Call for proposals — ‘Support for information measures relating to the common agricultural policy’ — Implementation of information measures under budget heading 05 08 06 for 2012
Date: 2011-07-19
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: budget, common agricultural policy, exchange of information








C_2011212EN.01002201.xml










19.7.2011   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 212/22





CALL FOR PROPOSALS
‘Support for information measures relating to the common agricultural policy’
Implementation of information measures under budget heading 05 08 06 for 2012
2011/C 212/11
1.   INTRODUCTION

This call for proposals is based on Council Regulation (EC) No 814/2000 of 17 April 2000 on information measures relating to the common agricultural policy (CAP) (1), which defines the type and content of the information measures which the Union may co-finance. Commission Regulation (EC) No 2208/2002 (2), as amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1820/2004 (3), lays down detailed rules for the application of Council Regulation (EC) No 814/2000.
This is a call for proposals for funding information measures within the meaning of Article 3(1) of Council Regulation (EC) No 814/2000 from appropriations in the 2012 budget. This call for proposals concerns information measures to be implemented (including preparation, implementation, follow-up and evaluation) between 1 March 2012 and 28 February 2013.
An information measure is a self-contained and coherent information event organised on the basis of a single budget. The activities included in such an event can range from a simple series of conferences to a comprehensive information campaign covering several types of actions and information/public communication tools.
As specified in Article 4(2) of Commission Regulation (EC) No 2208/2002, applicants for this call for proposals must be legal persons legally constituted in a Member State for at least two years.
2.   PRIORITIES AND TYPES OF ACTION FOR 2012

2.1.   Priorities

2012 will mark the 50th anniversary of the Common Agricultural Policy, a cornerstone of European integration. This anniversary provides an excellent opportunity for raising public awareness of the CAP: its history, development, achievements and the scope for future development through the proposed reforms.
In the context of the current call for proposals, the Commission would like to give priority to measures that are likely to have a major impact, ground-breaking and creative, and that aim to target not just the rural population, but the whole of society.
The measures must highlight the CAP's role and purpose as a joint EU policy that responds to society’s needs and expectations, and whose objectives are:






—


to better meet the challenges of food security, climate change, the sustainable use of natural resources and balanced regional development,










—


to help the farming sector cope with the effects of the economic crisis and the increased volatility of agricultural prices,










—


to contribute to the development of growth that is intelligent, sustainable and inclusive as set out in the Europe 2020 strategy.




2.2.   Types of information measures

In the context of the current call for proposals, the Commission would like to promote two types of integrated public communication measures:






—


at national level, by uniting various partners around a major joint project,










—


at European level, in a maximum number of Member States so as to increase its impact.




The aim of these information measures must be to:






—


ensure better public understanding of the CAP, its history and development, past but also future in the context of the proposals for reform, both in the country concerned and at European level,










—


stimulate public interest, particularly in urban areas, in the role of agriculture and rural development in our society by promoting farmers’ multiple roles.




The information actions should take the form of extensive information campaigns including one or several of the activities listed below:






—


production and distribution of innovative and original multimedia and/or audiovisual material (radio and/or television programmes (4), such as ‘reality shows’, talk-shows, clips, etc.) (5),










—


public poster campaigns in places with a lot of thoroughfare (metros, stations etc.),










—


events of the ‘city farm’ type, etc.,










—


media events,










—


conferences, seminars and specialised working parties targeting specific groups.




2.3.   Target audiences

The groups targeted by this call for proposals are the general public (principally young people in urban areas), the media, civil society and the main players in the rural sector.
3.   DURATION AND BUDGET

