Preparatory Action Finance, Learning, Innovation and Patenting for Cultural and Creative Industries – third phase (FLIP for CCIs 3)

Deadline: Aug 4, 2020  
CALL EXPIRED

1. INTRODUCTION – BACKGROUND

During difficult times such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the true values of culture and creativity in our lives become once more visible, confined people are turning to culture to comfort their souls. At the same time, cultural and creative sector professionals are struggling to make a living more than ever before, in a situation where cultural institutions and venues around the world had to suspend their activities, leaving innumerable cultural events cancelled, creative hubs struggling to pay their monthly rents and keeping their communities going, and creative industries in general being affected without precedent. 95% of the cultural and creative sectors consist of small enterprises, independent artists and freelancers. They are vulnerable and disproportionately affected and the question remains not only how to recover, but also how to sustainably enhance the resilience of the cultural and creative sectors both in the short and longer term?

On the other hand, helping to find innovative solutions to societal challenges and societies in transition has always been the speciality of cultural and creative sectors. In addition to their intrinsic value and creativity, they are inter-connected and inter- dependent. To really tap into the transformative power of culture, a holistic approach is required, focussing on ecosystems where culture and creativity exist and support each other, and to ensure the flow of knowledge and skills from the CCIs to more traditional industries and parts of society, even more so in exceptional and difficult times.

The crossovers between the cultural and creative sectors and other sectors is of crucial importance to achieve this. As specified by the 2015 Council conclusion, they are "a process of combining knowledge and skills specific to the cultural and creative sector together with those of other sectors in order to generate innovative and intelligent solutions for today’s societal challenges".

The importance of Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs) has been acknowledged in different policy documents as well as by the 2016 European Parliament Resolution on a coherent EU policy for cultural and creative industries. The resolution stresses the importance of cultural and creative industries in the economy and job creation, in promoting and preserving cultural diversity, strengthening social cohesion and increasing Europe’s attractiveness internationally. CCIs play a key role in reindustrialising Europe and trigger innovation spill-overs in many other sectors, from manufacturing to education or social inclusion.

The 2020 Commission communication on a new industrial policy strategy also stresses that the twin ecological and digital transitions will affect every part of our economy, society and industry. New technologies, products, services, markets and business models will be created and new types of jobs, as well as a shift from linear production to the circular economy. As stated in the communication, the Commission “is ready to co- design and co-create solutions with industry itself, as well as with social partners and other stakeholders. This will be supported by a new focus on industrial ecosystems, taking into account all players within a value chain. This is our new approach and reflects the need for new ways of thinking and working...”.

One of the five priority themes of the EU Work Plan for Culture 2019-2022 is "an ecosystem supporting artists, cultural and creative professionals and European content". The Work Plan emphasises that the cultural and creative sectors in Europe are characterised by self-employment, small- and micro-enterprises, and cultural and linguistic diversity. Artists and cultural and creative professionals tend to have project- based careers and a high degree of mobility, while they often have an irregular and unpredictable income and combine several jobs to earn a living. Innovation is particularly driven by individual artists, creators and small cultural institutions, whose value creation is mainly based on intangible assets, such as original ideas, know-how and creativity. In order to increase Europe's competitiveness and to stimulate innovation, Europe must build on its creative and cultural assets. The mobility of artists and cultural and creative professionals, the circulation and translation of European content, training and talent development, fair pay and working conditions, access to finance and cross-border cooperation are issues of specific interest for research and exchange at European level."

In the 2017 European Parliament resolution on a new skills agenda for Europe, cultural and creative industries are explicitly mentioned as contributing to social well-being, innovation, employment and as stimulating the EU’s economic development. The resolution also recalls that creative education develops transferable skills such as creative thinking, problem-solving, teamwork, and resourcefulness. The new skills agenda acknowledges that arts and media sectors are of particular appeal to young people and points out that entrepreneurship requires the development of transversal skills such as creativity, critical thinking, teamwork and a sense of initiative, which contribute to young people’s personal and professional development and facilitates their transition into the job market. It furthermore believes that there is a need to facilitate and encourage participation by entrepreneurs in the educational process.

