Interreg V B Adriatic-Ionian ADRION First call for proposals main features. ADRION Info Day Bologna, 12 February 2016

Transcription

1 Interreg V B Adriatic-Ionian ADRION First call for proposals main features ADRION Info Day Bologna, 12 February 2016

2 ADRION Programme 4 EU Member States: Croatia, Greece, Italy (part of the country), Slovenia; ERDF Partner States 3 candidate countries: Albania, Montenegro, Serbia; 1 potential candidate country: Bosnia and Herzegovina IPA Partner States

3 Overall objective to act as a policy driver and governance innovator fostering European integration among Partner States, taking advantage from the rich natural, cultural and human resources surrounding the enhancing economic, Adriatic and Ionian seas and social and territorial cohesion in the Programme area.

4 Priorities and Specific Objectives 1. Innovative and Smart Region 1.1Support the development of a regional Innovation system for the Adriatic-Ionian area 2. Sustainable Region 2.1 Promote the sustainable valorisation of natural and cultural assets as growth assets 2.2 Enhance the capacity in transnationally tacking environmental vulnerability, fragmentation and the safeguarding of ecosystem services 3. Connected Region 3.1 Enhance capacity for integrated transport and mobility services and multimodality system including multimodal links

5 Financial allocation Budget allocation 1 st call for proposals: 40% programme budget of Priority Axes 1-3 ERDF EUR IPA II EUR Total EUR Total budget (incl. Nat. cofin 15%) EUR Priority Axis , , , ,59 Priority Axis , , , ,18 Priority Axis , , , ,06 TOTAL , , , ,82 Ranking list of assessed project proposals per Priority Axis!

6 Main features PROJECT FINANCIAL SIZE From EUR to ERDF+IPA II contribution (total budget: from EUR to ) In exceptional cases an increase or decrease of the amounts above of 5% can be accepted EU CO-FINANCING Up to 85% for all partners PROJECT DURATION Up to 24 months WAY OF SUBMISSION 1-step call Electronically submitted DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION 25 March 2016, h: 17:00 (CET time)

7 Ways of involvement Financing partners: Are the bones of the project proposals; Financially contribute to the project ; Located in the programme area. Associated Partners: Do not financially contribute to the project; Related expenditure is borne by the financing partners (limited to travel and accommodation); Do not act as service providers; Must demonstrate being involved for the benefit of the project; Can also be located outside the Programme area; Do not count for the fulfilment of the eligible partnership. Non-EU Partners located outside the Programme area: Have to be public institutions; Contribute with their own funds or with the financial support of other sources of funding (e.g.: ENI, IPA II, United Nation); Do not count for the fulfilment of the eligible partnership.

8 Eligible partnership Partnership composed by: Financing partners from at least 3 Partner States, out of which At least one financing partner must be from an ERDF Partner State. Larger partnership possible: up to 10 financing partners; Even larger partnership also possible if duly justified.

9 Eligible financing partners National, regional and local public bodies (including EGTCs) Be liable to the national law of the Partner States participating to the Programme; Have their official seat and their seat of operations in the country/part of the country included in the Programme area; Be endowed with legal personality. Bodies governed by public law (Article 2(4) of Directive 2014/24/EU) ) Private bodies (operational from at least 2 years) International organisations acting under the national law of an ADRION Partner State (operational from at least 2 years)

10 Exception: Assimilated partners Assimilated partners: Italian public authorities/bodies governed by public law competent in their scope of action for certain parts of the eligible area but are located outside of it (e.g. ministries located in Rome); Have equal rights and obligations to applicants located in the programme area; Attribution of the status of assimilated partner shall be duly justified and further assessed with the support with the Italian National Authority/National Contact Point.

11 Lead Applicant Lead Applicant must be located in an ADRION ERDF Partner State. The following institutions can be Lead Applicant: Public bodies (national, regional or local level; also assimilated ); Bodies governed by public law (also assimilated ); International organizations acting under national law.

12 Private bodies Can be profit or non-profit; They must be operational from at least 2 years; They must respect specific financial requirements in order to ensure their financial viability; In case of project proposal, they must provide a financial guarantee for an amount corresponding to their respective share of EU contribution; Financial guarantee is one of the pre-conditions for signing the Subsidy Contract by the Managing Authority.

