Public Diplomacy, Policy Research and Outreach Devoted to the European Union and EU-Canada Relations

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1 Public Diplomacy, Policy Research and Outreach Devoted to the European Union and EU-Canada Relations CALL FOR PROPOSALS Application Deadline: 22 September, 2009 This Call for Proposals is designed to pursue the objectives of the EU-Canada Partnership Agenda adopted at the EU-Canada Summit of March 2004, as well as the objectives agreed at subsequent EU-Canada Summits, most recently the Summit of May It is also in line with the 2009 Annual Action Programme under the new Industrialised Countries Instrument (ICI) (budget line of the European Commission). The European Commission External Relations Directorate General invites proposals relating to activities that promote (a) public knowledge and understanding of the European Union among Canadians and/or (b) reflection and debate about EU-Canada relations. 1) WHAT ARE THE OBJECTIVES OF THE CALL FOR PROPOSALS? a) PROMOTE PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE EU AMONG CANADIANS Activities undertaken in response to this Call for Proposals should aim to raise awareness either among the general public in Canada or among specified target groups - of the ongoing transformation of the EU (enlargement, treaty, etc) and of the EU s increasing role as an international actor in the economic and political field. Alternatively, such activities should focus on raising the awareness of EU policies and perspectives on specific issues, in particular those sectors specified in Section 3 below. b) PROMOTE DEBATE ABOUT EU-CANADA RELATIONS Activities undertaken in response to this Call for Proposal should aim to engage EU and Canadian policymakers, research analysts, media, business and other economic stakeholders, and other relevant groups in considering the scope for expanding EU- Canada co-operation, and make suggestions for taking the relationship forward, leading to negotiations on an enhanced economic partnership. In this context, when discussing the future of bilateral relations due account should be taken of the institutional changes in the EU, as well as of respective bilateral relations with the United States Call for Proposals EU-Canada Public Diplomacy & Outreach Page 1 of 9

2 2) WHAT ARE THE DESIRED RESULTS? Activities should result in outcomes which can be measured, for example, by the number and quality of events and participants, evidence of sustainable impact upon research and curricular programs, and the production and targeted dissemination of information products via the internet and other means. In the case of actions to promote debate about EU-Canada relations (1(b) above), they should also aim to reach concrete recommendations on how to develop further the EU- Canada relationship. Such recommendations should cover the following aspects and should be disseminated widely to EU and Canada policy makers: Increase awareness of issues on which EU and Canada work successfully together; How to develop the EU-Canada relations further; and Suggest new areas for co-operation, or areas where renewed impetus is needed; and improve handling of issues where EU and Canadian policies may diverge. 3) WHAT ARE THE TARGET GROUPS AND SPECIFIC ISSUE AREAS COVERED BY THIS CALL FOR PROPOSALS? Activities should be targeted at, and include participation from, one or more of the following groups: the academic community, the media, civil society and nongovernmental organisations, the business community, and government policy-makers and decision-takers at federal and provincial level in Canada. Issue areas of special interest that could be covered include, environment and energy policies, trade and investment, the EU s Common Foreign and Security Policy, crisis management, electoral observation, justice and home affairs (including counterterrorism), immigration, air transport, container security, phyto-sanitary and veterinary issues including consumer protection, regulatory cooperation, agricultural policies, the Arctic dimension, doing business in the EU, youth exchanges and cultural diversity. 4) WHAT KINDS OF ACTIVITIES ARE COVERED? conferences, seminars and workshops; publications and other information products; research projects; training programmes; briefing sessions, speaking tours and study visits for decision-makers and opinion-shapers, such as federal or provincial parliamentarians and staff; civil servants; business people, civil society organisations, NGO representatives and journalists; and 2009 Call for Proposals EU-Canada Public Diplomacy & Outreach Page 2 of 9

3 other activities that facilitate greater understanding of the EU and of EU-Canada relations and productive dialogue across the Atlantic amongst policymakers and analysts. All applicants must provide for a web page devoted to the proposed project, linked directly from the institutional home page. Outreach events being organized with project funds must be publicised on this page, and the European Commission must be invited to or otherwise informed of all such outreach activities prior to their implementation. Applicants are welcome to have a look at the Delegation s and Commission websites for previous successful grantees (list of projects being financed by the EU available on: ). 5) WHAT KIND OF ORGANISATIONS MAY APPLY? Subject to their meeting the eligibility criteria set out in Section 8, proposals are invited from the following kinds of organisations: think tanks and other policy oriented non-governmental organisations; other kinds of NGOs and civil society organisations; educational establishments; government and parliamentary bodies at regional or provincial level; not-for-profit business associations; chambers of commerce; trade unions and labour organisations. Proposals involving EU and Canadian partner institutions are particularly encouraged and activities may take place in Canada and the EU. 6) GRANT FUNDING AVAILABLE The organisations selected will receive funding in the form of a grant towards approved project costs for activities taking place in the period 1 January 2010 to 30 June Applicants are encouraged to submit proposals for a thematically coherent package comprising two or more activities. The total budget for European Commission contributions to this programme is 450,000. From this total budget, an estimated 6-9 grants will be awarded, depending on the nature and quality of proposals received and the availability of funding. Grants will not be awarded for more than the amount requested, and the European Commission reserves the right to award a grant of less than the amount requested by the applicant Call for Proposals EU-Canada Public Diplomacy & Outreach Page 3 of 9

