LIFE - FRAMEWORK PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT FOR NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS - LIFE-NGO-FPA-EASME-2017

Date de clôture : 15 juin 2017  
APPEL À PROJET CLÔTURÉ

1. INTRODUCTION – BACKGROUND

The Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (henceforth "EASME")1, acting under powers delegated by the European Commission, invites non-governmental organisations (NGOs) which are primarily active in the field of environment and/or climate action and which have an environmental/climate objective, to submit a proposal. 2 For the purpose of the present call, the generic acronym “NGO” is used in this document to refer to the target group of this call, namely NGOs and networks of NGOs as defined in section 6.

This call for proposals is launched under the LIFE Programme.3 LIFE is the EU's funding instrument supporting environmental, nature conservation and climate action projects throughout the EU. Since 1992, LIFE has co-financed more than 4000 projects, contributing approximately €3.4 billion euros to the protection of the environment and climate objectives of the EU.

 

2. OBJECTIVE(S) – THEME(S) – PRIORITIES

The objectives of this action are to promote better environmental and/or climate governance. This should be done by broadening stakeholder involvement, including NGOs, in policy consultation and implementation. This is foreseen as a specific objective of the sub-programme for Environment for the priority area Environmental Governance and Information and the priority area Climate Governance and Information of the Climate Action sub-programme in Articles 12(d) and 16(d) of the LIFE Regulation, respectively.4

The expected result is to identify and support non-profit organisations able to strengthen the participation of civil society in the dialogue process of environmental and/or climate policy development and implementation.

This call for proposals aims at identifying framework partners to which the EASME may, at a later stage, award specific operating grants (see section 10). Those specific operating grants shall foresee co-financing of the operating costs of NGOs related to the eligible activities provided for in the framework partners' 2018 and 2019 Work Programmes.

For this call for proposals applicants must submit a bi-annual strategic plan with a global indicative budget and an outline of activities as provided for in the application forms and as explained in the application guide.

 

3. TIMETABLE
Call for proposals for NGOs in 2017 (financial years 2018 and 2019)

a)Publication of the present call for proposals - 3 April 2017

b) Closing date/deadline for submitting applications - 15 June 2017 (16h00 if hand-delivered)

c) Notification of results/information to all applicantsOctober 2017*

d) Signature of the framework partnership agreements - November 2017*

e) Request for 2018 work programmes - November 2017*

f) Assessment of the 2018 work programmes - December 2017*

g) Revisions of the 2018 work programmes - December/January 2017-2018*

h) Signature of the specific operating grant agreements - January 2018*

 

4. BUDGET AVAILABLE

The indicative total budget earmarked for the co-financing of NGO operating grants is estimated at EUR 18,000,000 (eighteen million euros) for a two year period, i.e. 9,000,000 (nine million euros) yearly.

Nevertheless, the available amount for specific operating grants is only known annually, after adoption of the annual EU budget. Proposals for operating grants may receive a maximum EU contribution of EUR 700,000 (seven hundred thousand euros) per grant per year (see section 14.2).

For determining the threshold on how many proposals may be funded, the applicants are invited to submit, with their proposal for the Framework Partnership Agreement (FPA) an indicative global budget, indicating the maximum contribution that will be requested for the operating grants under the following SGAs.

Signature of an FPA cannot create any legitimate expectations of obtaining a funding.

 

5. ADMISSIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Applications must be sent no later than the deadline for submitting applications referred to in section 3.

Applications must be submitted in writing using the template application form available at http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/funding/ngos/index.htm. Two copies of the proposal must be submitted: one original printed version and one copy, and an electronic version contained on a CDrom or USB stick must also be submitted following the instructions in section 13.

Applications must be drafted in one of the EU official languages but should be preferably submitted in English. Note that the project management and reporting with the EASME will have to be in English, and submission of applications in the English language would greatly facilitate the work of the EASME.