This call for proposals concerns information measures to be implemented (including preparation, performance, follow-up and evaluation) between 1 March 2012 and 28 February 2013, but that must be performed in 2012.
The overall budget for the information measures to be carried out under this call for proposals is EUR 3 250 000. This amount will be distributed among the applications awarded the highest scores by the Evaluation Committee in accordance with the award criteria set out in Annex III(2). The Commission reserves the right to reduce this overall amount if necessary.
The amount of grant requested from the Commission must be between EUR 100 000 and EUR 500 000 per information measure as referred to in point 2(2) (including a flat-rate amount for staff costs).
The Commission's participation in the applications selected is limited to 50 % of the overall eligible costs (cf. Annex IV- drawing up the budget), to the exclusion of staff costs, which will be covered by a separate flat-rate amount of a maximum of EUR 10 000 for measures whose total eligible costs (exclusive of the flat-rate for staff costs) are less than EUR 400 000 and with a maximum of EUR 25 000 for measures whose eligible costs (exclusive of the flat-rate for staff costs) are included between EUR 400 000 and EUR 950 000.
For information measures of exceptional interest, and if the applicant so requests in the application, the percentage of contribution from the Commission may be up to 75 %.
An information measure will be recognised as being of exceptional interest as referred to in Article 7(2) of Regulation (EC) No 2208/2002 if all the following conditions are met:






1.


It includes a dissemination plan capable of reaching as broad a spectrum of the public as possible covering at least three Member States and representing a minimum of 5 % of the national population of all the Member States covered, and whose expected (ex-ante) and achieved (ex-post) will be demonstrated by sufficient external proof (viewing statistics, etc).










2.


The evaluation committee (hereinafter ‘the committee’) has awarded it at least 75 points out of 100 for the award criteria set out in Annex III(2).




No prefinancing will be awarded for the information measures for which a grant has been received under this call for proposals. The beneficiary may request an intermediate payment by submitting an intermediate technical and financial report. The amount of the intermediate payment will not exceed 30 % of the total amount provided for in the grant agreement. The amount will be determined on the basis of the measure being carried out and the eligible costs actually incurred submitted in the intermediate financial statement and validated by the Commission; the percentage of co-funding provided for in the grant agreement will be applied to these costs. The flat-rate for staff costs will be paid only with the final payment.
The fact of selecting an application does not commit the Commission to granting the full amount requested by the applicant. The amount of the grant will under no circumstances exceed the amount requested. No grant can be given to a measure which is receiving other EU funding.
4.   GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION

4.1.   How to prepare an application

Each applicant may apply for only one information measure per budget year.
Applications must be submitted on the appropriate forms available at the following internet address: http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/grants/capinfo/index_en.htm
They must be drawn up in one of the official languages of the Union. Nevertheless, in order to facilitate prompt processing of applications, applicants are encouraged to submit their application in English or French or, if this is not possible, to include at least a translation into English or French of the content of Form 3.
The application must contain the following documents, models of which are available at the above-mentioned internet address:






—


the letter of application giving the title of the proposed information measure and the amount of grant requested, signed by the legally authorised person responsible within the applicant organisation; it should be noted that the amount of the grant requested in the letter should be the same as the amount of EU co-financing indicated in the income table of the budget (points g and h),










—


Form 1 (information on the applicant), Form 2 (information on co-organisers, if any), and Form 3 (detailed description of the information measure) of the application. If a question does not apply to the proposed information measure, ‘not applicable’ or ‘n/a’ should be entered. Only applications submitted on these forms will be considered; furthermore; If Form 2 does not apply please write N/A on the cover page of this form,










—


a budget for the proposed information measure (comprising a detailed table of expenditure and a detailed table of income in balance), duly completed, signed and dated by the legally authorised person within the applicant organisation,










—


all the additional documents listed in Annex I (additional documents to be attached to the grant application).




4.2.   Deadline and address for sending applications

Applicants must send a paper version of their entire application by registered post with acknowledgement of receipt (the postmark on the envelope being taken as proof of the date of posting) by 30 September 2011 at the latest to the following address:





European Commission




Unit AGRI. K.1.




