Sport as a tool for integration and social inclusion of refugees - EAC/S05/2020

Deadline: Jun 1, 2020  
CALL EXPIRED

1. INTRODUCTION – BACKGROUND

This call for proposals serves to implement the 2020 Annual Work Programme in accordance with the Commission Implementing Decision C(2020) 1194 of 4 March 2020.

Considering the growing number of refugees settling in the European Union, there is an increasing need for effective integration and social inclusion initiatives.

Sport can be an efficient tool in order to facilitate a successful integration of refugees; and local sport projects have an increasing role in facilitating refugees' integration into new communities. Across the European Union, at Member States' level or within European Union programmes, a wide range of initiatives have been taken and innovative projects are already being implemented.

The potential of sport as a tool for social inclusion has now been well documented. Sport projects contribute to the social inclusion of refugees in host communities; the opportunities they provide are more and more exploited in many EU Member States. This preparatory action is a contribution to this effort and to a better integration of refugees through sport.

2. OBJECTIVE(S) – THEME(S) – PRIORITIES

In the continuation of the 2016 call for proposals on "Promoting HEPA policy measures and actions for refugees", and of the 2017, 2018 and 2019 call for proposals "Sport as a tool for integration and social inclusion of refugees", the current preparatory action aims at supporting sport projects focused on the integration of refugees.

Through concrete actions aiming at integrating refugees through sport, the expected outcomes of this preparatory action will include:

Version: October 2018

•   Promoting the direct engagement of refugees and host communities;

•   Promoting a Europe-wide approach, increasing the potential for host communities to successfully engage and integrate refugees through sport.

The term "refugee" indicates people having formal refugee status in an EU Member State as well as people who have officially applied for refugee status in the EU and whose applications have not yet been processed. People with a migration background who are not "refugees" are excluded from the scope of this call for proposals.

The implementation of the pilot project will take due regard to complementarity with the EU Erasmus+ Sport programme, with the actions eligible under the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF), as well as with those currently funded under the pilot project ‘promoting health-enhancing physical activity across Europe.'

The expected outputs would be the following:

• Organise sport activities for refugees
• Promote the practice of sport and physical activity by refugees
• Promote the cooperation of refugees and host communities in the organisation of sport activities.

3. TIMETABLE

(a) Publication of the call

20 April 2020

(b) Deadline for submitting applications

01/06/2020, 12:00, (noon), Brussels time

(c) Evaluation period

June – September 2020

(d) Information to applicants

October 2020

(e) Signature of grant agreements

November 2020

4. BUDGET AVAILABLE

The total budget earmarked for the co-financing of projects under this call for proposals is estimated at 1.650.000 EUR.

The EU grant is limited to a maximum co-financing rate of 80% of eligible costs. Grants will be of a maximum of 300.000 EUR per project
Grants will be of a minimum of 200.000 EUR per project

The Commission expects to fund approximately 6 proposals (i.e. to sign 6 grants of 275.000 EUR in average).

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 electronic submission system available at https://ec.europa.eu/sport/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

In order to be eligible, projects must be presented by applicants meeting the following criteria:

•   be a public or private organisation with legal personality who are mainly active in the sport field and that regularly organise sport competitions, at any level;

•   have their registered legal office in one of the EU Member States.
  Proposals may be submitted by any of the following applicants (the list is not exhaustive and is given for example only):

•   International or European Sport federations

•   Non-profit organisation (private or public);

•   Public authorities (national, regional, local);

•   International or European organisations;

•   Sport clubs;

•   Universities;

•   Educational institutions;

•   Research centres;

•   Companies.

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

Please be aware that following the entry into force of the EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement2 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.

Supporting documents

In order to assess the applicants' eligibility, the following supporting documents are requested:

 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 activities must be enshrined within the framework of European common values3 and respect these essential principles and more particularly non-discrimination, tolerance and gender equality.