Applications must be duly signed where indicated. Applicants must use the standard forms, and the current content of the forms cannot be modified. This does not refer to size and layout of the forms. Please maintain a font size of at least 11 in the descriptive parts of the application. Applications must be electronically written, i.e. cannot be completed hand-written. This does not refer to signatures or other type of information that cannot be typed/printed. Applications must contain all requested forms and annexes.

Proposals that do not fully comply with all the above admissibility criteria are declared inadmissible and are eliminated from further evaluation, except in cases of obvious clerical errors or minor omissions. In such cases, the EASME will send an e- mail to the applicant with a short deadline, indicating the information that is missing or the clarification that is needed.

The e-mail address of the contact person indicated in form A3 will be used for this and all subsequent contacts. Therefore applicants should ensure that it is an e-mail account which is valid, active and checked on a regular basis.

 

 

6. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA5

Proposals must be submitted by a single legal entity that fulfils the below requirements.

To be 1. 2.

eligible, applicants must:
 - Be a non-profit making legal person;
 - Be independent, in particular from government, other public authorities, and from political or commercial interests;
 - Be primarily active in the field of environment and/or climate action and have an environmental/climate objective which is aimed at:

1. the public good,

2. sustainable development, and

c. the development, implementation and enforcement of European Union

environmental and/or climate policy and legislation;
In case of doubt, EASME will refer to the statutes (or equivalent) of the NGO to determine its objective.
Be established (legally registered) in one of the European Union Member States.6 Be operating at Union level with a structure and activities covering at least three European Union Member States.

Applicants will have to demonstrate a structure and activities covering at least three European Union Member States. To this end, partnerships, networks and memberships are eligible if they are formally established as a legal entity. Partnerships, networks and memberships must be represented by a management board or any other administrative forum that is mandated by its members to represent the entity at EU level and is responsible for the activities of the network.

So-called "loose co-operations" or temporary partnerships are not eligible under this call.

Memberships comprise exclusively legal entities, i.e. not natural persons. All members must be listed in the application. Only the applicant NGO, if selected, will become the single beneficiary of the grant and can claim costs. Therefore, costs incurred by entities affiliated to the NGO are not eligible. See also Section 14.1 (e).

Statutes and/or activity reports of memberships, partnerships or networks will serve as evidence for the structure and activities covering at least three countries.

In order to assess the applicants' eligibility, the following supporting documents are requested:

- Legal Entity Form accompanied by the indicated supporting documents:

• -  Download the Legal entity form here:

  http://ec.europa.eu/budget/library/contracts_grants/info_contracts/legal_entities/leg Ent_privComp_en.pdf

• -  Add a copy of the following supporting documents:
  - Registration document: Register(s) of Companies, Official Gazette, Etc. - VAT registration document, if VAT is applicable

• -  Statutes of the NGO (or equivalent)

• -  Annual Activity Report of the previous year.

Only proposals which comply with all eligibility criteria will be further evaluated.

 

7. EXCLUSION CRITERIA

7.1. Exclusion from participation

The applicant shall be excluded from participating in the call for proposals if:

(a) the applicant is bankrupt, subject to insolvency or winding-up procedures, where its assets are being administered by a liquidator or by a court, where it is in an arrangement with creditors, where its business activities are suspended, or where it is in any analogous situation arising from a similar procedure provided for under national laws or regulations;

(b) it has been established by a final judgment or a final administrative decision that the applicant is in breach of its obligations relating to the payment of taxes or social security contributions in accordance with the law of the country in which it is established, with those of the country in which the authorising officer is located or those of the country of the performance of the contract;

(c) it has been established by a final judgment or a final administrative decision that the applicant is guilty of grave professional misconduct by having violated applicable laws or regulations or ethical standards of the profession to which the applicant belongs, or by having engaged in any wrongful conduct which has an impact on its professional credibility where such conduct denotes wrongful intent or gross negligence, including, in particular, any of the following:

1. (i)  fraudulently or negligently misrepresenting information required for the verification of the absence of grounds for exclusion or the fulfilment of selection criteria or in the performance of a contract, a grant agreement or a grant decision;

