Support for Training

Deadline: Apr 14, 2016  
CALL EXPIRED

1. OBJECTIVES AND DESCRIPTION

This notice of a call for proposals is based on the Regulation No 1295/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11/12/2013 concerning the implementation of a programme of support for the European cultural and creative sector (CREATIVE EUROPE)1 and its corrigendum of the 27/06/20142.

Within the field of reinforcing the audiovisual sector's capacity, one of the priorities of the MEDIA Sub-programme shall be the following:

facilitating the acquisition and improvement of skills and competences of audiovisual professionals and the development of networks including the use of digital technologies to ensure the adaptation to market development, testing new approaches to audience development and testing of new business models.

The MEDIA Sub-programme shall provide support for:

the development of a comprehensive range of training measures promoting the acquisition and improvement of skills and competences by audiovisual professionals, knowledge sharing and networking initiatives, including the integration of digital technologies.

2. ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

Applicants must be entities (private companies, non-profit organisations, associations, charities, foundations, municipalities/Town Councils, etc.), established in one of the countries participating to the MEDIA Sub-programme and owned directly or by majority participation, by nationals from such countries.

Applications from legal entities established in one of the following countries are eligible as long as all conditions referred to in Article 8 of the Regulation establishing the Creative Europe Programme are met and the Commission has entered into negotiations with the country:

•  EU Member States;

•  Acceding countries, candidate countries and potential candidates

  benefiting from a pre-accession strategy, in accordance with the general principles and general terms and conditions for the participation of those countries in Union programmes established in the respective Framework Agreements, Association Council Decisions or similar agreements;

•  EFTA countries which are members of the EEA, in accordance with the provisions of the EEA Agreement;

•  The Swiss Confederation, on the basis of a bilateral agreement to be concluded with that country;

•  Countries covered by the European Neighbourhood Policy in accordance with the procedures defined with those countries following the framework agreements providing for their participation in Union programmes.

  The Programme shall also be open for bilateral or multilateral cooperation actions targeted at selected countries or regions on the basis of additional appropriations paid by, and specific arrangements to be agreed upon with, those countries or regions.

  The Programme shall permit cooperation and joint actions with countries not participating in the Programme and with international organisations which are active in the cultural and creative sectors such as UNESCO, the Council of Europe, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development or the World Intellectual Property Organisation on the basis of joint contributions for the realisation of the Programme's objectives.

  The Agency may select proposals from applicants in non EU countries, provided that, on the date of the award decision, agreements have been signed setting out the arrangements for the participation of those countries in the programme established by the Regulation referred to above.

  (Updated list of countries that fulfil the conditions referred to in Article 8 of the Regulation and that the Commission has started negotiations with can be found on the following link:

  http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/creative-europe/library/eligibility-organisations-non-eu-countries_en). Natural persons may not apply for a grant.

3. ELIGIBLE ACTIONS

Applications must be for activities which are aimed at developing the capacity of audiovisual professionals to understand and integrate a European and international dimension in their work by improving expertise in the following fields:

- Training in audience development, marketing, new modes of distribution and exploitation including those relying on the latest digital technologies;

- Training in financial and commercial management with a view to stimulate access to finance and new business models;

- Training in development and production of audiovisual works including knowledge sharing and networking capabilities;

- Training in facing the challenges of the digital shift to ensure adaptation to market developments.

Applicants shall be applying for one of the two following categories of supported actions depending on the scale, needs, objectives and international / European dimension:

1. European actions: actions aimed at the acquisition and improvement of skills and competences for professionals to operate mainly in Europe

2. International actions: actions aimed at building expertise, knowledge and capacities for European professionals to operate outside Europe through networking and collaboration with non-European professionals.

Under this call for proposals, the applicant submits a proposal in view of establishing a two-year partnership with the MEDIA sub-programme, through a contractual instrument called Framework Partnership Agreement (FPA).

For the first year of the 2-year FPA the action must start between 1 September 2016 and 31 August 2017.

The maximum duration of the action is 12 months. A maximum extension of 6 additional months will be granted, if requested before the deadline specified in the grant agreement. The maximum duration in any case, will be of 18 months.

4. AWARD CRITERIA

Eligible applications will be assessed on the basis of a 100-point score on the basis of the following criteria and weighting:

Relevance and European added value (30 points)
Relevance of the content of the action including the innovative aspects and the International

and European dimension vis-à-vis the objectives of the call for proposals and the needs of the industry.

Quality of the content and activities (40 points)
Adequacy of the methodology to the objectives including the format, the target group,

selection methods, synergy and collaboration with other projects, the tools including the use of digital technologies relevant to new business models, the feasibility and cost efficiency.

Dissemination of project results, impact and sustainability (20 points)
Impact on the financing, the international circulation and global audience of projects and

works and/or structuring effects on the European audiovisual industry

Organisation of the project team (10 points).
Distribution of the roles and responsibilities of the team vis-à-vis the objectives of the action.

5. BUDGET

The total budget available is estimated at 7.3 M €.
The financial contribution of the Union cannot exceed:

- 60% of the total eligible costs of the action in case of action taking place in countries participating in the MEDIA sub-Programme;

- 80% of the total eligible costs of the action in case of action taking place in countries outside the MEDIA sub-Programme.

The Agency reserves the right not to allocate all the available funds.

6. DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS OF APPLICATIONS

Proposals must be submitted not later than 14/04/2016 at 12.00 noon (midday Brussels time) using the online application form (eForm). No other method of submission of an application will be accepted.

Applicants shall ensure that all the documents requested and mentioned in the eForms are provided.

7. FULL DETAILS

The full text of the guidelines together with the application forms can be found at the following Internet address:

https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/creative-europe/funding/support-training-2016-eacea062016_en

Applications must comply with all the terms of the guidelines and be submitted on the eForms provided.