# C_2020327EN.01001601.xml

| 5.10.2020 | EN | Official Journal of the European Union | C 327/16 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |

5.10.2020

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 327/16

---

OPEN CALL FOR PROPOSALS – GP/DSI/REFERNET_FPA/002/20

ReferNet – Cedefop’s European Network of Expertise in Vocational Education and Training (VET)

(2020/C 327/07)

1.   Objectives and description

With the objective of establishing a European network of expertise in VET – ReferNet – this call aims at selecting one applicant from Belgium with which Cedefop will conclude a three-year framework partnership agreement (from 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2023), and at concluding with the successful applicant a specific grant agreement for a work plan to be carried out in 2021.

Founded in 1975 and based in Greece since 1995, the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop) is an agency of the European Union (EU). Acknowledged as an authoritative source of information and expertise on VET, skills and qualifications, its mission is to support European vocational education and training (VET) policy development and contribute to its implementation.

ReferNet is Cedefop’s European network of expertise on VET. The mission devoted to ReferNet is to support Cedefop by reporting on national VET systems and policy developments and by raising the visibility of VET and Cedefop’s products. It currently comprises 30 members known as ReferNet national partners from EU Member States, Iceland and Norway. ReferNet national partners are key institutions involved in VET or labour market policies in the country they represent.

Framework partnership agreements are implemented through annual specific grant agreements. Therefore, applicants shall not only submit a proposal for the 3-year framework partnership (which, if successful, will lead to the signature of a Framework Partnership Agreement for the years 2021 to 2023) but also the grant application for the 2021 action (which may lead to the signature of a Specific Grant Agreement for the year 2021). The applicant must demonstrate its capacity to carry out all the activities foreseen over the three-year period and ensure adequate co-financing for the implementation of the requested tasks.

2.   Budget and project duration

The estimated budget available for the three-year duration of the Belgian framework partnership agreement amounts to EUR 101 000, depending on the annual decisions of the Budgetary Authority.

The total available budget for the Belgian 2021 annual work plan (project duration: 12 months) will be EUR 33 625.

The Union grant is a financial contribution to the beneficiary’s (and/or co-beneficiaries’) costs which must be supplemented by own financial contribution and/or local, regional, national and/or private contributions. The total Union contribution shall not exceed 70 % of the eligible costs.

Cedefop reserves the right not to award the total budget available.

3.   Eligibility criteria

To be eligible, applicants should meet the following requirements:

| (a) | be a public or a private organisation, with a legal status and legal personality (natural persons, i.e. individuals, are not eligible); |
| --- | --- |

(a)

be a public or a private organisation, with a legal status and legal personality (natural persons, i.e. individuals, are not eligible);

| (b) | have their seat registered in the country where the grant is applied, i.e. in Belgium. |
| --- | --- |

(b)

have their seat registered in the country where the grant is applied, i.e. in Belgium.

4.   Deadline

Applications for the Framework Partnership Agreement 2021-23 and the Specific Grant Agreement for 2021 must be submitted at the latest on 16 November 2020.

5.   Further information

The detailed specifications of the call for proposals, the application form and its annexes will be available as from 5 October 2020 on Cedefop’s website at the following address:

http://www.cedefop.europa.eu/about-cedefop/public-procurement

Applications must comply with the requirements set out in the full text of the call and be submitted using the official forms provided.

The evaluation of proposals will be based on the principles of transparency and equal treatment.

All submitted applications will be evaluated by a committee of experts against the eligibility, exclusion, selection and award criteria defined in the full text version of the call.

---