2. (ii)  entering into agreement with other applicants with the aim of distorting competition;

3. (iii)  violating intellectual property rights;

4. (iv)  attempting to influence the decision-making process of the Agency during the award procedure

5. (v) attempting to obtain confidential information that may confer upon it undue advantages in the award procedure;

(d) it has been established by a final judgment that the applicant is guilty of any of the following:

1. (i)  fraud, within the meaning of Article 1 of the Convention on the protection of the European Communities' financial interests, drawn up by the Council Act of 26 July 1995;

2. (ii)  corruption, as defined in Article 3 of the Convention on the fight against corruption involving officials of the European Communities or officials of Member States of the European Union, drawn up by the Council Act of 26 May 1997, and in Article 2(1) of Council Framework Decision 2003/568/JHA, as well as corruption as defined in the law of the country where the contracting authority is located, the country in which the applicant is established or the country of the performance of the contract;

3. (iii)  participation in a criminal organisation, as defined in Article 2 of Council Framework Decision 2008/841/JHA;

4. (iv)  money laundering or terrorist financing, as defined in Article 1 of Directive 2005/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council;

5. (v)  terrorist-related offences or offences linked to terrorist activities, as defined in Articles 1 and 3 of Council Framework Decision 2002/475/JHA, respectively, or inciting, aiding, abetting or attempting to commit such offences, as referred to in Article 4 of that Decision;

6. (vi)  child labour or other forms of trafficking in human beings as defined in Article 2 of Directive 2011/36/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council;

(e) the applicant has shown significant deficiencies in complying with main obligations in the performance of a contract, a grant agreement or a grant decision financed by the Union's budget, which has led to its early termination or to the application of liquidated damages or other contractual penalties, or which has been discovered following checks, audits or investigations by an authorising officer, OLAF or the Court of Auditors;

(f) it has been established by a final judgment or final administrative decision that the applicant has committed an irregularity within the meaning of Article 1(2) of Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 2988/95.

(g) for the situations of grave professional misconduct, fraud, corruption, other criminal offences, significant deficiencies in the performance of the contract or irregularity, the applicant is subject to:

1. (i)  facts established in the context of audits or investigations carried out by the Court of Auditors, OLAF or internal audit, or any other check, audit or control performed under the responsibility of an authorising officer of an EU institution, of a European office or of an EU agency or body;

2. (ii)  non-final administrative decisions which may include disciplinary measures taken by the competent supervisory body responsible for the verification of the application of standards of professional ethics;

3. (iii)  decisions of the ECB, the EIB, the European Investment Fund or international organisations;

4. (iv)  decisions of the Commission relating to the infringement of the Union's competition rules or of a national competent authority relating to the infringement of Union or national competition law.

5. (v)  decisions of exclusion by an authorising officer of an EU institution, of a European office or of an EU agency or body.

 

7.2. Remedial measures

If an applicant declares one of the situations of exclusion listed above, it should indicate the measures it has taken to remedy the exclusion situation, thus demonstrating its reliability. This may include e.g. technical, organisational and personnel measures to prevent further occurrence, compensation of damage or payment of fines. The relevant documentary evidence which illustrates the remedial measures taken must be provided in annex to the declaration. This does not apply for situations referred in point (d) of section 7.1 .

7.3. Exclusion from award
No award shall be granted to an applicant who:

1. is in an exclusion situation established in accordance with section 7.17;

2. has misrepresented the information required as a condition for participating in the procedure or has failed to supply that information;

3. was previously involved in the preparation of calls for proposal documents where this entails a distortion of competition that cannot be remedied otherwise.

Administrative and financial penalties may be imposed on applicants who are guilty of misrepresentation.

7.4. Supporting documents8

Applicants must provide a declaration on their honour certifying that they are not in one of the situations referred to in articles 106(1) and 107 FR, by filling in the relevant form attached to the application form accompanying the call for proposals and included in the application package.

 

8. SELECTION CRITERIA

The selection criteria shall assess the applicant’s financial and operational capacity.

