# C_2020058EN.01000301.xml

| 21.2.2020 | EN | Official Journal of the European Union | C 58/3 |
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21.2.2020

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 58/3

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HERCULE III Programme

Call for proposals – 2020

Technical Assistance

(2020/C 58/03)

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 (a) (‘Eligible Actions’), as well as the Financing Decision 2020 adopting the annual work programme (2) for the implementation of the Hercule III Programme in 2020, in particular section 2.1.1 ‘Technical assistance’, actions 1 to 4. The Financing Decision 2020 provides for the organisation of a call for proposals ‘Technical Assistance’.

2.   Eligible applicants

The bodies eligible for funding under the Programme are national or regional administrations (‘Applicants’) of a Member State which promote the strengthening of European Union action to protect the European Union’s financial interests.

3.   Eligible actions

The purpose of this call is to invite national and regional administrations to submit applications for actions under one of the following four topics:

| 1 | Investigation tools and methods (topic 1) – the purchase and maintenance of investigation tools and methods, including specialised training to operate these tools. The purchase of adapted transport equipment may be included. |
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1

Investigation tools and methods (topic 1) – the purchase and maintenance of investigation tools and methods, including specialised training to operate these tools. The purchase of adapted transport equipment may be included.

| 2 | Detection and Identification tools (topic 2) – the purchase and maintenance of devices for inspecting containers, trucks, railway carriages and vehicles (‘detection tools’). |
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2

Detection and Identification tools (topic 2) – the purchase and maintenance of devices for inspecting containers, trucks, railway carriages and vehicles (‘detection tools’).

| 3 | Automated Number-Plate Recognition System (ANPRS) (topic 3) – the purchase, maintenance and (cross-border) interconnection of automated systems for the recognition of number-plates (ANPRSs) or container codes. |
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3

Automated Number-Plate Recognition System (ANPRS) (topic 3) – the purchase, maintenance and (cross-border) interconnection of automated systems for the recognition of number-plates (ANPRSs) or container codes.

| 4 | Analysis, storage and destruction of seizures (topic 4) – the purchase of services for the analysis, storage and destruction of seized genuine or counterfeited cigarettes and other counterfeited goods (3). |
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4

Analysis, storage and destruction of seizures (topic 4) – the purchase of services for the analysis, storage and destruction of seized genuine or counterfeited cigarettes and other counterfeited goods (3).

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 10 000 000.

The financial contribution will take the form of a grant. The financial contribution awarded will not exceed 80 % of the eligible costs. In exceptional and duly justified cases, the financial contribution may be increased to cover a maximum of 90 % of the eligible costs. The call document lists the criteria that will be applied to determine these exceptional and duly justified cases.

The minimum threshold for a ‘Technical Assistance’ project shall be EUR 100 000. The budget of a project 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: Thursday 23 April 2020 – 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 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.

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(1)  Regulation (EC) 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) (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 2020 C(2020) 28 final of 16 January 2020.

(3)  Applications can be made for financial support to have seizures destroyed by an external service provider. Purchasing equipment for setting up, for example, an incinerator is not permitted

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