CALL FOR PROPOSALS - EACEA 41/2015 - Erasmus+ Programme KA3 - Support for Policy Reform Support for small and medium sized enterprises engaging in ...
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CALL FOR PROPOSALS – EACEA 41/2015
Erasmus+ Programme
KA3 – Support for Policy Reform
Support for small and medium sized enterprises
engaging in apprenticeships
APPLICANTS' GUIDELINES
1
CALL FOR PROPOSALS – EACEA 41/2015 – Erasmus+: KA3 – Support for Policy Reform
Support for small and medium sized enterprises engaging in apprenticeships – Applicants' GuidelinesTable of Contents
PART 1 - STRUCTURE OF THE CALL ......................................... 4
1 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................... 4
2 OBJECTIVE – THEME ............................................................................... 4
2.1 Objective ........................................................................................................................ 4
2.2 Theme ............................................................................................................................ 5
2.2.1 Background............................................................................................................... 5
2.2.2 Types of activities ..................................................................................................... 6
3 TIMETABLE................................................................................................. 8
4 BUDGET AVAILABLE ............................................................................... 9
5 ADMISSIBILITY REQUIREMENTS........................................................ 9
6 ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA .......................................................................... 9
6.1 Eligible Applicants ...................................................................................................... 10
6.2 Eligible participating organisations (partners) ............................................................. 10
6.3 Eligible Countries ........................................................................................................ 11
6.4 Eligible Activities ........................................................................................................ 11
6.5 Eligibility Period.......................................................................................................... 11
7 EXCLUSION CRITERIA .......................................................................... 12
7.1 Exclusion from participation ....................................................................................... 12
7.2 Exclusion from award .................................................................................................. 12
7.3. Supporting documents ................................................................................................. 13
8 SELECTION CRITERIA .......................................................................... 13
8.1. Financial capacity ........................................................................................................ 13
8.2 Operational capacity .................................................................................................... 14
9 AWARD CRITERIA – ASSESSMENT GRIDS AND SCORING ........ 14
10 LEGAL COMMITMENTS ........................................................................ 15
11 FINANCIAL PROVISIONS ...................................................................... 16
11.1 General principles ........................................................................................................ 16
11.1.1 Non-cumulative award ........................................................................................... 16
11.1.2 Non-retroactivity .............................................................................................................. 16
11.1.3 Co-financing..................................................................................................................... 16
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CALL FOR PROPOSALS – EACEA 41/2015 – Erasmus+: KA3 – Support for Policy Reform
Support for small and medium sized enterprises engaging in apprenticeships – Applicants' Guidelines11.1.4 Balanced budget ............................................................................................................... 16
11.1.5 Implementation contracts/subcontracting ........................................................................ 17
11.2 Funding Forms ....................................................................................................................... 17
11.3. Payment arrangements ................................................................................................. 22
11.4. Pre-financing guarantee ............................................................................................... 22
12 PUBLICITY ................................................................................................. 23
12.2. By the Agency and/or the Commission ....................................................................... 23
13 DATA PROTECTION................................................................................ 23
14 PUBLICATION........................................................................................... 24
15 APPLICABLE RULES ............................................................................... 25
16 CONTACT ................................................................................................... 25
PART 2................................................................................................ 26
INSTRUCTIONS TO COMPLETE THE ONLINE GRANT
APPLICATION FORM (EFORM) ................................................. 26
1 REGISTRATION ........................................................................................ 26
1.1 General provisions ....................................................................................................... 26
1.2 Registration of the organisation ................................................................................... 26
1.3 Creating and Filling in the Eform ................................................................................ 27
1.3.1 Application eForm Cover Page .............................................................................. 27
1.3.2 List of Partner Organisations ................................................................................. 28
1.3.3 Part A - Identification of the applicant organisation ............................................. 28
1.3.4 Part B - Organisation and activities....................................................................... 29
1.3.5 Part C – Dates and budget ..................................................................................... 29
1.3.6 eForm attachments ................................................................................................. 29
PART 3................................................................................................ 34
SUBMISSION OF THE ONLINE GRANT APPLICATION
FORM (EFORM) AND ADDITIONAL REQUIRED ANNEXES
.............................................................................................................. 34
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CALL FOR PROPOSALS – EACEA 41/2015 – Erasmus+: KA3 – Support for Policy Reform
Support for small and medium sized enterprises engaging in apprenticeships – Applicants' GuidelinesPART 1 - STRUCTURE OF THE CALL
1 INTRODUCTION
This call for proposals is based on the Regulation (EU) 1288 /2013 establishing Erasmus+,
the Union programme for education, training, youth and sport for the period 2014 to 2020.
On the basis of the Regulation, and in particular action 3 "Support for policy reform" (as
referred to in Article 6 (2) (c) and further set forth in Article 9 (1) (a)), the European
Commission (‘the Commission’) in cooperation with the Education, Audiovisual and Culture
Executive Agency (the ‘Agency’) is inviting the submission of proposals concerning the
establishment or development of partnerships or networks that assist small and medium sized
enterprises1 in engaging in apprenticeships. The Agency has been entrusted by the
Commission with the management of this call2 .
2 OBJECTIVE – THEME
2.1 Objective
The objective of the Call is to invite the submission of proposals providing support for small
and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) offering apprenticeships, either newly engaging or
substantially increasing their current supply of apprenticeships3. It should be noted that this
call does not provide financial support to SMEs directly.
