Procedure for evaluation and selection of applications
Applications shall be submitted to the Joint Technical Secretariat, which is responsible for their registration, formal and technical evaluation and creation of a list of evaluated applications.
Next, the Joint Technical Secretariat shall present the list of applications to the Steering Committee which selects projects for implementation.
The selected beneficiary whose project is to be co-financed from the ERDF funds is informed and signs a contract for implementation of the project with the relevant Intermediary Body (Voivodship Office), and the project provider applying for co-financing from TACIS CBC funds – with the Contracting Authority (EC Delegation located in Kiev).
The entity responsible for the project prepares reports on the implementation of the project respectively for the Intermediary Body or the Contracting Authority.
Beneficiaries
Categories of beneficiaries of the Neighbourhood Programme Poland-Belarus-Ukraine INTERREG III A/TACIS CBC are defined in the Programme Complement separately for each measure:
Project size and duration
Project size is defined in the Programme Complement by each measure. For measures: 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 and 2.1 minimum project grant is 50 000 EUR and maximum project grant is 1 000 000 EUR. Maximum project duration for projects realised under these measures is 24 months.
Projects implemented under Micro Project Facility (Measure 2.2) of the Neighbourhood Programme will receive mimimim project grant of 5000 EUR and their maximum project grant is: 50 000 EUR; maximum project duration is 12 months.
A project is regarded to have started on the day of signing a contract with the Intermediary Body (Voivodship Office) for an applicant on the Polish side, or with the Contracting Authority (European Commission’s Delegation to Ukraine , Moldova and Belarus located in Kiev ) for applicants on the Belarusian and Ukrainian sides.
For projects co-financed only from ERDF, it is acceptable to begin implementation before an application is submitted for co-financing to the Joint Technical Secretariat and registered by the JTS. However, if a project is rejected by the Steering Committee, the applicant does not have the costs reimbursed. Additionally the Programme allows also for applying for reimbursement of costs connected with preparation of the project (preparation costs). Eligibility for such reimbursement applies only to projects approved for implementation.
A project is considered completed when the last payment claim is submitted, in case of applications co-financed from the ERDF. For projects co-financed from TACIS CBC, a project is considered completed when the last payment from TACIS is made. For projects co-financed from TACIS CBC – the eligibility period shall begin upon signing a grant contract with the Delegation of the European Commission.
Language regime
Polish applicants complete the application form in Polish with the summary in Russian and English, while Ukrainian and Belarussian applicants fill out the application form in Russian with summary in Polish and English.
Applications should be submitted in 1 original and 2 copies and electronic version (disk or CD) and should be completed in block capitals (no handwriting will be accepted).
Joint projects (applying for co-financing from ERDF and TACIS) and those applying only for TACIS are to fill out the detailed summary of the application in English (Attachment 24A to the application form).
Types of support ed activities
Projects implemented under the Neighbourhood Programme shall concentrate on the following issues:
- promotion of border areas;
- support for initiatives and development of SMEs;
- promotion of the labour market integration;
- joint activities to support education, research & development, culture, communication and health protection;
- support for environmental protection;
- improvement in transport connections and in information and communication networks.
Financing of proje cts
As defined in the Programme Complement, projects implemented under Priority 1 and Priority 2 Measure 1 can apply for co-financing from 50.000 to 1000 000 EUR. Projects implemented under Priority 2 Measure 2 (Micro Project Facility) can apply for co-financing from 5000 to 50 000 EUR.
Partners on the Polish side can apply both for ERDF and TACIS CBC funding, however provided that the latter financial instrument will be used for projects or undertaken within their framework of activity to be implemented in the area of Belarus and Ukraine, or the local communities will be the target group exclusively or mainly.
Projects or parts of projects financed from TACIS CBC will receive support in the form of grants.
For projects of less than EUR 100 000 value and lasting shorter than 12 months upon signing a grant contract, an applicant shall receive 80% of the co-financing value (in advance), and the remaining 20% when the project is implemented and a final report drawn up.
For projects over EUR 100 000 value and lasting longer than 12 months, the payment of the grant is made in accordance with Art. 15 of Annex II to the contracts (General conditions), namely a payment in advance of 80% of the part of the forecast budget for the projects operation in first 12 month, which is being financed by the Commission, takes place within 60 days of receipt by the European Commission of the contract signed by both partners and a request for payment. This request should be sent to the TACIS Finance Team indicating project contract number before the advance payment can be made. An Interim payment is made within 60 days of the recording of a request for payment and after an approval of the Interim report. The interim payment can be made only if the expenditure stands at 70 % at least of the previous (advance) payment, as proven by the interim report. The amount of the advance and interim payments can not exceed 90 % of the total sum of the grant.
The level of co-financing depends on the value of the project.
Projects up to EUR 50 000 may receive 95% co-financing from TACIS CBC. Projects from EUR 50 000 to EUR 300 000 – may receive up to 90% TACIS co-financing, and projects over EUR 300 000 – up to 75% TACIS co-financing