Call for proposals 2011/C /…




Attn. Angela Filote




L130 4/148A




1049 Bruxelles/Brussel




BELGIQUE/BELGIË




Applications must be sent in a sealed envelope or cardboard box, which must be placed inside a second sealed envelope or cardboard box. The inner envelope or cardboard box must bear, in addition to the name of the department to which it is addressed, as indicated in the call for proposals, the words ‘Call for proposals — Not to be opened by the mail service’. If self-adhesive envelopes are used, they must be sealed with adhesive tape and the sender must sign across that tape.
Since all documents sent to the Commission must be scanned page by page, candidates are requested not to staple together the pages of the letter of application or the annexes thereto. In addition, for environmental reasons, applicants are encouraged to submit their application on recycled paper and print on both sides of the page.
At the same time, by 24:00 (Brussels time) on 30 September 2011 at the latest, applicants must also e-mail (using the ‘delivery receipt’ option) an electronic version of their application, containing at least the letter of application, Forms 1, 2 and 3 and the budget, which must be identical to those sent by post, to the following address:
AGRI-GRANTS-APPLICATIONS-ONLY@ec.europa.eu
Applicants are responsible for ensuring that both their paper and electronic applications are complete and are dispatched by the deadline. Applications sent after the deadline will be rejected.
5.   PROCEDURE AND TIMETABLE

5.1.   Receipt and registration of applications

The Commission will register applications and e-mail an acknowledgement of receipt, specifying the number allocated to each application, within 15 working days of the deadline for submission.
5.2.   Examination of applications in the light of the eligibility and exclusion criteria

An ad hoc evaluation committee will examine the eligibility of applications. Any application which fails to meet one or more criteria set out in Annex II (eligibility and exclusion criteria) will be rejected.
All eligible applications will be admitted to the next phase (examination in the light of the selection criteria — technical and financial capacity of the applicants).
5.3.   Examination of applications in the light of the selection criteria — technical and financial capacity of applicants

During this phase the committee will examine the technical and financial capacity of the eligible applicants on the basis of the information provided in the application according to the criteria described in Annex III(1) (selection criteria).
All applications which have passed this phase will be admitted to the next phase (evaluation in the light of the award criteria).
5.4.   Evaluation of applications in the light of the award criteria

During this phase, the committee will evaluate applications in the light of the award criteria described in Annex III(2) (award criteria).
Only cases which have obtained at least 60 of the 100 points available, and at least 50 % of the points available for each criterion, during this phase of the evaluation will be proposed for a grant by the committee. The fact of obtaining 60 of the 100 points available will not, however, guarantee that an information measure will receive a grant. The Commission may raise the minimum acceptable mark on the basis of the number of eligible applications and the budgetary resources available.
Dossiers awarded less than 60 out of the 100 potential points or less than 50 % of the points available for each of the various criteria will be rejected; applicants will receive written notification specifying the reasons for the rejection.
If a grant is awarded, the beneficiary will receive a grant agreement (a specimen of which may be downloaded from the internet address given in point 4.1 of this call for proposals), denominated in euros, specifying the conditions and amount of financing, which may be less than the amount requested in the application. In the event of errors of calculation or costs considered ineligible, the budget will be corrected by the Commission. If the correction results in an increase in the total costs, the amount requested will remain unchanged and the contribution of the applicant will be increased accordingly.
The evaluation procedure is scheduled to close at the beginning of 2012. The Commission departments are not authorised to inform applicants of the status of the evaluation of their application before the award decision. For this reason, applicants are requested not to telephone or write to the Commission regarding the outcome of their application before that date.
6.   ADVERTISING

