ACP Science and Technologie Programme Programme Management Unit ACP-EU Cooperation Programme in Science and Technology (S&T II) / Programme de Coopération ACP-UE pour la Science et la Technologie EuropeAid/133437/D/ACT/ACPTPS FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS / QUESTIONS FRÉQUEMMENT POSÉES Period: October November 2012 As per Section 2.2.4 of the Guidelines for Grant Applicants, in the interest of equal treatment of Applicants, the Contracting Authority cannot give a prior opinion on the eligibility of an applicant, a partner, an Action or specific activities. Conformément à l article 2.2.4 des Lignes directrices à l intention des demandeurs, afin de garantir un traitement équitable des Demandeurs, l Administration contractante ne peut pas donner d avis préalable sur l éligibilité d un demandeur, d un partenaire, d une Action ou d'une activité spécifique. ACP S&T II Call for Proposals 2012 Frequently Asked Questions October November 2012 1
DISCLAIMER This document is intended as useful information for applicants. Given varying call requirements and specificities, the replies included in this document cannot and do not replace or overrule the information contained in the respective Guidelines for grant applicants that are published for each call for proposals. They also do not substitute the provisions in the Practical Guide to Contract Procedures in External Actions. In case of discrepancy between the FAQ and the Guidelines for grant applicants, the latter is the only legally binding document. AVIS Ce document a pour intention d'apporter des informations utiles aux demandeurs. Etant donné les conditions requises et les spécificités variables selon les appels, les réponses incluses dans ce document ne peuvent pas être considérées comme remplaçant et ne remplacent pas ni ne prévalent sur les informations contenues dans les lignes directrices à l'intention des demandeurs de subventions publiées respectivement pour chaque Appel à propositions. Elles ne remplacent pas non plus en aucun cas les dispositions prévues dans le Guide Pratique des procédures contractuelles dans le cadre des actions extérieures de l'ue. En cas de divergence entre les FAQ et les Lignes directrices à l'intention des demandeurs de subventions, celles-ci constituent le seul document légal ACP S&T II Call for Proposals 2012 Frequently Asked Questions October November 2012 2
This version of Frequently Asked Questions contains the following sections: Cette version des Questions fréquemment posées contiennent les sections suivantes : General / Général Eligibility of participants / Eligibilité des partenaires Eligibility of activities / Eligibilité des activités Costs and Eligibility of costs / Coûts et Eligibilité des coûts Application procedure / Procédure de demande Evaluation of the applications / Évaluation des demandes Implementation of a grant contract / Mise en oeuvre d un contrat de subvention ACP S&T II Call for Proposals 2012 Frequently Asked Questions October November 2012 3
General / Général 1. How does an Applicant know which Lot to choose? The two sources of finances under the Programme are different and it is up to the Applicant to decide which one to choose taking into consideration the eligibility criteria of each Lot. One should not create artificial partnerships in order to be eligible for one of the two Lots. Only the best proposals from each Lot will be considered for awarding a grant. 2. Could you please confirm that the only difference between Lot 1 FED and Lot 2 ICD is the eligible countries according to Annex K? If so, how can we define/choose in which Lot to submit our proposal when the participating countries are eligible in both Lots? We confirm that the only difference in terms of eligibility between the two Lots is the list of eligible countries as detailed in Annex K. You can therefore choose either one if the participating countries in your proposal are eligible in both Lots, taking into consideration that the same proposal cannot be submitted for both lots. 3. Because of South Africa s financial contribution to the Call for Proposals Lot 2, could you please tell us if a proposal with organisations from South Africa is very welcomed? In that case, is it more preferable to submit in Lot 2 due to the fact that South Africa has contributed to the budget? The Call for Proposals does not favour proposals that include specific countries. Each lot will be equally assessed and evaluated on the basis of the selection criteria explicitly defined by the Guidelines. As explained in Section 2.1.3 of the Guidelines for Grant Applicants, During the selection phase, the evaluation committee reserves itself the right to ensure through the selection of projects for funding that a balanced geographical coverage at the Programme level is achieved. 4. What was the success rate of applications in the previous ACP S&T Call for Proposals? The applications success rate in the previous ACP S&T Call for Proposals was about 16%. 5. Les domaines définis comme prioritaires sont-ils exclusifs? Conformément aux priorités du l Appel à propositions, le Programme donne la priorité aux Actions dans les domaines de l' «Accès à l'energie et de l'efficacité Energétique» ainsi que de l' «Agriculture et de la Sécurité Alimentaire». ACP S&T II Call for Proposals 2012 Frequently Asked Questions October November 2012 4
