUR 375,000
• • maximum amount: EUR 750,000

LOT 2:

• • minimum amount: EUR 362,500
• • maximum amount: EUR 725,000

LOT 3:

• • minimum amount: EUR 375,000
• • maximum amount: EUR 750,000

Any grant requested under this call for proposals must fall between the following minimum and maximum percentages of total eligible costs of the action:

• • Minimum percentage: 60% of the total eligible costs of the action.
• • Maximum percentage: 95% of the total eligible costs of the action (see also Section 2.1.5). 

Please note that in case of different maximum co-financing rate for local and non-local organisations, international organisations are not entitled to claim the maximum co-financing rate as they may never be considered as a local organisation even though they have local offices or headquarters established in the country.

The balance (i.e. the difference between the total cost of the action and the amount requested from the contracting authority) must be financed from sources other than the general budget of the Union or the European Development Fund.

 

 

2. RULES FOR THIS CALL FOR PROPOSALS 

These guidelines set out the rules for the submission, selection and implementation of the actions financed under this call, in conformity with the practical guide, which is applicable to the present call (available on the internet at this address http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/prag/document.do?locale=en).

2.1. Eligibility criteria

There are three sets of eligibility criteria, relating to:

 

(1) the actors:

• • The ‘lead applicant’, i.e. the entity submitting the application form (2.1.1),
• • if any, its co-applicant(s) (where it is not specified otherwise the lead applicant and its co-applicant(s) are hereinafter jointly referred as ‘applicant(s)’) (2.1.1), 
• • and, if any, affiliated entity(ies) to the lead applicant and/or to a co-applicant(s). (2.1.2);

(2) the actions:

Actions for which a grant may be awarded (2.1.4);

(3) the costs:

• • types of cost that may be taken into account in setting the amount of the grant (2.1.5).

 

2.1.1. Eligibility of applicants (i.e. lead applicant and co-applicant(s))

Lead applicant

(1) In order to be eligible for a grant, the lead applicant must:

• • • • be a legal person and
    • • be non-profit-making and
    • • be a specific type of organisation such as: non-governmental organisation, public sector operator, local authority, international (inter-governmental) organisation as defined by Article 156 of the EU Financial Regulation 

and 

• • • • be established in a Member State of the European Union or one of the ENI South countries (Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Syria, Tunisia), or a country that is the beneficiary of Pre-Accession Assistance (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, Serbia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkey) or a Member State of the European Economic Area (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway). This obligation does not apply to international organisations.

and

• • • • be directly responsible for the preparation and management of the action with the co-applicant(s) and affiliated entity(ies), not acting as an intermediary. 

 (2) Potential applicants may not participate in calls for proposals or be awarded grants if they are in any of the situations listed in Section 2.6.10.1 of the practical guide;

 

Lead applicants, co-applicants, affiliated entities and, in case of legal entities, persons who have powers of representation, decision-making or control over the lead applicant, the co-applicants and the affiliated entities are informed that, should they be in one of the situations of early detection or exclusion according to Section 2.6.10.1 of the practical guide, personal details (name, given name if natural person, address, legal form and name and given name of the persons with powers of representation, decision-making or control, if legal person) may be registered in the early detection and exclusion system, and communicated to the persons and entities concerned in relation to the award or the execution of a grant contract. In this respect, provisionally selected lead applicants, co-applicants and affiliated entities are obliged to declare that they are not in one of the exclusion situations through a signed declaration on honour (PRAG Annex A14) together with the full application. For grants of EUR 60 000 or less, no declaration on honour is required.

In Annex A.1 Section 2 and Annex A.2 Section 5 (‘declaration(s) by the lead applicant’), the lead applicant must declare that the lead applicant himself, the co-applicant(s) and affiliated entity(ies) are not in any of these situations.

For LOT 1 and LOT 2: The lead applicant may act individually or with co-applicant(s). However, where the lead applicant is not established either in Israel or in Palestine, then the lead applicant must act with an Israeli or a Palestinian co-applicant.

For LOT 3: The lead applicant must act with co-applicant(s) as specified hereafter. For this lot, the partnership must include at least one Israeli partner and one Palestinian partner. 

For ALL LOTS: The role of international/inter-governmental organisations and of international non-governmental organisations within the partnership should focus on the transfer of knowledge, mediation and/or innovation, helping the local organisations to strengthen relationships with their constituency and amplifying their outreach capacity. 

If awarded the grant contract, the lead applicant will become the beneficiary identified as the coordinator in Annex G (special conditions). The coordinator is the main interlocutor of the contracting authority. It represents and acts on behalf of any other co-beneficiary (if any) and coordinate the design and implementation of the action.

Co-applicant(s)

For LOT 1 and LOT 2: where the lead applicant is not established either in Israel or in Palestine, then then the lead applicant must act with an Israel or a Palestinian co-applicant.

For LOT 3: the partnership must include as a minimum one Israeli organisation and one Palestinian organisation. 

Co-applicants participate in designing and implementing the action, and the costs they incur are eligible in the same way as those incurred by the lead applicant. 

Co-applicants must satisfy the eligibility criteria as applicable to the lead applicant himself.

Co-applicants must sign the mandate in Annex A.2 Section 5.

If awarded the grant contract, the co-applicant(s) (if any) will become beneficiary(ies) in the action (together with the coordinator) .

(3)  Applicants included in the lists of EU restrictive measures (see Section 2.4. of the PRAG) at the
        moment of the award decision cannot be awarded the contract.

