Organised crime – projects addressing trafficking in human beings ISFP-2017-AG-THBX

Deadline: Jan 31, 2018  
CALL EXPIRED

1. INTRODUCTION

Article 67(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) declares ensuring a high level of security within an area of freedom, security and justice. To achieve this objective, enhanced actions at European Union level should be taken to protect people and goods from increasingly transnational threats and to support the work carried out by Member States’ competent authorities. The Internal Security Strategy for the European Union (Internal Security Strategy), adopted by the Council in February 2010, constituted a shared agenda for tackling the common security challenges and identified relevant strategic objectives for 2010- 2014. To promote the implementation of the Internal Security Strategy for the European Union (‘Internal Security Strategy’), adopted by the Council in February 2010, and to ensure that it becomes an operational reality, the Internal Security Fund (‘the Fund’) was set up. In April 2015 the European Commission adopted the European Agenda on Security (EAS) for the coming five years, which builds on the actions undertaken under the previous Internal Security Strategy, thus ensuring consistent and continued action.

The EAS represents an effective and coordinated response at European level to new and complex threats and sets out how the European Union can bring added value to support the Member States in ensuring security. It has identified the following three priorities: tackling terrorism and preventing radicalisation, disrupting organised crime and fighting cybercrime. On the basis of the EAS, the Council adopted in June 2015 the renewed European Union Internal Security Strategy 2015-2020 confirming tackling and preventing terrorism, radicalisation to terrorism and recruitment as well as financing related to terrorism, preventing and fighting serious and organised crime and preventing and fighting cybercrime as the main priorities for European Union's actions.

Legal basis of ISF Police are the following regulation:
- Regulation (EU) No 513/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 April 2014 establishing the Instrument for financial support for police cooperation, preventing and combating crime, and crisis management (OJ L 150 of 20 May 2014).

The ISF Police Regulation sets out two specific objectives, respectively:
(i) crime prevention, combating cross-border, serious and organised crime including terrorism, and reinforcing coordination and cooperation between law enforcement authorities and other

national authorities of Member States, including with Europol or other relevant Union bodies, and with relevant third countries and international organisations;
(ii) enhancing the capacity of Member States and the Union for managing effectively security- related risks and crises, and preparing for and protecting people and critical infrastructure against terrorist attacks and other security-related incidents.

In conformity with Regulation (EU) No 514/2014 Article 6.2, in order to implement the ISF Police, the Commission has adopted, on 27.09.2017, the 2017 Annual Work Programme for Union Actions, which includes this Call for Proposals.

Overview of Policy Context - Trafficking in Human Beings

Trafficking in human beings (THB) is a grave human rights violation, as well as a demand- driven, highly profitable form of transnational organised crime. It is prohibited by the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights (Article 5.3), and defined by the TFEU as a particularly serious form of organised crime (Article 83), with links to immigration policy (Article 79). The European Agenda on Security (2015) addresses trafficking in human beings. THB continues to be a priority crime area of the 2018-2021 EU Policy Cycle for organised and serious international crime, with a focus on all forms of exploitation.

Directive 2011/36/EU on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings and protecting its victims (THB Directive), replaces the Framework Decision 2002/629/JHA on combating trafficking in human beings. It establishes robust provisions on victim's protection, assistance and support, and also on prevention and prosecution of the crime. It takes a zero-tolerance approach towards the traffickers, adopts a strong human-rights based approach, and incorporates a strong gender-specific perspective recognizing that women and men are often trafficked for different purposes. The Commission's 'Transposition report' 1 assesses the transposition of the THB Directive into national laws.