Toutefois, d'autres secteurs et/ou approches interdisciplinaires ne sont pas exclues, à condition que les Actions et Activités prévues soient conformes aux Objectifs du Programme. 6. Quel est le montant maximum de la subvention? Toute demande de subvention dans le cadre du présent Appel à propositions doit être comprise entre le montant minimum (EUR 300 000) et le montant maximum (EUR 1 000 000). Exceptionnellement les propositions dans les domaines «Accès à l énergie et efficacité énergétique» et «Agriculture et sécurité alimentaire» peuvent demander un financement de maximum 3 000 000 euros si la demande est correctement justifiée. 7. Will the Programme let us know when and where information sessions will be held? The Programme will regularly announce the information sessions in the ACP Regions and in the EU on its website http://www.acp-st.eu and. https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/europeaid/onlineservices/index.cfm?adsschck=1349680053453&do=publi.detpub&searchtype=q S&orderby=upd&orderbyad=Desc&nbPubliList=15&page=1&aoref=133437 8. Are there 'national contact points' to gain information about the EuropeAid/133437/D/ACT/ACPTPS call? There are no national contact points for the Programme. Any question should be asked to call2012@acp-st.eu. ACP S&T II Call for Proposals 2012 Frequently Asked Questions October November 2012 5
Eligibility of participants / Eligibilité des partenaires 9. Is South-Africa eligible in both Lots? Participants from the Republic of South Africa can fully participate in either Lot 1 or Lot 2, either as Applicant, Partner or Associate provided they respect the relevant eligibility criteria. 10. Is Cuba eligible in both Lots? Participants from Cuba can fully participate in either Lot 1 or Lot 2, either as Applicant, Partner or Associate provided they respect the relevant eligibility criteria. 11. Our company is located in a South American country, although we cannot find this country on the list of eligible countries included in Annex K of the information package: can we participate? Only legal entities which respect all eligibility criteria and that are established in any of the country foreseen for each Lot in Annex K to the Guidelines for Applicants ( List of eligible countries ) are eligible. 12. Would a university, a private company or a network be eligible organisations? If the eligibility criteria mentioned in Section 2.1.1 of the Guidelines for Grant Applicants are met, they are eligible organisations. Please note that grants provided to an Action may not have the purpose or effect of producing a profit for the Applicant or its partners as explained in Article 17.3 of the General Conditions to the standard Grant Contract (see Annex G of the Guidelines for Grant Applicants ), 13. To which categories must the participants belong to (universities, local authorities, profit organizations, non-profit organizations.)? In the Background section of the Guidelines for Grant Applicants, reference is made to all sorts of participants that are welcome to participate: Accordingly, ACP S&T II favours the creation of partnerships among national and local agencies, academic institutions, professional associations, the private sector and civil society. The eligibility criteria for participants are spelled out in Section 2.1 of the Guidelines for Grant Applicants ACP S&T II Call for Proposals 2012 Frequently Asked Questions October November 2012 6
14. Would a regional organisation, e.g. CARICOM, be regarded as an eligible organisation? If the eligibility criteria for international organisations as mentioned in Section 2.1.1 and the definition of International Organisations in p. 4 of the Guidelines for Grant Applicants are met, the organisation is eligible to participate in this Call for Proposals. 15. How do we know if our organisation, which is a recognised international organisation, is eligible to participate? International Organisations are eligible if they are: international public-sector organisations set up by intergovernmental agreements, and specialised agencies set up by such organisations - these organisations may have worldwide or regional scope. Organisations created under national law are not international organisations (e.g. national NGO with several regional/country offices (ref: p.4 of the Guidelines for Grant Applicants). Furthermore, if your institution can be considered an International Organisation as described in Section 2.1.1 of the Guidelines for Grant Applicants, then the country eligibility criterion would not be applicable anymore. 16. With respect to the partnership requirements, there is a minimum of 3 partners, 2 of which must be from ACP countries. Must the partners be from 3 different organizations OR can the partners be from the same organization but missions in different countries? It must be three different organisations, i.e. three different legal persons, and two of which from ACP countries. 