Against the background of high youth unemployment and skills mismatch, high-quality
apprenticeships are needed to ensure that knowledge, skills and competences acquired during
the period of training are relevant to labour market needs. The success of policy initiatives for
apprenticeships also depends largely on more small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
including micro-companies being involved in providing placements. Evidence suggests that
large enterprises are more likely to offer apprenticeships than their smaller counterparts 4.
SMEs play a key role in job creation and therefore could also play a stronger role in the
provision of apprenticeships, thus enhancing the employability of young people.
1
Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) are defined as those with fewer than 250 employees, whose annual turnover may not exceed
€50 million, or whose annual balance sheet may not exceed €43 million. For statistical purposes, SMEs are divided into three categories
according to their size: micro-enterprises – fewer than 10 employees; small enterprises – 10-49 employees; medium-sized enterprises- 50-
249 employees. Source: European Commission, 2003
2
The 2016 Annual Work Programme for the implementation of “Erasmus+”: the Union Programme for Education, Training, Youth and
Sport
3
Apprenticeships are formal education and training programmes combining company based training (periods of practical work experience at
a workplace) with school-based education (periods of theoretical/ practical education in a school or training centre) leading to a nationally
recognised qualification. Most often there is a contractual relationship between the employer and the apprentice, with the apprentice being
paid for his/her work.
4
Good for Youth, Good for Business, European Commission, Brochure 2015, p.19-20
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CALL FOR PROPOSALS – EACEA 41/2015 – Erasmus+: KA3 – Support for Policy Reform
Support for small and medium sized enterprises engaging in apprenticeships – Applicants' GuidelinesThis Call intends to increase the supply of apprenticeships which is one of the five European
priorities on VET for 2015-2020 and one of the main objectives under the European Alliance
for Apprenticeships.
2.2 Theme
2.2.1 Background
Vocational education and training (VET) has the potential to contribute to reducing Europe’s
high level of youth unemployment, boosting growth by providing relevant skills for the labour
market, promoting a culture of lifelong learning, countering social exclusion and promoting
active citizenship.
The contribution of work-based learning to supporting youth employment and economic
competitiveness is widely recognised. Countries with strong and attractive VET systems, and
notably those with well-established apprenticeship systems, tend to perform better in terms of
youth employment.
The Council Recommendation on Establishing a Youth Guarantee5, adopted in April 2012,
includes a high-quality offer of apprenticeships as one of the options for delivering a Youth
Guarantee.
The European Alliance for Apprenticeships6 was launched in Leipzig on 2 July 2013 with a
Joint Declaration by the European Social Partners, the European Commission and the
Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the EU, and with a number of pledges by businesses,
industry, chambers of commerce, industry and crafts, VET providers and youth
representatives.
On 15 October 2013, the Council of the European Union adopted the Declaration on the
European Alliance for Apprenticeships7. As one of the key elements the Council agreed on:
“…(f) Involving both employers and public authorities sufficiently in the funding of
apprenticeship schemes, whilst ensuring adequate remuneration and social protection
of apprentices, and providing appropriate incentives for all actors to participate,
especially small and medium sized enterprises, and for an adequate supply of
apprenticeship places to be made available.”
The 'Riga Conclusions' adopted at the Meeting of Ministers in charge of Vocational Education
and Training, the European Social Partners and the European Commission on 22 June 2015 in
Riga define the promotion of work-based learning in all its forms with special attention to
apprenticeships as the first of the five medium-term deliverables to be focused on in the
period 2015-2020.
5
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2013:120:0001:0006:EN:PDF
6
http://ec.europa.eu/education/apprenticeship/index_en.htm
7
http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/en/lsa/139011.pdf
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CALL FOR PROPOSALS – EACEA 41/2015 – Erasmus+: KA3 – Support for Policy Reform
Support for small and medium sized enterprises engaging in apprenticeships – Applicants' GuidelinesThe meeting was also used to give a new boost to the development of the European Alliance
for Apprenticeships and to announce the new platform called Drop'pin8 established for
companies and organisations to connect with young people to offer them opportunities to
improve their skills and boost their employability. The Commission still sees an untapped
potential to further involve companies, in particular small and medium-sized enterprises
(SMEs) with the aim of increasing the supply of apprenticeships at EU level.
The ET2020 Working Group on VET has developed a guidance framework on support for
companies, in particular SMEs, offering apprenticeships9.
A Cedefop conference will be organised in November 2015 with focus on the support for
SMEs. It will bring together policy makers, VET providers, chambers, a selected group of
large as well as small companies, to foster partnerships and discuss how SMEs can be
engaged in apprenticeships.
2.2.2 Types of activities
The aim of this call is to support European projects that assist SMEs to engage in
apprenticeships. Proposals should be submitted under one of the following two Lots:
1. Partnerships on building capacities for intermediary bodies or partnerships
established by large companies to support SMEs (Lot 1)
Projects supported under this Lot should build partnerships between businesses, VET
providers and intermediary organisations together, as appropriate, with public authorities and
social partners, with the aim of getting more SMEs involved in apprenticeships. They should
therefore aim at
Either building capacities of intermediary bodies (such as chambers of commerce,
industry and crafts, other professional organisations) supporting apprenticeships in
SMEs;
or establishing partnerships by bigger companies using their supply chain to assist
SMEs in increasing the supply of apprenticeships.