8.1. Financial capacity10
The applicant must have stable and sufficient sources of funding to maintain its activity

throughout the 2 years duration of the Framework Partnership Agreement. A proposal is

eliminated on the basis of this selection criterion if it does not possess the financial capacity to cover its share of costs/financing.

In order to assess the applicant's financial capacity, the applicant organisation shall submit the following documents with its application:

a) Low value grants ≤ EUR 60 000:

a declaration on their honour that they have stable and sufficient sources of funding to maintain their activities throughout the 2 years duration of the Framework Partnership Agreement.

b) Operating grants > EUR 60 000:

1. the profit and loss account and the balance sheet for the 2 last financial years available for which the accounts were closed or if applicable:

• -  For newly created entities, the NGOs business plan or equivalent might replace the above documents;

• -  In case of exceptional circumstances, notably regarding a new network created by pre-existing organisations, EASME may grant derogation of the requirement of supporting documents referring to the two previous years and request the applicants to demonstrate their financial capacity in any other way, by submitting for example:

o The NGO's provisional budget;

o Supporting documents such as an appropriate statement from a bank, a tax declaration, a certificate from national authorities stating that social charges were paid on time, etc.

o If the NGO cannot submit any of those, or the outcome of the analysis is not satisfactory, EASME could request the organisation to submit a financial guarantee provided by a bank or an approved financial institution. Alternatively, one or several of the founding member organisations could act as a guarantor, after acceptance by the Agency and verification of its financial viability (a financial guarantee would have to be submitted by this third party).

2. the table provided in the application form (Financial Capacity form – F), filled in with the relevant statutory accounting figures (or figures from the business plan).

Financial capacity form – F must be completed by all applicants that request a contribution higher than 60.000 EUR.

Form F collects financial data based on the applicant's balance sheet and profit- and-loss account for the last two financial years in a standardised form (or when applicable from the business plan). A table of equivalence between the different classifications of accounts compared and the Fourth Directive on accounting harmonisation is set out in section F of the application guide. This form must be completed carefully. Given its complexity, it should be completed by a professional accountant or an auditor. The data reported will be used to evaluate the financial capacity of the applicant.

It is therefore very important that the data reported are accurate. The EASME may wish to cross-check the data with those reported in the official certified accounts or the business plan (to be submitted as obligatory documents – see point above). The amounts must be entered in Euro. For financial statements established in other currencies, please refer to the EU InforEuro exchange rates (for the closing date of the statement) available on: http://ec.europa.eu/budget/inforeuro/index.cfm?Language=en.

c) Operating grants > EUR 100 00011:

- the information and supporting documents mentioned above in point b) and

- an audit report produced by an approved external auditor certifying the accounts for the two last financial years.

Certification of the annual statement of accounts for the two preceding years should be based on an audit understood as an additional independent control, carried out in accordance with certain fixed and recognised principles12 by an officially registered auditor.

The following requirements should be met:

• The auditor should carry out a full audit and not a limited review. This should include checks on the underlying documents.

• The person or company which normally does the book-keeping cannot be the same as the one carrying out the audit and certification of the annual accounts.

• Certification of the annual accounts should be accompanied by the auditor’s report, including their opinion on whether the information presented in the financial statement is correct and free of material misstatements, stamped, dated and signed.

• Persons responsible for carrying out independent audits of accounting documents may, depending on the law of each Member State, be natural or legal persons or other types of company, firm or partnership. They should be listed in the registers held by Member States of auditors approved by them to carry out statutory audits of accounting documents.

  Exceptionally for new entities/networks, the following documents may replace the above:

  1.

  • -  The NGO's business plan (or equivalent);

  • -  In case of exceptional circumstances, notably regarding a new network created by pre-existing organisations, EASME may grant derogation of the requirement of supporting documents referring to the two previous years and request the applicants to demonstrate their financial capacity in any other way, by submitting for example:

     

o The NGO's provisional budget;

o Supporting documents such as an appropriate statement from a bank, a tax declaration, a certificate from national authorities stating that social charges were paid on time, etc.

o If the NGO cannot submit any of those, or the outcome of the analysis is not satisfactory, EASME could request the organisation to submit a financial guarantee provided by a bank or an approved financial institution. Alternatively, one or several of the founding member organisations could act as a guarantor, after acceptance by the Agency and verification of its financial viability (a financial guarantee would have to be submitted by this third party).