6.1.   Responsibilities of the beneficiary

DG AGRI will develop a logo for all the communication projects on the common agricultural policy. CAP. This logo will be available at the following internet address http://ec.europa.eu/comm/agriculture/grants/capinfo/index_en.htm and will be available electronically for use in various formats (banners, posters, roll-ups, etc.).
Beneficiaries are contractually obliged to download this material to use it in appropriate formats in the context of their campaign in accordance with the conditions specified in the grant agreement. The costs of creating these promotional materials must be included in the budget for the action.
Furthermore, beneficiaries are under a contractual obligation to ensure, by all appropriate means and in accordance with the conditions laid down in the grant agreement, that throughout the life of the measure any communication or publication or promotional items regarding the measure mentions the fact that it is receiving financial support from the Union.
In addition, every communication or publication by the beneficiary, in whatever form and whatever format, must specify that the information provided is the sole responsibility of the author and that it does not represent the official position of the Commission.
Evidence of this publicity must be included in the final technical implementation reports. A model of the logo may be downloaded from the following internet address: http://europa.eu/abc/symbols/emblem/download_en.htm with the mention ‘with the support of the European Union’.
If the beneficiary organisation does not comply with the above obligations, the Commission reserves the right to reduce the amount of the grant allocated for the information measure concerned or to refuse to pay it at all if the beneficiary organisation does not comply with that obligation.
7.   PROTECTION OF PERSONAL DATA

The European Commission will ensure that any personal data contained in the application are processed as required by Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2000 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data by the Community institutions and bodies and on the free movement of such data (6). This applies in particular to the confidentiality and security of such data.


(1)  OJ L 100, 20.4.2000, p. 7.

(2)  OJ L 337, 13.12.2002, p. 21.

(3)  OJ L 320, 21.10.2004, p. 14.

(4)  All audiovisual programmes must be accompanied by a firm commitment to broadcast if co-funded.

(5)  For this type of measure, the grant agreement will expressly accord the Commission reproduction and distribution rights for non-commercial purposes, for products or programmes described in the measure or extracts thereof, on any media, for an unlimited period of time and without territorial restrictions.

(6)  OJ L 8, 12.1.2001, p. 1.


ANNEX I

ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS TO BE ATTACHED TO THE GRANT APPLICATION

To be complete, applications must include (in addition to the letter of application, the application forms and the budget presentation form, which may be downloaded from the Internet address given in point 4.1 of this call for proposals) all the additional documents listed below. Applicants must ensure that the documents accompanying the application are placed in the order shown in the following table. If one of these documents is missing, the application may be rejected.







Document


Description


Comments




Document A


Legal entity identification sheet


For all applicants. Form available at the Internet address given in point 4.1 of this call for proposals.




Document B


Financial identification sheet


For all applicants. Form available at the Internet address given in point 4.1 of this call for proposals.




Document C


Instrument constituting the association (articles of association).


For all applicants that are not bodies governed by public law.




Document D


Recent extract from the official register provided for by the legislation of the Member State of establishment (such as the Official Gazette or Company Register), clearly showing the applicant's name, address and date of registration.


For all applicants.




Document E


If the applicant is subject to VAT, copy of the registration document.
If the applicant is not entitled to recover VAT, official document confirming this fact.


Concerns applicants governed by private law (VAT paid by institutions under public law is not eligible in any circumstances). If the applicant is not entitled to recover VAT, enclose either a certificate from the VAT authority or from any other external person responsible for establishing or auditing the accounts (independent accountant, auditor, etc.) or, initially, a self-certificate. However, no grant agreement will be signed until an external certificate has been provided.




Document F


Balance sheets and profit and loss accounts for the last two financial years for which the accounts have been closed, or any other document (such as a bank certificate) proving applicants’ financial situation and capacity to maintain their activity throughout the period during which the information measure is being carried out.


For all applicants that are not bodies governed by public law.




Document G


Curriculum vitae of the persons who will carry out the preparation, implementation, follow-up and evaluation of the proposed information measure.


For all applicants and co-organisers.




Document H


Proof of the financial contributions of the other fund providers (even if the provider of funds is also a co-organiser) to the information measure proposed (such proof consists at least of an official financing certificate from each of the expected providers mentioning the title of the information measure and the amount to be contributed).


Form that must be attached if there are contributions from other fund providers.











NB:


It should be noted that the two main reasons for applications not being eligible over the last two years have been failure to comply with the obligations relating to documents E and H above. With regard to VAT (document E), it is very important to provide the required documents even if the applicant is not subject to VAT (at least a self-certification). With regard to the proof of financial contributions (document H), this must be provided for all providers of funds (points c, d and f of the income table of the budget).