The Commission 'User report'2 highlights that demand encompasses all those individuals, groups or legal persons, that are driven by the objective of exploiting victims in order to make a profit on many levels, those who directly use and abuse the victims, as well as those who act as promoters or facilitators and generally those who create and contribute to creating an enabling environment for this. Businesses using trafficking victims and taking profits from trafficking are not restricted to criminal organisations and trafficking often involves a chain of legitimate businesses. Another source of demand is consumers, who may be individuals purchasing products manufactured by victims but with no knowledge of how they have been produced, or knowing users of victims of trafficking, who ignore obvious signs of trafficking and labour/sexual exploitation, such as very low prices or signs of violence and intimidation.

The findings of the first European Commission Report on progress made in the fight against trafficking in human beings3in particular addresses trends and challenges on trafficking in human beings within the EU and the results of actions addressing trafficking in human beings, including investigation, prosecution and convictions, the use of innovative techniques, financial investigations and joint investigations and preventions and links with other crimes.

 

The 'EU Strategy towards the eradication of trafficking in human beings 2012-2016'4 is a comprehensive and forward-looking policy instrument that follows from the Directive 2011/36/EU on trafficking. The Strategy expands on issues identified in the Directive and is consistent with its comprehensive approach. It focuses, therefore, on prevention, protection, prosecution and partnerships and also on ways to increase knowledge on emerging concerns related to trafficking in human beings.

The Comprehensive Policy Review of all EC funded anti-trafficking projects (2016), a deliverable under the 2012-2016 EU Strategy, elaborates on the trafficking chains, the best use of the digital world, effectively following the money, and the best use of criminal law to reduce incentives for trafficking. Aiming for transparency and accountability, the Study found that whilst 14 % and 12 % of funded projects are on sexual exploitation and labour exploitation respectively, 14 % of EC funding is on labour exploitation projects and only 7 % is on sexual exploitation projects. Around 1 % of funded projects are on trafficking for organ removal, forced begging and criminal activity. Twenty-three percent (23 %) of funded projects are on child trafficking. Only between 2-3 % of funded projects are on trafficking of women and children, and trafficking of women.

According to the latest statistics on THB in the EU5, out of the total 15 846 ‘registered victims’ (both identified and presumed) in 2013 and 2014, trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation is still the most widespread form (67 % of registered victims, primarily affecting women and girls (95 % of registered victims)), which is followed by labour exploitation (21 % of registered victims). The other 12 % registered victims were exploited for other forms of exploitation. Over three quarters of the registered victims were women and girls (76 %). At least 15 % of the registered victims were children and 65 % of registered victims were EU citizens.

 

2. PRIORITIES OF THIS CALL FOR PROPOSALS

The main objective of this Call for Proposals, in line with ISF Police 2017 AWP is to contribute to priorities identified in the above referred relevant EU legal and policy instruments including: the findings of the first European Commission Report on progress made in the fight against trafficking in human beings (May 2016); the Report on transposition of Directive 2011/36/EU; the Report on assessing the impact of existing national law, establishing as a criminal offence the use of services which are the objects of exploitation of trafficking in human beings; and, the findings of the Commission’s Study on Comprehensive Policy Review.

Project applications submitted under the Call for proposals must address at least one of the following priorities:

Priority 1 -Profile/modus operandi of traffickers/criminal organized groups/links with other forms of serious and organized crimes, prosecutions and convictions:

Actions on operational work and cooperation between law enforcement and other relevant authorities/stakeholders,(including civil society and business sectors) should focus on the profile/modus operandi of traffickers/organized crime groups and their prosecution and conviction, as well as focus on the links between trafficking in human beings and other forms of serious and organized crime ( including financial crime, corruption, property crimes, document fraud, cybercrime, terrorism related crimes, and child sexual exploitation).

Actions should address in particular, but not being limited to, trafficking for sexual exploitation and trafficking for the purpose of engaging in criminal activities.

Actions should integrate gender-specific expertise into the activities of law enforcement and other stakeholders across EU when disrupting different forms of trafficking as relevant.