17. If a partnership involves only three partners, of which one is from an ACP country, one from an EU country, and the third is an international organisation, would this be regarded as an eligible partnership? As spelled out in Section 2.1.2 of the Guidelines for Grant Applicants the partnership must involve partners from at least 2 different ACP states as defined in Annex K. Since International Organisations do not fulfill this criterion, the above partnership cannot be considered eligible. 18. What is the difference between an associate and a partner? A Partner is the institution other than the Applicant that is a member of the partnership, that participates in designing and implementing the action and that can claim for all sorts of project costs. An Associate is an organisation that has a real role in the Action, but cannot receive funding from the ACP-EU Co-operation Programme in Science and Technology, with the exception of per diems and travel ACP S&T II Call for Proposals 2012 Frequently Asked Questions October November 2012 7
costs. Associates do not have to meet the eligibility criteria referred to in Section 2.1.1 of the Guidelines for Grant Applicants. 19. For a good number of parties interested in participating it is difficult to find other partners interested in building a partnership. Does the Programme envisage having any kind of partner search facility? The Programme has a partner search facility on its website which can be used by interested parties. The Programme Management Unit will only moderate this website and will not act as a broker. See http://www.acp-st.eu/content/partner-search 20. Est-ce le nombre de pays (Nord ou ACP) qui comptent ou le nombre d'institutions partenaires? Les demandeurs doivent agir avec des organisations partenaires conformément aux prescriptions ci-après : le partenariat doit associer au moins 3 partenaires, y compris le demandeur : le partenariat doit associer des partenaires d au moins 2 pays ACP tels que définis à l annexe K ; et le nombre de partenaires ACP devra toujours être supérieur à celui de partenaires de pays non-acp (voir : l article 2.1.2 des Lignes directrices à l intention des demandeurs). 21 Is it necessary to have a local partner in all the countries where the project will implement its activities? No, this is not necessary. However, it is advisable to work with a local partner in all the countries where the project will implement its activities, taking into consideration the capacity building component of the ACP countries which is an objective of the ACP S&T Programme. 22. In Section 2.1.1 of the Guidelines for Grant Applicants, what does to be established in mean? This means that the organisation statutes shall demonstrate that it has been established by an instrument governed by the national law of the country concerned. In this respect any legal entity whose statutes have been established in another country not included in annex K cannot be considered an eligible local organisation, even if the statutes are registered locally or a Memorandum of Understandings has been concluded. ACP S&T II Call for Proposals 2012 Frequently Asked Questions October November 2012 8
Eligibility of activities / Eligibilité des activités 23. Can research activities be financed under ACP S&T II? No. ACP S&T is a capacity building programme and is not designed to directly support research. This is clearly stated in Section 2.1.3 for which "Actions that consists of or contain to any significant extent pure Research and/or Research and Development activities are not eligible". However, other EU-ACP programmes are financing research activities, such as the ACP Caribbean & Pacific Research Programme for Sustainable Development or the African Union Research Grant Programme (http://www.au.int/en/dp/hrst/rgp). 24. Le Programme ne financera pas d'activités de recherche. C est à dire que ce programme est essentiellement un programme de capacity building? Le Programme ACP S&T ne finance pas d'activités de recherche et est essentiellement un programme de renforcement des capacités. Il est complémentaire à d'autres initiatives de collaboration financées par l'union européenne (tels que le FP7) ou par le groupe ACP avec l'ue. 25. Can a project include a pilot project of an existing technology? The project should fit with the objectives of the Call for Proposals. If a pilot project is one of the envisaged activities, it should be in line with the Types of Action and activities and ineligible actions in Section 2.1.3 of the Guidelines for Grant Applicants. 26. Are experiments allowed? This Call for Proposals is not about Research & Development activities as can be read in the paragraph ineligible actions in Section 2.1.3 of the Guidelines for Grant Applicants. Only a limited part of R&D activities are allowed and only if really needed and if it is an important - though minor - part of the proposed project 27. Is the organisation of a Masters course allowed? No. ACP S&T is a capacity building programme that supports initiatives that strengthen the recognition of the importance of Science and Technology (S&T) for development, that produce innovation, that promote a scientific culture, that identify S&T goals and priorities, and that bolster national and regional capacities to formulate, manage, monitor, evaluate and disseminate S&T activities within and ACP S&T II Call for Proposals 2012 Frequently Asked Questions October November 2012 9