ANNEX II

ELIGIBILITY AND EXCLUSION CRITERIA

1.   Eligibility criteria

(a)   Eligibility criteria concerning the applicant:







—


the applicant must be a legal person legally constituted in a Member State for at least two years. This must be clearly shown in the application and supporting documents. Applicants that have not been legally constituted in a Member State for at least two years, or fail to prove it, will be rejected.




(b)   Eligibility criteria concerning the application:

Applications under this call for proposals must meet all the following criteria:






—


they must be submitted no later than 30 September 2011 (the postmark on the envelope serving as proof of the date of posting),










—


they must include the hard copies of the relevant forms provided for the application and budget, which may be downloaded from the Internet address given in point 4.1, and also an electronic version,










—


they must be drawn up in one of the official languages of the Union,










—


they must be accompanied by all the documents listed in point 4.1 of this call for proposals,










—


they must comprise a letter of application giving the title of the information measure and the amount of grant requested (which must be the same as the amount indicated in points (g) and (h) of the income table of the budget) and be signed by the legally authorised person within the applicant organisation,










—


applicants are authorised to submit only one application per budget year,










—


the amount of grant requested from the Commission (including the flat rate amount for the staff costs) must be between EUR 100 000 and EUR 500 000,










—


the budget of the proposed information measures must:






—


be presented in euro,










—


contain an expenditure table and an income table in balance,










—


be dated and signed in both the expenditure and income parts by the legally authorised person within the applicant organisation,










—


be drawn up using detailed calculations (quantities, unit prices, total prices) and the relevant specifications; no flat-rate amounts (except for staff costs) will be accepted,










—


respect the maximum amounts established by the Commission for certain categories of expenditure (see Annex IV and the document entitled ‘Maximum accommodation costs (hotel) accepted by the Commission’ which is available at the Internet address given in point 4.1),










—


be presented exclusive of VAT if the applicant is subject to and entitled to deduct VAT or if the applicant is an institution under public law,










—


enter on the income part the direct contribution from the applicant, the requested Commission funding, and (if applicable) details of any contributions from other fund providers, as well as any revenue generated by the project, including, where appropriate, the fees required of participants,














—


the proposed information measure must be carried out between 1 March 2012 and 28 February 2013,










—


the following are not eligible:






—


measures required by law,










—


measures receiving EU financing under another budget line,










—


profit-making measures,










—


general or statutory meetings.









Any application which fails to fulfil one or more of the above criteria will be ineligible and will be rejected.

2.   Exclusion criteria

The Commission will exclude any applicant who is in one of the situations described in Article 5 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 2208/2002 and in Articles 93(1), 94 and 96, second paragraph, point (a) of Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 (Financial Regulation of 25 June 2002 applicable to the general budget of the European Union).
Grants may not be awarded to applicants who are, at the time of a grant procedure, in one of the following situations: applicants who:






—


are bankrupt or being wound up, are having their affairs administered by the courts, have entered into an arrangement with creditors, have suspended business activities, are the subject of proceedings concerning those matters, or are in any analogous situation arising from a similar procedure provided for in national legislation or regulations,










—


have been convicted of an offence concerning their professional conduct by a judgment which has the force of res judicata,










—


have been guilty of grave professional misconduct proven by any means which the contracting authority can justify,










—


have not fulfilled obligations relating to payment of social security contributions or the payment of taxes in accordance with the legal provisions of the country in which they are established or with those of the country of the contracting authority or those of the country where the measure is to be performed,










—


have been the subject of a judgment which has the force of res judicata for fraud, corruption, involvement in a criminal organisation or any other illegal activity detrimental to the Union's financial interests,










—


following another procurement procedure or grant award procedure financed by the EU budget, they have been declared to be in serious breach of contract for failure to comply with their contractual obligations,










—


are in a situation of conflict of interest,










—


are guilty of misrepresentation in supplying the information required by the authorising department or of failing to supply this information.




Applicants must declare on honour that they are not in one of the above situations (see the letter of application available at the Internet address mentioned in point 4.1 of this call for proposals). The Commission may, depending on the analysis of management risks, request additional evidence. Applicants who are found guilty of false declarations may be subject to administrative and financial penalties.