A non-exhaustive list of the main activities eligible under this call for proposals is listed below:

•   Sport activities aimed at promoting participation of refugees into EU societies

•   Preparation and training of sport coaches and staff who will work on integration

  and social inclusion of refugees through sport

•   Development, of activities and identification of good practices about participation of refugees into sport activities aimed at their integration into host societies.

These activities must take place in the EU Member States. The duration of the project will be of a minimum of 24 months and of a maximum of 36 months.

Implementation period:

•   Activities may not start before 01-01-2021

•   Activities are to be completed by 31-12-2023.

Applications for projects scheduled to run for a shorter or longer period than that specified in this call for proposals will not be accepted.

3 As specified under article 2 of the Treaty on European Union ((Official Journal C 326, 26/10/2012 P. 0001 – 0390): "The Union is founded on the values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities. These values are common to the Member States in a society in which pluralism, non- discrimination, tolerance, justice, solidarity and equality between women and men prevail."

7. EXCLUSION CRITERIA

7.1. Exclusion

The authorising officer shall exclude an applicant from participating in call for proposals procedures where:

1. (a)  the applicant is bankrupt, subject to insolvency or winding-up procedures, its assets are being administered by a liquidator or by a court, it is in an arrangement with creditors, its business activities are suspended, or it is in any analogous situation arising from a similar procedure provided for under EU or national laws or regulations;

2. (b)  it has been established by a final judgment or a final administrative decision that the applicant is in breach of its obligations relating to the payment of taxes or social security contributions in accordance with the applicable law;

3. (c)  it has been established by a final judgment or a final administrative decision that the applicant is guilty of grave professional misconduct by having violated applicable laws or regulations or ethical standards of the profession to which the applicant belongs, or by having engaged in any wrongful intent or gross negligence, including, in particular, any of the following:

   1. (i)  fraudulently or negligently misrepresenting information required for the verification of the absence of grounds for exclusion or the fulfilment of eligibility or selection criteria or in the performance of a contract, a grant agreement or a grant decision;

   2. (ii)  entering into agreement with other applicants with the aim of distorting competition;

   3. (iii)  violating intellectual property rights;

   4. (iv)  attempting to influence the decision-making process of the [Commission] [Agency] during the award procedure;

   5. (v)  attempting to obtain confidential information that may confer upon it undue advantages in the award procedure;

4. (d)  it has been established by a final judgment that the applicant is guilty of any of the following:

   1. (i)  fraud, within the meaning of Article 3 of Directive (EU) 2017/1371 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Article 1 of the Convention on the protection of the European Communities' financial interests, drawn up by the Council Act of 26 July 1995;

   2. (ii)  corruption, as defined in Article 4(2) of Directive (EU) 2017/1371 or Article 3 of the Convention on the fight against corruption involving officials of the European Communities or officials of Member States of the European Union, drawn up by the Council Act of 26 May 1997, or conduct referred to in Article 2(1) of Council Framework Decision 2003/568/JHA, or corruption as defined in the applicable law;

   3. (iii)  conduct related to a criminal organisation, as referred to in Article 2 of Council Framework Decision 2008/841/JHA;

   4. (iv)  money laundering or terrorist financing within the meaning of Article 1(3), (4) and (5) of Directive (EU) 2015/849 of the European Parliament and of the Council;

5. (v)  terrorist offences or offences linked to terrorist activities, as defined in Articles 1 and 3 of Council Framework Decision 2002/475/JHA, respectively, or inciting, aiding, abetting or attempting to commit such offences, as referred to in Article 4 of that Decision;

6. (vi)  child labour or other offences concerning trafficking in human beings as referred to in Article 2 of Directive 2011/36/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council;

5. (e)  the applicant has shown significant deficiencies in complying with main obligations in the performance of a contract, a grant agreement or a grant decision financed by the Union's budget, which has led to its early termination or to the application of liquidated damages or other contractual penalties, or which has been discovered following checks, audits or investigations by an authorising officer, OLAF or the Court of Auditors;

6. (f)  it has been established by a final judgment or final administrative decision that the applicant has committed an irregularity within the meaning of Article 1(2) of Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 2988/95;