2.1.2. Affiliated entities

Affiliated entity(ies)

The lead applicant and its co-applicant(s) may act with affiliated entity(ies).

Only the following entities may be considered as affiliated entities to the lead applicant and/or to co-applicant(s):

Only entities having a structural link with the applicants (i.e. the lead applicant or a co-applicant), in particular a legal or capital link.

This structural link encompasses mainly two notions:

(i) Control, as defined in Directive 2013/34/EU on the annual financial statements, consolidated financial statements and related reports of certain types of undertakings:

Entities affiliated to an applicant may hence be:

• - Entities directly or indirectly controlled by the applicant (daughter companies or first-tier subsidiaries). They may also be entities controlled by an entity controlled by the applicant (granddaughter companies or second-tier subsidiaries) and the same applies to further tiers of control;
• - Entities directly or indirectly controlling the applicant (parent companies). Likewise, they may be entities controlling an entity controlling the applicant;
• - Entities under the same direct or indirect control as the applicant (sister companies).

(ii) Membership, i.e. the applicant is legally defined as a e.g. network, federation, association in which the proposed affiliated entities also participate or the applicant participates in the same entity (e.g. network, federation, association,…) as the proposed affiliated entities.

 

The structural link shall as a general rule be neither limited to the action nor established for the sole purpose of its implementation. This means that the link would exist independently of the award of the grant; it should exist before the call for proposals and remain valid after the end of the action.

 

By way of exception, an entity may be considered as affiliated to an applicant even if it has a structural link specifically established for the sole purpose of the implementation of the action in the case of so-called ‘sole applicants’ or ‘sole beneficiaries’.  A sole applicant or a sole beneficiary is a legal entity formed by several entities (a group of entities) which together comply with the criteria for being awarded the grant. For example, an association is formed by its members.

What is not an affiliated entity? 

 

The following are not considered entities affiliated to an applicant:

 

• • - Entities that have entered into a (procurement) contract or subcontract with an applicant, act as concessionaires or delegatees for public services for an applicant,
  • - Entities that receive financial support from the applicant,
  • - Entities that cooperate on a regular basis with an applicant on the basis of a memorandum of understanding or share some assets,
  • - Entities that have signed a consortium agreement under the grant contract (unless this consortium agreement leads to the creation of a ‘sole applicant’ as described above).

 

How to verify the existence of the required link with an applicant?

 

The affiliation resulting from control may in particular be proved on the basis of the consolidated accounts of the group of entities the applicant and its proposed affiliates belong to.

 

The affiliation resulting from membership may in particular be proved on the basis of the statutes or equivalent act establishing the entity (network, federation, association) which the applicant constitutes or in which the applicant participates.

If the applicants are awarded a grant contract, their affiliated entity(ies) will not become beneficiary(ies) of the action and signatory(ies) of the grant contract. However, they will participate in the design and  in the implementation of the action and the costs they incur (including those incurred for implementation contracts and financial support to third parties) may be accepted as eligible costs, provided they comply with all the relevant rules already applicable to the beneficiary(ies) under the grant contract.

Affiliated entity(ies) must satisfy the same eligibility criteria as the lead applicant and the co-applicant(s).  They must sign the affiliated entity(ies) statement in Annex A.2 Section 5.

2.1.3. Associates and contractors

The following entities are not applicants nor affiliated entities and do not have to sign the ‘mandate for co-applicant(s)’ or ‘affiliated entities' statement’:

• Associates

Other organisations or individuals may be involved in the action. Such associates play a real role in the action but may not receive funding from the grant, with the exception of per diem or travel costs. Associates do not have to meet the eligibility criteria referred to in Section 2.1.1. Associates must be mentioned in Annex A.2 Section 4 — ‘Associates participating in the action’. 

• Contractors

The beneficiaries and their affiliated entities are permitted to award contracts. Associates or affiliated entity(ies) cannot be also contractors in the project. Contractors are subject to the procurement rules set out in Annex IV to the standard grant contract.

2.1.4. Eligible actions: actions for which an application may be made

Definition: 

An action is composed of a set of activities.

Duration

The initial planned duration of an action may not be lower than 36 months nor exceed 42 months.

Sectors or themes

Conflict transformation; peacebuilding

Location

Actions must take place in one or more of the following country(ies): Israel, Palestine, EU Member States. Actions implemented in EU Member States must directly involve Israelis and/or Palestinians.

Within an action, specific activities can also be implemented in third countries which are different from the ones mentioned above, if that fits within the scope of the action.

Types of action

Eligible action shall address the call’s objectives as specified in Section 1.2. Furthermore, actions should:

• ensure consistency with the central objective of the EU in the Middle East Peace Process (MEPP), namely a just and comprehensive resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, based on the two-state solution, with the State of Israel and an independent, democratic, contiguous, sovereign and viable State of Palestine, living side by side in peace and security and mutual recognition. This includes a negotiated solution to all final status issues, including borders, Jerusalem, security, water and refugees;

• be relevant to the local context;

• be designed according to a Rights-Based Approach, taking into account the following principles: (i) legality, universality and indivisibility of human rights, (ii) participation, (iii) non-discrimination and equal access, (iv) accountability, (v) transparency and access to information;

• be designed according to a mainstreamed approach towards cross-cutting issues such as youth, gender equality, rights of persons with disabilities and environmental sustainability; 

• in case of continuation/follow up initiatives, take into account lessons learnt from previous actions and scale up potential; 

• be designed based on activities that are clearly and logically linked to a theory of change that is based on sound needs assessment and stakeholder analysis;

• include appropriate monitoring and evaluation tools to measure the proposed impact of the actions on the target group(s), attitudinal change towards peacebuilding and conflict resolution. On this regard, particular attention should be given in the log-frame to baseline data, measurable and time-bound quantities and/or qualitative indicators disaggregated by gender, age etc. and related realistic targets;

• include a detailed risk assessment and related mitigation measures.

