# C_2019111EN.01004501.xml

| 25.3.2019 | EN | Official Journal of the European Union | C 111/45 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |

25.3.2019

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 111/45

---

HERCULE III Programme

Call for proposals — 2019

Training, Conference and Staff Exchange 2019

(C/2018/8568)

(2019/C 111/11)

1.   Objectives and description

This notice of call for proposals is based on Regulation (EU) No 250/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council (1) establishing the Hercule III Programme, in particular Article 8 (b) (‘Eligible Actions’), as well as the Financing Decision 2019 adopting the annual work programme (2) for the implementation of the Hercule III Programme in 2019, in particular section 2.2.1 ‘Training actions’, actions 1 to 5. The Financing Decision 2019 provides for the organisation of a Call for Proposals ‘Training, Conference and Staff Exchange 2019’.

2.   Eligible applicants

The bodies eligible for funding under the Programme are:

| — | National or regional administrations of a Member State which promote the strengthening of action at Union level to protect the financial interests of the Union.
  or: |
| --- | --- |

—

National or regional administrations of a Member State which promote the strengthening of action at Union level to protect the financial interests of the Union.

or:

| — | Research and educational institutes and non-profit-making entities provided that they have been established and have been operating for at least one year, in a Member State, and promote the strengthening of action at Union level to protect the financial interests of the Union. |
| --- | --- |

—

Research and educational institutes and non-profit-making entities provided that they have been established and have been operating for at least one year, in a Member State, and promote the strengthening of action at Union level to protect the financial interests of the Union.

3.   Eligible actions

The purpose of this call is to invite eligible applicants to submit applications for actions under one of the following three topics:

| 1. | Targeted specialised trainings (topic 1) — to create networks and structural platforms between Member States, candidate countries, other third countries and international public organisations in order to facilitate the exchange of information, experience and best practices among staff employed by the beneficiaries; to create synergies between fiscal and customs services of Member States, OLAF and other relevant EU bodies. |
| --- | --- |

1.

Targeted specialised trainings (topic 1) — to create networks and structural platforms between Member States, candidate countries, other third countries and international public organisations in order to facilitate the exchange of information, experience and best practices among staff employed by the beneficiaries; to create synergies between fiscal and customs services of Member States, OLAF and other relevant EU bodies.

| 2. | Conferences and workshops (topic 2) — to create networks and structural platforms between Member States, candidate countries, other third countries and international public organisations in order to facilitate the exchange of information, experience and best practices among staff employed by the beneficiaries; to facilitate the exchange of information, identification of needs and/or common projects for fighting fraud affecting Union’s financial interests among anti-fraud services of the Member States; to create synergies between fiscal and customs services of Member States, OLAF and other relevant EU bodies. |
| --- | --- |

2.

Conferences and workshops (topic 2) — to create networks and structural platforms between Member States, candidate countries, other third countries and international public organisations in order to facilitate the exchange of information, experience and best practices among staff employed by the beneficiaries; to facilitate the exchange of information, identification of needs and/or common projects for fighting fraud affecting Union’s financial interests among anti-fraud services of the Member States; to create synergies between fiscal and customs services of Member States, OLAF and other relevant EU bodies.

| 3. | Exchange of staff (topic 3) — organising staff exchanges between national and regional administrations (including (potential) candidates and neighbouring countries) to contribute to the further development, improvement and update of staff’s skills and competences in the protection of the Union’s financial interests. |
| --- | --- |

3.

Exchange of staff (topic 3) — organising staff exchanges between national and regional administrations (including (potential) candidates and neighbouring countries) to contribute to the further development, improvement and update of staff’s skills and competences in the protection of the Union’s financial interests.

Applicants may submit more than one application for different projects under the same call. Applicants are required to choose one main topic and should be aware that an application may also incorporate elements of other topics.

4.   Budget

The indicative available budget for this call is EUR 1 100 000. The financial contribution will take the form of a grant. The financial contribution awarded will not exceed 80 % of the eligible costs.

The minimum threshold for a ‘Training’ action shall be EUR 40 000. The budget of an action for which a grant is requested shall not be lower than this threshold.

The Commission reserves the right not to allocate all the funds available.

5.   Deadline for submission

Applications must be submitted no later than: Wednesday 15 May 2019 — 17:00 CET, and can only be submitted by making use of the Participant Portal for the Hercule III programme:

https://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/portal/desktop/en/opportunities/herc/index.html

6.   Further information

All documents related to this call for proposals can be downloaded from the Participant Portal mentioned under point 5 mentioned above or from the following internet website:

http://ec.europa.eu/anti-fraud/policy/hercule_en

Questions and/or requests for additional information in relation to this call have to be submitted via the Participant Portal.

The questions and answers may be anonymously published in the Guide for Applicants made available on the Participant Portal and on the Commission’s internet website if they are relevant to other applicants.

---

(1)  Regulation (EU) No 250/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 establishing a programme to promote activities in the field of the protection of the financial interests of the European Union (Hercule III programme) and repealing Decision No 804/2004/EC (OJ L 84, 20.3.2014, p. 6).

(2)  Commission Decision concerning the adoption of the annual work programme and the financing of the Hercule III Programme in 2019 C/2018/8568 final of 17 December 2018.

---