Priority 2 -Actions focusing on the wider trafficking chain, including the profits involved in trafficking in human beings

Actions should focus on prevention (especially demand reduction) and capacity building for relevant actors, including: enhancing knowledge; awareness and critical thinking; developing training; developing and sharing good practices under relevant legislation and administrative provisions and in operational activities. Relevant actors include law enforcement, economic actors and the civil society.

Actions should address in particular, but not being limited to, trafficking for sexual exploitation and trafficking for the purpose of labour exploitation.

Actions should integrate gender-specific expertise into the activities of law enforcement and other stakeholders across EU when disrupting different forms of trafficking as relevant.

This call aims to fund targeted, practical projects ensuring maximum tangible and demonstrable benefits and impacts on the lives of beneficiaries. The projects should demonstrate a sound methodology and practical implementation measures and outcomes. These aspects will be taken into account when evaluating the quality of proposals. Applicants are asked to consider maximum practical benefits, positive outcomes and impacts for the target groups and the final beneficiaries. Activities such as the mapping of existing materials should be very minor components of project proposals and where they are included a solid justification is needed in the proposal with the explanations how their inclusion leads to direct practical applications and interventions with direct effect on the ground.

Projects must be aiming to achieve one or more of the following outcomes in relation to the above priorities:

1. Actions focusing on both the profile/modus operandi of traffickers/criminal organized groups and their prosecution and conviction:

•   develop detection and investigation methodologies, including innovative techniques and approaches including as these relate to financial investigations

•   enhance communication, coordination and cooperation between law enforcement authorities and relevant EU and international organisations and agencies and civil society organizations and business entities in economic sectors (agriculture, catering industry, tourism, fisheries, hoteliers, etc)

•   develop training courses, including common events for police and/or national competent authorities and for economic sectors;

•   develop expertise and strategic analysis of the phenomenon;

•   boost intelligence-led investigations, including cross-border and joint investigations;

•   explore and share good practices in investigating and prosecuting of the crime;

•   detect and analyse links with related areas of crime, such as other forms of organised crime and illicit financial flows.

•   foster the development of effective practices to be able to address trends and challenges.

  2. Actions focusing on the wider trafficking chain, including the profits involved in trafficking in human beings, projects should address the business model of this crime, including the chain of complex actors, including, but not limited to intermediaries and facilitators:

•   enhancing knowledge, awareness and critical thinking, particularly among the various economic sectors with a potential to be implicated in the trafficking chain

•   developing campaigns, including internet and media campaigns, exposing and challenging the trafficking chain

•   develop training courses, including common events for police and/or national competent authorities, civil society and for economic sector participants;

•   develop expertise and strategic analysis of the financial business model of THB;

•   detect and analyse links between trafficking for the purposes of exploitation of victim of

  trafficking and related economic sector

•   boost law enforcement operations, including cross-border co-operations and investigations;

•   address online services in different economic sectors with potential to be implicated in the trafficking chain

•   explore and share good practices in criminal and civil legislation addressing the trafficking chain

•   explore and share good practices in the identification and the tracing of the proceeds of THB crime; in particular for following the money in online and financial services to detect illicit financial flows

•   develop public private partnerships and facilitate the involvement of civil society in the prevention of THB by addressing the trafficking chain.

Applications should demonstrate that proposals do not duplicate existing work, projects and initiatives. Proposals should include a clear sustainability plan to ensure that the results of the project are useful in the long-term and after the end of the funding. In this context, applicants are invited to take note of previously funded projects:

http://ec.europa.eu/anti-trafficking/eu-projects_en?solrsort=ds_field_publication_date%20desc.

Applicants are further expected to demonstrate under 'relevance' how their proposals are aligned with the respective EU policies and with the documents published by the European Commission:

http://ec.europa.eu/anti- trafficking/publications_en?solrsort=ds_field_publication_date%20desc

Any training and/or practical tools should have an overarching objective to make the system work better to improve outcomes for the beneficiaries. Any training and/or practical tools must take into consideration existing and available material.