across ACP countries. It is not designed to support the organisation of a Master course. However, other EU-ACP programmes are financing cooperation activities in the field of higher education, such as the ACP EU Programme EDULINK (http://www.acp-edulink.eu). 28. Can a project be developed that influence policy makers? This is certainly possible as long as the project fits with the objectives of the ACP S&T Call for Proposals. 29. Can the awareness raising of traditional knowledge be regarded as an eligible component of a project? This is certainly possible as long as the project fits with the objectives of the ACP S&T Call for Proposals. 30. Is it favourable to have a project that is multi-country focused in comparison with a project that will only be implemented in one country? This is not a selection criterion in the ACP S&T II Guidelines for Call for Proposals and therefore it will not be considered during the evaluation process. 31. Annex K LOT 2 column includes several South American countries. Can we apply with a proposal to be implemented exclusively in South America under LOT 2 funding? No, Actions must take place in one or more ACP Member States as listed in Annex K of the Guidelines for Grant Applicants. A limited number of activities may be carried out in non-acp counties, in particular if one or more of the partners are from outside the ACP region, as long as the location is justified and they clearly benefit ACP countries (see Section 2.1.3 of the Guidelines for Grant Applicants). 32. Is it possible to roll out capacities obtained from, for instance, FP7 projects onto the proposed project? The use of previously acquired results in a project proposal is certainly valuable as long as the project fits with the objectives of the ACP S&T Call for Proposals. 33. Many students in school lack capacities in mathematics and science. Is it possible that a project that tackles this issue can submit a proposal? This is certainly possible as long as the project fits with the objectives of the ACP S&T Call for Proposals. An example of an eligible activity directed towards teachers and education material is mentioned on p.10 of the Guidelines for Grant Applicants. ACP S&T II Call for Proposals 2012 Frequently Asked Questions October November 2012 10
Costs and Eligibility of costs / Coûts et Eligibilité des coûts 34. Are there specific indications or limits to the amounts to be requested in the different budget headings? The budget must be drafted using the template in Annex B to the Guidelines for Grant Applicants. There are no indications on maximum amounts to be allocated to the different headings, except for the Provision for contingency reserve and the Administrative costs where a maximum percentage is established. However, each budget item must be justified by demonstrating the necessity of the costs and how they relate to the Action (e.g. through references to the activities in the Description of the Action). See also in 2.1.4 recommendations on provisions for administrative/accounting staff and for participation in stakeholder meeting. 35. Can the project erect a building which will serve as a training facility? The objective of the ACP S&T II programme is not the establishment of a building but rather capacity building. According to Section 2.1.4 "purchases of land or buildings, except where necessary for the direct implementation of the action" are ineligible costs. Therefore the erection of a building could be an eligible cost as long as the financing is absolutely necessary for the implementation of the Action and that such costs are limited to the minimum necessary. 36. Are overheads the same as contingencies? No. Overheads or Administrative costs are indirect costs, that is to say, the costs which are not directly attributable to the project, but are incurred in relation to the direct eligible costs of the project. The ACP-EU Co-operation Programme in Science and Technology applies a maximum of 7% Administrative costs of the total eligible direct costs of the project. No supporting documents need to be provided for them. Contingencies are a provision for a possible event or circumstance which may appear necessary in order to assure the achievement of the objectives of the Action. A contingency reserve not exceeding 5 % of the direct eligible costs may be included in the Budget for the Action; it can only be used with the prior written authorisation of the Contracting Authority, and does need to be supported by accounting documents. 37. Are contributions in kind eligible costs? No. Contributions in kind are not eligible costs. These consist of a contribution in the form of material, equipment or services provided by a member of the partnership or a third party to the project; even if it has a monetary value, it does not represent actual expenditure and it cannot be charged to the project. ACP S&T II Call for Proposals 2012 Frequently Asked Questions October November 2012 11
