Deadline: 1 July 2019
The Central European Initiative (CEI) has announced a new Call for Proposals for the CEI Know‐How Exchange Programme (KEP) ‐ ITALY. The projects will be co‐financed with funding made available by the CEI Fund at the EBRD, entirely financed by the Italian Government.
The KEP is a development instrument aimed at supporting transfer of experience and expertise from organisations in the EU to peers in the non‐EU countries within the CEI region. The rationale of the Programme is based on the assumption that the economic development in non‐EU countries can be strengthened through the transfer of best practices and benchmarks already in place in more advanced economies.
Objectives
- The overall objective of this Call for Proposals is to contribute to the development of the CEI region, bolstering social cohesion and economic dynamism while strengthening cooperation between the CEI Member States. A project proposal has to be in line with the CEI Plan of Action 2018‐2020.
- The KEP focuses on areas of intervention where CEI‐EU countries have demonstrated strong‐rooted experience, and where beneficiary states have shown the strongest need for assistance.
- Proposals also have to show an economic rationale, cover investment aspects, economic transition, capacity building, or the business environment, in areas related to general development and European economic integration.
KEP Priority Areas
- European Integration, Capacity Building and Market Economy
- European integration;
- Strengthening the rule of law through the introduction of appropriate European standards;
- Strengthening capacities of central administration;
- Assistance in economic transformation;
- Support to second-generation reforms;
- Improvement of local labour market efficiency and development of micro, small and medium-sized enterprise sectors;
- Strengthening administrative structures at regional and local levels;
- Strengthening the social advancement of the beneficiary countries.
- Infrastructure Planning and Development
- Technical assistance for infrastructure development;
- Development of Geographic Information Systems.
- Agriculture, Energy, and Environment
- Energy;
- Environment;
- Development of agriculture and rural areas.
Funding Information
The overall indicative amount for this Call for Proposals is up to a maximum cumulative amount of 290,000 EUR that will be made available through the CEI Fund at the EBRD, entirely financed by the Italian Government.
Eligibility Criteria
Any project proposal awarded under this Call for Proposals shall fully satisfy all the following eligibility criteria:
- Eligible applicants
- All public and private entities with legal personality based and registered in an EU CEI Member State, namely: Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Romania, the Slovak Republic and Slovenia.
- All applicants shall refer to their legal status within the Application Form. International/regional organisations outside the CEI Member States can apply provided their members largely covers the CEI region.
- Individuals cannot apply.
- The applicant shall demonstrate and give evidence of experience in the sector of intervention, and of capability to deliver the proposed project results.
- The applicant is expected to be directly responsible for the preparation and management of the project for its entire duration. Preference will be given to projects displaying the ability of applicants to integrate or align project proposals into wider frameworks of related interventions.
- Eligible beneficiaries
- The applicant shall highlight to which extent the beneficiary has participated in the project planning and drafting of the application.
- Information provided shall demonstrate that the project has been designed according to the beneficiary needs and that the beneficiary will be fully committed to its implementation.
- In case of more than one beneficiary, projects will be assessed on their potential to effectively and sustainably affect all beneficiaries, according to the overall budget and objectives. Whenever a project engages more than one beneficiary, the know‐how needs of all beneficiaries are to be addressed by the project.
- Eligible activities
- Project proposals should present an appropriate range of activities for an efficient and effective transfer of a given know‐how. They could be carried out through, but not limited to: on‐the‐job training, workshops, staff secondment, study tours, peer review missions, assistance in the preparation of strategic documents, technology transfer, technical assistance.
- Applicants are requested to clearly state when the activity is expected to begin and end, how it will be organised, who will be responsible for its implementation, and the expected outputs and relation to the project objectives. The applicant shall also describe any planned follow‐up activities after the official conclusion of the project.
- Project proposals are to create an impact through multiple activities and instruments, combining theoretical training and more practical activities. Proposals are to motivate the potential use of innovative and experimental means of capacity building.
- Applicants are also required to clearly state any potential implementation risks and to propose related mitigating measures. Potential risks could include outstanding activities or decisions outside of the scope and/or control of the project, which could compromise the successful implementation, outputs and impact of the project.
- All project activities shall take place in the CEI region and the CEI shall approve any exceptions to this rule.
- The applicant is required to present a realistic and verifiable work plan and timetable of the envisaged activities, taking into account the necessary time for partners and/or contractors to mobilise resources, etc.
- Project implementation should indicatively start after 01 January 2020. Project duration should normally not exceed two years, while there is no minimum duration of the project. Whenever possible, the proposed project should also include post‐implementation evaluation activities.
How to Apply
Proposal must be submitted via email at the address given on the website.
For more information, please visit https://www.cei.int/kep