These partnerships should include cooperation at transnational, cross border and inter-regional
level and/or cooperation at sectoral level in at least two eligible countries (one of which
should be an Erasmus+ programme country).
The beneficiaries should undertake the following activity:
Building up capacities for intermediary bodies (such as chambers of commerce,
industry and crafts, other professional organisations) or using the supply chain of
8
https://ec.europa.eu/eures/droppin/en
9
Guidance Framework Support for companies, in particular SMEs, offering apprenticeships: Seven guiding principles, See under related
documents: http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1147&langId=en
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CALL FOR PROPOSALS – EACEA 41/2015 – Erasmus+: KA3 – Support for Policy Reform
Support for small and medium sized enterprises engaging in apprenticeships – Applicants' Guidelinesbigger companies to develop and set-up support structures for SMEs, particularly for
those with no previous experience of apprenticeships;
In addition, beneficiaries should undertake one of the following activities:
Identifying solutions to specific SMEs' policy challenges for setting-up or
strengthening apprenticeships, for example examining and developing governance,
curricula, or quality assurance of apprenticeships systems;
Developing financial and non-financial support (for example supporting accreditation
as a training company, training and instruction of in-company trainers, administrative
procedures, assessment and certification of apprentices) structures for SMEs and cost-
sharing models that motivate SMEs, VET providers as well as learners;
Supporting measures to help SMEs to raise the quality of apprenticeships in view of
promoting excellence; that includes to raise the quality of in-company trainers and to
improve the cooperation with VET providers;
Supporting measures for SMEs to integrate disadvantaged learners into
apprenticeship;
Developing strategies for setting up joint training centres or collaborative training that
could be used by a pool of SMEs that would work together to host apprentices;
Production and dissemination of teaching and information material or other practical
tools focusing on SMEs;
Undertaking apprenticeship attractiveness campaigns to secure the engagement of
SMEs;
Identifying and developing strategies and structures to promote cross-border mobility
of apprentices in SMEs (but not covering the mobility of apprentices themselves).
2. European level networks and organisations supporting SMEs through their
national members or affiliates (Lot 2)
The call also supports a limited number of projects presented by existing networks and
organisations in order to support strategic activities between their umbrella organisation at
European level and their national members or affiliates on strengthening the supply of
apprenticeships in SMEs.
The beneficiaries should undertake the following activity:
Targeted cooperation between the umbrella organisation of existing European
networks and organisations and their national members or affiliates for developing and
setting up support structures for SMEs, particularly for those with no previous
experience with apprentices;
In addition, beneficiaries should undertake one of the following activities:
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CALL FOR PROPOSALS – EACEA 41/2015 – Erasmus+: KA3 – Support for Policy Reform
Support for small and medium sized enterprises engaging in apprenticeships – Applicants' Guidelines Identifying solutions to specific SMEs' policy challenges for setting-up or
strengthening apprenticeships, for example examining and developing governance,
curricula, or quality assurance of apprenticeships systems;
Developing financial and non-financial support (for example supporting accreditation
as a training company, training and instruction of in-company trainers, administrative
procedures, assessment and certification of apprentices) structures for SMEs and cost-
sharing models that motivate SMEs, VET providers as well as learners;
Supporting measures to help SMEs to raise the quality of apprenticeships in view of
promoting excellence; that includes to raise the quality of in-company trainers and to
improve the cooperation with VET providers;
Supporting measures for SMEs to integrate disadvantaged learners into
apprenticeship;
Developing strategies for setting up joint training centres or collaborative training that
could be used by a pool of SMEs that would work together to host apprentices;
Production and dissemination of teaching and information material or other practical
tools focusing on SMEs;
Undertaking apprenticeship attractiveness campaigns to secure the engagement of
SMEs;
Identifying and developing strategies and structures to promote cross-border mobility
of apprentices in SMEs (but not covering the mobility of apprentices themselves).
3 TIMETABLE
Stages Date and time or
indicative period
a) Publication of the call 15/10/2015
b) Deadline for submitting applications 15/01/2016– 12:00 noon
CET
c) Evaluation period 18/01/2016 – 30/04/2016
d) Information to applicants May 2016
e) Signature of grant agreement July-September 2016
f) Starting date of the action 01/09 -01/11 2016
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CALL FOR PROPOSALS – EACEA 41/2015 – Erasmus+: KA3 – Support for Policy Reform
Support for small and medium sized enterprises engaging in apprenticeships – Applicants' Guidelines4 BUDGET AVAILABLE
The total budget earmarked for the co-financing of projects is estimated at maximum 8.7
million euros (5.2 million euros for Lot 1 and 3.5 million euros for Lot 2).
Each grant will amount to between 300.000 and 600.000 euros for Lot 1 and between 600.000
and 800.000 euros for Lot 2. The Agency expects to fund around 15 proposals (up to 10
projects under Lot 1 and up to 5 projects under Lot 2).
The Agency reserves the right not to distribute all the funds available.
5 ADMISSIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
Applications shall comply with the following requirements:
- they must be submitted online no later than the deadline for submitting applications
referred to in section 3 of the present call for proposals;
- they must be submitted exclusively using the correct official online application form
(see Part 2 of the present call for proposals);
- they must be drafted in any official EU language.
Please note that only applications submitted online using the e-form will be considered.
