EN Official Journal of the European Union C 196/8

HERCULE III Programme

Call for proposals — 2017

Training and Conferences for the fight against EU fraud

(2017/C 196/06)

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 2017 adopting the annual work programme (2) for the implementation of the Hercule III Programme in 2017, in particular section 7.1 (Conferences, seminars and digital forensics training). The Financing Decision 2017 provides for the organisation of a Call for Proposals ‘Training and Conferences for the fight against fraud EU fraud’.

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:

— 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. Developing targeted specialised trainings to create networks and structural platforms between Member States, candidate countries, other third third countries and international public organisations in order to facilitate the exchange of information, experience and best practices among staff employed by the beneficiaries. The information and best practices shall relate to, amongst others, the risks and vulnerabilities the Union’s financial interests are exposed to as well as investigation practices and/or prevention activities;

2. Organising conferences to create networks and structural platforms between Member States, candidate countries, other third third countries and international public organisations in order to facilitate the exchange of information, experience and best practices among staff employed by the beneficiaries. The information and best practices shall relate to, amongst others, the risks and vulnerabilities the Union’s financial interests are exposed to as well as investigation practices and/or prevention activities;

3. Organising staff exchanges between national and regional administrations (in particular, in neighbouring Member States) to contribute to the further development, improvement and update of staff’s skills and competences in the protection of the Union’s financial interests.

An applicant can submit only one application under this call. The application shall be made for an action under only one of the three topics mentioned above: an application for an action under more than one of these topics will not be accepted.

4. Budget

The indicative available budget for this call is EUR 1 000 000. 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 50 000. 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

Applications must be submitted no later than: Wednesday, 9 August 2017, 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 2017 C(2017)1120 final of 22 February 2017.