2. the table provided in the application form (Financial Capacity form – F), filled in with the relevant statutory accounting figures (or figures from the business plan) (see 8.1.b.2).

On the basis of the documents submitted, if the Responsible Authorising Officer (RAO) considers that financial capacity is not satisfactory, he/she may:

request further information;
decide not to give the pre-financing.
propose a grant agreement with a pre-financing paid in instalments;
propose a grant agreement with a pre-financing covered by a financial guarantee; reject the application.

Assessment of the financial capacity shall guarantee a selection of beneficiaries with sound and sufficient financial resources.

It shall show that the applicant has sources to cover their share of costs estimated in the budget and be able to maintain their activities over the period of the implementation of the work programme.

In particular, the co-funding structure and/or the applicant's assets shall guarantee a secure and stable flow of money to manage their activity as described in the application.

8.2. Operational capacity13

Applicants must have the professional competencies as well as appropriate qualifications necessary to complete the proposed work programme. In order to allow an assessment of their operational capacity, organisations must submit, together with their applications:

•  curriculum vitae or description of the profile of the people primarily responsible (employed or sub-contracted) for managing and implementing the activities;

•  at least one of the organisation’s most recent activity reports; 13 Art. 131 FR, 202 RAP

If one of the selection criteria listed above is not fulfilled, organisations are not selected and are eliminated from the further evaluation process.

 

9. AWARD CRITERIA

Eligible applications will be assessed on the basis of the following criteria:

1. "Policy Relevance" (Max 20 points): Relevance of involvement in the Union's environmental and/or climate action policy process.

• The proposal is relevant to the thematic objectives of the 7th Environment Action Programme:

  •  To protect, conserve, and enhance the Union's natural capital;

  •  To turn the Union into a resource-efficient, green, and competitive low-

    carbon economy;

  •  To safeguard the Union's citizens from environmental and climate-related

    pressures and risks to health and wellbeing;

• The proposal is relevant to the climate and energy package, the roadmap for moving

  to a competitive low-carbon economy in 2050 and the Union's adaptation strategy.

• The proposal demonstrates EU added value, i.e. applies to the larger European

  context and goes beyond the national perspective;

• The proposal demonstrates a potential to have a real impact measured against specific indicators.

There is no direct link between the number of thematic areas covered and the evaluation result. An applicant with high quality activities in a few areas will get a higher score than an applicant with medium quality activities in many areas.

However, please do not simply list related EU policy initiatives and legislation but present clearly how your strategy links and contributes to their implementation, shaping and/or development, and how your work will substantiate on the EU level.

Furthermore, concerning the EU added value, the application should also include justification for and benefits of addressing (and co-financing) the subject of the application at European level as opposed to national/regional/local levels.

Impacts are difficult to determine or predict. However, please make an effort in trying to quantify your targeted impacts and support them with specific indicators.

2. "Enabling Framework" (Max 20 points): Relevance and potential to contribute to:

Relevance and potential to contribute to:

• Maximising the benefits of the Union's environment and/or climate action legislation by improving implementation and enforcement on local, Member State and/or European level;

• Improving the knowledge and evidence base for Union environment and/or climate action policy;

Securing investment for environment and/or climate action policy and addressing environmental externalities, and;

• Improving environmental and/or climate action integration and coherence with other policies.

  Pure research activities are not targeted by this call for proposals.

  Domains covered by the area of investment and costs could be environmental externalities, polluter-pays principle, taxation, environmental accounts, beyond GDP, etc.

  Other policies to be addressed could be for example agriculture, energy, transport, cohesion policy, etc.