The 2018 OMC Report on "the role of public policies in developing entrepreneurial and innovation potential of the cultural and creative sectors" is also relevant in this context. This cross-sectoral group consisting of the Ministries of Economics and the Ministries of Culture of Member States also highlighted the importance of CCIs skills development and related issues: It states that there is a strong need for a greater openness towards a broad and more inclusive meaning of innovation – beyond its technological aspects - which highlight the role of culture and creativity in its process. This would also empower professionals in the cultural and creative sectors with the necessary mix of required skills, provided through specifically designed capacity building programmes.

In recent years, CCIs have received more attention with respect to both policies and funding, also thanks to the previous rounds of the pilot projects “FLIP (Finance, Learning, Innovation and Patenting) for CCIs” and the visibility and awareness they helped to create.

The 2020 Annual Work Programme1 for the implementation of the Preparatory Action2 "Finance, Learning, Innovation and Patenting for Cultural and Creative Industries (FLIP for CCIs)" foresees the launch of a call for proposals funded under Budget Line 15 04 77 22, with EUR 1.5 million allocated to the development of an action addressing this specific objective.

 

2. OBJECTIVES – ACTIVITIES – RESULTS

2.1. OBJECTIVES

Objectives with respect to helping to cope with COVID-19 challenges

Cultural and creative sectors and industries are vulnerable and disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The objective of this call with respect to COVID- 19 is to help the CCS respond to the current crisis and build a stronger resilience in the longer term in order to sustain other potential disruptive shocks.

Objectives with respect to previous phases

The first phase of the pilot project FLIP (Finance, Learning, Innovation and Patenting) for CCIs-1 focussed on the following areas: (1) Finance: Elaboration of guidelines, follow-up of EU CCI actions; (2) Learning: Support skills classification system, development of guidelines for CCI skills development, activities and dissemination; (3) Innovation: Guidelines for CCIs development, good practice cases and showcase events on innovative models, peer-to-peer hubs exchange and (4) Patenting: Analysis, case studies and recommendations, as specified in the call for proposals EAC/S11/2018.

Since areas 1 (Finance) and 4 (Patenting) had been covered extensively already by FLIP for CCIs-1, the second phase of the pilot project (FLIP for CCIs-2) focused on areas 2 (Learning) and 3 (Innovation) as specified in the call for proposals EAC/S12/2019. The second phase had a regional angle and on how regions can foster job creation through specific actions for skills development and geographical and occupational mobility in the heritage-based CCIs. FLIP for CCIs 2 also focussed more specifically on cultural heritage and related skills, looking at all aspects of conservation, management and enhancement of tangible and intangible cultural heritage in an innovative way.

Main objectives of FLIP for CCIs-3

The present action (FLIP for CCIs-3) will build on the achievements of the previous two pilot projects (FLIP-1 and FLIP-2), complement them and prepare proposals with a view to the adoption of future actions/basic acts for sustaining and developing CCIs, aiming at generating cross-sectoral benefits and spill-overs in the different areas and sectors CCIs interface with.

The main objective of the FLIP-3 action is to organise activities in the areas of Financing, Learning, Innovation and Intellectual Property Rights for cultural and creative sectors. The objective of the action is also to work in a truly cross-sectoral manner between the different project components.

With view to the COVID-19 pandemic, the objective of this action is also to look for answers to make CCIs more resilient. The objective of the present action is also to contribute to a better skills development of CCIs and to encourage connections of creative industries and "third places" such as creative hubs, maker spaces, fablabs, cultural centers, community centers and traditional sectors/enterprises and schools with a view to creating new collaboration and employment opportunities in a cross-sectoral way.

The specific objectives of this call for proposals are listed and described in point 2.4 below.