Failure to comply with those requirements will lead to the rejection of the application.
In order to submit an application, applicants and partners must provide their Participant
Identification Code (PIC) in the application form. The PIC can be obtained by registering the
organisation in the Unique Registration Facility (URF) hosted in the Education, Audiovisual,
Culture, Citizenship and Volunteering Participant Portal. The Unique Registration Facility is a
tool shared by other services of the European Commission. If an applicant (or partner)
already has a PIC that has been used for other programmes (for example the Research
programmes), the same PIC is valid for the present call for proposals.
The Participant Portal allows applicants (and partners), to upload or update the information
related to their legal status and attach the requested legal and financial documents.
See Part 2 for more information.
6 ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
Applications which comply with the following criteria will be subject of an in-depth
evaluation.
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CALL FOR PROPOSALS – EACEA 41/2015 – Erasmus+: KA3 – Support for Policy Reform
Support for small and medium sized enterprises engaging in apprenticeships – Applicants' Guidelines6.1 Eligible Applicants
Lot 1:
The applicant (project co-ordinator) must be one of the following organisations:
- chambers of industry, trade and crafts, or similarly relevant sectoral/professional
organisations;
- public or private enterprises;
- VET providers.
- other organisations with a role in supporting SMEs in increasing their offer on
apprenticeships
The partnership must be composed of at least two eligible countries (one of which must be
an Erasmus+ programme country).
Lot 2:
The applicant (project co-ordinator) must be a network or organisation having members
or affiliates in at least 12 Erasmus+ programme countries, of which at least 6 take part
in the project as partners.
6.2 Eligible participating organisations (partners)
For Lot 1 and Lot 2:
- ministries;
- social partners (employers' and workers' organisations);
- public or private companies;
- chambers of industry, trade and crafts, or similarly relevant sectoral/professional
organisations (e.g. crafts organisations);
- public employment services;
- public regional and local authorities;
- VET providers;
- VET agencies/centres;
- schools or other educational institutions;
- higher education institutions;
- research centres;
- international organisations;
- non-profit organisations (NGOs);
- youth organisations;
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CALL FOR PROPOSALS – EACEA 41/2015 – Erasmus+: KA3 – Support for Policy Reform
Support for small and medium sized enterprises engaging in apprenticeships – Applicants' Guidelines- parents associations;
- other relevant bodies.
Natural persons and sole traders are not eligible.
Applicants must submit letters from partner organisations confirming their
participation (original signatures required).
6.3 Eligible Countries
For Lot 1 and Lot 2:
The Erasmus+ programme countries:
– the 28 Member States of the European Union,
– the EFTA/EEA countries: Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway,
– EU candidate countries: Albania, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,
Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey.
Proposals from applicants in EFTA/EEA countries or from candidate or associated countries
may be selected provided that, on the date of the award, agreements have been signed setting
out the arrangements for the participation of those countries in the programme.
The following Erasmus+ partner countries:
– EU potential candidate countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Kosovo.
6.4 Eligible Activities
Please see eligible activities described in chapter 2.2.2.
6.5 Eligibility Period
Activities must start between 1 September 2016 and 1 November 2016.
The duration of the projects is 24 months. Applications for projects scheduled to run for a
shorter or longer period than that specified in this call for proposals will not be accepted.
No extensions to the eligibility period beyond the maximum duration will be granted.
However, if after the signing of the agreement and the start of the project it becomes
impossible for the beneficiary, for fully justified reasons beyond his control, to complete the
project within the scheduled period, an extension to the eligibility period may be granted. A
maximum extension of 6 (six) additional months will be granted, if requested before the
deadline specified in the agreement. The total grant awarded will not change.
The maximum duration will then be 30 months.
Only applications that fulfil the eligibility criteria will be considered for a grant. If an
application is deemed ineligible, a letter indicating the reasons will be sent to the applicant.
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CALL FOR PROPOSALS – EACEA 41/2015 – Erasmus+: KA3 – Support for Policy Reform
Support for small and medium sized enterprises engaging in apprenticeships – Applicants' Guidelines7 EXCLUSION CRITERIA
7.1 Exclusion from participation
Applicants will be excluded from participating in the call for proposals procedure if they are
in any of the following situations:
(a) they 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;
(b) they or persons having powers of representation, decision making or control over them
have been convicted of an offence concerning their professional conduct by a judgment of a
competent authority of a Member State which has the force of res judicata;
(c) they have been guilty of grave professional misconduct proven by any means which
the responsible authorising officer can justify including by decisions of the EIB and
international organisations;
(d) they are not in compliance with their obligations relating to the 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 responsible
authorising officer or those of the country where the grant agreement is to be performed;
(e) they or persons having powers of representation, decision making or control over them
have been the subject of a judgment which has the force of res judicata for fraud, corruption,
involvement in a criminal organisation, money laundering or any other illegal activity, where
such illegal activity is detrimental to the Union' financial interests;
(f) they are currently subject to an administrative penalty referred to in Article 109(1) of
the Financial Regulation.
7.2 Exclusion from award
Applicants will not be granted financial assistance if, in the course of the grant award
procedure, they:
(a) are subject to a conflict of interests;
(b) are guilty of misrepresentation in supplying the information required by the Agency as
a condition of participation in the grant award procedure, or fail to supply this information;
(c) find themselves in one of the situations of exclusion referred to in the above section
7.1.