All proposals for each of the priorities under this call must be transnational. Creating appropriate links with country of origins of victims is not excluded. In this context: Entities from non-ISF-P-participating countries cannot be beneficiaries and their costs are not eligible under this call for proposals. However, it is possible to submit projects that target or include participants from non-ISF-P-participating countries. Acceptable would be for instance a project targeting the situation in ISF-P-participating countries which in order to do that may for example train or organize exchanges with the Police of a non- ISF-P participating country as one of the project activities. A project solely targeting for example to build capacity to fight THB in Nigeria or do capacity development in Niger, would not be acceptable.

Proposals must take a victim-centred approach, and be gender-specific as relevant. Projects should target, but not be limited to, trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation as per the results of the Comprehensive Policy Review (see above), the statistical data available (see above), and in line with the decision of the Commission of designating 2017 as the year of focused action to address violence against women and girls.

Projects funded under this call shall also seek to promote equality between women and men and the rights of the child. Gender and rights of the child mainstreaming means integrating a gender and rights of the child perspective in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of a project, as appropriate.

All proposals relevant to children are expected to respect the child's right to participate and be aligned with Article 24 of the Charter, relevant EU law and the UN Convention on the rights of the child and describe how they will contribute to the implementation of the 10 principles for integrated child protection systems.6The child's right to be heard, as set out in in Article 12 of UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and General Comment No 12, must be an integral part of all project activities.

Child protection/safeguarding policy

If a project will involve direct contact with children, the beneficiaries of funding (including partners) need to provide their child protection/safeguarding policy, if they work directly with children during the project. Each partner must provide their own child protection policy if they will be working directly with children.7 The quality of the applicant’s child safeguarding/protection policy will be assessed under award criterion b) quality.

Any action under this Call for Proposals shall respect and shall be implemented in line with the rights and principles enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. Applications should pay appropriate attention to the effects of the project on individual rights

and freedoms, as well as to possible remedies. In addition, any action under this Call for Proposals should comply with all relevant ethical principles and all applicable international, EU and national law on ethical issues while carrying out the project.

 

3. TIMETABLE

a) Publication of the call

25 October 2017

 

b) Opening of the call for submission

25 October 2017

 

Deadline for submitting applications

31 January 2018 (17:00 CET)

 

c) Evaluation period

February-April 2018

 

d) Information to applicants

May-June 2018

 

e) Signature of Grant Agreement

October 2018

 

4. BUDGET AVAILABLE

The total budget earmarked for the co-financing of projects is estimated at EUR 2,500,000. The Commission reserves the right not to distribute all the funds available.

 

5. ADMISSIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Applications must be sent no later than the deadline for submitting applications referred to in section 3.

Applications must be submitted using the Electronic Submission System of the Participant Portal originally developed for the Horizon 2020 Research programmes.

Applications must be submitted using the standard Submission Form Part A and Part B. They must include all the mandatory information and be accompanied (if applicable) by the Audit Report8 Annexes.

Applications must be drafted in one of the EU official languages. English is preferred in order to speed up the evaluation procedure.

Projects cannot be scheduled to last more than 249 months.10 Applications for projects scheduled to run for a longer period will be rejected.

Failure to comply with these requirements will lead to the rejection of the application.

 

6. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
6.1. Eligible applicants and applications

In order to be eligible for a grant, the Applicant and the Co-applicants must be:

1. a)  legal persons; applications from natural persons are not eligible;

2. b)  public body, a non-profit-making private entity. The Applicant or co-applicants cannot be an international organisation11 or for-profit organisation

3. c)  established in a Member State of the European Union participating in the ISF Police instrument12

In order to be eligible for a grant, applications must be:

d) transnational, i.e. involving at least two entities established in two different EU Member States participating in the ISF Police AWP 2017 instrument;

4. d)  seeking EU co-funding equal to or more than EUR 250.000 and equal to or less than EUR 400,000.

5. e)  the project must not have started prior to the date of submission of the grant application.