4 Each grant application may cover several activities. The maximum grant awarded to any one applicant will be 100,000. Individual grant amounts will not exceed 75% of allowable costs of the activities covered in the proposal. 7) HOW TO APPLY? All applicants should consult the Guidelines for Applicants for general guidance regarding the proposal submission process. All applicants must submit an original and two (2) copies of the Application package comprising the following elements: 1. An official grant request letter, dated and signed; 2. A detailed proposal (5 pages maximum), explaining (i) the goals and methodology of the activity/activities proposed, and specifying (ii) the detailed timetable of the operation, (iii) the expected impacts consistent with the objectives of this programme, (iv) the nature and purpose of any resulting information products, (v) the means of dissemination of those products, ensuring effective targeting of interested groups, and (vi) the responsibilities and estimated effort required of all staff involved, the itemized budget of project costs and revenues, in euro 1 in sufficient detail to allow identification and monitoring of the operations involved; it should be drawn up in accordance with the model annexed to the Grant Application Form; 3. A fully completed and signed Grant Application Form together with the required supporting documents indicated in the annex to the Grant Application Form. NB: In the event that a grant is awarded, the same individual signing the Grant Application Form must also sign the Grant Agreement, and have the authority to legally commit the applicant institution to the terms of that Agreement Please note: All Applicants should read carefully the Guidelines for applicants which explain in detail how to prepare the application package, and provide information on grants from the European Commission. Applicants must submit all of the information indicated above or their application will be considered ineligible and their proposal will not be examined, as explained in the eligibility criteria established for this call for proposals (Point 8 below). In 1 Prices must be quoted in EUR (euro) using the Commission s official monthly accounting exchange rate at the time of submission of the proposal. en. Those who do not have internet access or who have any questions may contact Ms Yasmina Sioud at the above address Call for Proposals EU-Canada Public Diplomacy & Outreach Page 4 of 9

5 particular, applicants are reminded to pay attention to the question of co-financing (see Section 1.4 of the Guidelines for Applicants ) Applications must be signed and dated by the authorised representative. The Grant Application Form, the Guidelines for applicants, and the model Grant Agreement may be downloaded from the web site of the Directorate General for External Relations at or from the website of the Delegation at Those who cannot access the internet may request materials from Ms Yasmina Sioud (Telephone ; Fax ; yasmina.sioud@ec.europa.eu). Applications submitted by fax or will not be accepted. All application documents must be submitted in English or French. Applicants should send one original plus two (2) copies of their application package by registered mail (Canada Post Express Post if sending from Canada), or by courier service to: Ms Yasmina SIOUD European Commission DG RELEX C1, CHAR 14/009 (Ref. Call Public Diplomacy 2009) Avenue du Bourget n Brussels Belgium yasmina.sioud@ec.europa.eu Applications should be submitted at the earliest date possible, but must be postmarked no later than 22 September Applicants are equally asked to send an communication to the above address once an application has been posted. Any application received with a later postmark will be automatically rejected even if the delay is due to private courier service. NB: The applicant is responsible for the clear identification of the date to which the application has been postmarked. 8) SELECTION OF PROPOSALS Full details of the selection process are included in the Guidelines for applicants. Applications will be assessed and selected according to the following criteria: 2009 Call for Proposals EU-Canada Public Diplomacy & Outreach Page 5 of 9

6 8.1) ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA All applicants must: demonstrate status as a legal person, to be documented by Articles of Incorporation or other proof of legal status; provide a signed Applicants Declaration (Part 5 of the Grant Application Form) verifying that the applicant is not in one of the situations described 2 ; propose activities which must take place in their entirety between 1 January 2010 and 30 June 2011; and submit properly completed applications and all required supporting documentation. Incomplete applications will not be considered. An application will be regarded as incomplete if it does not include a grant request letter, a detailed proposal, a completed Grant Application Form including Applicant s Declaration, and all required supporting documentation. 8.2) EXCLUSION CRITERIA Applicants may not participate in this call for proposals or be awarded grants if: a) They are bankrupt or being wound up, are having their affairs administered by the courts, have entered into an arrangement with creditors, have suspended business activities, are the subject of proceedings concerning those matters, or are in any analogous situation arising from a similar procedure provided for in national legislation or regulations; b) They have been convicted of an offence concerning their professional conduct by a judgment which has the force of res judicata; c) They have been guilty of grave professional misconduct proven by any means which the contracting authority can justify; d) They have not fulfilled obligations relating to the payment of social security contributions or the payment of taxes in accordance with the legal provisions of the country in which they are established or with those of the country of the contracting authority or those of the country where the project is to take place; e) They have been the subject of a judgment which has the force of res judicata for fraud, corruption, involvement in a criminal organisation or any other illegal activity detrimental to the Communities' financial interests; f) They are currently subject to an administrative penalty referred to in Article 96(1) of the Financial Regulation 3 : candidates which are guilty of misrepresentation in supplying the information required by the contracting authority as a condition of 2 The Commission may request additional evidence confirming the Declaration. 3 OJ L 390/2006 of Call for Proposals EU-Canada Public Diplomacy & Outreach Page 6 of 9