TO NOTE: the EU Peacebuilding Initiative exists alongside other EU programmes, including the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights, the Civil Society and Local Authorities Thematic Programme, the Instrument contributing to Stability and Peace (IcSP), the East Jerusalem Programme, the Youth Empowerment programme and other regional programmes. Synergy with other EU initiatives and avoidance of duplication will be carefully assessed during the evaluation process.

 

The following types of action are ineligible:

• actions concerned only or mainly with individual sponsorships for participation in workshops, seminars, conferences and congresses are not eligible;

• actions concerned only or mainly with individual scholarships for studies or training courses are not eligible;

• actions that are exclusively training-focused are not eligible;

• core funding of the lead or co-applicant(s) or affiliated entity(s) are not eligible;

• deficit funding and capital endowment are not eligible;

• actions concerned only with one-off conferences. Conferences can only be funded if they form part of a wider range of activities to be implemented in the life-time of the project. For these purposes, preparatory activities for a conference and the publication of the proceedings of the conference do not, in themselves, constitute such “wider activities” are not eligible;

• actions which discriminate against individuals or groups of people on grounds of their gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs or lack of them, or their ethnic origin are not eligible;

• actions supporting individual political parties are not eligible;

• actions including proselytism are not eligible;

• actions that are related to boycott activities are not eligible;

• actions which include any activity inciting publicly to violence or hatred as per the definition of the EU Framework Decision 2008/913/JHA of 28 November 2008 Article 1.1 (a to d) and 1.3 are not eligible.

Types of activity

Activities should be in line with the objectives of this Call and the actions' eligibility criteria (see sections 1.2 and 2.1.4 above).

Financial support to third parties 

Applicants may propose financial support to third parties.

Applicants may propose financial support to third parties in order to help achieving the objectives of the action. 

The maximum amount of financial support per third party is 60,000 EUR.

Under this call, financial support to third parties is not considered essential to achieve the objective of the action.

In compliance with the present guidelines and notably of any conditions or restrictions in this Section, the lead applicant should define mandatorily in Section 2.1.1 of Annex A.2: 

1. (i) the overall objectives, the specific objective(s) and the outputs (i.e. the results) to be achieved with the financial support 
2. (ii) the different types of activities eligible for financial support, on the basis of a fixed list 
3. (iii) the types of persons or categories of persons which may receive financial support  

(iv) the criteria for selecting these entities and giving the financial support  

1. (v) the criteria for determining the exact amount of financial support for each third entity, and 
2. (vi) the maximum amount which may be given.

In all events, the mandatory conditions set above for giving financial support (points (i) to (vi)) have to be strictly defined in the grant contract as to avoid any exercise of discretion.

Eligible activities of financial support are those that help achieving the objectives of the action. 

For ineligible financial support activities, please see 2.1.4 (Types of ineligible actions/activities). 

 

Visibility

The applicants must take all necessary steps to publicise the fact that the European Union has financed or co-financed the action. As far as possible, actions that are wholly or partially funded by the European Union must incorporate information and communication activities designed to raise the awareness of specific or general audiences of the reasons for the action and the EU support for the action in the country or region concerned, as well as the results and the impact of this support.

Applicants must comply with the objectives and priorities and guarantee the visibility of the EU financing (see the Communication and Visibility Manual for EU external actions specified and published by the European Commission at https://ec.europa.eu/international-partnerships/comm-visibility-requirements_en. On this regard, it should be noted that in addition to the EU Logo, the EUPI programme logo is mandatory as visibility identity throughout the implementation of the Action.

Number of applications and grants per applicants / affiliated entities

The lead applicant may apply, as lead applicant, for one lot only under this call for proposals.

The lead applicant may not submit more than 2 applications under this call for proposals. 

The lead applicant may not be awarded more than 1 grant as lead applicant under this call for proposals.

The lead applicant may be a co-applicant or an affiliated entity in another application of the same lot or of another lot at the same time.

A co-applicant/affiliated entity may apply, as co-applicant/affiliated entity, for more than one lot under this call for proposals; there is no limit to the number of applications a co-applicant/affiliated entity may be part of.

A co-applicant/affiliated entity may be the co-applicant or affiliated entity in more than 1 application(s) per lot under this call for proposals.

A co-applicant/affiliated entity may be awarded more than 1 grant(s) per lot under this call for proposals.

2.1.5. Eligibility of costs: costs that can be included 

Only ‘eligible costs’ can be covered by a grant. The categories of costs that are eligible and non-eligible are indicated below. The budget is both a cost estimate and an overall ceiling for ‘eligible costs’. 

The reimbursement of eligible costs may be based on any or a combination of the following forms:

• − actual costs incurred by the beneficiary(ies) and affiliated entity(ies);

Recommendations to award a grant are always subject to the condition that the checks preceding the signing of the grant contract do not reveal problems requiring changes to the budget (such as arithmetical errors, inaccuracies, unrealistic costs and ineligible costs). The checks may give rise to requests for clarification and may lead the contracting authority to impose modifications or reductions to address such mistakes or inaccuracies. It is not possible to increase the grant or the percentage of EU co-financing as a result of these corrections.