ANNEX III

SELECTION AND AWARD CRITERIA

1.   Selection criteria

In order to prove their technical capacity applicants must demonstrate that:






—


they have the necessary technical skills of direct relevance to the preparation, performance, follow-up and evaluation of the type of information measure proposed,










—


they have carried out at least one public information project over the past two years,










—


they have at least two years' experience in dealing with the subject(s) proposed.




In order to prove their financial capacity applicants must demonstrate that:






—


their financial situation is sufficiently sound to maintain their activity throughout the period during which the information measure is being carried out.




The technical and financial capacity of the applicants will be assessed on the basis of the information provided in their application file. The Commission may, however, request additional information. Applicants are reminded that the Commission will provide no pre-financing for information measures benefiting from a grant under this call for proposals. Applicants must assume the entire cost of the information measures themselves. The Commission grant will be paid only after approval of the final technical and financial implementation report submitted by the beneficiaries at the end of the information measure, and where necessary, after excluding ineligible expenditure.
Applicants can request an interim payment (see details at point 3 of the call for proposals — Duration and Budget).
2.   Award criteria

Each information measure will be evaluated by the ad hoc committee in the light of the following criteria:






1.



(maximum 30 points): the relevance and general interest of the measure will be assessed, particularly in the light of:






—


the extent to which the goals and the content of the measure meet the objectives laid down in Article 1 of Regulation (EC) No 814/2000 and the priorities set out in point 2.1 and the types of measure listed in point 2.2 of the call for proposals (15 points),










—


the overall quality of the proposal. The conceptual approach and the results to be achieved must be clearly defined in the project proposals. The description of the measure and the objectives must be precise and the roles and responsibilities of the applicant and of each co-organiser must be clear. The programme for the measure must be detailed and the work schedule must be realistic and in keeping with the project goals (15 points);














2.



(maximum 30 points): the overall added value of the proposal will be assessed, particularly in the light of:






—


the public targeted by the measure. Actions targeting several countries and 5 % of their population will be given preference (15 points),










—


the innovative and creative quality of the proposed measures (10 points),










—


the financial quality of the proposal. Proposals must show that the measure will offer good value for the financial support requested from the Commission and that it will be cost-effective (5 points);














3.



(maximum 25 points): the impact of the measure and the dissemination policy adopted will be assessed, particularly in the light of:






—


the dimension, status and representativeness of the target audience (including indirect beneficiaries) in relation to the type of measure (15 points),










—


the capacity of the applicant and co-organisers to ensure effective follow-up and disseminate the results achieved, and of the dissemination channels used (in particular the press, radio and television, internet, direct distribution) and their role in the measure (10 points);














4.



(maximum 15 points): the evaluation of the measure will be assessed particularly in the light of:






—


the justification for the expected impact of the measure and of an analysis of the results after the execution of the measure (10 points),










—


the techniques used (surveys, questionnaires, statistics, etc.) to measure the impact of the messages transmitted (5 points).








Any measure which has obtained at least 60 of the 100 points provided for criteria 1 to 4 and at least 50 % of the points available for each will be deemed to be of the best quality by the Evaluation Committee and will be proposed for a grant. The Commission may raise this minimum acceptable mark on the basis of the budget resources available. Please note that the Commission's final decision regarding the award of a grant may differ from the Evaluation Committee's proposal.



