European Union: Cross-border Program Bosnia and Herzegovina-Montenegro under IPA II

Deadline: 9-Feb-21

The European Union (EU) has announced a Call for Proposals for Cross-border Program Bosnia and Herzegovina-Montenegro under IPA II to contribute to the sustainable development in the cross-border area between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro by common actions based on an efficient use of the comparative advantages of the programme area.

• In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the responsible institution is:
  • Directorate for European Integration in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in charge of the overall coordination of the programme, is the operating structure (OS) in this country;
• In Montenegro the responsible institution is:
  • European Integration Office, responsible for the overall coordination of the programme, is the OS in this country.

Priority Areas

• Priority 1: Promoting employment, labour mobility and social and cultural inclusion across the border, with Specific Objectives: 1.1 The access to the labour market and the environment for new employment generation are enhanced and 1.2 Employment opportunities and social inclusion of vulnerable groups are enhanced;
• Priority 2: Protecting the environment, promoting climate change adaptation and mitigation, risk prevention and management, with Specific Objectives: 2.1 Cross-border coordination and joint actions improve the management and energy efficiency of local water supply, wastewater and solid waste systems, and the protection of the environment; and 2.2 Risk prevention and management and climate change mitigation and adaptation are improved;
• Priority 3: Encouraging tourism and cultural and natural heritage, with the Specific Objective: 3.1 The quality and diversification of the tourism offer, building on natural and cultural heritage, is improved;

Funding Information

• The overall indicative amount made available under this call for proposals is EUR 2,280,000.00.
• Indicative EU-funded allocations by specific objective/lot:
  • Enhanced access to the labour market and the environment for new employment generation
    • Minimum amount of EU-funded grant – EUR 200,000.00
    • Maximum amount of EU-funded grant – EUR 400,000.00
  • Improved risk prevention and management and climate change mitigation and adaptation
    • Minimum amount of EU-funded grant – EUR 300,000.00
    • Maximum amount of EU-funded grant – EUR 500,000.00

Eligibility Criteria

• Lead applicant:
  • In order to be eligible for a grant, the lead applicant must:
  • be a legal person,
  • be non-profit-making,
  • be effectively established in either Bosnia and Herzegovina or Montenegro,
  • 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,
  • be one of the following institutions or organisations:
    • Lot 1: business development organisations, business associations, employment offices and economic development departments in regional and local governments, high education institutions, vocational education and training institutions, social partners and civil society organisations.
    • Lot 2: Central and regional authorities/institutions with relevant competencies/responsibilities in the eligible area, local governments and their institutions; development agencies; organisations (including NGOs) for nature protection and climate change; public bodies responsible for fire/flood/emergency services, and environmental emergency services.
  • Potential applicants may not participate in calls for proposals or be awarded grants if they are in any of the situations listed.
• Co-applicant(s):
  • The applicant must act with at least one co-applicant as specified hereafter.
  • If the applicant is established in Bosnia and Herzegovina, at least one co-applicant must be established in Montenegro, and vice versa.
  • The number of co-applicants that could be involved in the action is not limited.
  • In genuine cross-border operations, the applicant and co-applicant(s) shall cooperate in the development and implementation of action.
  • Co-applicants participate in designing and implementing the action, and the costs they incur are eligible in the same way as those incurred by the lead applicant.
  • Co-applicant(s) must satisfy the eligibility criteria as applicable to the lead applicant himself.
  • Co-applicant(s) must sign the mandate in ‘full application form’.
  • If awarded the grant contract, the co-applicant(s) will become beneficiary(ies) in the action (together with the coordinator).
  • Applicants included in the lists of EU restrictive measures at the moment of the award decision cannot be awarded the contract.
• 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:
    • 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.

For more information, visit https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/europeaid/online-services/index.cfm?ADSSChck=1608713065134&do=publi.detPUB&searchtype=QS&orderby=upd&orderbyad=Desc&nbPubliList=15&page=1&aoref=170435