13 Application package Call announcement; Cooperation Programme; Off-line Application Form; Declarations of Lead Applicant and Project Partners (1 document per partner); Declaration of Associated Partner(s) (1 document per associated partner); Declaration on financial viability (for private partner(s) only); In addition you have to provide: Documents attesting that the legal representatives/delegated persons hold the power of signature or representation; a copy of his/her valid identity document (e.g. identity card, passport).

14 Submission of the project proposals Electronically submitted via e-ms; Registration access required; Application submitted by the Lead Applicant; Paper documentation required in case of project approval only.

15 Selection process Administrative & Eligibility checks Strategic assessment Awarding score (contribution to EUSAIR) Operational assessment If the proposal does not pass one of the steps, it does not progress the appraisal or the affected partner is excluded from the partnership. Financial capacity check of private partners State Aid & Anti-fraud checks Monitoring Committee decision

16 Project structure

17 Programme intervention logic All programmes are based on a result oriented approach: Result orientation of the programme; Programme monitoring through indicators; Definition of a performance framework: targets to be reached within 2018; Evaluation and reporting.

18 Programme intervention logic

19 Projects contributions to Programme Programme Priority Axis Project Programme Priority /Specific Objective Programme result indicator Project overall objective Project results Actions to be supported Programme output indicator Project specific objective Project main outputs Projects feeds Programme outputs and results

20 Projects contributions to Programme Example: Programme Priority Axis Project Support development regional innovation system for the area Increase capacity of key innovation actors to be involved in trans. actions Project overall objective Project results Indicative actions listed in the Cooperation Programme No. enterprises cooperating No. coop. networks & clusters Project specific objective Project main outputs

21 Project intervention logic

22 Project structure Project proposal structured in Work Packages (WP) Preparation Management Communication Compulsory WPs Implementation

23 Project structure Project proposal structured in Work Packages (WP) Related to preparatory activities; Preparation Eligible expenditure from 1 January 2014 to the day before the submission of the project proposal; Lump sum: max EUR ; Reimbursed only if the project proposal is approved; Subsidy Contract & Partnership Agreement signed.

24 Projects structure Project proposal structured in Work Packages (WP) Project coordination and implementation; Management Financial management; Internal communication; Project closure.

25 Project structure Project proposal structured in Work Packages (WP) Strategic communication planning; Reference to target groups; Communication Specific and measurable communication objectives (i.e.: proposing of raising awareness or to spread results without providing to whom and how is not enough).

26 Project structure Project proposal structured in Work Packages (WP) Heart of the project; Implementation Up to three work packages can be devoted to describe project implementation; Strictly follows the intervention logic; Contributes to feeding programme outputs and results.

27 Project structure WP Implementation structure: Deliverable a) Deliverable b) Deliverable c) Deliverable d) Deliverable e) Deliverable f) Deliverable g) Deliverable h) Deliverable i) Activity 1 Activity 2 Activity 3 O U T P U T S Each project proposal shall contribute to the realization of at least 2 programme outputs. Outputs shall be documented.

28 Activities outside the EU part of the Programme area Activities outside the EU part of the programme area refers to EU partners which implement some activities in the IPA countries; These activities shall amount to not more than 20% of the total eligible budget; Activities in the EU but outside the EU part of the programme are possible if communicated in advance and authorized (e.g.: participation to an event).

29 Programme and projects outputs ADRION shall mainly support the delivery of the following outputs: Networking structures; Joint management systems and cooperation agreements; Strategies and Action Plans; Methodologies and Tools; Pilot Actions (small scale investments and demonstration projects).

30 Project budget

31 Hierarchy of rules on eligibility of expenditure Reg. (EU) No 1303/2013 Rules defined in EU legal framework Reg. (EU) No 1301/2013 Reg. (EU) No 1299/2013 Del.Reg. (EU) No 481/2014 Programme rules Established jointly by the Member States in the programme monitoring committee Apply to the programme as a whole Without prejudice to the rules on EU level National rules For any other matters not covered by EU rules and programme rules Stricter rules in areas prescribed by EU rules

32 Budget line According to the Delegated Regulation No 481/2014 the budget is structured according to the following: Staff costs; Office and administrative expenditure; Travel and accommodation costs; External expertise and services costs; Equipment expenditure.