ANNEX IV

DRAWING UP THE BUDGET

The budget must comply with all the relevant rules laid down in Annex II (Eligibility and Exclusion Criteria). It must be submitted on the original forms (tables of expenditure and income).
The expenditure table must be specific and permit a clear understanding of each item of expenditure (e.g. no ‘sundries’). The different categories of costs must be reflected in the description of the information measure (Form 3).
The income table must be specific and permit a clear understanding of each item of income/financial contribution and comply with the non-profit rule. Proof of contributions from other fund providers must be attached (see Document H of Annex I).
In order to facilitate the drawing up of the budget, an example of a correctly completed budget is available at the Internet address given in point 4.1.
The budget expenditure table must include only eligible costs (see below).
Any expenditure pre-dating the signature of the agreement will be incurred at the applicant's own risk and will not be legally or financially binding on the Commission.
1.   Eligible costs

Eligible costs for the information measure are the costs actually incurred by the beneficiary which meet the following criteria:






(a)


they are related to the subject of the agreement and are set out in the overall budget provided for the information measure;










(b)


they are necessary for the implementation of the information measure which is the subject of the grant;










(c)


they are borne and paid by the beneficiary during the period of the information measure as specified in Article I.2.2 of the grant agreement, i.e. backed by the original supporting documents (see table in point 3 below) and by the respective documents proving payment;










(d)


they are identifiable and verifiable, in particular being recorded in the accounting records of the beneficiary and determined according to the applicable accounting standards of the country where the beneficiary is established and according to the usual cost-accounting practices of the beneficiary;










(e)


they are reasonable and justified, and comply with the requirements of sound financial management, particularly as regards economy and efficiency;










(f)


they comply with the requirements of the tax and social legislation in force.




SUPPLIERS/SUBCONTRACTORS for services exceeding EUR 10 000
It should be noted that, where applicants intend to use suppliers/subcontractors and the amount of all the services to be rendered by one supplier/subcontractor exceeds EUR 10 000, they must submit to the Commission at least three tenders from three different companies, attach the tender selected, show that the supplier/subcontractor selected represents the best value for money and justify their choice if the tender selected is not the cheapest.
These documents must be submitted as soon as possible to the Commission and, at the latest, along with the final technical and financial reports.
Failure to do this entitles the Commission to consider those costs ineligible.
2.   Ineligible costs

The following costs are not eligible:






—


contributions in kind,










—


unspecified or flat-rate expenditure apart from staff costs,










—


indirect costs (rent, electricity, water, gas, insurance, taxes, etc.),










—


cost of office supplies (paper, stationery, etc.),










—


costs connected with the purchase of new or second-hand equipment,










—


costs relating to the depreciation of equipment,










—


costs not provided for in the projected budget,










—


VAT, unless beneficiaries prove that they cannot recover it under the relevant national legislation. However, VAT paid by bodies governed by public law is not eligible,










—


return on capital,










—


debt and debt-service charges,










—


provision for any future losses or debts,










—


debit interest,










—


dubious debts,










—


exchange losses,










—


costs declared by the beneficiary and covered by another measure or work programme receiving an EU grant,










—


excessive or reckless expenditure.




3.   Specific provisions relating to eligible costs and the requisite supporting documents








Category of expenditure


Eligible


Supporting document required (NB: Where more than one document is listed, all must be provided)




Staff costs








1.


Employees
A flat-rate sum will be paid: EUR 10 000 maximum for measures for which the total eligible costs (excluding the flat-rate amount for staff costs) are less than EUR 400 000 and EUR 25 000 maximum for measures for which the total eligible costs (excluding the flat-rate amount for staff costs) are between EUR 400 000 and EUR 950 000. This will cover the staff costs for preparation, performance, follow-up and evaluation.






No supporting documents are required in order to obtain the flat-rate amount.
However, for analysis purposes, beneficiaries are requested to attach a document indicating the staff costs actually incurred in connection with the information measure.










2.


Self-employed persons






Invoice indicating at least the title of the information measure, the nature of the work carried out and the dates when the work was carried out.






—


Proof of payment.








Transport costs (1)









1.


Train
Cost of second-class travel by the shortest route (2).












—


Ticket.










—


Proof of payment.














2.


Air
Booking fees and the cost of air travel in economy class, using the lowest promotional fare available on the market (APEX, PEX, Excursion, etc.).












—


Electronic reservation (including the price).










—


Used boarding pass. The boarding pass must state the name, date, place of origin and destination.










—


Where applicable, the travel agency invoice.










—


Proof of payment.














3.