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CALL FOR PROPOSALS – EACEA 41/2015 – Erasmus+: KA3 – Support for Policy Reform
Support for small and medium sized enterprises engaging in apprenticeships – Applicants' GuidelinesAdministrative and financial penalties may be imposed on applicants, who are guilty of
misrepresentation or are found to have seriously failed to meet their contractual obligations
under a previous grant award procedure.
7.3. Supporting documents
Applicants for a grant exceeding EUR 60,000 must sign a declaration on their honour
certifying that they are not in one of the situations referred to in the above sections 7.1. and
7.2, filling in the relevant form attached to the application form accompanying the call for
proposals.
8 SELECTION CRITERIA
Applicants must submit a declaration on their honour, completed and signed, attesting to their
status as their financial and operational capacity to complete the proposed activities.
8.1. Financial capacity
Applicants must have stable and sufficient sources of funding to maintain their activity
throughout the period during which the action is being carried out or the year for which the
grant is awarded and to participate in its funding. The applicants' financial capacity will be
assessed on the basis of several supporting documents specified below.
a) Grants ≤ EUR 750 000:
A declaration on their honour (to be submitted with the application).
A Financial Capacity Form, provided for in the application form, filled in with the
relevant statutory accounting figures, in order to calculate the ratios as detailed in the
form,
The financial statements (including the applicant’s profit and loss account and the
balance sheet) for the last two financial years for which accounts were closed.
b) Grants for an action > EUR 750 000, in addition to the above:
An audit report produced by an approved external auditor certifying the accounts for
the last financial year available.
Applicants must upload the above mentioned documents in the Participants Portal either
at the time of their registration in the Portal or, at the latest, before applying for an Erasmus+
grant.
On the basis of the documents submitted, if the Authorising Officer considers that the
financial capacity is not satisfactory, he may:
- request further information;
- propose a grant agreement without pre-financing;
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CALL FOR PROPOSALS – EACEA 41/2015 – Erasmus+: KA3 – Support for Policy Reform
Support for small and medium sized enterprises engaging in apprenticeships – Applicants' Guidelines- propose a grant agreement with a pre-financing paid in instalments;
- propose a grant agreement with a pre-financing covered by a bank guarantee (see
section 11.4 below);
- where applicable, require the joint and several financial liability of all the co-
beneficiaries;
- reject the application.
8.2 Operational capacity
Applicants must have the professional competencies as well as appropriate qualifications
necessary to complete the proposed action. In this respect, applicants have to submit a
declaration on their honour, and provide the following information in the Detailed Description
of the Project (word document) which forms part of the application package:
description of skills and qualifications of the people primarily responsible for
managing and implementing the operation (accompanied where appropriate, like in the field
of research and education, by a list of relevant publications) within each partner institution;
an exhaustive lists of previous projects and activities performed and connected to the
policy field of a given call or to the actions to be carried out.
9 AWARD CRITERIA – ASSESSMENT GRIDS AND SCORING
The quality of eligible applications for both Lots will be assessed on the basis of the
following criteria:
Criteria Score
1 Relevance of the project (threshold minimum 20 points) …/40
points
the objectives of the proposal are clearly defined, realistic and address
issues relevant for SMEs engaging in apprenticeships and are coherent
with the objectives of the call for proposals;
the envisaged achievements and results are indicated and coherent with the
objectives of the call for proposals;
the activities are based on needs analysis for introducing and developing
apprenticeships.
2 Quality of the project design and implementation (threshold minimum …./20
10 points) points
the clarity, completeness and quality of the work programme, including
appropriate phases for preparation, implementation, monitoring, evaluation
and dissemination;
the consistency between project objectives and activities proposed;
14
CALL FOR PROPOSALS – EACEA 41/2015 – Erasmus+: KA3 – Support for Policy Reform
Support for small and medium sized enterprises engaging in apprenticeships – Applicants' Guidelines the existence and relevance of quality control measures to ensure that the
project implementation is of high quality, completed in time and on
budget;
the budget shows cost effectiveness and value for money.
3 Quality of the project consortium and cooperation arrangements …/20
(threshold minimum 10 points) points
the project involves an effective mix of participating organisations with
the necessary profile, experience and expertise to successfully deliver all
aspects of the project. The distribution of responsibilities and tasks
demonstrates the commitment and active contribution of all participating
organisations;
the existence of effective mechanisms for coordination and
communication between the participating organisations, as well as with
any other relevant stakeholders beyond the partnership.
4 Impact and dissemination (threshold minimum 10 points) …/20
points
the potential impact of the project on the supply for apprenticeships in
SMEs, in particular SMEs with no previous experience,
the quality of measures for evaluation the outcomes of the project
the appropriateness and quality of measures aimed at sharing the outcomes
of the project within and outside the participating organisations,
the quality of the plans for ensuring the sustainability of the project: its
capacity to continue to have an impact and produce results after the EU
grant has been used.
Total …/100
points
Total % …%
The threshold for proposals to be put forward to the evaluation committee shall be minimum
60 points (out of 100 points in total), also taking into account the necessary minimum
threshold for each of four award criteria.
10 LEGAL COMMITMENTS
In the event of a grant awarded by the Agency, a grant agreement drawn up in euro and
detailing the conditions and level of funding, will be sent to the beneficiary, as well as the
procedure in view to formalise the obligations of the parties.