  3. "Coverage" (Max 5 points): Relevance for enhancing the sustainability of the Union's cities and increasing the Union's effectiveness in addressing international environmental and/or climate-related challenges.

  The evaluation will assess the extent to which:

• The proposal addresses the sustainable, low-carbon and climate resilient development of urban areas.

• The proposal helps to increase the EU's contribution to international environmental and/or climate-related objectives.

  International outreach could for example include formal involvement in or contributions to working groups or committees of the United Nations or of the OECD, or the preparation of contributions to the COPs.

  4. "Sensor function" (Max 5 points): Relevance in addressing environmental and/or climate-related emerging issues and new policy priorities.

  The evaluation will assess the extent to which:

  • The proposal helps to detect new or emerging issues or threats in the area of environment and/or climate change and is able to analyse the causes of such issues and their possible effects;

  • The proposal demonstrates the capacity of the NGO to propose appropriate solutions and to address the issues or to provide feedback for improved policy making.

    Emerging issues are issues of relevance to environmental and/or climate related policies, which are currently developing or will develop over the next years, and which might substantially alter the current way environmental and/or climate related challenges are addressed. New policy priorities include those that are only very recently in the focus of policy makers.

    5. "Channelling" (Max 20 points): Effectiveness of the partner's contribution to the Union policy process.

    The evaluation will assess on one side, how the applicant intends to help the implementation of Union policy and on the other side, how it will help shape or develop Union policy – both by involving appropriately the Civil Society:

 

• The proposal demonstrates an in-depth understanding of the EU policy process;

• The proposal illustrates that the applicant will act as a channel between the EU level

  and civil society, promoting and ensuring acceptance of policy implementation;

• The proposal aims to shape or develop EU policy and has an appropriate strategy how to implement this aim including involvement of the network and providing

  coordinated policy input;

• The proposal includes activities aiming at useful coordination, knowledge and strategic cooperation with other stakeholders, including other NGOs, in order to create leverage;

The proposal demonstrates that visibility will be ensured by appropriate means,

including use of online and web based tools and the social media as appropriate. The proposed awareness raising actions are relevant to policy needs, well designed and well-targeted; and communication and media campaigns are used strategically to promote sound environmental and/or climate related governance.

6. "From the needs to the goals" (Max 10 points): Organisational development – potential to develop in order to become a more efficient stakeholder in the Union's policy process.

The evaluation will assess the extent to which:

• The proposal contains a convincing description of the fundraising situation and plans or strategies to ensure diversification and sustainability of the organisation;

• The dependence of the NGO on the LIFE operating grant is assessed, and strategies addressing this dependence are convincing;

• The needs relating to organisational development (including appropriate staffing) have been properly analysed and described;

• The proposed strategy is appropriate to meet the needs and identified weaknesses/areas for improvement; it will contribute to strengthening the organisation and will make the applicant a more efficient partner in the policy dialogue (improvement compared to present situation).

Areas addressed under this criterion can be for example: organisational structure and staffing, strategic approach, financial management, evaluation and reporting, internal communication, technical competence, network enlargement/new members, visibility, network capacity building, partnerships/relations with other stakeholders.

Please note that applications must achieve an overall total score equal to or higher than 45 points for the award criteria. Applications with a score lower than the overall threshold will be rejected. Applications with a score over 45 points will be ranked and subject to budget availability invited to submit a proposal for a SGA.15

Priority order for proposals with the same score

If necessary, a priority order for proposals which have been awarded with the same score will be established by the evaluation committee.

The priority order will be established on the basis of the following principles:

 

 

 

1. Priority will be given to applications that increase the coverage of the themes addressed by the NGOs recommended for funding.

2. Thereafter, priority will be given to applications with a lower percentage of EU funding requested compared to their total eligible costs.

This ranking of proposals by score and priority order after the FPA evaluation will also constitute the order in which NGOs will be ranked once their SGA proposals have been evaluated, i.e. no new ranking will be established after the SGA evaluation.