Union agencies can be neither Applicants nor Co-applicants.

Affiliated entities, i.e. legal entities having a legal or capital link with Applicants, shall take part in the action as individual Co-applicants in order to declare eligible costs.

To prove these eligibility requirements, Applicants and Co-applicants will have to provide the relevant information and upload necessary documents showing their legal status in the Beneficiary Register. The information needs to be provided before the submission deadline.

6.2. Eligible activities
The following types of activities are eligible under this Call for Proposals:

a) mapping activities only as described in Part 2. "PRIORITIES OF THIS CALL FOR PROPOSALS"

b) training activities; as described in Part 2. "PRIORITIES OF THIS CALL FOR PROPOSALS")

c) mutual learning, identification and exchange of good practices, cooperation; d) events, conferences, expert meetings;

e) dissemination and awareness-raising activities.

The following types of activities will not be funded by the Commission under this Call for Proposals:

a) duplication of previously funded projects; (Please refer to Part 2. "PRIORITIES OF THIS CALL FOR PROPOSALS"

b) projects requiring operating grant for setting up or second phases of networks; The present call is not a Call for Operating grants.

c) direct provision of assistance packages to victims in kind or in cash, legal actions before national or international courts regardless of their grounds or objectives;

d) individual sponsorships/scholarships for participation in workshops, seminars, conferences, congresses, training courses etc.;

e) activities supporting individual political parties and/or their representatives in any way, f) equipment.

 

7. EXCLUSION CRITERIA

Applicants will be excluded from participating in the Call for Proposals procedure and from the grant award if they are in any of the situations referred to in articles 131(4) of the EU Financial Regulation13, i.e. one of the following situations:

7.1. Exclusion from participation in the Call for Proposals

• they are bankrupt or being wound up, are having their affairs administered by the courts, have entered into an arrangement with creditors, have suspended business activities, are the subject of proceedings concerning those matters, or are in any analogous situation arising from a similar procedure provided for in national legislation or regulations;
• they or persons having powers of representation, decision making or control over them have been convicted of an offence concerning their professional conduct by a judgment of a competent authority of a Member State which has the force of res judicata;
• they have been guilty of grave professional misconduct proven by any means which the contracting authority can justify including by decisions of the EIB and international organisations;
• they are not in compliance with their obligations relating to the payment of social security contributions or the payment of taxes in accordance with the legal provisions of the country in which they are established or with those of Belgium or those of the country where the action is to be implemented;
• they or persons having powers of representation, decision making or control over them have been the subject of a judgment which has the force of res judicata for fraud,

 

7.2.

corruption, involvement in a criminal organisation, money laundering or any other illegal activity, where such an illegal activity is detrimental to the Union's financial interests;

they are currently subject to an administrative penalty for: being guilty of misrepresentation in supplying the information required by the Commission as a condition of participation in a procurement or grant award procedure or for failing to supply this information; or having been declared to be in serious breach of its obligations under grant agreements or contracts financed by the Union's budget.

Exclusion from award

Applicants will not be granted financial assistance if, in the course of the grant award procedure, they:

1. (a)  are subject to a conflict of interest in connection with the action;

2. (b)  are guilty of misrepresentation in supplying the information required by the Commission as a condition of participation in the grant award procedure or fail to supply this information;

3. (c)  find themselves in one of the situations of exclusion, referred to in section 7.1.

Administrative and financial penalties may be imposed on Applicants and Co-applicants who are guilty of misrepresentation.

 

8. SELECTION CRITERIA

8.1. Financial capacity

Applicants and Co-applicants must have stable and sufficient sources of funding to maintain their activity throughout the period during which the action is being carried out and to participate in its funding. Organisations participating in several projects shall have sufficient financial capacity to implement multiple projects.

Financial capacity check will be performed by the Research Executive Agency (REA). It will be assessed in line with the requirements of the Financial Regulation (EC) No 966/2012.