33 Staff costs Two options are possible: a) Real costs; or b) Flat rate (20% of direct costs other than staff costs) REAL COSTS Staff costs can be higher than the amount foreseen by the flat rate option; Budget appraised during the evaluation; To be validated by national controllers before being reimbursed; Adequate audit trail is necessary; More detailed information required in the AF. FLAT RATE Maximum ceiling; No accountancy is requested; No validation by national controllers is required to get the reimbursement; No specific information required in the AF. Decision is taken at project partner level; it cannot be changed during the project implementation.

34 Office and administrative expenditure a) Calculated as flat rate (10% of staff costs); b) Must refer to the list of expenditure reported in the Programme Manual; c) Automatically calculated in the AF (no details required); d) No accountancy requested.

35 Travels and accommodation It refers to the expenditure of travels and accommodation of staff costs: Travel costs (e.g. tickets, travel and car insurance, fuel, car mileage, toll, and parking fees); Meals costs; Accommodation costs; Visa costs; Daily allowances. Limitations on eligibility of travel and accommodation costs outside the programme area apply; Expenditure item already covered by a daily allowance, cannot be accounted for and reimbursed in addition to the daily allowance; Travel and accommodation costs of external experts and associated partners are reimbursed under budget line external expertise and services costs ; Consider budget to attend meetings organised by the Programme/National authorities.

36 Travels and accommodation Example: Greece Destination Travel and accommodation costs Location of the partner Greece Albania Belgium 20% project eligible budget Albania (Inside the programme but outside the EU part of the programme area) No ceiling 20% project eligible budget No ceiling (if allowance applies) 20% project eligible budget No ceiling (but it has to be duly justified) 20% project eligible budget Turkey Own funds Own funds Own funds

37 External expertise and services costs It refers to external expertise and services provided by a public or private body or a natural person other than the financing partners: Exhaustive list of eligible expenditure included in the Programme Manual; Public procurement rules apply to all partners regardless their legal status: ERDF and Directive rules for ERDF partners; PRAG for IPA partners; Specific threshold defined by the Programme and below the national thresholds apply; Costs related to project-related tasks sub-contracted by the beneficiary to inhouse bodies are eligible under external expertise and service budget line on condition: o they are charged on a real costs basis without any profit margin; o sub-contracting complies with national and institutional public procurement provisions in force.

38 Equipment expenditure It refers to equipment purchased, rented or leased by a beneficiary for project implementation: Office equipment; IT hardware and software; Furniture and fittings; Laboratory equipment; Machines and instruments, Tools or devices; Vehicles; Other specific equipment needed for the project. Equipment for general office use as computers, office furniture, printers, cameras, etc. upon condition that it is for the exclusive use for the project; Equipment devoted to the realization of the implementation WPs ; Full cost reimbursement only on condition that all conditions below apply: o Equipment item is exclusively used for the project implementation; o The depreciation period is shorter than the time lap between the purchase of the equipment and the end of the project; o Equipment item is not depreciable (e.g. low value asset) according to the national legislation of the concerned partner.

39 Public procurement rules

40 Project budget Deliverable a) Deliverable b) Deliverable c) Deliverable d) Deliverable e) Deliverable f) Deliverable g) Deliverable h) Deliverable i) Activity 1 Budget Activity 2 Budget Activity 3 Budget W P B U D G E T ECONOMY, EFFICIENCY, EFFECTIVENESS

41 Assessment process

42 Selection process Administrative & Eligibility checks Strategic assessment Awarding score (contribution to EUSAIR) If the proposal does not pass one of the steps, it does not progress the appraisal or the affected partner is excluded Operational assessment Financial capacity check on private partners State Aid & Anti-fraud checks Monitoring Committee decision Evaluation supported by external independent experts and National Contact Points

43 Assessment process Administrative & Eligibility checks Verification of submission requirements; Verification of presence of minimum requirements; List of administrative and eligibility criteria to be respected available in the Programme Manual; Healing of the identified errors is not possible.

