Cross-border Programme North Macedonia – Albania under Instrument of Pre-accession Assistance (IPA III)

Deadline: 26-Jun-2024

The European Commission is seeking proposals to promote good neighbourly relations, foster Union integration and contribute to social, economic and territorial development of the programme cross-border area by improving environment protection and disaster response, and developing sustainable natural and cultural tourism.

Objectives of the Programme and Priority Issues

As a result of a decision made by the JMC of the programme on 29.02.2024, out of the two thematic priorities of the programme document:
- Thematic Priority 2: Environment protection, climate change adaptation and mitigation, risk prevention and management
  - SO 1: To enhance capacities of public services dealing with disaster response.
    - Results
      - 1.1 Strengthened civil protection mechanisms in place
      - 1.2 Improved emergency service facilities
      - 1.3 Increased awareness of local population and visitors/tourists on disaster response
  - SO 2: To improve environmental protection of the cross-border region
    - Results
      - 2.1 Cross-border management of protected areas improved
      - 2.2. Increased capacities of local authorities and other stakeholders (NGOs, universities, research centres etc.) on environmental protection
      - 2.3. Increased awareness of local population and visitors/tourists on environmental protection
- Thematic Priority 5: Tourism and cultural and natural heritage
  - SO1: To strengthen sustainable natural and cultural heritage tourism in the programme area
    - Results
      - 1.1 Opportunities for business/SME creation in tourism sector enhanced through identification, development and promotion of key under-utilised local resources (handicrafts, preserves, local gastronomy etc.)
      - 1.2 Initiatives addressed to women and youth in rural areas, including training and (self) employment promotion measures, targeted at marketing traditional products (handicrafts, preserves, local gastronomy etc.)
      - 1.3. Strengthened capacities of tourism entrepreneurs
  - SO 2 To strengthen crossborder cooperation on sustainable management of cultural and natural heritage sites
    - Results
      - 2.1 Joint initiatives to restore, protect and promote cultural and natural heritage locations implemented
      - 2.2 Improved tourism investments
      - 2.3. Increased awareness of the population and tourists/visitors on the wealth of natural and cultural heritage and the need to protect it and sustainably utilize it

Mainstreaming of Cross-Cutting Issues

This call for proposals will consider the mainstreaming of cross-cutting issues at project level. When developing a project to address any of the specific objectives of the call, cross-cutting issues need to be mainstreamed in the following manner:
- Improved capacity of local and regional authorities to tackle local challenges
  - To mainstream the thematic cluster 5 as stipulated in the Commission Implementing Decision C(2021)8914 of 10.12.2021 adopting the Instrument of Pre-accession Assistance (IPA III) Programming Framework for the period 2021-2027, every application should demonstrate that regional and local authorities have been involved in their development and their future implementation. This is thematic priority 7- Thematic priority 7 – Governance, planning and administrative capacity building of local and regional authorities as stated in the CBC Programme document North Macedonia-Albania. Every operation should describe how it has been developed, how it is aligned to and contributes to local development plans, activities envisaged to be implemented or how its implementation will be monitored and evaluated.
- Gender equality and promotion of equal opportunities.
  - Equality between sexes must be taken into consideration when setting the project objectives, defining activities (e.g., participation in capacity building activities) and expected results. Equal opportunity prevails when women and men have the same rights, obligations and opportunities.
- Protection and promotion of ethnic minority rights, including their participation in decision making processes.
  - Enforcement of equal opportunities has to be secured in the project design in order to promote the integration of ethnic minorities and ensure their participation in decision-making processes in line with project activities and expected results.
- Integration of persons with physical and mental disabilities.
  - Enforcement of equal opportunities has to be secured in the project in order to promote integration of persons affected by disabilities and in securing their participation in project activities (e.g. accessibility to buildings and project sites) and in decision-making processes in line with project activities and expected results.
- Safeguard and promotion of children’s rights and promotion of children’s participation in decision making processes.
  - The project should involve children as relevant stakeholders where and if appropriate (e.g. in case the specific project objective is in a sector mainly relating to children’s needs, such as education, health, sports and culture, but also in sectors in which the project can indirectly influence their lives).
- Democratic standards, anti-discriminatory practices and good governance.
  - Activities and operations cannot set up barriers in relation to religion or belief, age, gender, sexual orientation, political affiliation, racial or ethnic origin particularly regarding employment and HR policy pursued towards persons who will be employed within the projects implemented under this grant scheme. Actions must secure a wide public participation and consultation, where appropriate, throughout project activities. This may include setting up consultative processes in developing strategies/policies; executing infrastructural works; ensuring inclusion of target groups and a wide range of different stakeholders.
- Protection of environment and preservation of natural resources and biodiversity.
  - The project needs to describe how it will contribute to a better environment or otherwise have a neutral impact on the environment. The concept of environment involves not only issues of pollution, but issues sustainable development (e.g., waste supply chain management and recycling), nature protection and biodiversity, renewable energy, etc.