The documents that will be requested when assessing the financial capacity include (1) the profit and loss account and (2) the balance sheet for the last financial year for which the accounts were closed. For newly created entities the business plan may replace the above documents.

The financial documents must be uploaded in the Beneficiary Register when uploading the application package.

In case -

- - -

In case -

- of low financial capacity, the Commission may decide the following: request further documents;
- request budget modifications / reallocations of costs;
- introduce interim payments based on interim reports;

- modify pre-financing percentage.
- of insufficient financial capacity, the Commission may decide the following: request a change of Co-applicant; reject the application.

Financial Capacity assessment will not be carried out if:

• -  the Applicant or Co-applicant is a public body or an international organisation;

• -  the EU contribution requested by the Applicant or Co-applicant is ≤ EUR 60 000.

  If the share of a grant requested by an organisation (Applicant or Co-applicant) exceeds EUR 750 000, this organisation must also provide an audit report produced by an approved external auditor certifying its accounts for the last closed financial year. This provision shall not apply to public bodies.

8.2. Operational capacity

Applicants and Co-applicants must have the professional competencies as well as appropriate qualifications necessary to complete the proposed action. This capacity shall be assessed based on the experience of the Applicants and each Co-applicant or, as an alternative, on the relevant experience of their directly involved employees.

As evidence, the following information must be provided in the Submission Form Part B of the proposal:

• -  general profiles (qualifications and experiences) of the staff primary responsible for managing and implementing the proposed action to be described under point 5.1.3,

• -  a description of the partnership in the context of the proposed action to be provided under point 5.1.1.

  The operational capacity assessment is not applicable to public bodies.

 

9. AWARD CRITERIA

Eligible applications and their proposed action will be assessed on the basis of the following award criteria:

 

Award Criteria

1. Relevance

Maximum Points 30

Threshold 21

2. Quality of the project

Maximum Points 20

-

3. Cost effectiveness

Maximum Points 20

-

4. European added value

Maximum Points 20

-

5. Expected results, dissemination, sustainability and long-term impact

Maximum Points 10

-

TOTAL

Maximum Points 100

Threshold 65

 

Evaluation Step 1:

 Relevance: applications will be assessed on the extent to which they match the priorities [and expected outcomes (if applicable)] as identified in this Call for Proposals (section 2 above) and in the relevant EU strategic documents and/or action plans (section 1

 

 

Applications receiving less than 21 points for the "relevance" criterion will not be evaluated further, i.e. will not go to Evaluation Step 2.

Evaluation Step 2:

•   Quality: applications will be assessed with regards to the appropriateness of their design and planned implementation, taking into account the envisaged activities, methodology, organisation of work and strategy for project management, evaluation and dissemination (20 points);

•   Cost-effectiveness: applications will be assessed with regards to whether the costs of the proposed action are adequate to the activities and proportionate to the expected results (20 points);

•   European added value: the project activities, outcomes and impact should have a broad EU relevance; applications will be assessed on whether a suitable number of countries is involved in the project activities and on whether the expected impact will concern a significant number of countries (20 points);

•   Expected results, dissemination, sustainability and long-term impact. (10 points). Applications that pass the threshold of minimum 65 points will be considered for funding within the limits of the available budget.

 

10. LEGAL COMMITMENTS

The award of each grant is subject to the conclusion of a Grant Agreement in writing.

The coordinators of projects proposed for funding will be invited to engage in a grant agreement preparation process, which will be carried out via an online IT system (SYGMA). If successful, it will conclude with the signature of a Grant Agreement, drawn up in euro and detailing the conditions and level of funding.

The Grant Agreement must be signed electronically first by the coordinator on behalf of the consortium and then by the European Commission. All co-beneficiaries must accede to the Grant Agreement by signing electronically the accession form to the grant.

Please note, that if international organisations are involved in the application, no other specific clauses applicable to international organisations than the ones already included in the Model Grant Agreement will be added.