 

10. AGREEMENTS WITH SUCCESSFUL APPLICANTS

10.1. Framework Partnership Agreements (FPAs)

Stage 1: Conclusion of an FPA

This call for proposals is done with a view to identifying entities with which to conclude a Framework Partnership Agreement (hereafter "FPA") with the EASME. A FPA is a bilateral act which formalises a long-term cooperation between EASME and the beneficiary of an FPA. Applicants should note that no grant will be awarded at this stage.

In response to this call for proposals, applicants will submit a bi-annual strategic plan. In the event of successful evaluation, an FPA shall be signed with the EASME. This will cover a period of two (2) years and will lay down the general rules applicable to the long- term partnership between the parties. It will include in annex the framework partner's biannual strategic plan. As mentioned, an FPA does not constitute a legal commitment and does not entail entitlement to funding.

A model FPA will be published together with the present call for proposals.

10.2. Specific Grant Agreements (SGAs)

Stage 2: Award of a specific operating grant

Applicants with whom a FPA is to be concluded will be invited to submit their annual work programmes for a specific operating grant pursuant to a SGA. Operating grants are intended to provide financial support for the existence and functioning of a body over a period equivalent to its financial year. The EASME may therefore award the specific operating grants which enable the organisation to have an independent existence and implement its work programme.

Those entities which will be awarded a FPA will therefore be invited (approximatively in October 2017) to submit their 2018 Work Programme which should prioritise:

• The protection, conservation and enhancement of the Union’s natural capital;

• Turning the Union into a resource-efficient, green and competitive low-carbon economy;

• Safeguarding the Union’s citizens from environmental and climate-related pressures and risks to health and wellbeing;

• Increasing the Union's effectiveness in addressing international climate related challenges.

The same procedure will be followed for the framework partner’s 2019 Work Programme.

 

11. PUBLICITY
11.1. By the beneficiaries

Beneficiaries must clearly acknowledge the European Union’s contribution in all publications or in conjunction with activities for which the grant is used.

With a view to ensuring the visibility of the LIFE Programme, the beneficiaries shall publicise the LIFE Programme and the results of their projects, always mentioning the Union support received. The LIFE Programme logo, depicted in Annex II of the LIFE Regulation17, shall be used for all communication activities and appear on notice boards at strategic places visible to the public. All durable goods acquired in the framework of the LIFE Programme shall bear the LIFE Programme logo except in cases specified by the Commission.

If this requirement is not fully complied with the beneficiary's grant may be reduced in accordance with the provisions of the grant agreement.

11.2. By the EASME

With the exception of scholarships paid to natural persons and other direct support paid to natural persons in most need, all information relating to grants awarded in the course of a financial year shall be published on an internet site of the European Union institutions no later than the 30 June of the year following the financial year in which the grants were awarded.

The EASME will publish the following information:
- name of the beneficiary
- address of the beneficiary when the latter is a legal person, - subject of the grant,
- amount awarded.

Upon a reasoned and duly substantiated request by the beneficiary, the publication shall be waived if such disclosure risks threatening the rights and freedoms of individuals concerned as protected by the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union or harm the commercial interests of the beneficiaries.

 

12. DATA PROTECTION

The reply to any call for proposals involves the recording and processing of personal data (such as name, address and CV). Such data will be processed pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data by the Community institutions and bodies and on the free movement of such data. Unless indicated otherwise, the questions and any personal data requested are required to evaluate the application in accordance with the specifications of the call for proposal will be processed solely for that purpose by the Head of Unit Eco-innovation and LIFE of EASME. Details concerning the processing of personal data are available on the privacy statement at: http://ec.europa.eu/easme/sites/easme-site/files/privacy- statement-calls-EASME.pdf

Personal data may be registered in the Early Detection and Exclusion System by the Commission, should the beneficiary be in one of the situations mentioned in Article 106(1) and 107 of the Financial Regulation 966/201218 (for more information see the Privacy Statement on:

http://ec.europa.eu/budget/library/explained/management/protecting/privacy_statement_e des_en.pdf).