2.2. PROJECT

The grant agreement resulting from this call for proposals will be assigned to one single project.

The purpose of this call is to select an organisation that will co-ordinate and organise different activities with cultural and creative professionals and entrepreneurs, in particular SMEs and micro-enterprises, as well as other stakeholders.

2.3. BENEFICIARIES

Proposals should contain information as to the planned beneficiaries of the action, which must be cultural and creative professionals and entrepreneurs as well as other stakeholders active in the cultural and creative sectors3.

Applicants should describe how they plan to engage with the relevant actors and describe how they will mitigate the risk of lack of incentives for relevant actors, CCIs and other stakeholders to engage.

2.4. SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES Geographical and sectorial scope:

Proposals should specify how they are going to achieve a wide geographical coverage through meaningful active and continuous joint activities and exchanges, involving a wide range of European and neighbouring countries4 as well as a wide sectoral5 and cross-sectoral coverage.

The proposal should as a minimum include the following activities in the fields of skills enhancement, testing of innovative approaches, as well as concerning valuing and defending intellectual property produced by CCIs:

 

1- FINANCE

Specific objective n°1 in the field of Finance: Recommendations on resilience of CCIs, also linked to COVID-19

Cultural and creative sectors and industries are vulnerable and disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Applicants should describe how they will help to find answers to how to sustainably enhance the resilience of the cultural and creative sectors (both in the short and longer term) and how the sector can survive financially also in difficult times.

In order to arrive at findings and recommendations, a short literature review, interviews/survey as well as the organisation of thematic workshops, communities of practice and other tools should be used, involving already existing networks and communities.

Specific objective n°2 in the field of Finance: development of a fund-finder App/website

FLIP-1 carried out a mapping of the financing landscape for CCIs and an exchange of good practice in the area of access to finance for CCS. It examined learning lessons as well as barriers to access to finance and the possibilities to combine different financing instruments, carried out workshops, a survey and drafted recommendations.

Applicants should describe how FLIP-3 will use the mapping done in FLIP-1, the OMC report “Access to Finance for CCIs”, the OMC report “Innovation and Entrepreneurship in CCS”, the EU Commission’s funding websites as well as other sources to build a fund- finder App (or if not feasible, a specific website) for CCIs. The App/website should be easy to use and be tailored to the different user profiles of cultural and creative sector professionals to guide them via simple questions to the most adapted funding sources at EU, national, regional, local level and give examples with descriptions of previous funded projects/beneficiaries within the relevant funding source suggested. It will include all kinds of different funding schemes (grants, loans, in-kind, residencies, networks, local tax schemes etc.), with different co-financing rates and include a wide scope of financing open to CCS (including regional, social enterprises and other), and go beyond linking to general websites of funders (i.e. link to specific open calls, which means that the App/website would need to be updated on a frequent basis).

Applicants should describe how they will make use of already existing tools and CCS fund-finders6 as well as CCI crowdfunding7 websites, taking particularly care of the provisions specified under 12.1 (publicity). Applicants should explain how they intend to ensure sustainability and continuous updating of the website/App in the long term and involve the Creative Europe Desks, Horizon Desks, Erasmus desks at EU-wide level and the EU Commision starting at a very early stage of the conceptualisation, development, testing, feeding/updating/linking of their own funding websites to their CCI funding website/App.

Applicants should also elaborate on how they will promote the App’s/website’s use among stakeholders (and how to create incentives to do so, f.ex. among participants of the peer programmes or the workshops, conferences etc.), how they will make it appealing graphically, easy to navigate and user friendly (also for mobile phone use), and how they plan to collect and analyse the data gathered to present the results in the project’s final study. Synergies with the App/website to be developed under specific objective n°10 should be explored and described.

Applicants should describe their sustainability plan of this App/website for at least 6 years after project closure, as well as a plan to test the App/website with potential beneficiaries in the early stages of its development (co-creation with users).