It is therefore in the applicants' interest to provide a realistic and cost-effective budget.

Eligible direct costs

To be eligible under this call for proposals, costs must comply with the provisions of Article 14 of the general conditions to the standard grant contract (see Annex G of the guidelines).

Contingency reserve

The budget may include a contingency reserve not exceeding 5 % of the estimated direct eligible costs. It can only be used with the prior written authorisation of the contracting authority.

Eligible indirect costs

The indirect costs incurred in carrying out the action may be eligible for flat-rate funding, but the total must not exceed 7 % of the estimated total eligible direct costs. Indirect costs are eligible provided that they do not include costs assigned to another budget heading in the standard grant contract. The lead applicant may be asked to justify the percentage requested before the grant contract is signed. However, once the flat rate has been fixed in the special conditions of the grant contract, no supporting documents need to be provided.

If any of the applicants or affiliated entity(ies) is in receipt of an operating grant financed by the EU, it may not claim indirect costs on its incurred costs within the proposed budget for the action.

Contributions in kind

Contributions in kind mean the provision of goods or services to beneficiaries or affiliated entities free of charge by a third party. As contributions in kind do not involve any expenditure for beneficiaries or affiliated entities, they are normally not eligible costs. 

As an exception, contributions in kind may include personnel costs for the work carried out by volunteers under an action or work programme (which are eligible costs).

Volunteers' work may comprise up to 50 % of the co-financing. For the purposes of calculating this percentage, contributions in kind in the form of volunteers' work must be based on the unit cost provided by the contracting authority. This type of costs must be presented separately from other eligible costs in the estimated budget. The value of the volunteer’s work must always be excluded from the calculation of indirect costs.

When the estimated costs include volunteers' work, the grant shall not exceed the estimated eligible costs other than the costs for volunteers' work.

Other co-financing shall be based on estimates provided by the applicant.

Contributions in kind may not be treated as co-financing.

However, if the description of the action as proposed includes contributions in kind, the contributions have to be made.

Ineligible costs

The following costs are not eligible:

− debts and debt service charges (interest);

− provisions for losses or potential future liabilities;

− costs declared by the beneficiary(ies) and financed by another action or work programme receiving a European Union (including through EDF) grant;

− purchases of land or buildings, except where necessary for the direct implementation of the action, in which case ownership must be transferred in accordance with Article 7.5 of the general conditions of the standard grant contract, at the latest at the end of the action;

− currency exchange losses;

− credit to third parties;

− salary costs of the personnel of national administrations.

Ethics clauses and Code of Conduct

a) Absence of conflict of interest

The applicant must not be affected by any conflict of interest and must have no equivalent relation in that respect with other applicants or parties involved in the actions. Any attempt by an applicant to obtain confidential information, enter into unlawful agreements with competitors or influence the evaluation committee or the contracting authority during the process of examining, clarifying, evaluating and comparing applications will lead to the rejection of its application and may result in administrative penalties according to the Financial Regulation in force. 

b) Respect for human rights as well as environmental legislation and core labour standards 

The applicant and its staff must comply with human rights. In particular and in accordance with the applicable act, applicants who have been awarded contracts must comply with the environmental legislation including multilateral environmental agreements, and with the core labour standards as applicable and as defined in the relevant International Labour Organisation conventions (such as the conventions on freedom of association and collective bargaining; elimination of forced and compulsory labour; abolition of child labour).

Zero tolerance for sexual exploitation,  abuse and harassment:

The European Commission applies a policy of 'zero tolerance' in relation to all wrongful conduct which has an impact on the professional credibility of the applicant.  

Physical abuse or punishment, or threats of physical abuse, sexual abuse or exploitation, harassment and verbal abuse, as well as other forms of intimidation shall be prohibited. 

 

c) Anti-corruption and anti-bribery 

The applicant shall comply with all applicable laws and regulations and codes relating to anti-bribery and anti-corruption. The European Commission reserves the right to suspend or cancel project financing if corrupt practices of any kind are discovered at any stage of the award process or during the execution of a contract and if the contracting authority fails to take all appropriate measures to remedy the situation. For the purposes of this provision, ‘corrupt practices’ are the offer of a bribe, gift, gratuity or commission to any person as an inducement or reward for performing or refraining from any act relating to the award of a contract or execution of a contract already concluded with the contracting authority.

      d)  Unusual commercial expenses 

Applications will be rejected or contracts terminated if it emerges that the award or execution of a contract has given rise to unusual commercial expenses. Such unusual commercial expenses are commissions not mentioned in the main contract or not stemming from a properly concluded contract referring to the main contract, commissions not paid in return for any actual and legitimate service, commissions remitted to a tax haven, commissions paid to a payee who is not clearly identified or commissions paid to a company which has every appearance of being a front company.

Grant beneficiaries found to have paid unusual commercial expenses on projects funded by the European Union are liable, depending on the seriousness of the facts observed, to have their contracts terminated or to be permanently excluded from receiving EU/EDF funds.

e) Breach of obligations, irregularities or fraud

The contracting authority reserves the right to suspend or cancel the procedure, where the award procedure proves to have been subject to substantial breach of obligations, irregularities or fraud. If substantial breach of obligations, irregularities or fraud are discovered after the award of the contract, the contracting authority may refrain from concluding the contract.

f) Preventing incitement to hatred and violence by EU-funded Organisations

Attention is drawn to the fact that the Special Conditions of the grant contract (as per the PRAG templates) to be signed will be supplemented with the following provision:

‘Beneficiary(ies) and the recipients of financial support to third parties shall commit not to engage in activities as defined in Article 1.1 a) to d) and Article 1.3 of the EU Framework Decision 2008/913/JHA of 28 November 2008 on "combating certain forms and expressions of racism and xenophobia by means of criminal law".