 

13. PROCEDURE FOR THE SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS

Proposals must be submitted in two sealed envelopes in accordance with the formal requirements and by the deadline set out under section 3.

Proposals must be written using the template application form included in the application package available at: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/funding/ngos/index.htm.

Applications shall be submitted on the correct form, duly completed, dated, submitted in two copies (one original printed version plus one copy – clearly identified as such), plus one copy contained on a CD or USB stick). The original must be signed where indicated by the person authorised to enter into legally binding commitments on behalf of the applicant organisation.

Applications may be sent to the address below not later than 15 June 2017. Proposals should be sent to the EASME in one of the following ways:

1. Applications may be sent by registered mail to the following address:

European Commission
Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (EASME), Unit B.3, Secretariat, COV2 8/046
B-1049 Brussels
Belgium

Proof of delivery will be the date on the postmark, which must be not later than 15 June 2017.

2. Applications may be sent by private courier or hand-delivered to the following address:

European Commission
Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (EASME), Unit B.3, Secretariat, COV2 8/046
Avenue du Bourget 1
B-1140 Brussels (Evere)
Belgium

The Central Mail Service is open from 08.00 to 17.00 Monday to Thursday, and from 8.00 to 16.00 on Fridays. It is closed on Saturdays, Sundays and Commission holidays.

Proof of delivery will be the date received according to the deposit slip, which must be not later than 15 June 2017.

 

Applications sent by fax or e-mail will not be accepted.

Proposals must be placed inside two sealed envelopes. Both the outer and inner envelopes should be addressed as indicated above. In addition, the inner envelope, addressed as indicated above, should also be marked as follows:

Call for proposals for framework partnership agreements: LIFE-NGO-FPA-EASME-2017 "FRAMEWORK P ARTNERSHIP AGREEMENTS FOR NON-GOVERNMENT AL

ORGANISA TIONS"
"NOT TO BE OPENED BY THE INTERNAL MAIL DEPARTMENT "

Executive Agency for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (EASME) Unit B.3, Secretariat, COV2 8/046, Brussels

No modification to the application is allowed once the deadline for submission has elapsed. However, if there is a need to clarify certain aspects or for the correction of clerical mistakes, the EASME may contact the applicant for this purpose during the evaluation process19.

Applicants will be informed in writing about the results of the selection process.20

FAQ: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/funding/ngos/finansup_17.htm

Contact – functional mailbox: EASME-LIFE-NGO@ec.europa.eu

Please submit any questions by the 8th of June 2017 at 24.00 am. After this date, EASME will endeavour to answer timely but cannot guarantee a response to your question.

 

14. FINANCIAL PROVISIONS ONLY APPLICABLE TO THE SPECIFIC OPERATING GRANTS

Please note that the following is only applicable to the specific operating grants, as the FPA only indicates a global budget and does not constitute a commitment for funding.

14.1. General Principles

1. a)  Non-cumulative award21

   Applicants may receive only one operating grant per financial year from the budget of the European Union.

   In no circumstances shall the same costs be financed twice by the Union budget. To ensure this, applicants shall indicate the sources and amounts of Union funding received for its functioning during the same financial year as well as any other funding received or applied for the same action.22

2. b)  Non-retroactivity23
   No grant may be awarded retroactively for work programmes already completed.

   The SGA shall be signed within 6 months of the start of the beneficiary's financial year.

   Costs eligible for financing may neither have been incurred before the grant application for the Specific Grant Agreement was lodged nor before the start of the beneficiary's budgetary year.

3. c)  Co-financing24

   Co-financing means that the resources which are necessary to carry out the work programme may not be entirely provided by the EU grant.

   Co-financing of the action or of the work programme may take the form of:

   • −  the beneficiary's own resources,

   • −  income generated by the action or work programme,

   • −  financial contributions from third parties.

4. d)  Balanced budget25

   The estimated budget of the work programme is to be attached to the application form for the SGA. It must have revenue and expenditure in balance.

   The budget must be drawn up in euros.

 

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