Specific objective n°3 in the field of Finance: proposals for future CCI actions

Applicants should describe how FLIP-3 will build on previous achievements, complement them and, in consultation with cultural and creative sectors, the European Parliament, the European Commission and other actors at national/regional/local levels prepare proposals with a view to the adoption of future actions/basic acts for sustaining and developing CCIs.

2 - LEARNING/ SKILLS ENHANCEMENT

Specific objective n°4 in the field of Skills enhancement: Using ESCO8 to enhance CCIs skills classification

The first phase of the FLIP-CCI project contributed to enhance and update a selected number of occupations and skills profiles of the culture sectors in ESCO, the multilingual classification system for European skills, competences, qualifications and occupations. FLIP-1 checked a number of current ESCO descriptions of occupations and skills for the CCIs and compared them with proposals for new skills and occupations in the sector suggested by stakeholders, with the aim to improve these profiles and/or integrate new ones into the classification.

During the second phase of the project (FLIP-2), the analysis focused on cultural heritage professions. The project's goal was to use ESCO to identify, categorise and enhance skills, competences, qualifications and occupations relevant for the European labour market and education and training for cultural heritage. It will make suggestions for improving collection, comparison and dissemination of data in skills intelligence and statistical tools in order to classify heritage occupations.

This third phase, FLIP-3, will take stock of the achievements of the first two phases concerning the ESCO skills classification and complement it.

Applicants should describe how they will build on the previous activities developing a model for recognising skills. Applicants should explain how, also via the organisation of thematic workshops and communities of practice, they will test the model with a larger number of CCIs and in particular strengthen the dimension of releasing the model for codifying skills and associating them with professional figures in the light of the European framework on skills.

In order to do this, applicants will describe the exact steps taken: Draft outline of ESCO skills system support actions and labour market actions and meeting with ESCO at the beginning of the project, short report on implementation (including workshops/communities of practice) and final report and recommendations.

 

Specific objective n°5 in the field of Skills enhancement: ESCO and the labour market

Phase 3 will in particular look at how to best use ESCO to match CCI skills classifications with actual labour market requirements and will also seek synergies with the ESCO network of experts and communities of practice in the field of CCIs and come forward with practical actions and recommendations.

Applicants will describe how they intend to reach this objective, also via the organisation of thematic workshops and communities of practice.

3-INNOVATION: TESTING OF INNOVATIVE APPROACHES

Specific objective n°6 in the field of testing of innovative approaches: Innovation through peer learning/ mobility

FLIP-3 will continue with previous actions and will identify, prototype and test some innovative approaches via a participatory peer learning approach, involving regions, municipalities, local authorities, local cultural and creative actors in an inclusive way. Good practice examples will be collected and shared in practical and appealing visual material.

Linked to COVID-19 as well as the ecological and digital transitions, innovation for mobility and peer learning activities is more important than ever. Applicants should explain their ideas for different forms of innovation of peer learning and mobility actions.

A peer-to-peer exchange programme among creative hubs as well as going beyond mobility by deeper forms of cooperation and co-creation will be tested in an innovative way. In addition, this third phase also intends to strengthen international cooperation (see geographical scope).

Applicants should also describe how they could link to existing relevant EU-projects funded under Creative Europe, Horizon, Erasmus and other relevant programmes. They should also link to EU innovation communities or build their own community of practice and link up to the EIT-KICS for CCIs, EIT Innovation Labs, Living Labs, JRC Policy Labs, European Creative Hubs Network, Open Innovation Communities, Pan-European network of Digital Innovation Hubs and the like.

Specific objective n°7 in the field of testing of innovative approaches: CCI-skills and traditional education and skills development systems

Concerning CCI-skills and traditional education and skills development systems: Based on the guidelines and good practice for training programmes aimed at developing CCI skills developed by FLIP-1, the action should use existing structures and networks in order to prototype and test some solutions in practice and take policy learning to the next level. Phase 3 should complement the previous phases, seek synergies and issue recommendations with a view to the adoption of future actions.

