Datum objave: 20.04.2015. 14:07

Treći poziv za dostavljanje prijedloga projekta u sljedećem prioritetnom području - Unaprjeđenje produktivnosti i konkurentnosti gospodarskih, ruralnih i okolišnih resursa programske oblasti

Contracting Authorities:

The Delegation of the European Union to Serbia and

The Delegation of the European Union to Bosnia and Herzegovina

Cross-Border Programme Serbia – Bosnia and Herzegovina

2007-2013

under the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA),

Component II, allocations for 2012 and 2013

Open Call for Proposals

Guidelines

for grant applicants

3rd Call for Proposals

Budget lines

(for Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina):

22.020401

Reference: EuropeAid/136472 /DD/ACT/Multi

Deadline for submission of Application Forms: 20 July 2015

NOTICE

This is an open Call for Proposals, where all documents are submitted together (Concept Note and Full Application Form). In the first instance, only the Concept Notes will be evaluated. Thereafter, for the applicants who have been pre-selected, the full proposal will be evaluated. After the evaluation of the full proposals, an eligibility check will be performed for those which have been provisionally selected. Eligibility will be checked on the basis of the supporting documents requested by the Contracting Authority and the signed ‘Declaration by the Applicant’ sent together with the application.

1. CROSS BORDER PROGRAMME SERBIA – BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

1.1. BACKGROUND

These Guidelines are intended to be used by those applying for grants under the 3rd Call for Proposals (CfP) for the IPA Cross-Border Programme Serbia – Bosnia and Herzegovina 2007-2013 (CBP SRB – BiH). The Cross-Border Programme is the result of a joint planning effort by the Serbian and Bosnia and Herzegovina governments. The CBP SRB – BiH analyses the socio-economic situation of the Serbia – Bosnia and Herzegovina border region, sets out a common strategy for remedying problems identified and formulates joint priorities and measures for development.

The CBP SRB-BiH is supported by the Cross-Border Cooperation Component (Component II) of the EU Instrument for Pre-Accession (IPA), under which € 3.6 million have been allocated for the period 2012-2013.

The programme area covers the west of Serbia including all the municipalities of Sremski, Macvanski, Zlatiborski and Kolubarski Districts and the north-eastern part of Bosnia and Herzegovina including the Sarajevo Region and the North-East Region.  

The cross-border Programme Serbia-Bosnia and Herzegovina is implemented jointly by both countries. In Serbia the responsible institutions are:

• The EU Integration Office of the Government of the Republic of Serbia responsible for the overall coordination and implementation of the Programme in Serbia

• The Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Serbia (Contracting Authority) responsible for all contracting and payment issues.

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the responsible institutions are:

• The Directorate for European Integration in Bosnia and Herzegovina responsible for overall coordination and implementation of the Programme in Bosnia and Herzegovina and

• The Delegation of the European Union to Bosnia and Herzegovina (Contracting Authority) responsible for all contracting and payment issues.

Moreover, the implementation of the Programme is overseen by a Joint Monitoring Committee (JMC), which is composed of representatives from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The JMC is also responsible for selecting projects to be financed under the Programme.

Both countries are assisted by a Joint Technical Secretariat (JTS), based in Užice in Serbia and composed of representatives from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The JTS has an Antenna Office located in Tuzla in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The JTS is responsible for the day to day management of the Programme, including support and advice to potential applicants. The JTS in Užice and its Antenna Office in Tuzla are the main contact points for applicants for the CBP SRB - BiH.

More details about the programme area and the related development strategy and priority measures can be found in the Operational Programme for the CBP SRB - BiH available for download on the following websites: www.srb-bih.org, www.evropa.gov.rs and www.dei.gov.ba.

1.2. OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME AND PRIORITY ISSUES

The CBP SRB - BiH addresses the need to develop and strengthen cross-border connections with the aim of promoting good neighbourly relations and the sustainable economic and social development of the Serbia - Bosnia and Herzegovina border areas.

