Grants for actions to support training in conference interpreting – academic year 2018-2019

Deadline: May 18, 2018  
CALL EXPIRED

1. Objectives

As a provider of an inter-institutional service, DG Interpretation’s mission requires it to ensure that a sufficient number of qualified conference interpreters are available to enable the European Union's institutions to function properly.

The programme contributes to this mission by supporting the following actions in the field of interpretation:

•   the promotion of quality and linguistic diversity in the teaching of interpreting in the official languages of the EU and of the candidate countries;

•   the establishment and support of postgraduate centres of excellence in interpreter training;

•   cooperation among postgraduate courses from different Member States and from candidate countries; exceptionally postgraduate courses from third countries offering languages of particular interest for the EU may also be included; and

•   the development of innovative pilot projects which create synergies with other types of interpreting training and/or contribute to rendering the interpreting profession as a whole more future-proof.

2. Timetable

Deadline for submitting applications:  18 May 2018

Meetings Evaluation Committee: June – July 2018

Award information to applicants:  July 2018

Conclusion of grant agreements: July – October 2018

Starting date of the action:

Ending date of the action:

3. Admissibility requirements

The Application form and Annexes must be submitted in paper version no later than Friday,

18 May 2018.

The application and its annexes may be drafted in any EU official language.

4. Exclusion criteria

Beneficiaries must not fall within the categories excluded under Articles 106 and 107of the Financial Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 2015/1929 - O.J.L 286 of 30/10/2015 .

By signing Section IV - declaration of the application form, applicants certify that none of the situations mentioned in articles 106 or 107 of the Financial Regulation apply and state that they are not subject to any conflict of interest.

5. Eligible applicants

•   Universities, university institutes, consortia and associations of universities or institutes, legally established in a Member State or in a candidate country, and which offer or coordinate postgraduate courses specialising in conference interpreting1;

•   Associations, consortia and bodies, legally established in a Member State or in a candidate country, whose main mission is to develop and/or support cooperation and disseminate best practices in the field of conference interpreter training1;.

•   Private sector entities may join consortia, but cannot lead them, when their specific expertise is needed for the implementation of the proposed actions.

•   Teaching establishments must be recognised by their national authorities as public or private bodies entrusted with a public task of teaching and organising courses at master or postgraduate level in the field of conference interpreting. If the applicant is not a teaching establishment, its mission must nevertheless be related to the objectives of this programme (conference interpreter training) and be recognised by the national authorities where it is established.

c) innovative projects aimed at creating synergies with other types of interpreting training and/or at fostering the interpreting profession as a whole.

The total maximum indicative budget earmarked for co-financing all the above-mentioned activities is €400 000. In addition, the total final amount awarded to projects under point c) may not exceed 10% of the total allocated budget of the Grants Programme.

6. Eligible activities and indicative budget

a) actions related to the organisation of specialised master or post-graduate courses in conference interpreting;

b) special projects aimed at contributing to interpreter training, or at applying the results of scientific research to interpreter training;

Final decision on the grant award is taken by the authorising officer on the basis of the evaluation of the received applications.

7. Selection criteria

If the application is submitted on behalf of a group of partners the financial and operational capacity of the group shall be assessed taking into consideration the effective contribution of each partner to the performance of the action.

 Financial capacity

Applicants must have stable and sufficient sources of funding to maintain their activity throughout the duration of the grant. The financial capacity of the applicant (whether a university or a private sector actor) must be commensurate with the scale, duration and the planned execution of the proposed action.

For grant requests exceeding € 60 000, the financial capacity will be evaluated on the basis of the information provided under Annex IV (Financial capacity) of the application form.

It will be assessed by applying the following formula: 1) for universities and public bodies

Applicants must demonstrate that their yearly income is at least two times the total costs of the proposed action.

2) for private sector entities

Applicants must demonstrate that their minimum yearly turnover is at least two times the total costs of the proposed action.

If the ratio is below the required minima, the authorising officer by subdelegation may either consider that the financial capacity is deemed insufficient or, where possible, take additional measures with a view to protecting EU interests, such as dividing the payment of the grant into more instalments.

 Operational capacity

Applicants must have the professional skills and qualifications required to provide specialised training at the required professional level. They must have:

•   Key staff assigned to the implementation of the action must have a proven record of relevant training and at least 3 years' experience in the field (e.g. for IT tasks, must have training plus 3 years' experience in IT-related tasks)

•   The technical and logistical infrastructure necessary to perform the proposed action.

•  In addition, associations or consortia must demonstrate their ability to manage the proposed project. They should do this by describing the roles and responsibilities of the various partners involved in the organisation of the project.

(TRUNCATED -- plase visit the public link for the full proposal)