This shall be without prejudice to the respect of fundamental rights as enshrined in Article 6 of Treaty on the European Union including the right of freedom of expression and information and the right of freedom of assembly and association as contained and the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms’.  

 

2.2. How to apply and the procedures to follow

To apply for this call for proposals the lead applicants need to:

 

I. Provide information about the organisations involved in the action. Please note that the registration of this data in PADOR is obligatory for this call for proposals:

Concept note step: Registration is obligatory for lead applicants applying for EU contributions of more than EUR 60 000.

Full application step: Registration is obligatory for co-applicant(s) and affiliated entity(ies). Lead applicants must make sure that their PADOR profile is up to date. 

 

II. Provide information about the action in the documents listed under sections 2.2.2 (concept note) and 2.2.5 (full application). Please note that online submission via PROSPECT is obligatory for this call,

PADOR is an on-line database in which organisations register and update information concerning their entity. Organisations registered in PADOR get a unique ID (EuropeAid ID) which they must mention in their application. PADOR is accessible via the website: http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/pador_en 

It is strongly recommended to register in PADOR well in advance and not to wait until the last minute before the  deadline to submit your application in PROSPECT. 

If it is impossible to register online in PADOR for technical reasons, the applicants and/or affiliated entity(ies) must complete the ‘PADOR off-line form attached to these guidelines. This form must be sent together with the application, by the submission deadline (see sections 2.2.2 and 2.2.5). 

Before starting using PADOR and PROSPECT, please read the user guides available on the website. All technical questions related the use of these systems should be addressed to the IT helpdesk at EuropeAid-IT-support@ec.europa.eu via the online support form in PROSPECT.

2.2.1. Concept note content  

Applications must be submitted in accordance with the concept note instructions in the grant application form annexed to these guidelines (Annex A). 

Applicants must apply in English. 

Please note that:

1. 1. In the concept note, lead applicants must only provide an estimate of the requested EU contribution as well as an indicative percentage of that contribution in relation to the eligible costs of the action. A detailed budget is to be submitted only by the lead applicants invited to submit a full application in the second phase. 
2. 2. The elements outlined in the concept note may not be modified in the full application. The EU contribution may not vary from the initial estimate by more than 20 %. Lead applicants are free to adapt the percentage of co-financing required within the minimum and maximum amount and percentages of co-financing, as laid down in these guidelines in Section 1.3. The lead applicant may replace a co-applicant or an affiliated entity only in duly justified cases (e.g. bankruptcy of initial co-applicant or affiliated entity). In this case the new co-applicant/affiliated entity must be of a similar nature as the initial one. The lead applicant may adjust the duration of the action if unforeseen circumstances outside the scope of the applicants have taken place following the submission of the concept note and require such adaptation (risk of action not being carried out). In such cases the duration must remain within the limits imposed by the guidelines for applicants. An explanation/justification of the relevant replacement/adjustment shall be included in an accompanying letter or email. 

Own contributions by the applicants can be replaced by other donors' contributions at any time.

1. 3. Only the concept note form will be evaluated. It is therefore of utmost importance that this document contains ALL relevant information concerning the action. No additional annexes should be sent.

Any error or major discrepancy related to the concept note instructions may lead to the rejection of the concept note.

Clarifications will only be requested when information provided is not sufficient to conduct an objective assessment. 

Hand-written concept notes will not be accepted.

2.2.2. Where and how to send concept notes

The concept note together with the declaration by the lead applicant (Annex A.1 section 2) must be submitted online via PROSPECT https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/europeaid/prospect following the instructions given in the PROSPECT user manual.

Upon submission of a concept note online, the lead applicant will receive an automatic confirmation of receipt in its PROSPECT profile. 

If it is impossible for lead applicants to submit their concept note online via PROSPECT for technical reasons, they must send their proposal in a sealed envelope and attach the concept note together with the declaration by the lead applicant (Annex A.1 section 2). In particular, the lead applicant must send, in a sealed envelope as described below the following items:

a. One original of the concept note. The signed declaration by the lead applicant (Annex A.1 section 2) must be printed and stapled separately and enclosed in the envelope

b. Two additional copies in A4 size, each bound. 

c. An electronic version  (CD-Rom or USB stick) of the items under point (a). The electronic file must contain exactly the same application as the paper version enclosed. 

The envelope must bear the reference number and the title of the call for proposals, together with the lot number and title, the full name and address of the lead applicant, and the words ‘Not to be opened before the opening session’ and  لا تفتح المغلفات قبل موعد الجلسة الافتتاحية.

To reduce expense and waste, we strongly recommend that you do not use plastic folders or dividers. Please also use double-sided printing if possible.

Concept notes must be submitted in a sealed envelope by registered mail, private courier service or by hand-delivery (a signed and dated certificate of receipt will be given to the deliverer) to the address below. Where lead applicants send several concept notes (if allowed to do so by the guidelines of the call), each one must be sent separately:

Postal address

European Union Representative Office for the West Bank, Gaza Strip and UNRWA

P.O. Box 22207

Mount of Olives, 91221

Jerusalem  

 

Address for hand delivery or by private courier service

European Union Representative Office for the West Bank, Gaza Strip and UNRWA

5, George Adam Smith Street 

Jerusalem

 

In Gaza City (postal and hand delivery):

European Union Representative Office for the West Bank, Gaza Strip and UNRWA

Hotel ArcMed Al Mashtal Gaza, 

# 1/1000 Salah Khalaf Street, Al Mashtal Area, Gaza City

Concept notes sent by any other means (e.g. by fax or by e-mail) or delivered to other addresses will be rejected. Hand-written concept notes will not be accepted. 