Continuous, heavy rainfall in mid-May 2014 resulted in extensive flooding and landslides in a large area of the Balkans. Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina suffered the greatest damage, as the rain was the heaviest in 120 years of recorded weather measurements.

In Serbia, the floods affected some 1.6 million people. Around 32,000 people were evacuated from their homes. Health facilities, schools and agricultural lands were damaged.

In Bosnia-Herzegovina, over a million people were affected by flooding and almost 90,000 were displaced. The severe and widespread rains triggered over 3,000 landslides. Floods and/or landslides hit 75,000 houses, of which 25,000 were severely damaged or destroyed, and also caused extensive damage to livelihoods, health and water and sanitation facilities.

This Call for proposals was designed to help Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina in the recovery efforts allowing private persons, business and public services to resume their normal functions.

The Operational Programme for the CBP Serbia - Bosnia and Herzegovina sets out the following strategic and global objectives:

Strategic Objective:

To bring together the people, communities and economies of the border area to jointly participate in the development of a cooperative area, using its human, natural, cultural and economic resources and advantages.

Global Objective:

To stimulate the economies and reduce the relative isolation of the eligible area by strengthening joint institutional networks and capacities of human recourses.

Specific objective for this Call for Proposals:

Maintaining the high quality of the environment of the eligible area as an economic resource by cooperating in joint protection and exploitation initiatives, helping Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina in the flood  prevention, and recovery operations and emergency response

The above specific objective focuses on the establishment of a sound basis for the joint activities in the programme area.

Priority and Measures

This Call for Proposals refers to the following Priority and Measure identified in the Programme as follows:

Mainstreaming of Cross-cutting Issues

This Call for Proposals will take into account the mainstreaming of cross-cutting issues defined in the Operational Programme for the CBP SRB-BiH . When developing a project to address the specific measure, the following cross-cutting issues need to be mainstreamed into project activities :

• Gender equality safeguard and promotion:

Equality between sexes has to be taken into consideration when setting the project objectives, defining activities and expected results. Equal opportunity prevails when women and men have the same rights, obligations and opportunities.

• Ethnic minority rights safeguard and promotion, including promotion of their participation in decision-making processes:

Enforcement of equal opportunity has to be secured in the project in order to promote integration of ethnic minorities and secure their participation in decision-making processes in line with project activities and expected results.

• Integration of disabled persons:

Enforcement of equal opportunity has to be secured in the project in order to promote integration of persons affected by disabilities and in securing their participation in project activities and in decision-making processes in line with project activities and expected results.

• Safeguard and promotion of children’s rights and promotion of children’s participation in decision-making processes:

The project should involve children as relevant stakeholders where and if appropriate (e.g. in case the specific project objective is in the sector mainly relating to children’s needs, such as education, health, sports and culture, but also in sectors in which the project can indirectly influence their lives).

• Public participation in decision-making processes:

Securing public participation where appropriate throughout project activities, setting up consultative processes in developing strategies/policies, executing infrastructural works, or similar issues concerning the wider public and a wide range of different stakeholders.

• Protection of environment & nature protection, preservation of biodiversity, measures to combat climate change:

The project needs to describe how it will contribute to a better environment. The concept of environment involves not only issues of pollution, but issues of sustainable development, nature protection and biodiversity, renewable energy etc.

The purpose of the Programme is to implement long-term sustainable actions that promote cross-border cooperation. The Applicants should provide an overall description of the way in which the specific project can contribute to the preservation and sustainable use of environmental and natural resources and a description of other positive influence on the environment. The environmental impact should be assessed according to the nature and scope of the project, regional opportunities and the overall local conditions. 

1.3. FINANCIAL ALLOCATION PROVIDED BY THE CONTRACTING AUTHORITY

An overall indicative amount made available under this Call for Proposals is € 3.6 million, out of which € 1.8 million for Serbia and € 1.8 million for Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Contracting Authorities reserve the right not to award all available funds.

Please note that applicants have to include audit costs in their budgets.

Size of grants

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

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

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 Fund. 

2. 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 ).

You can find full documentation in attachment