Applicants should describe concrete actions such as workshops aiming at connecting CCIs, creative hubs, maker-spaces and the like with schools, apprenticeships and other places.

Specific objective n°8 in the field of testing of innovative approaches: Innovation, working conditions and recommendations for CCI policy-making

 

FLIP-3 will use stock-taking and recommendations in particular of the OMC-report "Innovative instruments to facilitate access to finance for the cultural and creative sectors" and "Access to Finance" as well as other relevant EU policy documents such as the EU Work Plan for Culture 2019-2022 to further help to advance policy-making.

Applicants will explain how the issue of precarity and free-lancing in the cultural and creative sectors could be tackled, building upon the work done at the EU-level on artists’ working conditions as well as by the creative hubs community on new forms of work. Applicants should describe how they intend to gather feedback from the sector, also via the organisation of thematic workshops, communities of practice, surveys or other and how they intend to address innovative approaches in CCIs, new forms of work, precarity and the working conditions in the cultural and creative sectors and present final output in a written form.

Applicants will explain how they will link up policy-makers of different levels (EU, national, regional, local) and cultural and creative sectors in co-creative policy making and build on previous peer learning experiences (such as previous FLIP phases and other projects funded under Creative Europe and pilots).

4- IPR: VALUING AND DEFENDING INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY PRODUCED BY CCIS

Companies that protect their intellectual activities are 22% more productive (for the same territory, sector and size), with revenue growth being 2% higher than the sample average.

As outlined in the Communication on an “SME Strategy for a sustainable and digital Europe” of March 2020, “SMEs can find it hard to develop their IP strategies”. “The upcoming Intellectual Property Action Plan will propose measures to make the IP system more effective for SMEs, through actions to simplify IP registration procedures, to improve access to strategic IP advice and to facilitate the use of IP as a lever to gain access to finance”.

FLIP-1 has examined the issue of patenting for CCIs and carried out surveys and workshops with cultural and creative sector professionals. One of the findings is that there are a number of challenges on valuing and defending intellectual property produced by CCIs. This will be the focus of FLIP-3 in the field of IPR.

Specific objective n°9 in the field of IPR: IPR Desk research

There are already many valuable practices on facilitating information about intellectual property rights and their management available for CCIs through various activities and projects. On the other hand, there is a need to bring them together and make them more visible and easily accessible, especially for small businesses and self-employed professionals.

Applicants will describe how they intend to carry out a desk research about the above- mentioned practices and carry out a validation/completion process with stakeholders. Applicants shall also explain how they will use the results of their mapping in order to build up the activity described under the specific objective n°10 below.

Specific objective n°10 in the field of IPR: development of an IPR-advice App/website

Applicants should describe how FLIP-3 will use the mapping of practices described under objective n°9 in order to build an IPR-guidance App (or alternatively a specific website) intended for businesses and professionals active in the CCIs.

 

The App/website should be easy to use, easy to navigate and user friendly (also for mobile phone use). It should be tailored to the different user profiles of cultural and creative sector professionals. It should guide them via simple questions to ready-to-use- tools (e.g. licensing hubs or platforms providing information on contracts, costs and licensing limitations) or towards intermediaries with practical knowledge that can provide advice tailored to their needs both in terms IP protection and remuneration prospects and give concrete examples from CCS sector usage of these tools relevant for the user.

Applicants should describe how they will make use of already existing tools, such as for example the ones developed by the EUIPO9, and possibly others, taking particularly care of the provisions specified under 12.1 (publicity). Applicants should explain how they intend to involve relevant stakeholders and the EU Commission starting at a very early stage of the conceptualisation, development, testing, feeding/updating/linking of their own funding websites to their website/App and how they will be involved to ensure sustainability and continuous updating of the website/App.

