Deadline: 2-Feb-23
The European Union (EU) has launched the 6th Call for Project Proposals of Estonian EU External Border Programme.
Thematic Objectives
The Call focuses on short-term projects aimed at supporting the socio-economic development of external border regions of the Republic of Estonia within programme’s three thematic objectives (TO).
- TO 1 – Business and SME development
- Increasing SME development and entrepreneurship by fostering cross-border4 business contacts and the development of services and products;
- Increasing SME competitiveness and entrepreneurship by fostering cooperation between public, private and R&D sectors;
- Improving the business environment through the development of business support measures and infrastructure
- TO 5 – Support to local and regional governance
- Improving cooperation between local and regional authorities and their sub-units
- Improving cooperation between local and regional communities
- TO 6 – Environmental protection, climate change mitigation and adaption
- Improving the biodiversity of joint natural assets;
- Improving the quality of shared water assets by reducing their pollution load (including improving wastewater treatment facilities, improving solid (household and industrial) waste management and relevant facilities, and reducing pollution that is caused by the agricultural sector;
- Increasing awareness of environmental protection and efficient use of energy resources
- Fostering shared actions in risk management and a readiness to cope with environmental disasters
Funding Information
- The overall indicative amount made available from the programme for the 6th Call for proposals is ca` 2,5 million EUR.
- The exact amount of the allocation will consist of Programme savings. The minimum amount of the grant to the project is 50 000 EUR and the maximum amount of the grant to the project is 300 000 EUR.
- Duration of the projects is maximum 6 months and must be completed by 31 December 2023 at the latest.
Eligible Activities
- TO 1 – Business and SME development
- Cooperation between science parks, educational institutions, industrial parks, SMEs and public sector institutions (triple-helix cooperation) in order to foster innovation and modernisation;
- The development of business contacts and services-products: conferences, contact-trips, study visits to acquire best practices, contact-meetings, fairs, product development and marketing, including local/regional tourism products and services such as tourism routes, etc.;
- Support for the development of the creative industry and cultural tourism;
- Educational programmes for launching start-ups;
- Support services and infrastructure such as industrial parks, incubators, and clusters;
- Local/regional tourism objects and routes;
- Promoting entrepreneurship: start-ups or enterprise schools;
- Promoting tourism: marketing in foreign markets, trainings, etc.
- TO 5 – Support to local and regional governance
- Education – support to educational institutions in fields such as teaching methodology, development of curricula and Estonian language training activities for new immigrants from Ukraine;
- Health – active life and recreation, promoting physical activity, rehabilitation;
- Social – youth services, employment, HIV/AIDS prevention.
- Culture – the preservation and promotion of cultural and historical heritage on a municipal level;
- Educational programmes and activities on cultural topics;
- Improvement of facilities and increase of capacity for cultural institutions including equipment and small-scale investments and automation/digitalization of processes;
- Cultural initiatives for integration of new immigrants from Ukraine including language training;
- Cultural initiatives to support the preservation of Ukrainian culture;
- Sectoral assistance for expanding the competences and skills for new immigrants from Ukraine;
- Sport – an exchange of know-how and contacts, studies, integration activities;
- Activities for the integration of new immigrants from Ukraine and local population;
- Raising awareness about the European Union among Russian-speaking population in Estonia.
- TO 6 – Environmental protection, climate change mitigation and adaption
- Elimination of pollution in the Baltic Sea and Lake Peipsi/Chudsko-Pskovskoe: in relation to equipment, increasing readiness and reaction;
- Educational projects that are related to energy and environmental protection;
- Development of different methodologies and tools, piloting;
- Evaluations and surveys on environmental topics;
- Preparation of necessary documentation for investments: environmental impact assessment, feasibility-profitability analysis, detailed planning, etc;
- Reconstruction of waste water and water treatment plants – small-scale works;
- Increasing awareness in environmental protection;
- Actions to ensure the sustainability of the fishing industry;
- The design, construction, and reconstruction of solid waste recycling facilities;
- The design, construction, and reconstruction of safe storage locations for solid household and industrial waste
Eligibility Criteria
- Regions can also apply for sectoral assistance for activities intended for the adaptation of new immigrants from Ukraine.
- Project applications must be submitted in English.
- The 6th Call for proposals is announced only for the partners from the eligible area of the Republic of Estonia. Organizations from Finland, Latvia and Lääne-Eesti region are allowed to participate as associates.
- The following bodies which are effectively established and have their main legal address/office in the eligible area can act as applicants:
- National, regional and local public authorities;
- Associations that are formed by one or more national, regional or local authorities;
- Public equivalent bodies (any legal body that is governed by public or private legal requirements), which have been established for the specific purpose of meeting any needs that are in the general interest, and which do not have an industrial or commercial character, but which do have a legal personality, and are financed by national, regional, or local authorities;
- Other bodies that are governed by public legal acts, or which are subject to management supervision by those bodies, or which have an administrative, managerial or supervisory board more than half of whose members are appointed by national, regional, or local authorities, or by other bodies which are governed by public legal acts (such as, for example, municipal and national enterprises, trade unions, medical institutions, museums, etc.);
- Associations that are formed by one or more bodies which are governed by public legal acts
- NGOs and other non-profit-making bodies;
- Educational organisations (schools, preschool institutions, vocational schools, colleges, institutes, or universities).
- The following bodies which are established and have their legal address in the eligible area can act as project partners:
- Partners can be bodies and SMEs
- SMEs can be eligible for funding in projects for which the immediate objective is non-commercial. SMEs cannot act as the only partner from the participating country. Participation of SME is allowed only under TO1 Business and SME development. SMEs cannot act as the applicant (lead beneficiary) of the project.
For more information, visit EU.