Agreement: the 2 copies of the original agreement must be signed first by the
beneficiary on behalf of the consortium (where applicable) and returned to the Agency
immediately. The Agency will sign them last.
Please note that the award of a grant does not establish an entitlement for subsequent years.
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CALL FOR PROPOSALS – EACEA 41/2015 – Erasmus+: KA3 – Support for Policy Reform
Support for small and medium sized enterprises engaging in apprenticeships – Applicants' Guidelines11 FINANCIAL PROVISIONS
11.1 General principles
A European Union grant is an incentive to carry out activities that would not be possible
without the Agency’s financial support. It is based on the following principles:
11.1.1 Non-cumulative award
Action grants:
An action may only receive one grant from the EU budget.
In no circumstances shall the same costs be financed twice by the Union budget. To ensure
this, applicants shall indicate in the application form the sources and amounts of Union
funding received or applied for the same action or part of the action or for its functioning
during the same financial year as well as any other funding received or applied for the same
action.
11.1.2 Non-retroactivity
No grant may be awarded retroactively for actions already completed.
Action grants:
A grant may be awarded for an action which has already begun only where the applicant can
demonstrate the need to start the action before the grant agreement is signed.
In such cases, costs eligible for financing may not have been incurred prior to the date of
submission of the grant application.
11.1.3 Co-financing
Co-financing means that the resources which are necessary to carry out the action may not be
entirely provided by the EU grant.
Co-financing of the action may take the form of:
the beneficiary's own resources,
income generated by the action,
financial contributions from third parties.
11.1.4 Balanced budget
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CALL FOR PROPOSALS – EACEA 41/2015 – Erasmus+: KA3 – Support for Policy Reform
Support for small and medium sized enterprises engaging in apprenticeships – Applicants' GuidelinesThe estimated budget of the action is to be attached to the application form. It must have
revenue and expenditure in balance.
The budget must be drawn up in euros.
Applicants which foresee that costs will not be incurred in euros shall use the exchange rate
published on the Infor-euro website available at
http://ec.europa.eu/budget/contracts_grants/info_contracts/inforeuro/inforeuro_en.cfm on the
date of the publication of this call for proposals.
11.1.5 Implementation contracts/subcontracting
Where the implementation of the action requires the award of procurement contracts
(implementation contracts), the beneficiary must award the contract to the bid offering best
value for money or the lowest price (as appropriate), avoiding conflicts of interests and retain
the documentation for the event of an audit.
In the event of procurement exceeding € 60,000, the beneficiary must abide by special rules as
referred in the grant agreement. Moreover the beneficiary is expected to clearly document the
tendering procedure and retain the documentation for the event of an audit.
Entities acting in their capacity of contracting authorities in the meaning of Directive
2004/18/EC or contracting entities in the meaning of Directive 2004/17/EC shall abide by the
applicable national public procurement rules.
Sub-contracting, i.e. the externalisation of specific tasks or activities which form part of the
action as described in the proposal and which cannot be performed by the beneficiary itself
must satisfy the conditions applicable to any implementation contract (as specified above) and
in addition to them the following conditions:
- it may only cover the implementation of a limited part of the action;
- it must be justified having regard to the nature of the action and what is necessary for
its implementation;
- it must be clearly stated in the proposal or prior written authorisation from the
Agency must be obtained.
The applications may not envisage provision of financial support to third parties.
In order to maintain the concept of the project partnership, the management and the
general administration of the project may not be subcontracted.
11.2 Funding Forms
Reimbursement of eligible costs in combination with flat rate covering overheads
The grants financed through reimbursement of eligible costs in combination with flat rate
covering overheads are calculated on the basis of a detailed estimated budget, indicating
clearly the costs that are eligible for EU funding.
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CALL FOR PROPOSALS – EACEA 41/2015 – Erasmus+: KA3 – Support for Policy Reform
Support for small and medium sized enterprises engaging in apprenticeships – Applicants' Guidelines Maximum amount requested
The EU grant is limited to a maximum co-financing rate of 80% of eligible costs (taking into
account the maximum grant amount referred to in section 4).
Consequently, part of the total eligible expenses entered in the estimated budget must be
financed from sources other than the Union grant.
The grant amount may neither exceed the eligible costs nor the amount requested. Amounts
are indicated in euros.
Acceptance of an application by the Executive Agency does not constitute an undertaking to
award a grant equal to the amount requested by the beneficiary.
Eligible costs
Eligible costs are costs actually incurred by the beneficiary of a grant which meet the
following criteria:
- they are incurred during the duration of the action as specified in the grant agreement,
with the exception of costs relating to final reports and certificates.
The period of eligibility of costs will start as specified in the grant agreement.
If a beneficiary can demonstrate the need to start the action before the agreement is signed,
expenditure may be authorised before the grant is awarded. Under no circumstances can the
eligibility period start before the date of submission of the grant application (see section
11.1.2).
- they are indicated in the estimated overall budget of the action;
- they are incurred in connexion with the action which is the subject of the grant and are
necessary for its implementation of the action;
- 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;
- they comply with the requirements of applicable tax and social legislation;
- they are reasonable, justified, and comply with the requirements of sound financial
management, in particular regarding economy and efficiency.
The beneficiary's internal accounting and auditing procedures must permit direct
reconciliation of the costs and revenue declared in respect of the action with the
corresponding accounting statements and supporting documents.
