IPA II Cross Border Cooperation Action Programme Montenegro-Albania for the years 2014-2015-First Call for Proposal

Date de clôture : 13 sept. 2016  
APPEL À PROJET CLÔTURÉ

Cross Border Cooperation Programme Montenegro - Albania 2014-2020

Background

These Guidelines are intended to be used by those applying for grants under the 1st Call for proposals for the Cross-border Programme Montenegro – Albania.

The Cross Border Cooperation Programme Montenegro - Albania analyses the socio-economic situation of the Montenegrin-Albanian border region, sets outs a common strategy for remedying problems identified and formulates joint priorities and measures for development. The result of the 1st Call for Proposals will be a selection of cross-border cooperation projects that will contribute to the strategy's objectives and fall into identified priorities and measures.

The programme area in Montenegro covers municipalities: Andrijevica, Berane, Plav, Gusinje, Petnjica, Rožaje, Podgorica, Cetinje, Danilovgrad, Budva, Bar and Ulcinj. The programme area in Albania includes the regions of Shkodra and Lezha and the district of Tropoja1. Overall, the programming area has 23 municipalities and a total of 1,144 settlements – towns and villages.

The Cross-border Cooperation Programme Montenegro-Albania is implemented jointly by Montenegro and Albania. The Programme is implemented under the Indirect management mode, with the Contracting Authority located in Montenegro.

In Montenegro, the responsible institutions are:

• The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration (MFAEI), responsible for the overall coordination and implementation of the Programme;

• Ministry of Finance of Montenegro - Directorate for Finance and Contracting of the EU Assistance Funds (CFCU), responsible for launching Calls for Proposals and for all contracting and payment issues.(Contracting Authority).

In Albania, the responsible institutions are:

• Ministry for European Integration of the Republic of Albania, responsible for the overall coordination and implementation of the Programme

• Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Albania - CFCU, Albanian Control Body – responsible for control expenditures incurred by beneficiaries registered in Albania and issue confirmation to the Contracting Authority on the eligibility of expenditures.

Moreover, the implementation of the Programme is overseen by a Joint Monitoring Committee (JMC) composed of representatives from Montenegro and Albania.

Both countries are assisted by a Joint Technical Secretariat (JTS) based in Podgorica, Montenegro. The JTS is responsible for the day-to-day management of the programme including support and advice to all potential applicants in the Programme area. The JTS will have an antenna located in Shkodra (Albania). The JTS, including Antenna office, is the main contact point for the applicants to the Cross-border Cooperation Programme Montenegro-Albania.

Additional information regarding the programme area, related development strategy, priority measures and implementation system are available in the Cross-Border Programme, which is available for downloading on: http://www.mvpei.gov.me/, http://www.integrimi.gov.al and http://www.eu.me.

Objectives of the programme and priority issues

The global objective of this call for proposals is to promote/strengthen good neighbourly relations and socioeconomic development of the border regions, through valorising its touristic potentials, an environmentally sustainable and socially inclusive economic development, with respect for its common cultural and natural heritage.

The specific objective(s) of this call for proposals is/are the following:

1. To enhance the competitiveness of the tourism sector by the economic valorisation of the cultural and natural heritage

2. To further protection of environmental resources in lake and alpine areas

3. To foster employability and social inclusion

The thematic priorities of this grant scheme are the following:

1. Encouraging tourism, culture and natural heritage

2. Protecting the environment, promoting climate change adaptation and mitigation, risk prevention and management

3. Promoting employment, labour mobility and social and cultural inclusion across the border

Note that actions have to fall under not more than one of the three thematic priorities. In addition, the following elements have to be incorporated into the action: joint development and joint implementation of the action between applicants and co-applicants and cooperation in either or both the staffing or the financing (see Section 2.1.4).

Financial allocation provided by the contracting authority

The overall indicative amount made available under this call for proposals is EUR 2,890,000.00 € (EU contribution) (merging IPA allocations 2014 - amounting of 1,190,000.00 € and 2015 - amounting of 1,700,000.00 €).

The Contracting Authority reserves the right not to award all available funds.

Indicative allocation of funds by thematic Priority:

The financial allocation per thematic priority for this CfP is as follows:

Thematic Priority :: Union contribution EUR :: Percentage of the total allocation available under this CfP %

1. Encouraging tourism, culture and natural heritage :: 1,123,921.00 :: 38,89

2. Protecting the environment, promoting climate change adaptation and mitigation, risk prevention and management :: 963,526.00 :: 33,34

3. Promoting employment, labour mobility and social and cultural inclusion across the border :: 802,553.00 :: 27,77

Total :: 2,890,000.00 :: 100

If the allocation indicated for a specific thematic priority cannot be used due to insufficient quality or number of proposals received, the Contracting Authority reserves the right to reallocate the remaining funds to (an)other thematic priority (s).

Size of grants

Any grant requested under this call for proposals must fall between the following minimum and maximum amounts:

Thematic priority 1: Encouraging tourism, culture and natural heritage

• minimum amount: EUR 100,000.00 (EU contribution)

• maximum amount: EUR 500,000.00 (EU contribution)

Thematic priority 2: Protecting the environment, promoting climate change adaptation and mitigation, risk prevention and management

• minimum amount: EUR 200,000.00 (EU contribution)

• maximum amount: EUR 500,000.00 (EU contribution)

Thematic priority 3: Promoting employment, labour mobility and social and cultural inclusion across the border

• minimum amount: EUR 100,000.00 (EU contribution)

• maximum amount: EUR 400,000.00 (EU contribution)

Any grant requested under this call for proposals must fall between the following minimum and maximum percentages of total eligible costs of the action:

• Minimum percentage: 50% of the total eligible costs of the action.

• Maximum percentage: 85% of the total eligible costs of the action (see also section 2.1.5).

The balance (i.e. the difference between the total cost of the action and the amount requested from the Contracting Authority) must be financed from sources other than the European Union Budget or the European Development Fund2.

Rules FOR thIS call for proposalS

These guidelines set out the rules for the submission, selection and implementation of the actions financed under this call, in conformity with the Practical Guide, which is applicable to the present call (available on the Internet at this address http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/prag/document.do?locale=en).3

Eligibility criteria

There are three sets of eligibility criteria, relating to:

• the actors:

  • The 'lead applicant', i.e. the entity submitting the application form (2.1.1),

  • its co-applicant(s) (where it is not specified otherwise the lead applicant and its co-applicant(s) are hereinafter jointly referred as "applicant(s)") (2.1.1),

  • and, if any, affiliated entity(ies) to the lead applicant and/or to a co-applicant(s). (2.1.2);

• the actions:

Actions for which a grant may be awarded (2.1.4);

• the costs:

  • types of cost that may be taken into account in setting the amount of the grant (2.1.5).