Please note that incomplete concept notes may be rejected. Lead applicants are advised to verify that their concept note is complete by using the checklist for concept note (Annex A.1, Instructions).

1. 2.2.3. Deadline for submission of concept notes 

The deadline for the submission of concept notes is  at 22 February 2021 at 15:00 hours (Brussels time).  In order to convert this deadline to local time you can use any online time converter tool that takes into account timezones and winter/summer time changes (example available here) The lead applicant is strongly advised not to wait until the last day to submit its concept note, since heavy Internet traffic or a fault with the Internet connection (including electricity failure, etc.) could lead to difficulties in submission. The Contacting Authority cannot be held responsible for any delay due to such afore-mentioned difficulties. 

In the exceptional case of submission by post or by hand delivery (see section 2.2.2), the date of submission is evidenced by the date of dispatch, the postmark or the date of the deposit slip. In the case of hand-deliveries, the deadline for receipt is at 22 February 2021 at 16:00 hours Jerusalem time as evidenced by the signed and dated receipt.

Any concept note submitted after the deadline will be rejected.

However, for reasons of administrative efficiency, the Contracting Authority may also reject any concept note sent in due time but received after the effective date of approval of the concept note evaluation (see indicative calendar under section 2.5.2).

1. 2.2.4. Further information about concept notes

Information sessions on this call for proposals will be held on dates and venues that will be communicated on the website of DG International Cooperation and Development: https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/europeaid/online-services/index.cfm?do=publi.welcome
Therefore, potential Applicants are strongly advised to regularly consult the above websites. 

Questions may be sent by e-mail no later than 21 days before the deadline for the submission of concept notes to the address(es) below, indicating clearly the reference of the call for proposals:

E-mail address: DELEGATION-WEST-BANK-GAZA-PFP@eeas.europa.eu 

The contracting authority has no obligation to provide clarifications to questions received after this date.

Replies will be given no later than 11 days before the deadline for submission of concept notes. 

To ensure equal treatment of applicants, the contracting authority cannot give a prior opinion on the eligibility of lead applicants, co-applicants, affiliated entity(ies), an action or specific activities.

No individual replies will be given to questions. All questions and answers as well as other important notices to applicants during the course of the evaluation procedure will be published on the website of DG International Cooperation and Development: https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/europeaid/online-services/index.cfm?do=publi.welcome, as the need arises. It is therefore advisable to consult the abovementioned website regularly in order to be informed of the questions and answers published.

All questions related to registration in PADOR or the online submission via PROSPECT should be addressed to the IT helpdesk at EuropeAid-IT-support@ec.europa.eu via the online support form in PROSPECT: Please note that the working languages of the IT support are: English, French and Spanish. Therefore users are invited to send their questions in English, French or Spanish should they wish to benefit from an optimum response time.

Please note that the contracting authority may decide to cancel the call for proposals procedure at any stage according to the conditions set out in Section 6.5.9 of the PRAG

1. 2.2.5. Full applications 

Lead applicants invited to submit a full application following pre-selection of their concept note must do so using the grant application form annexed to these guidelines (Annex A.2). Lead applicants should then keep strictly to the format of the grant application form and fill in the paragraphs and pages in order.

The elements outlined in the concept note cannot be modified by the lead applicant in the full application. The EU contribution may not vary from the initial estimate by more than 20 %, although lead applicants are free to adapt the percentage of co-financing required within the minimum and maximum amount and percentages of co-financing, as laid down in these guidelines under Section 1.3. The lead applicant may replace a co-applicant or an affiliated entity only in duly justified cases (e.g. bankruptcy of initial co-applicant or affiliated entity). In this case the new co-applicant/affiliated entity must be of a similar nature as the initial one. The lead applicant may adjust the duration of the action if unforeseen circumstances outside the scope of the applicants have taken place following the submission of the concept note and require such adaptation (risk of action not being carried out). In such cases the duration must remain within the limits imposed by the guidelines for applicants. An explanation/justification of the relevant replacement/adjustment shall be included in an accompanying letter or email.

Lead applicants must submit their full applications in the same language as their concept notes. A copy of the lead applicant’s accounts of the latest financial year (the profit and loss account and the balance sheet for the last financial year for which the accounts have been closed) must be uploaded in PADOR by the full application deadline. A copy of the latest account is neither required from (if any) the co-applicant(s) nor from (if any) affiliated entity(ies)).

Please complete the full application form carefully and as clearly as possible so that it can be assessed properly. 

Any error related to the points listed in the checklist (Annex A.2, Instructions) or any major inconsistency in the full application (e.g. if the amounts in the budget worksheets are inconsistent) may lead to the rejection of the application.

Clarifications will only be requested when information provided is unclear and thus prevents the contracting authority from conducting an objective assessment.

Hand-written applications will not be accepted.

Please note that only the full application form and the published annexes which have to be filled in (budget, logical framework) will be transmitted to the evaluators (and assessors, if used). It is therefore of utmost importance that these documents contain ALL the relevant information concerning the action. 