Please note that the award of a grant does not establish any entitlement for subsequent years.

 

 

 

11. FINANCIAL PROVISIONS

11.1 General Principles Non-cumulative award

An action may only receive one grant from the EU budget.

In no circumstances shall the same costs be financed twice by the Union budget. To ensure this, applicants shall indicate the sources and amounts of Union funding received or applied for the same action or part of the action or for its functioning during the same financial year as well as any other funding received or applied for the same action (Submission Form Part B, section 6).

b) Non-retroactivity

No grant may be awarded retrospectively for actions already completed. A grant may be awarded for an action which has already begun only where the Applicant can demonstrate the need to start the action before the Grant Agreement is signed. In any case, costs eligible for financing may not have been incurred prior to the date of submission of the grant application.

c) Co-financing

Co-financing means that the resources which are necessary to carry out the action may not be entirely provided by the EU grant.

Co-financing of the action may take the form of:

1. the Beneficiary's own resources,
2. income generated by the action,
3. financial contributions from third parties.

Balanced budget

The Budget Estimate of the action is to be included in the Application Form. It must have revenue and expenditure in balance and must be drawn up in euro.

Beneficiaries with general accounts in a currency other than the euro shall convert costs incurred in another currency into euro at the average of the daily exchange rates published in the C series of Official Journal of the European Union, determined over the corresponding reporting period.14 Where no daily euro exchange rate is published in the Official Journal of the European Union for the currency in question, conversion shall be made at the average of the monthly accounting rates established by the Commission and published on its website, determined over the corresponding reporting period.

Beneficiaries with general accounts in euro shall convert costs incurred in another currency into euro according to their usual accounting practices.

Where the implementation of the action requires the award of procurement contracts (implementation contracts), the Beneficiary must award the contract to the bid offering best value for money or the lowest price (as appropriate), avoiding conflicts of interests and retaining the documentation for the event of an audit. Detailed information on subcontracting is provided in the Guide for Applicants.

e) Financial support to third parties
The applications may not envisage provision of financial support to third parties. f) Non-profit rule

EU grants may not have the purpose or effect of producing a profit within the framework of the action. Profit shall be defined as a surplus of the receipts over the eligible costs incurred by the Beneficiary, when the request is made for payment of the balance. In this respect, where a profit is made, the Commission shall be entitled to recover the percentage of the profit corresponding to the Union contribution to the eligible costs actually incurred by the Beneficiary to carry out the action.

 

 

 

11.2. Maximum amount requested
The EU grant is limited to a co-funding rate of 90% of the total eligible costs of the action.

Consequently, part of the total eligible expenses must be financed from sources other than the EU grant (see section 11.1.c).

11.3. Payment arrangements

A pre-financing payment corresponding to maximum 80% of the EU grant amount will be transferred to the Coordinator after the signature of the Grant Agreement by both parties and in accordance with its terms.

The Commission will establish the amount of the final payment to be made to the Coordinator on the basis of the calculation of the final grant amount. If the total of earlier payments is higher than the final grant amount, the Beneficiaries will be required to reimburse the amount paid in excess by the Commission through a recovery order.

 

12. PROCEDURE FOR THE SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS

12.1. How to apply

Proposals must be submitted by the deadline indicated in section 3 via the Electronic Submission System. The list of available calls can be found at the calls for proposals page.

Before submitting a proposal both the Applicant and Co-applicants must be registered via the Beneficiary Register and obtain the 9-digit Participant Identification Code (PIC) (one for each applicant).

In submitting a proposal, the Applicant accepts the procedures and conditions as described in this Call for Proposals and in the documents to which it refers.

No modification of the application is allowed once the deadline for submission has elapsed. However, if there is a need to clarify certain aspects or for the correction of clerical mistakes, the Commission may contact the Applicant for this purpose during the evaluation process15.

Applicants will be informed in writing about the results of the evaluation process.

