Deadline: 30-Sep-23
The International Olive Council (IOC) launched a call for proposals for the awarding of grants aimed at co-financing annual and multi-annual national programmes lasting up to four years in IOC Member countries.
The objective of the grants is, inter alia, to build a market culture in Member countries that wish to showcase the quality of local products, as well as to encourage cooperation amongst all IOC Member countries. The proposed actions and events should be distinctly centred on their promotional worth and fall in line with the objectives laid out in the International Agreement on Olive Oil and Table Olives, 2015.
The proposals must focus on actions and events determined to promote the consumption of olive oil and table olives in these countries.
Funding Information
- The global budget available for activities to be carried out in 2023 is €50,000 (a maximum of €30,000 may be awarded to multi-annual grants). The availability of funds for the following years depends on the adoption of the subsequent budgets by the Council of Members of the IOC. At this point in time, it is expected that the amount allocated for grants will be similar to that of the previous year.
- With the aim of distributing the available budget amongst the largest number of applicants, the maximum amount per grant will be of €6,000 per calendar year for each beneficiary.
- The amount granted by the IOC shall in no case exceed 50% of the cost of the cofinanced activity programmed for that calendar year.
- The receipt of the sum for future years will be conditional on budget availability, as well as on the implementation of the previous year’s project.
Duration
- The projects submitted can either involve activities (1) to be carried out during the current year 2023, referred to as annual projects, or (2) to be carried out throughout the next two, three or four calendar years (until 31 December 2026), referred to as multiannual projects.
- Proposals should specify the duration of the activities planned.
Actions Supported by the Grants
- The proposals submitted must provide a rundown of the activities to be carried out in each calendar year of the project (throughout a maximum period of four years). The applicants should clearly explain all the activities of the global project and provide an itemised budget for each planned year of activity.
- For guidance purposes, activities like those listed below should notably be included in the programmes submitted:
- Organisation of seminars, trade fairs, symposiums and workshops;
- Information points at food and nutrition fairs;
- Promotional material (brochures, CDs, books, etc.);
- Invitations for the participation of international specialists;
- The IOC ES has also decided to award grants to support the organisation of national extra virgin olive oil quality competitions organised by competent authorities, meeting the conditions foreseen in the IOC standards.
- Grants will be covered by an agreement and will be subject to the following principles:
- The aim of the financed project or action is to help achieve the objectives outlined in the International Agreement on Olive Oil and Table Olives, 2015.
- Co-financing principle: external co-financing is required from a source other than an IOC fund, either in the form of the beneficiary’s own resources or financial contributions from third parties. Grants awarded by the IOC must in no case cover more than 50% of the cost of the co-financed activity.
- Non-profit principle: grants may not have the purpose or effect of leading to profit for the beneficiary.
- Non-retroactivity principle: expenditures incurred prior to the signature of the agreement are not accepted.
- Non-cumulation principle: only one grant may be awarded for any one action to any one beneficiary per budget year.
- Transparency principle.
- Equal treatment principle.
Eligibility Criteria
- The following applicants are eligible to receive funding:
- Public-law bodies (bodies governed by public law);
- Private non-profit bodies.
- Eligible candidates must be legal entities established in an IOC Member country.
- Applicants belonging to Member countries that have lost their rights according to Article 16.8 of the International Agreement on Olive Oil and Table Olives, 2015, will not be eligible.
- Involvement of the Heads of Delegation
- Priority will be given to projects endorsed by the Head of Delegation of the Member country submitting proposals. In the case of proposals from the European Union (EU), endorsement by the national authorities of the country submitting the proposal will be accepted.
Ineligible
- Candidates shall be excluded from participating in the procedure for the call for proposals if:
- 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;
- They have been convicted of an offence concerning their professional conduct by a judgment which has the force of res judicata;
- They have been guilty of grave professional misconduct proven by any means which the contracting authority can justify;
- They have not fulfilled 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, with those of the country of the contracting authority, or those of the country where the contract is to be performed;
- They have been the subject of a judgment which has the force of res judicata for fraud, corruption, involvement in a criminal organisation or any other illegal activity detrimental to the financial interests of the IOC;
- Following another grant procedure, they have been declared to be in serious breach of contract for failure to comply with their contractual obligations.
For more information, visit International Olive Council (IOC).