38. We are accustomed to charging a fixed tariff for a unit of time spent by an individual employee, but there is some difficulty translating our rates into the format required for EuropeAID grants. How do we have to complete the worksheet Budget for the Action? Whatever the internal regulations of your organisation are, the proposal has to fit the set-up of the donor and this should not conflict your internal procedures. The salaries refer to the actual salaries paid by the Beneficiary and its partners to their staff members assigned to the project, including the social security contributions. If staff is not working full time for the Action, the percentage of involvement should be indicated in the first column under the heading Human Resources and reflected in the number of units column. 39. The Programme can fund up to 85 % of the total eligible project costs. Does the project proposal have to prove where the other 15 % is coming from? No. At this stage it is enough if the estimated costs and the expected sources of funding are mentioned in the third worksheet of the Budget for the Action. The cofinancing part should come from non-ec sources. The beneficiary shall supply evidence of the amount of the co-financing brought either with its own resources or in the form of financial transfers from third parties. 40. The grant request must be limited to 85% of the estimated total eligible costs of the project. Which characteristics should have the remaining 15% to be financed from the applicant? It is possible to cover our share of co-financing with internal human resources? It is possible to cover your co-financing part with internal human resources, as long as financial expenses (i.e.: salary payments) can be proven. This can also apply for other cost items which are necessary to implement the project. The co-financing part can come from any source (the Applicant, the partners or third parties) as long as it is from a non-eu source. 41. Are the EUR 10,000 to be obligatory reserved for stakeholder events which will be organised by the ACP Secretariat to be included on an annual basis? No. The EUR 10,000 for the ACP stakeholder events will cover the costs for these events throughout the implementation period of the project. ACP S&T II Call for Proposals 2012 Frequently Asked Questions October November 2012 12
Application procedures / Procédure de demande 42. Is it obligatory to register in PADOR? For this ACP S&T Call for Proposals it is not necessary to register in PADOR. Full information on the Applicant must, therefore, be provided in Section B.3 of the Grant Applicant Form. 43. Can you please clarify the deadline for the Call for Proposal as on the Grant Application Form it is stated 7 February 2012? As explained on the cover page and on p. 13 of the Guidelines for Applicants, the deadline for the submission of applications is 7 February 2013. In the Grant Application Form it is also stated 7 February 2013. However, for reasons of administrative efficiency, the Contracting Authority may reject any Concept Note received after the effective date of approval of the first evaluation step (i.e. concept note) (see indicative calendar under section 2.5.2). Evaluation of the applications / Évaluation des demandes 44. How can you check if a proposal has complied with the submission deadline? The postmark on the envelope or the date of receipt by the express services which are indicated on the outer envelope will serve as a proof of the submission date. In the case of hand-deliveries, the deadline for receipt is at 16:00 local time as evidenced by the signed and dated receipt. Any application submitted after the deadline will automatically be rejected. 45. Will the applicant be informed after each stage of the evaluation? The Applicant, i.e. the name of the contact person mentioned in the Grant Application Form, will be informed on the outcome of each step in the evaluation process following the tentative timetable provided in Section 2.5.2. ACP S&T II Call for Proposals 2012 Frequently Asked Questions October November 2012 13
Implementation of a grant contract / Mise en oeuvre d un contrat de subvention 46. How do we have to manage cash payments in case project participants have no bank account? In case the project participant has no bank account, the project co-ordination needs to seek other legal ways of transferring the payments. This can be done by cash payments, but please note that all transactions should be registered and proofs of payments shown to the auditor. 47. How is the transfer of funding from the beneficiary to the partners to be managed? Is there a maximum amount which each partner can expect? Once the proposal is awarded a grant and a contract is signed, funds are transferred to the Beneficiary, who is responsible for managing the financial resources among the various partners. There is no maximum or minimum amount foreseen for the partners. It is up to the Beneficiary and its partners how to manage the fund transfers. ACP S&T II Call for Proposals 2012 Frequently Asked Questions October November 2012 14