Funding Information

The overall indicative amount made available under this call for proposals is EUR 2,890,000. The contracting authority reserves the right not to award all available funds.
Size of grants
- Any grant requested under this call for proposals must fall between the following minimum and maximum amounts:
  - Minimum amount: EUR 400.000
  - Maximum amount: EUR 800.000

Duration

The initial planned duration of an action may not be lower than 24 months nor exceed 36 months

Location

Actions or operations must have as final beneficiaries the population of the programme area. In general all activities must take place in one or more of the following territorial units:
- For North Macedonia:
  - Pelagonia region, consisting of the municipalities of Bitola, Demir Hisar, Dolneni, Krivogastani, Krusevo, Mogila, Novaci, Prilep, and Resen;
  - Polog region, consisting of the municipalities of Bogovinje, Brvenica, Gostivar, Jegunovce, Mavrovo and Rostusa, Tearce, Tetovo, Vrapciste and Zelino;
  - Southwest region, consisting of the municipalities of Centar Zupa, Debar, Debarca, Kicevo, Makedonski Brod, Ohrid, Plasnica, Struga and Vevcani.
- For Albania:
  - Dibër region, consisting of the municipalities of Diber, Bulqiza, Mat and Klos;
  - Elbasan region, consisting of the municipalities of Elbasan, Belsh, Cerrik, Gramsh, Librazhd, Peqin, Prrenjas;
  - Korçë region, consisting of the municipalities of Korçë, Devoll, Kolonje, Maliq, Pogradec, Pustec.

Eligibility Criteria

Lead applicant (s)
- In order to be eligible for a grant, the lead applicant must:
  - be a legal person, and
  - be non-profit-making, and
  - be effectively established in8 either North Macedonia or Albania, and
  - 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 one of the following institutions or organisations:
  - Local government units
  - Regional government units
  - National parks
  - Ministries and national agencies
  - Agencies for local and/or regional development
  - Civil society organisations, as well as professional associations, farmers associations, chambers of commerce, business associations, chambers of crafts and trades and association of SMEs
  - Local and regional tourist organisations
  - National and regional centres for disaster management and emergency services
  - Organisations and institutions for nature and environmental protection and other relevant fields
  - Formal and non-formal education and training institutions (e.g. primary schools, VET schools, Universities, etc.) including research, development and innovation centres
  - Cultural institutions such as theatres, museums and libraries
  - Institutions for protection of cultural heritage
  - Non-profit making cultural operators
  - Public utility companies for the provision of water, sewage, waste collection, electricity or gas.
Co-applicant(s)
- The applicant must act with at least 1 (one) co-applicant as specified hereafter.
- If the applicant is established in North Macedonia, at least one co-applicant must be established in Albania, and vice versa.
- Co-applicant(s) must sign the mandate form.
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 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.