Swiss-Slovak Cooperation Programme: New Funding Opportunities for Slovakia

1. Swiss-Slovak Cooperation ProgrammeApril 2010

2. SWISS-SLOVAK COOPERATION PROGRAMME New possibilities of financial support for the 10 new member states which joined the EU on 1 May 2004 66,866 mil. CHF(approx. 41 mil. Euro)is allocated for theSlovak Republic At least 40% of the Contribution shall be spent in the region of the geographical focus The Swiss Contributionwill be increased with the finances from theState Budget in a form of co-financing

3. DOCUMENTS Memorandum of understanding between the Council of the European Union and the Swiss Federal Council of 27 February2006 Framework agreement between the Government of the Slovak Republic and the Swiss Federal Council concerning the implementation of the Swiss-Slovak Cooperation Programme to reduce economic and social disparities within the enlarged European Union

4. AUTHORITIES RESPONSIBLE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CONTRIBUTION 1. On national level in the Slovak Republic • Government Office of the Slovak Republic (National Coordination Unit) • Ministry of Finance of the Slovak Republic (Paying Authority and Audit Authority) • National Monitoring Committee for the Swiss-Slovak Cooperation Programme 2. On national level in the Swiss Confederation • Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) • State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) • Embassy of Switzerland in the Slovak Republic

5. Open Call 2010-03 Regional development initiatives in peripheral or disadvantaged regions Subject of the Call • Selection and support of projects with focus on tourism planning, mobilization of tourism potentials and improvement of the social services Geographical focus • The region of the East Slovakia, i.e. Prešov and Košice self-government regions

6. TYPES OF ELIGIBLE PROJECTS a) tourism planning at regional and district level, b) mobilization of tourism potentials, primarily in eco-tourism, sports, cultural heritage, c) strengthening and improving social services, social inclusion, the fight against poverty, measure of social law protection, social guardianship and social economy

7. FINANCIAL ALLOCATION AND LEVEL OF ASSISTANCE Indicative financial allocation • 7 396 085 EUR, including the 15% assistance from the State Budget Minimum amount of grant for a project (eligibility criterion) • 616 340 EUR, i.e. 882 353 CHF including the 15% assistance from the State Budget Maximum amount of grant for a project (eligibility criterion) • For projects defined undera)  986 145 EUR, i.e. 1 411 765 CHF including the 15% assistance from the State Budget • For projects defined underb) and c)  1 643 574 EUR, i.e. 2 352 941 CHF including the 15% assistance from the State Budget

8. EXAMPLES OF THE ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES FOR THE INDIVIDUAL TYPES OF PROJECTS a) tourism are  development of tourism products  models of tourism management and organisation, including development ofpartnership boards setting up regional/ local management organization b) social issues area  development and implementation of measures to prevent and solve the social exclusion of children networking the providers of social services, executors of the children social law protection and guardianship measures, including development and capacity building of partnership boards  development of permanent and on-the-spot social services and measures of social law protection and social guardianship

9. ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS • 1. Tourism planning: • self-government regions from the geographic focus area • 2. Mobilization of tourism potentials: • municipalities, association of municipalities in terms of Act No. 369/1990 on municipal establishment • non-government organizations, e.g. in terms of Act No. 213/1997 • civil associations in terms of Act No. 83/1990 • non-investment funds in terms of Act No. 147/1997. • 3. Social area: • applicants defined in article 1. and 2.

10. PROJECT PREPARATION FACILITY (PPF)  financing the technical and expertise documentation necessary for the elaboration and submission of a comprehensive Final Project Proposal (i.e. activity 6.1a))  Grant application for the PPF is submitted and approved within the Project Outline  the maximum total grant from the PPF must not exceed 2% of the total direct eligible expenses on other activities  Project Preparation Facility Implementation Agreement (concluded between the Government Office of the Slovak Republic and the successful applicant)

11. ASSESSMENT AND SELECTION OF THE PROJECTS 1st loop – submission of the Project Outlines • Administrative compliance check, • Eligibility check of the Grant Application and the applicant, • Technical evaluation, • Recommendation issued by the National Monitoring Committee, • Decision of the Swiss Confederation on Project Outlines. (up to 3 months from the day of the submission of the Project Outlines) 2nd loop – elaboration of the Final Project Proposals • Administrative compliance check, • Eligibility check of the Grant Application and the applicant, • Technical evaluation, • Recommendation issued by the National Monitoring Committee, • Final decision of the Swiss Confederation on the projects implementation. (up to 3 months from the day of the submission of the Project Outlines)

12. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS ON GRANT APPLICATIONS  applicant – steady organization  objectives and results are in compliance with the local and regional development strategies  sustainability of results  respecting the horizontal criteria (sustainable development, good governance, gender equality and non-discrimination, strengthening the bilateral relation)  added value  time frame

13. ELIGIBILITY OF EXPENSES • Guideline on the eligibility of expenses for the focus area: Regional development initiatives in peripheral or disadvantaged regions • eligibility period – specified in the respective Project Implementation Agreement/ Project Preparation Facility Implementation Agreement • expenses or cost incurred before or after the eligibility period defined in the respective agreement will be considered as non-eligible

14. PROJECT CO-FINANCING RATE From finances allocated for the Call – up to 100% of the total eligible expenses of a project (activities 6.1 b) and c) of the Call, indirect expenses of a project, reserve) From the Project Preparation Facility – up to 100% of expenses eligible for financing from the Project Preparation Facility (activity 6.1 a) of the Call)

15. PROJECT BUDGET BREAKDOWN Budget preparation = familiarization with the Guideline on the eligibility of expenses Categories of the expenses on the basis of the synthetic accounts of the accounting system valid for the double entry book-keeping Annex 2 = instructions within the Instructions for the applicant for grant Annex 2 of the Grant Application Comments to the budget breakdown(inevitable part of the Annex 2) – justification and method of calculation of each budget item Data transfer from Annex 2 into the relevant parts of the Grant Application

17. SUBMISSION OF THE GRANT APPLICATIONS • in compliance with the Instructions for the applicant for grant and the Guideline on the eligibility of expenses • submission deadline for the Grant Applications = 12 July 2010 • place for the submission – Úrad vlády SR, Námestie slobody 1, Bratislava

18. Additional and up-to-date information regarding the Call 2010-03 is available on the web page www.swiss-contribution.sk