Coach
Intercity travel by the shortest route.












—


Invoice indicating at least the place of departure and arrival, the number of passengers and the dates of travel.










—


Proof of payment.














4.


Ferry












—


Ticket.










—


Proof of payment.








Accommodation








1.


During preparation of the information measure
Hotel accommodation up to a maximum amount per night determined by country. The relevant maximum amount can be found at the Internet address given in point 4.1 of this call for proposals (‘Maximum accommodation costs (hotel) accepted by the Commission’).












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Detailed invoice of the hotel stating the name of the persons, the dates and the number of nights. If the invoice relates to a group, the same information must be provided.










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Description by the grant beneficiary of the purpose of the accommodation, the link with the co-financed information measure and the role of the persons concerned in the measure.










—


Where appropriate, record of the meeting.










—


Proof of payment.














2.


During implementation of the information measure
Hotel accommodation up to a maximum amount per night determined by country. The relevant maximum amount can be found at the Internet address given in point 4.1 of this call for proposals (‘Maximum accommodation costs (hotel) accepted by the Commission’).












—


Detailed invoice of the hotel stating the name of the persons, the dates and the number of nights. If the invoice relates to a group, the same information must be provided.




Attendance list signed by the participants as requested for the technical report (see Article I.5.2.2 of the grant agreement).






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Proof of payment.








Meals


Only during the implementation of the information measure up to a maximum amount (excluding VAT) of:






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EUR 5 per person for coffee break,










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EUR 25 per person for lunch,










—


EUR 40 per person for dinner,






Overall invoice (3) (from catering company, hotel, conference centre, etc.) indicating at least the title of the information measure, the date, the number of persons, the type of services provided (coffee breaks, lunches and/or dinners), the unit prices and the total price.
Attendance list signed by the participants as requested for the technical report (see Article I.5.2.2 of the grant agreement).






—


Proof of payment.








Interpretation








1.


Employees: the salary costs are included in the maximum flat-rate amount provided for under ‘staff costs’.






No document required.










2.


Self-employed persons: up to an amount of EUR 600 per day (excluding VAT).












—


Invoice indicating at least the title of the information measure, the source and target languages covered by the interpreting services, the dates when the services were provided and the number of hours worked.










—


Proof of payment.








Translation








1.


Employees: the salary costs are included in the maximum flat-rate amount provided for under ‘staff costs’.






No document required.










2.


Self-employed persons: up to a maximum amount of EUR 45 per page (excluding VAT).
NB: One page is considered to be 1 800 characters without spacing.












—


Invoice indicating at least the title of the information measure, the source and target languages covered by the translation services and the number of pages translated.










—


Proof of payment.








Consultants' and speakers' fees


Up to a maximum of EUR 600 per day (excluding VAT).
The fees of experts or speakers are not eligible where the persons concerned are national, EU or international civil servants or members or employees of the organisation receiving the grant or an associated or affiliated organisation.
Accommodation and transport costs: please refer to these categories of expenditure.








—


Invoice indicating at least the title of the information measure, the nature of the work performed and the dates of performance.










—


Final conference programme including the name and position of the speaker.










—


Proof of payment.








Hire of conference rooms and equipment


NB: Hire of simultaneous interpreting booths is limited to a maximum of EUR 750/day (excluding VAT).


Invoice indicating at least the title of the information measure, the nature of the equipment and the dates of hire of the conference rooms and equipment.






—


Proof of payment.








Mailing costs


Postal or courier services used for sending documents relating to the information measure (such as invitations, etc.).


Detailed invoice indicating at least the title of the documents sent and the number involved or a receipt from the post office together with details supplied by the beneficiary.






—


Proof of payment.










(1)  Only public transport costs (rail, air, ship) will be financed. It should be noted, however, that bus, underground, tram and taxi fares are not eligible.

(2)  Where a class other than economy is used, expenses will be deemed to be eligible up to the amount of the economy-class fare, provided that a certificate specifying the fare in that class is provided by the transport company.

(3)  Individual restaurant bills will not be accepted.