EU: Cross-border Program the Republic of North Macedonia – Republic of Albania

Deadline: 15-Feb-21

The European Union (EU) has announced a call for proposals for the Cross-border Program the Republic of North Macedonia – Republic of Albania under the Instrument of Pre-accession Assistance (IPA II) allocations for 2018 – 2020.

Objectives and Priority Issues

The global objective of this call for proposals is to stimulate a balanced, inclusive and sustainable socio-economic development in the cross-border area. As a result of a decision made by the JMC of the programme on 3rd of September 2020, the following thematic priorities are covered with this Call:

• Encouraging tourism, culture and natural heritage;
• Enhancing competitiveness, business, trade and investment;
• Protecting the environment, promoting climate change adaptation and mitigation, risk prevention and management.

The following are the specific objectives and the corresponding results that the applications submitted under this call will contribute to attaining:

• To develop the potential of tourism by promoting cultural heritage and values;
• To strengthen the SME productive capacity and access to markets;
• To enhance the awareness of a greener, economy, cleaner environment and climate change.

Funding Information

• The overall indicative amount made available under this call for proposals is EUR 4,930,000.00. The contracting authority reserves the right not to award all available funds.
• 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.

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 established in either the Republic of North Macedonia or the Republic of 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:
  • Central, regional and local government units (ministries, municipalities, departments, agencies) and agencies for local or regional development,
  • Civil society organisations, as well as professional associations, farmers associations, chambers of commerce, chambers of crafts and trades and association of SMEs,
  • National and regional centres for disaster management, national parks and monitoring and other organisations for nature protection,
  • 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 museums, libraries, institutions for the protection of cultural heritage, etc.
  • Public enterprises as well as emergency services, such as fire/emergency services and organisations for nature protection.

Co-applicant(s)

• The applicant must act with at least one co-applicant as specified hereafter.
• If the lead applicant is established in the Republic of North Macedonia, at least one co-applicant must be established in the Republic of Albania, and vice versa.
• Co-applicant(s) must satisfy the eligibility criteria as applicable to the lead applicant himself.
• Co-applicant(s) must sign the mandate form.

Affiliated entity(ies)

• The lead applicant and its co-applicant(s) may act with an 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/ETJ 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 (grandrIglighter 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 an 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.

For more information, visit https://bit.ly/2HbvD9p