With the full application the lead applicant also has to submit the completed PADORform (Annex F) for the lead applicant, each (if any) co-applicants and each (if any) affiliated entities.

No additional annexes should be sent.

1. 1. 1. 2.2.6. Where and how to send full applications 

Full application forms together with the budget, the logical framework and the declaration by the lead applicant must be submitted online via PROSPECT https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/ europeaid/prospect following the instructions given in the users’ manual.

Upon submission of the full application online, the lead applicants will receive an automatic confirmation of receipt in their PROSPECT profile. 

(a) If the lead applicant submitted the concept note by post / hand delivery (see section 2.2.3) it must send the full application by the same means (by post or hand delivery). 

(b) If the lead applicant submitted the concept note online via PROSPECT but it is technically impossible for the organisation to submit the full application online:

In the above two cases the lead applicant must send by post the application, i.e the full application form, the budget, the logical framework and the declaration by the lead applicant. The lead applicant must send, in a sealed envelope as described below, the following items:

a. One original signed copy of the full application form, the budget and the logical framework. The declaration by the lead applicant (Annex A.2, section 5) must be printed and stapled separately and enclosed in the envelope

b. Two additional copies in A4 size, each bound.

c. An electronic version (CD-Rom or USB stick) of the items under point (a). The electronic file must contain exactly the same application as the paper version enclosed. 

To reduce expense and waste, we strongly recommend that you use only paper for your file (no plastic folders or dividers). Please also use double-sided printing if possible

Applications must be submitted in a sealed envelope by registered mail, private courier service or by hand-delivery (a signed and dated certificate of receipt will be given to the deliverer) to the address below. Where lead applicants send several applications (if allowed to do so by the guidelines of the call), each one must be sent separately:

Postal address

European Union Representative Office for the West Bank, Gaza Strip and UNRWA

P.O. Box 22207

Mount of Olives, 91221

Jerusalem  

 

Address for hand delivery or by private courier service

European Union Representative Office for the West Bank, Gaza Strip and UNRWA

5, George Adam Smith Street 

Jerusalem

 

In Gaza City (postal and hand delivery):

European Union Representative Office for the West Bank, Gaza Strip and UNRWA

Hotel ArcMed Al Mashtal Gaza, 

# 1/1000 Salah Khalaf Street, Al Mashtal Area, Gaza City

The envelope must bear the reference number and the title of the call for proposals, together with the number and title of the lot, the full name and address of the lead applicant, and the words ‘Not to be opened before the opening session’ and  لا تفتح المغلفات قبل موعد الجلسة الافتتاحية

Applications sent by any other means (e.g. by fax or by e-mail) or delivered to other addresses will be rejected. Hand-written applications will not be accepted.

Please note that incomplete applications may be rejected. Lead applicants are advised to verify that their application is complete using the checklist (Annex A.2, Instructions).

1. 1. 1. 2.2.7. Deadline for submission of full applications 

The deadline for the submission of full applications will be indicated in the letter sent to the lead applicants whose application has been pre-selected. This letter will appear online automatically in the PROSPECT profile of the lead applicant. Lead applicants who, in exceptional cases (see section 2.2.6) had to submit their application by post or hand-delivery, will receive the letter by email or by post if no e-mail address was provided.

Lead applicants are strongly advised not to wait until the last day to submit their full applications, since heavy Internet traffic or a fault with the Internet connection (including electricity failure, etc.) could lead to difficulties in submission. The Contacting Authority cannot be held responsible for any delay due to such afore-mentioned difficulties. 

In the case of submission by post, (see section 2.2.6), the date of submission is evidenced by the date of dispatch, the postmark or the date of the deposit slip. In the case of hand-deliveries, the deadline for receipt is at 16:00 hours (Jerusalem time) as evidenced by the signed and dated receipt.

Any application submitted after the deadline will be rejected. 

However, for reasons of administrative efficiency, the Contracting Authority may also reject any full application sent in due time but received after the effective date of approval of the full application evaluation (see indicative calendar under section 2.5.2). 

1. 2.2.8. Further information about full applications 

Questions may be sent by e-mail no later than 21 days before the deadline for the submission of full applications to the addresses listed below, indicating clearly the reference of the call for proposals:

E-mail address: DELEGATION-WEST-BANK-GAZA-PFP@eeas.europa.eu 

The contracting authority has no obligation to provide clarifications to questions received after this date.

Replies will be given no later than 11 days before the deadline for the submission of full applications. 

To ensure equal treatment of applicants, the contracting authority cannot give a prior opinion on the eligibility of lead applicants, co-applicants, affiliated entity(ies), or an action.

No individual replies will be given to questions. All questions and answers as well as other important notices to applicants during the course of the evaluation procedure, will be published on the website of DG International Cooperation and Development: https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/europeaid/online-services/index.cfm?do=publi.welcome as the need arises. It is therefore advisable to consult the abovementioned website regularly in order to be informed of the questions and answers published.

All questions related to registration in PADOR or the online submission via PROSPECT should be addressed to the IT helpdesk at EuropeAid-IT-support@ec.europa.eu via the online support form in PROSPECT. Please note that the working languages of the IT support are: English French and Spanish. Therefore users are invited to send their questions in English, French or Spanish should they wish to benefit from an optimum response time.

 

1. 2.3. Evaluation and selection of applications

Applications will be examined and evaluated by the contracting authority with the possible assistance of external assessors. All applications will be assessed according to the following steps and criteria.

If the examination of the application reveals that the proposed action does not meet the eligibility criteria stated in Section 2.1, the application will be rejected on this sole basis. 