7. (g)  It has been established by a final judgement or final administrative decision that the applicant has created an entity in a different jurisdiction with the intent to circumvent fiscal, social or any other legal obligations of mandatory application in the jurisdiction of its registered office, central administration or principal place of business;

8. (h)  it has been established by a final judgement or final administrative decision that an entity has been created with the intent referred to in point (g);

9. (i)  for the situations referred to in points (c) to (h) above, the applicant is subject to:

   1. (i)  facts established in the context of audits or investigations carried out by European Public Prosecutor's Office after its establishment, the Court of Auditors, the European Anti-Fraud Office or the internal auditor, or any other check, audit or control performed under the responsibility of an authorising officer of an EU institution, of a European office or of an EU agency or body;

   2. (ii)  non-final judgments or non-final administrative decisions which may include disciplinary measures taken by the competent supervisory body responsible for the verification of the application of standards of professional ethics;

   3. (iii)  facts referred to in decisions of persons or entities being entrusted with EU budget implementation tasks;

   4. (iv)  information transmitted by Member States implementing Union funds;

   5. (v)  decisions of the Commission relating to the infringement of Union competition law or of a national competent authority relating to the infringement of Union or national competition law; or

   6. (vi)  decisions of exclusion by an authorising officer of an EU institution, of a European office or of an EU agency or body.

7.2. Remedial measures4

If an applicant declares one of the situations of exclusion listed above (see section 7.4), it must indicate the measures it has taken to remedy the exclusion situation, thus demonstrating its reliability. This may include e.g. technical, organisational and personnel measures to correct the conduct and prevent further occurrence, compensation of damage or payment of fines or of any taxes or social security contributions. The relevant documentary evidence which illustrates the remedial measures taken must be provided in annex to the declaration. This does not apply for situations referred in point (d) of section 7.1.

7.3. Rejection from the call for proposals

The authorising officer shall not award a grant to an applicant who:

1. (a)  is in an exclusion situation established in accordance with section 7.1; or

2. (b)  has misrepresented the information required as a condition for participating in the procedure or has failed to supply that information; or

3. (c)  was previously involved in the preparation of documents used in the award procedure where this entails a breach of the principle of equal treatment, including distortion of competition, that cannot be remedied otherwise.

Administrative sanctions (exclusion)5 may be imposed on applicants if any of the declarations or information provided as a condition for participating in this procedure prove to be false.

7.4. Supporting documents6

Applicants must provide a declaration on their honour certifying that they are not in one of the situations referred to in Articles 136(1) and 141 FR, by filling in the relevant form attached to the application form accompanying the call for proposals.

8. SELECTION CRITERIA

8.1. Financial capacity

The financial capacity will be assessed based on the following methodology and its annexes: https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/methodology-grants-eac_en.pdf.

Applicants must have stable and sufficient sources of funding to maintain their activity throughout the duration of the grant and to participate in its funding. The applicants' financial capacity will be assessed on the basis of the following supporting documents to be submitted with the application:

Grants with a pre-financing value of EUR 600 000 or less

For grants of this type, proof of financial capacity is constituted by a declaration on the honour by the grant applicant (see Annex 1 of the Application form).

However, in case of doubt and only for grants exceeding EUR 60 000, the assessment committee reserves the right to request supporting documents and to carry out a financial analysis as described at point 4 of the above mentioned methodology (cf. Article 198(4) of the FR)

Moreover for grants exceeding EUR 60 000, entities falling into one of the high-risk categories mentioned at point 3.1 of the methodology must provide proof of their financial capacity and are required to undergo the financial analysis provided for in point 4 of the same methodology.

On the basis of the documents submitted, if the Commission considers that financial capacity is weak, s/he may:

•   request further information;

•   decide not to give pre-financing;

•   decide to give pre-financing paid in instalments;

•   decide to give pre-financing covered by a bank guarantee (see section 11.6.1 below);

•   where applicable, require the joint and several financial liability of all the co- beneficiaries.

If the RAO considered that the financial capacity is insufficient s/he will reject the application.

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