Eligible direct costs:
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CALL FOR PROPOSALS – EACEA 41/2015 – Erasmus+: KA3 – Support for Policy Reform
Support for small and medium sized enterprises engaging in apprenticeships – Applicants' GuidelinesThe eligible direct costs for the action are those costs which, with due regard for the
conditions of eligibility set out above, are identifiable as specific costs directly linked to the
performance of the action and which can therefore be booked to it directly, such as:
- the cost of personnel working under an employment contract with the applicant or
equivalent appointing act and assigned to the action/project, comprising actual salaries
plus social security contributions and other statutory costs included in their
remuneration, provided that these costs are in line with the applicant's usual policy on
remuneration policy of the beneficiary or, where applicable, its partners. NB: this
cost must be actual cost incurred by the beneficiary, the co-beneficiary, and staff
cost of other organisations is eligible only if it is paid directly or reimbursed by
the beneficiary. These costs may include additional remuneration, including
payments on the basis of supplementary contracts regardless of their nature, provided
that it is paid in a consistent manner whenever the same kind of work or expertise is
required and independently from the source of funding used;
The corresponding salary costs of personnel of national administrations are eligible to
the extent that they relate to the cost of activities which the relevant public authority
would not carry out if the project concerned was not undertaken;
- subsistence allowances (for meetings, including kick-off meetings where applicable,
European conferences, etc.) provided that these costs are in line with the beneficiary's
usual practices;
- costs of travel (for meetings, including kick-off meetings where applicable, European
conferences, etc.), provided that they are in line with the beneficiary's usual practices
on travel;
- depreciation cost of equipment (new or second-hand), only the portion of the
equipment's depreciation corresponding to the duration of the action and the rate of
actual use for the purposes of the action may be taken into account by the Agency,
except where the nature and/or the context of its use justifies different treatment
by the Agency;
- costs of consumables and supplies, provided that they are identifiable and assigned to
the action/project;
- costs entailed by other contracts awarded by the beneficiary or its partners for the
purposes of carrying out the action, provided that the conditions laid down in grant
agreement are met;
- all other direct costs arising directly from requirements linked to the performance of
the action/project (Conferences, trainings, dissemination of information, specific
evaluation of the action/project, translations, reproduction, etc.).
- costs relating to a pre-financing guarantee lodged by the beneficiary of the grant,
where required;
- costs relating to external audits where required in support of the requests for
payments;
- non-deductible value added tax ("VAT") for all activities which are not activities of
the public authorities in the Member States.
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CALL FOR PROPOSALS – EACEA 41/2015 – Erasmus+: KA3 – Support for Policy Reform
Support for small and medium sized enterprises engaging in apprenticeships – Applicants' GuidelinesEligible indirect costs (overheads)
- a flat-rate amount, up to 7% of the eligible direct costs of the action, is eligible under
indirect costs, representing the beneficiary's general administrative costs which can be
regarded as chargeable to the action.
Indirect costs may not include costs entered under another budget heading.
Applicants’s attention is drawn to the fact that in the case of organisations receiving an
operating grant, indirect costs are no longer eligible under specific actions.
Ineligible costs
The following costs shall not be considered eligible:
- return on capital;
- debt and debt service charges;
- provisions for losses or debts;
- interest owed;
- doubtful debts;
- exchange losses;
- costs of transfer from the Agency charged by the bank of the beneficiary;
- costs declared by the beneficiary and covered by another action receiving a
European Union grant. In particular, indirect costs shall not be eligible under a
grant for an action awarded to the beneficiary who already receives an operating
grant financed from the Union budget during the period in question;
- contributions in kind;
- excessive or reckless expenditure;
- others (in accordance with the relevant legal base);
- cost of replacing persons involved in the project;
- expenses for travel to or from countries other than those participating in the
project/programme, unless explicit prior authorisation is granted by the Agency;
- Gift and entertainment expenses;
- Dividends and profit sharing.
Calculation of the final grant amount – Supporting documents
The final amount of the grant to be awarded to the beneficiary is established after completion
of the action, upon approval of the request for payment containing the following documents:
- a final report providing details of the implementation and results of the action;
- the final financial statement of costs actually incurred.
In case of:
1. Grants for an action of more than EUR 60.000, but less than EUR 750.000
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CALL FOR PROPOSALS – EACEA 41/2015 – Erasmus+: KA3 – Support for Policy Reform
Support for small and medium sized enterprises engaging in apprenticeships – Applicants' GuidelinesThe beneficiary is required to submit, in support of the final payment, a “Report of Factual
Findings on the Final Financial Report - Type I” produced by an approved auditor or in case
of public bodies, by a competent and independent public officer.
The procedure and the format to be followed by an approved auditor or in case of public
bodies, by a competent and independent public officer, are detailed in the following
“Guidance Notes”:
https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/sites/eacea-site/files/annex_iii_guidance_notes_audit_type_i_03-
2014_en.pdf
The use of the report format set by the “Guidance Notes” is compulsory.
2. Grants for an action of EUR 750.000 or more, when the cumulative amounts of
request for payment is at least EUR 325.000
The beneficiary is required to submit, in support of the final payment, a “Report of Factual
Findings on the Final Financial Report - Type II” produced by an approved auditor or in case
of public bodies, by a competent and independent public officer. The certificate shall certify,
in accordance with a methodology approved by the Agency, that the costs declared by the
beneficiary in the financial statements on which the request for payment is based are real,
accurately recorded and eligible in accordance with the grant agreement or grant decision.