7 participation in the procurement procedure or fail to supply this information; and contractors who have been declared to be in serious breach of their obligations under contracts covered by the budget. 8.3) SELECTION CRITERIA FOR APPLICANTS The Commission will assess applicants' technical and economic capacity to undertake the proposed project. This assessment will be based on: proven previous experience in the organisation of events of this kind based on the list of the principal related projects undertaken in the past 2 years; in-depth knowledge of public policy issues relevant to the substance of the proposal and, where appropriate, of EU policies in this area and of the EU/Canada relationship; the details of the educational and professional qualifications of the person(s) undertaking the project, as demonstrated by curriculum vitae; financial and economic capacity enabling the applicant to perform the tasks involved in this project, as demonstrated by annual accounts (balance sheet and profit and loss account) for the last two years and other financial information provided in the Grant Application Form; and evidence of co-financing capacity, with own resources confirmed by the signature of the legally authorized officer signing the Grant Application Form, and third party resources confirmed in writing by the officer(s) identified in Part 4 of the Grant Application. 8.4) CRITERIA FOR THE AWARD OF A GRANT Proposals submitted in accordance with the submission guidelines and meeting the eligibility and selection criteria above will be evaluated according to the following quality criteria: relevance of the proposal: activities in relation to the objectives and priorities set; coherence of the design of the project; clear work-plan and timetable; expected impact of the proposed activities, in terms of promoting greater knowledge of the European Union and/or of EU-Canada relations and where appropriate - in terms of formulating recommendations for taking forward the EU-Canada relationship; value-added presented by the proposed activities - particularly as regards ensuring a broad-based impact across different regions in Canada; cost-effectiveness in the implementation of the activity proposed and capacity to mobilise resources to complement the Commission s grant (ratio between estimated costs and expected results, satisfactory human resources etc..) Call for Proposals EU-Canada Public Diplomacy & Outreach Page 7 of 9

8 Each award criterion will be assessed and assigned scores as follows: Relevance (maximum score 5, minimum 1) Impact (maximum score 5, minimum 1) Value-added (maximum score 5, minimum 1) Cost-effectiveness (maximum score 5, minimum 1) The TOTAL SCORE (sum of four criteria for maximum score of 20, minimum score of 4) of each proposal will be ranked against all competing proposals. A minimum of 12 points will be requested as a threshold for the overall quality of the proposal 9) QUESTIONS AND NOTIFICATION OF RESULTS Individual applicants should submit any questions regarding the competition in writing only to Yasmina Sioud (yasmina.sioud@ec.europa.eu). A Frequently Asked Questions or FAQ will be posted on the Commission s website, summarising responses to technical questions asked by individual applicants. All Applicants will be informed whether or not their proposal has been accepted. The Commission intends to make its decisions by 4 November 2009 (indicative date only). 10) REPORTING REQUIREMENTS AND PAYMENT ARRANGEMENTS Grant recipients will receive a pre-financing payment equal to 60% of the total grant once the grant agreement has been signed by both parties. Successful applicants will be required to submit a narrative report and a financial report in both hard-copy and electronic format after completion of the project. These reports will be due within three months following the closing date of the project or no later than 15 September For projects lasting 18 months, a narrative progress report will be requested after 10 months of implementation. After approval of the narrative and financial reports, a final payment will be made, based on actual eligible project expenditure. 11) ADDITIONAL IMPORTANT INFORMATION Nothing herein stated shall be deemed a financial commitment by the European Union or any of its component Institutions. Grants will be awarded on the basis of available funding and only after approval by the European Commission. The terms and general conditions of a prospective grant are specified in the Grant Agreement. Submission of an application implies acceptance of these terms and 2009 Call for Proposals EU-Canada Public Diplomacy & Outreach Page 8 of 9

9 general conditions. Requests to modify the terms and general conditions of the Grant Agreement will not be considered. Grants will not be awarded for more than the amount requested, and the European Commission reserves the right to award a grant of less than the amount requested by the applicant, if the costs are considered to be too high or unjustified. Projects which are awarded a grant under this call for proposals may not benefit from any other European Community funding for the same activity. Where the Commission decides to carry out an interim or ex-post evaluation, the beneficiary is required to provide all necessary information. In any call made in the context of grants or procurements implemented in direct centralised management, potential beneficiaries, candidates and tenderers shall, in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council be informed that, for the purposes of safeguarding the financial interests of the Communities, their personal data may be transferred to internal audit services, to the European Court of Auditors, to the Financial Irregularities Panel or to the European Anti-Fraud Office (hereinafter 'OLAF') Call for Proposals EU-Canada Public Diplomacy & Outreach Page 9 of 9