12.2. Related documents

The following documents are available via the Electronic Submission System: — Application form (Submission Form Part A and Part B)
— Required annex –Audit Report16 if applicable
— Model Grant Agreement

— Guide for applicants

If the share of a grant requested by an organisation (applicant or co-applicant) exceeds EUR 750 000, this organisation must also provide

 

12.3. Applications for several projects
The Applicant may submit more than one application under this call for proposals. The Applicant may be awarded more than one grant under this call for proposals.
An organisation may participate as Applicant or Co-applicant in several applications.

12.4. Several applications for the same project

Only one application will be accepted and evaluated for any given project. In case there are several applications for the same project, the Applicant will be asked to clarify which application shall be evaluated.

An action may receive only one grant from the EU budget.

12.5. Contacts
For questions on the online submission tools, please contact the IT helpdesk set-up for this

purpose via the Participant Portal website.

Non-IT related questions shall be sent to the following email address: HOME-AMIF-UNION- ACTIONS @ec.europa.eu. In order to ensure an efficient handling of any enquiry please indicate clearly the reference of this Call for Proposals.

Questions will be answered as soon as possible. Questions received later than 7 calendar days before the deadline for submitting applications will not be answered. In the interest of equal treatment of applicants, the Commission cannot give a prior opinion on the eligibility of applicants or actions or on the outcome of the Call for Proposals before the official announcement of results.

Applicants are advised to consult the Call's website regularly. The Commission will publish at this website any additional information relevant to the Call, such as responses to frequently asked questions (if appropriate) and the results of the selection procedure.

 

13. PUBLICITY
13.1. By the Beneficiaries

Beneficiaries must clearly acknowledge the European Union’s contribution in all publications or in conjunction with activities for which the grant is used. Please refer to the Grant Agreement for more details.

13.2. By the Commission

All information relating to grants awarded in the course of a financial year shall be published on an internet site of the European Union institutions no later than the 30 June of the year following the financial year in which the grants were awarded. The Commission will publish the following information:

• -  name and address of the beneficiary,

• -  subject of the grant,

• -  amount awarded.

 

Upon a reasoned and duly substantiated request by the Beneficiary, the publication shall be waived if such disclosure risks threatening the rights and freedoms of individuals concerned as protected by the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union or harm the commercial interests of the beneficiaries.

 

14. DATA PROTECTION

The reply to any call for proposals involves the recording and processing of personal data (such as name, address and CVs of individuals participating in the co-financed action). Such data will be processed pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data by the Community institutions and bodies and on the free movement of such data. Unless indicated otherwise, the questions and any personal data requested in order to evaluate the application in accordance with the specifications of the Call for Proposal will be processed solely for that purpose by the Commission or third parties acting on behalf and under the responsibility of the Commission. Data subjects may be informed regarding further details of the processing operations, their rights and how they may be enforced by referring to the privacy statement published in the Legal Notice page of the Participant Portal.

Applicants are invited to check the relevant privacy statement at regular intervals so as to be duly informed on possible updates that may occur by the deadline for submission of their proposals or afterwards. Beneficiaries assume the legal obligation to inform their staff on the relevant processing operations that are to be performed by the Research Executive Agency; in order to do so, they have to provide them with the privacy statements published by the Agency in the Participant Portal before transmitting their data to the Agency. Personal data may be registered in the Early Detection and Exclusion System (EDES) of the European Commission provided for in Articles 105a and 108 of the EU Financial Regulation according to the applicable provisions.

 

15. MEANS OF REDRESS

If, at any stage of the administrative treatment of grant applications, the persons or entities concerned consider that they have been affected by an instance of maladministration, they may, irrespective of any other means of redress, make a complaint to the European Ombudsman in accordance with Article 228(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and as provided by the Parliament Decision of 9 March 1994 on the regulations and general conditions governing the performance of the Ombudsman's duties published in Official Journal L 113 of 4 May 1994.

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