EU-Turkey Call for Proposals: VOC-Test Centres-III Grant Scheme (VOC-TEST-III)

Deadline: 27 May 2019

The European Union (EU) is currently accepting proposals from eligible organizations for a program entitled “VOC-Test Centres-III Grant Scheme (VOC-TEST-III)”.

Objectives

The global objective of this call for proposals are; developing qualified and certified labour force, strengthening the link between education and employment, promoting validation of non-formal and informal learning and facilitating the harmonization of the Turkish Qualifications Framework with European Qualifications Framework.
The specific objectives of this call for proposals are;
- supporting development and/or revision of national occupational standards and national qualifications,
- supporting establishment of “Occupational Standards Development Vocational Knowledge and Skills Testing and Certification Centres” (VOC-Test Centres) in 26 sectors (Justice and Security; Woodworking, Paper and Paper Products; Information and Communication Technologies; Glass, Cement and Soil; Environment; Education; Electric and Electronics; Finance; Food; Construction; Business and Management; Chemistry, Petroleum, Rubber and Plastics; Culture, Art and Design; Mining; Media, Communication and Publishing; Metal; Automotive; Health and Social Services; Sports and Recreation; Agriculture, Hunting and Fishery; Energy; Textile, Ready Wear and Leather Products; Trade; Social and Personal Services; Tourism, Accommodation and Catering; Transportation, Logistics and Communication) to ensure the dissemination of efficient, sustainable and reliable NQS by enabling an appropriate, transparent and quality assured testing and certification structures.

The main target groups of this Call for Proposals are occupational standards setting bodies, qualifications developers, employers’ and employees’ associations, professional organizations continuing education centres etc.

Size of Grants

Any grant requested under this call for proposals must fall between the following minimum and maximum amounts:

minimum amount: EUR 150.000
maximum amount: EUR 250.000

Eligibility Criteria

Lead applicant
- In order to be eligible for a grant, the lead applicant must:
  - be a legal person and
  - be non-profit-making and
  - be established in a Member State of the European Union or
  - For British applicants: Please be aware that eligibility criteria must be complied with for the entire duration of the grant. Unless sector-specific eligibility rules provide otherwise , if the United Kingdom withdraws from the EU during the grant period without concluding an agreement with the EU ensuring in particular that British applicants continue to be eligible, applicants will cease to receive EU funding (while continuing, where possible to participate) or will be required to leave the project on the basis of Article [insert reference to the Article allowing termination of the grant agreement (change of the legal situation of the beneficiary)] of the grant agreement’.
  - be directly responsible for the preparation and management of the action with the co-applicant(s) and affiliated entity(ies), not acting as an intermediary and
  - be a specific type of organisation such as:
    - non-governmental organizations (NGOs) ,
    - professional/ vocational associations/ foundations/ federations/ confederations, employers’ and employees’ organizations/ institutions, chambers of commerce and/ or industry, chambers and unions.
  - Political parties and their affiliated structures are not eligible under this Call for Proposals.
  - Individual commercial enterprises or groups of enterprises are not eligible as lead applicants/co-applicant(s) under this Call for Proposals. However, where relevant, they are encouraged to participate as associates.
  - Universities only can apply on behalf of Continuing Education Centres as co-applicants. Otherwise, Universities cannot apply with its other Departments. If so, they will be rejected.
  - Education institutions affiliated to Ministry of National Education are not eligible applicants under this Call for Proposals. Although they are not eligible as lead applicants or co-applicants under this Call for Proposals; central government, provincial/regional directorates of the central government and educational institutions affiliated to Ministry of National Education may only participate as associates.
  - Potential applicants may not participate in calls for proposals or be awarded grants if they are in any of the situations.
- Co-applicant(s)
  - There is no minimum number of co-applicant(s) to be involved in the action.
  - In case the applicant is not established in Turkey, it must act with at least one co-applicant that is established in Turkey.
  - Co-applicants participate in designing and implementing the action, and the costs they incur are eligible in the same way as those incurred by the lead applicant.
- Affiliated entities
  - The lead applicant and its co-applicant(s) may act with affiliated entity(ies).
  - Only the following entities may be considered as affiliated entities to the lead applicant and/or to co-applicant(s):
    - Only entities having a structural link with the applicants (i.e. the lead applicant or a co-applicant), in particular a legal or capital link.
    - This structural link encompasses mainly two notions:
      - Control, as defined in Directive 2013/34/EU on the annual financial statements, consolidated financial statements and related reports of certain types of undertakings:
        
        Entities affiliated to an applicant may hence be:
        
        Entities directly or indirectly controlled by the applicant (daughter companies or first-tier subsidiaries). They may also be entities controlled by an entity controlled by the applicant (granddaughter companies or second-tier subsidiaries) and the same applies to further tiers of control;
        
        Entities directly or indirectly controlling the applicant (parent companies). Likewise, they may be entities controlling an entity controlling the applicant;
        
        Entities under the same direct or indirect control as the applicant (sister companies).
        
        Membership, i.e. the applicant is legally defined as a e.g. network, federation, association in which the proposed affiliated entities also participate or the applicant participates in the same entity (e.g. network, federation, association) as the proposed affiliated entities.