Applicants should elaborate on how they intend to promote the App’s/website’s use among stakeholders (and how to create incentives to do so), and their approach for the collection/analysis of data gathered in order to present the results in the project’s final study. Synergies/linking with the App/website to be developed under specific objective n°2 should be explored and described.

Applicants should describe their sustainability plan of this App/website for at least 6 years after project closure, as well as a plan to test the App/website with potential beneficiaries in the early stages of its development (co-creation with users).

Specific objective n°11 in the field of IPR: CCIs and schools

Within FLIP-1, activities linking schools and third spaces such as creative hubs, maker spaces, fablabs etc. were developed. Applicants will describe how these activities could be taken up and enlarged also to IP awareness-raising among the youth. In fact young people are often not aware of the importance of IPR protection as a tool for incentivising creation and for making a sustainable living of cultural and creative professionals. Applicants will describe how they plan on bringing professionals and creatives active in the above-mentioned third spaces to schools to communicate and raise awareness about the role and the importance of IPR protecrion in the CCIs, through activities which may include the organisation of thematic workshops and communities of practice. Such activities should also include gamification activities involving schools and makers communities.

Applicants will also desribe which existing toolkits, such as the ones developed by the EUIPO (see previous links) and other material10 they intend to use and what additional tools they intend to produce for scaling up and further use.

Specific objective n°12 in the field of IPR: Innovative IP-related approaches

A number of innovative approaches affecting the use of IPR for CCIs have emerged in recent times and it is important to gain a better insight into them also on the basis of good practice cases. Applicants should make a proposal explaining how they intend to explore and collect good practice cases (also through thematic workshops and communities of practice) on the following,:

• -  The potential of IP-related tools using AI (artificial intelligence)11 for CCIs

• -  open licensing models and CCIs (e.g. creative commons)12

• -  new approaches to capture the flow of IPR revenues and increase access to finance for CCIs via IPR

• -  other relevant innovative practices that applicants may consider relevant for CCIs based on their knowledge and/or practical experience

Applicants will describe how they will present and disseminate the good practice cases collected for wider use by relevant players in the CCS community and beyond.

2.5. EXPECTED RESULTS

The expected results of the proposal are:

• -  Better access to finance for CCIs

• -  Enhanced value recognition and defending intellectual property of CCIs

• -  Strengthened trans-national and cross-sectoral cooperation within the cultural and creative sectors and other stakeholders

• -  Enhanced cultural and creative education, skills and readiness for the job market

• -  Policy learnings, enhanced learning, skills development, exchanges of experience and cooperation opportunities

• -  Enhanced exchanges of experience, learning, skills development and practical testing and cooperation opportunities;

• -  Facilitation of peer learning and exchange of good practice;

• -  Improved statistics and data on CCIs, as well as qualitative data

• -  Working towards solutions towards more resilience of CCIs, also linked to COVID-19

• -  Recommendations for further policy making at EU, national, regional and local level

The proposal should explain how swift coordination and absorption of project results of FLIP-1 and FLIP-2 will be ensured. Applicants should also explain how the project will work in a truly cross-sectoral manner between the different project components of Financing, Learning, Innovation and Intellectual Property Rights for cultural and creative sectors and according to which methodology.

The proposal should explain how the expected results will be achieved through the following expected outputs:

 

2.6. EXPECTED OUTPUTS

2.6.1. First steps report

At the beginning of the project (to be ready before the 1st project meeting), a short document concerning the planned activities should be provided, together with a provisional timetable (with dates) for the upcoming activities of the first 6 months.

The paper should also include a short description (2-5 pages) of how the project will coordinate its upcoming activities and exploit synergies with previous FLIP projects.

2.6.2. Organisation of thematic workshops, networking activities, skills development actions, peer-to-peer schemes and communities of practice

In order to implement specific objectives 1 to 12, applicants should describe how they plan to put in place thematic workshops, networking activities, skills development actions, peer-to-peer schemes (in particular the one mentioned under specific objective n° 6) and communities of practice and make a proposal concerning their number, timing, resources needed and other relevant information.

