CIVIL SOCIETY COOPERATION Education and Training (Lot 1) Submission and Selection Procedures EACEA Erasmus + Infoday meeting Brussels, 18 February 2014
Information on application and submission EACEA website at: http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/erasmus-plus/funding/eacea052014-civil-societycooperation_en - Call for proposals, corrigendum and FAQs - eform - Applicants' guidelines: The Applicants' Guidelines explain how to complete and submit a proposal. Please read them carefully before filling in the application form. - User Guide on the technicalities of registering through the participants' portal and of completing the eform 2
How to apply? Organisations wishing to apply for the call "Civil Society Cooperation in Education and Training (Lot1)" are invited to submit applications to EACEA online by: Monday 17 March 2014, 12:00 noon (Brussels time) 3
How to apply? Beforehand, make sure that you have an ECAS account Then: 1) Register your organisation in the Participant Portal 2) Complete the electronic application form (eform) and attach annexes required 3) Submit the electronic application 4) Send by email the required additional information 4
How to apply? Before starting your application: Applicants must have an ECAS (European Commission Authentication Service) account. If you already have an ECAS account, you may use it, otherwise, click here to create an ECAS account. When you have created your ECAS account, return to this page. 5
1) Register your organisation in the Participant Portal Before creating their eform, applicants shall register in the Participant Portal. Organisations that register in the Portal receive a Participant Identification Code (PIC) that will be requested in the application form. Participant portal is accessible on the bottom of EACEA page on the call or at: http://ec.europa.eu/education/participants/portal/d esktop/en/organisations/register.html Given that each applicant organisation should use only one PIC code, please first check with your legal representative's office whether such a PIC number has already been created for your organisation. If this is the case, you may use this PIC code to create your electronic application form. 6
2- Complete the eform and attach relevant annexes Click on the eform link on EACEA web page 7
2- Complete the eform and attach relevant annexes PART A: Data of the Applicant organisation PART B: Presentation of the organisation PART C: Major information about the project PART D: Budget PART E: Category of organisation ATTACHMENTS 8
2- Complete the eform and attach relevant annexes PART A: Data of the Applicant organisation For the call "Civil society cooperation", the Applicant organisation is the only organisation that should register in the eform Most info automatically retreived from the Participant Portal 9
2- Complete the eform and attach relevant annexes PART B: Presentation of the organisation 10
2- Complete the eform and attach relevant annexes PART C: Major info about the project: Aims, work programme/activities, dissemination, impact, 11
2- Complete the eform and attach relevant annexes PART C: geographical coverage 12
2- Complete the eform and attach relevant annexes PART E: additional info on organisation sub type automaticaly generated out of info inputted in B1 (Category 1 or 2) 13
2- Complete the eform and attach relevant annexes ATTACHMENTS: Declaration on Honour, Budget excel file, Financial Identification Form 14
3- Submit the electronic application Support for submission: Refer to the "User Guide" available on the same page as the link to the eform: http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/node/184 15
4-Send by email the required additional information Applications must be made by using the relevant eform submitted online by 17/03/2014 noon (master copy) By the same submission deadline, the whole application package (copy of the submitted eform, copy of its attachments as well as the compulsory additional annexes described in part 3 of the Applicants' Guidelines) must also be sent by email to EACEA at the two following email address: For Civil society cooperation -Education and training : EACEA-CIVIL-EDU@ec.europa.eu 16
4-Send by email the required additional information Compulsory additional annexes - Europass CVs of the key persons responsible of the implementation of the work rpogramme - Annual activity report for the last financial year - Financial capacity documents - The latest available closed annual accounts (balance sheet, profit and loss account) - Statutes - Certificate of liability to VAT - Copy of the official document attesting the private law entity (trade register) 17
Then what happens? All proposals are assessed by independent experts Proposals are ranked according to their assessed quality The best proposals are selected for funding All candidates are informed, and results are published Contracts are prepared for successful projects 18
Award Criteria Criteria 1 Relevance Score /30 points 2 Quality of the work plan's design and implementation./20 points 3 Profile, number of participants and countries involved in the activities /20 points 4 Impact, dissemination and sustainability /30 points Total Total % /100 points Only those applications that score at least half of the maximum points in each of the award criteria will be considered for funding % 19
Roadmap Publication of the call 29/01/2014 Submission deadline 17/03/2014 midday Evaluation period April 2014 Notification and publication of results May 2014 Signature of grant agreements 30/06/2014 20
Administrative and financial management Rules, procedures and tips! 21
Project life cycle Application procedure Dissemination, exploitation and sustainability Work programme management and further development Results-Outputs 22
Presentation overview Operating grant Funding system Eligibility of costs Contributions in kind Pre-financing Final Reporting Determination of the final grant Comparison with the past 23
Definition of an Operating Grant The purpose of an operating grant is to provide a co-financing to the functioning of a body which pursues an aim of general Union interest: - over a period that is equivalent to its accounting period - to enable it to carry out a set of activities as defined in its Work Programme 24
Available budget and "Budget Based" Available budget for lot 1 is 2M in order to cofinance projects under the Budget Based system only; 2 categories: ENGOs (max 125.000 ) and EU-wide networks (max 200.000 ); max EU co-financing rate is 75%; Budget based grants are calculated on the basis of a detailed estimated budget of eligible costs; The calculation of the final grant amount is based on a detailed final financial statement provided by the beneficiary (template prepared by the Agency). 25
Eligibility of costs The eligible costs are those relating to Staff costs, general administrative expenditures, equipment, subcontracting, travel & subsistence and other costs categories necessary for the running of the association as approved in the work programme. General principles of eligibility Incurred during the work programme; Directly connected with the object of the agreement and budgeted; Necessary; Reasonable and justified; Identifiable and verifiable (recorded and easily traceable); Complying with social and tax requirements. 26