44 Assessment process Quality assessment Strategic assessment Project s context (relevance and strategy) Cooperation character Partnership relevance Project s contribution to programme s objectives Operational assessment Management Communication Work plan Budget

45 Assessment process Quality assessment scores Excellent the section of the application analysed in accordance with the requirement of the criterion is of excellent quality and provides clear and coherent information Good the section of the application analysed in accordance with the requirement of the criterion is clear and contain minor shortcomings Adequate -the section of the application analysed in accordance with the requirement of the criterion is sufficiently clear and requires further clarification from the applicant Sufficient - the section of the application analysed in accordance with the requirement of the criterion is of low quality Poor- the section of the application analysed in accordance with the requirement of the criterion does not meet the requirement/the information is not present

46 Assessment process and quality threshold Strategic Assessment: only those project proposals which have reached: an overall score of at least 48/80 (60% of the overall score related to strategic elements) and at least 12/20 for each criteria (60% of the score at criterion level) of the Strategic Assessment will be subject to the Operational assessment. Operational Assessment: only those proposals which have reached: an overall score of at least 48/80 (60% of the overall score related to strategic elements) and at least 12/20 (60% of the score at criterion level) for each criterion shall be appraised according to the foreseen further steps.

47 Assessment process Awarding score (contribution to EUSAIR) ADRION supports EUSAIR Action Plan

48 Assessment process Awarding score (contribution to EUSAIR) Attribution of the awarding score takes place after the strategic assessment on condition that the proposal has positively passed the strategic assessment; Attribution of up to 5 points if the project proposal contributes to the implementation of the EUSAIR strategy; The awarding score does not contribute to the overall strategic score but it shall contribute to the overall final project score; Overview tables highlighting relations between ADRION and EUSAIR available in the Programme Manual (annexes).

49 Assessment process Financial capacity check of private partners Verification of the declarations provided by private partners through checks of balance sheets. State Aid & Anti-fraud checks Verification on the respect of Competition rules and verification on the presence of fraudulent behaviours.

50 State Aid checks State Aid State Aid checks apply to all project financing partners (public & private, ERDF and IPA partners; Use of de minimis (i.e.: ceiling of EUR for those activities considered State Aid relevant over any three tax year period); The ceiling applies per EU Member State (i.e.: Italy); Checks performed by independent experts.

51 Approval for funding

52 Monitoring Committee decision Your project proposal can be: Approved Approved under conditions Rejected the proposal is considered ready to start the proposal is considered approved provided that the Lead Partner and/or the project partners satisfy specific conditions within a given deadline the proposal is considered not matching a certain readiness and quality level and responding to the selection criteria Monitoring Committee decisions are taken by consensus.

53 Next steps Fulfilment of conditions for improvement (if any) and update of the relevant documentation; Update of the de minimis declarations; Submission of original documentation (paper version); Provision of financial guarantees by private partners; Signature of the Subsidy Contract

54 Next steps Signature of the Partnership Agreement Reimbursement of preparation costs (if funds available); Advance payment to IPA partners up to 10% of their budget (if funds available). The advance payment shall be compensated - in equal shares - with the first two payments due to the concerned partners, according to actually incurred and validated expenditure included in the related Progress Reports.

55 Tips and recommendations

56 tips and recommendations CONTENT Ensure effective contribution to the programme goals through the realization of programme outputs; Positively contribute to the needs and challenges in a transnational perspective rather than highlighting on the needs of a limited number of partners; Support the exchange and transfer experiences between regions, transnational interventions and capacity building, and ensure that results are disseminated and used beyond project partners; Cohesion policy and capacity building as multiplier of prosperity and growth; Projects can be a leverage for future initiatives and investments; Do not reinvent the wheel; take profit from studies, analyses and projects outcomes already available (e.g.:

57 tips and recommendations PARTNERSHIP Carefully define the members of your partnership according to their skills and experience in relation to the characteristics of your project; Select partners according to the transnational approach requested by your project; clearly define their role and contribution; PROJECT STRUCTURE Carefully define your project activities having regard to its maximum duration; Define a realistic work plan: limit deliverables and schedule them appropriately: avoid too many deliverables with the same deadline; Ensure consistency along the entire project proposals (content and financial); Plan activities that can start as soon as possible; Cooperate, spread, share!

58 How to get information ADRION web site Phone: Network of National Contact Points

59 THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!