2.6.3. Building of two specific Apps/websites for CCI-funding and IPR-advice for CCIs

In order to implement specific objectives 2 and 10, applicants should describe how they plan to build two Apps and their planned content (or if not feasible, two specific websites) within this project: One for CCI-funding, and the other one on IPR-advice for CCIs.

Applicants should also describe their sustainability plan of these Apps/websites for at least 6 years after project closure, as well as a plan to test the Apps/websites with potential beneficiaries in the early stages of its development (co-creation with users). Applicants should describe how they will make use of already existing tools and how they intend to ensure the continuous updating of the website/App in the long term and involve relevant actors (Creative Europe Desks, Horizon Desks, Erasmus desks, EU Commision, other) starting at a very early stage of the conceptualisation, development, testing, feeding/updating/linking of their own funding websites to their website/App.

Applicants should explain how they intend to promote their use among stakeholders (and how to create incentives), and how they will go about concerning the collection/analysis of data gathered in order to present the results in the project’s final study.

2.6.4. Organisation of a launching and a closing conference

Proposals would need to contain information on the following points:

 Organisation of a launch event at the beginning of the project (if the event can take place physically, of up to 150-200 participants, if it needs to take place only virtually, with more participants) from the creative and cultural community, the different relevant networks and projects, policy-makers, as well as the press and other participants. This conference should aim at, inter alia, discussing the needs of and gathering suggestions from the participants. Press and social media coverage and innovative conference methods will be crucial for the success and visibility of the event.

 A closing conference towards the end of the project (if the event can take place physically, in Brussels, of up to 250-300 participants, if it needs to take place only virtually, with more participants). The event should give maximum visibility to the project and to the participating cultural and creative networks and their community in order to present their activities, project results and study reports. The conference should also provide cultural and creative sectors networking opportunities, including through interaction between the participants.

In particular for the closing conference in Brussels, the active involvement of the European Parliament (EP) as well as other relevant institutions (Commission, business organisations, cultural and creative sectors and networks etc.) should actively be strived for. The participation of representatives from a maximum number of countries should be sought, in order to achieve a sufficient degree of geographical balance. The Commission will give its approval on the event details, including location, programme, list of speakers and invitees before final arrangements are made.

2.6.5. Enhancing web and social media presence

The proposal should explain in detail how the project will garner visibility through enhanced online presence, for example on the website(s) and social media account(s) and page(s) (Twitter, Facebook, etc.) of the applicant, the partner(s) and the EU institutions. In addition, the proposal will also explain how the project's website will showcase interesting relevant resources elaborated by other relevant EU-projects funded under Creative Europe, Cosme, Horizon, Erasmus, ERDF/ESF, Interreg and other. The website or section(s) of the website(s) dedicated to the project should also include, inter alia, useful links to EU funding for cultural and creative sectors and its relevant national/local contact points as well as national and other relevant funding opportunities and contacts for the cultural and creative sector.

The applicant should describe what actions will be undertaken to maintain and update over time, also after the end of the project, the web and social media presence, always with a view to enhance the core aspects of the project.

2.6.6. Other outputs and final study

In addtion to the above, the proposals should also contain information on the following:

• -  Findings and recommendations on resilience of CCIs, also linked to COVID-19

• -  Proposals with a view to the adoption of future actions/basic acts for sustaining and developing CCIs

• -  Content of the final study, including good practices, data gathered through the two

new Apps/websites created and the communities of practice, workshop results etc., conclusions and recommendations. (The final study is content-oriented and is a different output from the administrative operational reports. It will be shared in advance and discussed with participants during the final conference.)

 

3. TIMETABLE

Scheduled start date for the action is planned to be as soon as possible upon signature of the grant agreement. The intention is to inform applicants of the outcome of the award procedure in November 2020.

The duration of the project shall be of maximum 28 months.

The period of eligibility of costs will start on the day the grant agreement is signed by the last party.