 

1. (1) STEP 1: OPENING & ADMINISTRATIVE CHECKS AND CONCEPT NOTE EVALUATION

During the opening and administrative check the following will be assessed:

•  If the deadline has been met. Otherwise, the application will be automatically rejected.
• • If the concept note satisfies all the criteria specified in the checklist in Annex A.1, Instructions of the Grant application form. This includes also an assessment of the eligibility of the action. If any of the requested information is missing or is incorrect, the application may be rejected on that sole basis and the application will not be evaluated further.

The concept notes that pass this check will be evaluated on the relevance and design of the proposed action.

The concept notes will receive an overall score out of 50 using the breakdown in the evaluation grid below. The evaluation will also check on compliance with the instructions on how to complete the concept note, which can be found in Annex A.1.

The evaluation criteria are divided into headings and subheadings. Each subheading will be given a score between 1 and 5 as follows: 1 = very poor; 2 = poor; 3 = adequate; 4 = good; 5 = very good.

 

1. Relevance of the action

20

 

1.1. How relevant is the proposal to the objectives and priorities of the call for proposals and to the specific themes/sectors/areas or any other specific requirement stated in the guidelines for applicants? Are the expected results of the action aligned with the priorities defined in the guidelines for applicants (section 1.2)?

5*

1.2. How relevant is the proposal to the particular needs and constraints of the target country(ies), region(s) and/or relevant sectors (including synergy with other development initiatives and avoidance of duplication)?

5

1.3. How clearly defined and strategically chosen are those involved (final beneficiaries, target groups)? Have their needs (as rights holders and/or duty bearers) and constraints been clearly defined and does the proposal address them appropriately?

5

1.4. Does the proposal contain particular added-value elements (e.g. innovation, best practices) ? [and the other additional elements indicated under 1.2. of the guidelines for applicants]

5

2. Design of the action

30

 

2.1. How coherent is the overall design of the action? Does the proposal indicate the expected results to be achieved by the action? Does the intervention logic explain the rationale to achieve the expected results? 

5x2**

2.2. Does the design reflect a robust analysis of the problems involved, and the capacities of the relevant stakeholders? 

5

2.3. Does the design take into account external factors (risks and assumptions)? 

5

2.4. Are the activities feasible and consistent in relation to the expected results (including timeframe)? Are results (output, outcome and impact) realistic? 

5

2.5. To which extent does the proposal integrate relevant cross-cutting elements such as environmental/climate change issues, promotion of gender equality and equal opportunities, needs of disabled people, rights of minorities and rights of indigenous peoples, youth, combating HIV/AIDS (if there is a strong prevalence in the target country/region)? 

5

Maximum total score

50

 

* Note: A score of 5 (very good) will only be allocated if the proposal specifically addresses more than the required minimum number of priorities as indicated in Section 1.2 (objectives of the programme) of these guidelines.

** Note: this scores is multiplied by 2 because of its importance

Once all concept notes have been assessed, a list will be drawn up with the proposed actions ranked according to their total score. 

Firstly, only the concept notes with a score of at least 30 will be considered for pre-selection. 

Secondly, the number of concept notes will be reduced, taking account of the ranking, to the number of concept notes whose total aggregate amount of requested contributions is equal to 200% of the available budget for this call for proposals. The amount of requested contributions of each concept note will be based on the indicative financial envelopes for each lot, where relevant.

Lead applicants will receive a letter indicating the reference number of their application and the respective results. This letter will automatically appear online in the PROSPECT profile of the lead applicant. Lead applicants who, in exceptional cases (see section 2.2), had to submit their application by post or hand-delivery will receive the letter by email or by post if no e-mail address was provided.

The pre-selected lead applicants will subsequently be invited to submit full applications.

1. (2) STEP 2: EVALUATION OF THE FULL APPLICATION 

Firstly, the following will be assessed:

• • If the submission deadline has been met. Otherwise, the application will automatically be rejected.
• • If the full application satisfies all the criteria specified in the checklist (Annex A.2, Instructions). This includes also an assessment of the eligibility of the action.  If any of the requested information is missing or is incorrect, the application may be rejected on that sole basis and the application will not be evaluated further.

The full applications that pass this check will be further evaluated on their quality, including the proposed budget and capacity of the applicants and affiliated entity(ies). They will be evaluated using the evaluation criteria in the evaluation grid below. There are two types of evaluation criteria: selection and award criteria.

The selection criteria help to evaluate the applicant(s)'s and affiliated entity(ies)'s operational capacity and the lead applicant's financial capacity and are used to verify that they:

• • have stable and sufficient sources of finance to maintain their activity throughout the proposed action and, where appropriate, to participate in its funding (this only applies to lead applicants);
• • have the management capacity, professional competencies and qualifications required to successfully complete the proposed action. This applies to applicants and any affiliated entity(ies).

For the purpose of the evaluation of the financial capacity, lead applicants must ensure that the relevant information and documents (i.e. accounts of the latest financial year and external audit report, where applicable) in their PADOR profile are up to date. If the information and documents in PADOR are outdated and do not allow for a proper evaluation of the financial capacity, the application may be rejected.

The award criteria help to evaluate the quality of the applications in relation to the objectives and priorities set forth in the guidelines, and to award grants to projects which maximise the overall effectiveness of the call for proposals. They help to select applications which the contracting authority can be confident will comply with its objectives and priorities. They cover the relevance of the action, its consistency with the objectives of the call for proposals, quality, expected impact, sustainability and cost-effectiveness.

 

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