Staff costs Costs of staff assigned to the work programme: - comprising actual salaries plus social security charges and other statutory costs included in their remuneration; - provided that these costs do not exceed the average rates corresponding to the usual remuneration policy of the beneficiary; Staff assigned to the work programme is understood to mean permanent or temporary staff employed on the payroll of the beneficiary; These costs must be the actual costs incurred by the beneficiary, and staff costs invoiced through a company are not eligible. 27
General Expenditures Costs related to the implementation of the work programme: - Telecommunications and postal costs; - Office supplies, consumables. The list provided in the excel table is not exhaustive. 28
Travel and Subsistence Travel and subsistence allowances can be charged provided that they are For staff taking part into the work programme; in line with the beneficiary's usual practices on travel costs; reasonable and justified. It is suggested to use the cheapest means of travel (e.g. use Apex tickets for air travel and take advantage of reduced fares), independently of the means of travel chosen. Example: for a travel where you have the option bus/car/train/taxi you have to choose the cheapest of the four of them; May include visa fees, travel insurance and cancellation costs. 29
Rent, leasing & depreciation The purchase/rent and leasing costs of equipment are eligible, provided that : In case of a purchase, only the portion of the equipment's depreciation corresponding to the period of eligibility period; Only the portion of the equipment's use corresponding to the period of eligibility period; It is written off in accordance with the tax and accounting rules applicable to the beneficiary and generally accepted for items of the same kind; Renting of the office should be declared under this heading. 30
Subcontracting Award of a contract - Only to cover the execution of a limited part of the work programme; - Recourse to the award of contracts must be justified having regard to the nature of the tasks covered by the work programme; - The tasks concerned must be set out in Annex I (Work Programme); if not, prior written authorisation by the Agency it's required; - Procedure and thresholds to be respected. 31
Other costs The other costs arising directly from requirements by the agreement: Audit costs; Financial guarantee; Transfer costs charged by banks are eligible (but costs for opening and operating bank accounts are not eligible). 32
Contributions in kind in EU Financial Regulation Article 183 Rules of Applications of the Financial Regulation - Co-financing principle 1. Under the co-financing principle, the resources which are necessary to carry out the action or the work programme shall not be provided entirely by the Union contribution. Co-financing may take the form of the beneficiary s own resources, income generated by the action or work programme or financial or in-kind contributions from third parties. 2. In-kind contributions shall mean non-financial resources made available free of charge by third parties to the beneficiary. 33
Contributions in kind only as co-financing incomes other than EU grant 75% MAX EU GRANT 25% of co-financing: - Contributions by the applicant - Contribution by other organisations - Direct revenue expected from the operation - Contributions in kind 34
Contributions in kind Contributions in kind should be declared only on the incomes side of the budget and may come from third parties. Practical examples On staff > volunteers or staff from third parties; On equipment > material given by a third party in order to implement activities related to the work programme; What is the value of a CiK: it should be in line with the market Contributions involving buildings cannot be considered as contributions inkind. 35
Pre-financing payment Main rules: Pre-financing is intended to provide the partner with a float. Therefore, prefinancing does not belong to the beneficiary and related costs are considered eligible by the Agency until the Work Programme is implemented; 80 % of the grant amount; Paid within 30 days of the date of signature by the Agency. No payment request is needed; Interests generated by pre-financing won't be deducted from the final grant amount. 36
Reporting Documents required for the Final Report Activity report Final Financial Statement An external audit certificate on the final financial statement declared expenditures (not on the accounts of the organisation) To be submitted within 2 months following the end of the eligibility period 37
Determination of the final grant - General principles Once the total final budget has been established upon verification of all eligible costs or certified number of staff has been verified, the principles that will be taken into account are: 1. The % of Community co-financing, as specified in the agreement, after analysis and correction 2. Maximum Community contribution as specified in the agreement Following the new Financial Regulation the profit is calculated only on the final report and no more on the annual accounts of the organisation Only in this case is deducted from the EU grant 38
Determination of the final grant - Final Payment The total amount to be paid to the beneficiary by the Agency may not in any circumstances exceed the maximum amount of the grant as defined in the grant agreement Maximum up to the remaining balance of the grant (max grant amount amount of pre-financing payment) Within 60 days of receipt (except if additional/supplementary information is demanded) 39
Operating grant Operating and action grants: multi - granted beneficiaries what to do? An operating grant provides financial co-financing for the existence and functioning of your association over a certain period. If a grant for an action is also received for the same period: no right to demand the 7% of indirect costs on this action grant. Pro-rata calculation if the eligibility periods overlap only partially. Please adapt your Final Report of the grant for an action consequently 40
Example of pro-rata calculation Operating grants received on 2014 from 1st of January till 31st of December The same association has been awarded with an action grant covering a period of 24 months starting on 1 October 2013 till 30 September 2015 How to proceed: In the Final Report of the action grant: 7% = 6000 euros The 2 eligibility periods overlap for 12 months 6000 /24 months= 250 per month 12 months X 250 = 3000 of indirect costs 41
Operating grant Differences with the past 2 grants and only budget based system; Introduction of contribution in kinds; No ceilings for subsistence costs, equipment and subcontracting headings; New thresholds for awarding a contract; Required audit report; Notion of profit to be calculated only on the costs related to the work programme. 42
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