The Procedural timeline for the call for proposals is:

(a) Publication of the call

June 2020

(b) Deadline for submitting applications

4 August 2020

(see point 14 for details on the procedure for the submission of proposals)

(c) Evaluation period

August - October 2020

(d) Information to applicants

November 2020

(e) Signature of grant agreement

December 2020

 

Starting date of the action

Beginning of 2021

 

Kick-off meeting with the Commission

February/March 2021

 

4. BUDGET AVAILABLE

The total budget earmarked for the co-financing of projects foreseen under this call for proposals is estimated at 1,500,000 EUR.

The intention of this call is to fund one single proposal.

The financial contribution from the Commission cannot exceed 80% of the total eligible costs.

EU support will be granted on condition that the administrative and financial procedures are properly completed.

The Commission reserves the right not to distribute all the funds available.

 

5. ADMISSIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

In order to be admissible, applications must be:

 sent no later than the deadline for submitting applications referred to in section 3;

 submitted in writing (see section 14), using the application form available at https://ec.europa.eu/culture/calls_en.; and

 drafted in one of the EU official languages.
Failure to comply with those requirements will lead to rejection of the application.

 

 

6. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

6.1. Eligible applicants

Proposals may be submitted by any of the following applicants:

•   non-profit organisation (private or public);

•   public authorities (national, regional, local);

•   international organisations;

•   universities; educational institutions; research centres;

•   profit making entities;

Natural persons are not eligible to apply for a grant under this call.

Consortium requirements

In order to be eligible, a proposal must be submitted by a consortium composed of at least 5 different legal entities of different eligible countries (see geographical scope) mainly active in the cultural and creative sectors.13

The consortium should provide strategic support to the core aspects of the project - to CCIs, particularly SMEs and micro-enterprises, active in the cultural and creative sectors and also include consortium members from cultural and creative sectors.

The consortium members/several entities working together shall take the form of a partnership of co-beneficiaries, and designate a leading partner who is the co-ordinator. The co-ordinator will act as an intermediary for all communications between the Commission and the co-beneficiaries. However, beneficiaries are jointly responsible for implementing the action resulting from the grant awarded. To implement the action properly, they must make appropriate internal arrangements, consistent with the terms of the Grant Agreement.

Place of registration of the coordinating/lead consortium

The coordinating/lead consortium partner must have their registered legal office in an EU country.

For UK applicants: Please be aware that following the entry into force of the EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement* on 1 February 2020 and in particular Articles 127(6), 137 and 138, the references to natural or legal persons residing or established in a Member State of the European Union are to be understood as including natural or legal persons residing or established in the United Kingdom. UK residents and entities are therefore eligible to participate under this call.

* Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community

Supporting documents

 

In order to assess the applicants’ eligibility, the applicants, if they are already registered and validated in the participant register of the Funding & tender opportunities, must provide a print screen of their valid PIC number.

In case, the participants are not yet validated and registered in the abovementioned participant register, the applicants will have to download the Legal Entity Form, depending on the type of entity, available at https://ec.europa.eu/info/publications/legal- entities_en

This document will have to be completed, dated and signed and returned to the Commission together with the copies of the supporting documents proving this information in the form.

Examples of supporting documents:

- private entity: extract from the official journal, copy of articles of association, extract of trade or association register, certificate of liability to VAT (if, as in certain countries, the trade register number and VAT number are identical, only one of these documents is required);

public entity: copy of the resolution, decision or other official document establishing the public-law entity.

6.2. Eligible activities

The following types of activities are eligible under this call for proposals:

•   workshops, seminars, study-visits, meetings

•   exchange programmes, peer learning

•   training and skills development activities

•   communication activities, webpage, social media

•   actions aiming at exchanges of good practices, guidelines, recommendations, manuals, reports, surveys

Implementation period

The maximum duration of the action is 28 months.

As mentioned in the timetable, it is expected that the action starts in the 1st semester of 2021.

 

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