The procedure and the format to be followed by an approved auditor or in case of public
bodies, by a competent and independent public officer, are detailed in the following
“Guidance Notes”:
https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/sites/eacea-site/files/annex_iv_guidance_notes_audit_type_ii_03-
2014_en.pdf
The use of the report format set by the “Guidance Notes” is compulsory.
If the eligible costs actually incurred by the beneficiary are lower than anticipated, the Agency
will apply the rate of co-financing stated in the grant agreement to the expenditure actually
incurred.
In the event of non-execution or clearly inadequate execution of an activity planned in the
application attached to the funding agreement, the final grant will be reduced accordingly.
Non-profit rule
EU grants may not have the purpose or effect of producing a profit within the framework of
the action of the beneficiary. Profit shall be defined as a surplus of receipts over the
eligible costs incurred by the beneficiary, when the request is made for payment of the
balance. In this respect, where a profit is made, the Agency shall be entitled to recover a
percentage of the profit corresponding to the Union contribution to the eligible costs actually
incurred by the beneficiary to carry out the action.
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CALL FOR PROPOSALS – EACEA 41/2015 – Erasmus+: KA3 – Support for Policy Reform
Support for small and medium sized enterprises engaging in apprenticeships – Applicants' Guidelines11.3. Payment arrangements
A first pre-financing payment corresponding to 40% of the grant amount will be transferred to
the beneficiary within 30 days of the date when the last of the two parties signs the agreement,
provided all requested guarantees have been received.
A second pre-financing payment of 40% of the grant amount will be made within 60 days of
receipt by the Agency of the progress report on the action’s implementation. This second pre-
financing payment may not be made until at least 70% of the previous pre-financing payment
has been used up. Where the consumption of the previous pre-financing is less than 70%, the
amount of the new pre-financing payment shall be reduced by the unused amounts of the
previous pre-financing
The Agency will establish the amount of the final payment to be made to the beneficiary on
the basis of the calculation of the final grant amount (see section 11.2 above). If the total of
earlier payments is higher than the final grant amount, the beneficiary will be required to
reimburse the amount paid in excess by the Commission through a recovery order.
11.4. Pre-financing guarantee
In the event that the applicant's financial capacity is not satisfactory, a pre-financing guarantee
for up to the same amount as the pre-financing may be requested in order to limit the financial
risks linked to the pre-financing payment.
The financial guarantee, in euro, shall be provided by an approved bank or financial
institution established in one of the Member State of the European Union. When the
beneficiary is established in a third country, the authorising officer responsible may agree that
a bank or financial institution established in that third country may provide the guarantee if he
considers that the bank or financial institution offers equivalent security and characteristics as
those offered by a bank or financial institution established in a Member State. Amounts
blocked in bank accounts shall not be accepted as financial guarantees.
The guarantee may be replaced by a joint and several guarantees by a third party or by a joint
guarantee of the beneficiaries of an action who are parties to the same grant agreement
The guarantee shall be released as the pre-financing is gradually cleared against interim
payments or payments of balances to the beneficiary, in accordance with the conditions laid
down in the grant agreement.
This requirement does not apply to:
public bodies and international organisations under public law established by inter-
governmental agreements, specialised agencies created by such organisations, the
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) or the International Federation of
Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
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CALL FOR PROPOSALS – EACEA 41/2015 – Erasmus+: KA3 – Support for Policy Reform
Support for small and medium sized enterprises engaging in apprenticeships – Applicants' Guidelines12 PUBLICITY
12.1. By the beneficiaries
Beneficiaries must clearly acknowledge the European Union’s contribution in all publications
or in conjunction with activities for which the grant is used.
In this respect, beneficiaries are required to give prominence to the name and emblem of the
European Commission on all their publications, posters, programmes and other products
realised under the co-financed project.
To do this they must use the text, the emblem and the disclaimer available at
https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/about-eacea/visual-identity_en, which will be provided by the
Agency.
If this requirement is not fully complied with, the beneficiary’s grant may be reduced in
accordance with the provisions of the grant agreement
12.2. By the Agency and/or the Commission
With the exception of scholarships paid to natural persons and other direct support paid to
natural persons in most need, all information relating to grants awarded in the course of a
financial year shall be published on the Internet site of the European Union institutions no
later than the 30 June of the year following the financial year in which the grants were
awarded.
The Agency and/or the Commission will publish the following information:
name of the beneficiary,
locality of the beneficiary: address of the beneficiary when the latter is a legal person,
as defined on NUTS 2 level if he/she is domiciled within the EU or equivalent if
domiciled outside EU,
the amount awarded,
nature and purpose of the grant.
Upon a reasoned and duly substantiated request by the beneficiary, the publication shall be
waived if such disclosure risks threatening the rights and freedoms of individuals concerned
as protected by the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union or harm the
commercial interests of the beneficiaries.
13 DATA PROTECTION
All personal data (such as names, addresses, CVs, etc.) will be processed in accordance with
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
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CALL FOR PROPOSALS – EACEA 41/2015 – Erasmus+: KA3 – Support for Policy Reform
Support for small and medium sized enterprises engaging in apprenticeships – Applicants' GuidelinesYou can also read
