EU Grant Scheme for Sustainable Tourism Projects by Enterprises: Application Form

1. Catherine Rolé Implementation Executive Tourism and Sustainable Development Unit Office of the Prime Minister EU Grant Scheme for Sustainable Tourism Projects by Enterprises:Application Form Operational Programme I – Cohesion Policy 2007-2013 Investing in Competitiveness for a Better Quality of Life Aid Schemes part-financed by the European Union European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) Co-financing: 85% EU Funds; 15% National Funds Investing in your future

2. All sections need to be filled in and the format of the application must not be altered Application forms must be accompanied by the relevant information Only type-written forms will be accepted The relevant documentation must be read prior to completing the application form The application form and any attached documents will be treated as confidential throughout the project evaluation process Enquiries should be sent to tourismschemes.opm@gov.mt Getting Started

3. Section 1The Applicant

4. Who can apply? Successful applicants will be referred to as the Beneficiary Information to submit: • Name • Address • Locality • Telephone Number • VAT Number

5. Enterprises Registered companies and Partnership that are registered with MFSA need to hand in their registration number while filling the application form Sole traders that are not registered with MFSA can still apply and since they are not registered, they do not need to submit the MFSA number

6. Associations • Associations registered with the Voluntary Organisations Commission must submit: • Statute • Resolution letter to the Commissioner requesting enrolment • Written consent from the whole committee of the association • Last authenticated annual report • Last audited annual accounts

7. Position and contact details of signatory of the Application form • Signatory: • The person legally responsible for the enterprise, usually represented by the owner/managing director of the enterprise • Contact details of the signatory are required • In the case ofNetworks: • the signatory should be the owner/managing director of one of the enterprises forming part of the network (lead partner) • the signatory must be identified in the network agreement and accepted by all members

8. Contact Details of Project Manager • Project Manger: • The person who will be responsible for the project’s implementation on a day-to-day basis • It is strongly advised that this person is different from the signatory of the application form • The Project Manager must be aware of all the details related to the project • The Project Manager must be easily accessible to discuss the project with the IB and respond to any queries that may arise throughout the term of the project • If the person changes, the IB should be immediately informed in writing of the new contact person

9. Projects submitted must be an investment project, where investment is defined as : an investment in tangible and/or intangible assets relating to the setting-up of a new establishment, the extension of an existing establishment, diversification of the output of an establishment into new additional products or a fundamental change in the overall production process of an existing establishment State Aid

10. State Aid As outlined in EU law, national governments cannot finance private entities directly since this will lead to unfair competition. However, the EU also recognises the fact that some sectors need more help than others. As a result it created a number of exemptions from the general rule. The tourism industry is one of these sectors. In order to get financial aid enterprises need to fall under the State Aid regulation, which develops a framework of financing these projects.

11. Activities falling within the General Block Exemption Regulation include the following: Accommodation Food and beverage service activities Travel agency, tour operator reservation service and related activities Creative, arts and entertainment activities Sports activities and amusement and recreation activities General Block Exemption

12. State Aid Block Exemption need to satisfy a very important condition: Assistance from the Scheme to an independent, private enterprise, must not result in the applicant having received in excess of €200,000 in State Aid (including any public funding deriving from this or any other sources of the Structural Funds or any other State Aid), for a rolling period of 3 years DeMinimis

13. Activities falling under the DeMinimis Block Regulation include: English Language Schools Retail Outlets Marketing Intervention Applicant entities, falling under the DeMinimis Regulation are required to submit the completed State Aid Declaration. DeMinimis

14. For the purpose of the scheme, the IB has come to a decision to provide a maximum public co-financing to these enterprises of €150,000 in order to further reduce the risk of these beneficiaries breaching this regulation The enterprises falling under the DeMinimis should inform the project leader of any form of state aid this enterprise is receiving DeMinimis State Aid in the scheme

15. The special case of associations The projects submitted by associations for co-financing under the Scheme must clearly have State Aid implications It is the applicant’s responsibility to obtain and provide this information in the application form. Applicants are advised to contact the State Aid Monitoring Board for any clarifications Contact Details: State Aid Monitoring Board Ministry of Finance, the Economy and Investment Maison Demandols South Street Tel: 21252757 Valletta Fax: 21233739

16. Applicant Description The applicant must provide a background description of the enterprise and its operations This should include: The main lines of business Organisation structure of the enterprise Organisation structure in case of group of companies

17. 1. The main lines of business • In the application, the applicant should provide a description of the main lines of business, including: • the aims and the objectives of the company applying • the services and/ or products offered by the company • how the project proposal will fit within the above two points

18. 2. Organisational Structure of the Enterprise It is important that the project is managed by a stable enterprise structure. The applicant must indicate how the project, if approved, will be managed. Therefore the applicant must describe which department or persons within the organisation will be carrying out which tasks. This is important to show that the applicant has the capacity to implement the project and also to meet the administrative requirements.

19. 3. Organisational Structure of the group of companies Should the applicant form part of a group of companies, the organisational diagram of this group should be included in the application form

20. Section 2Networks

21. Contact Details All members of the networks should hand in their contact details. It is very important that all members of the network enter such information as the IB may need to contact any of the network members.

22. Applicant Description The applicant must provide a background description of the enterprise and its operations This should include: The main lines of business Organisation structure of the network Organisation structure of group of companies In this case the reason why such a network was formed must be outlined

23. In the application, each member of the network should provide a description of the main lines of business including: The aims and objectives of the company applying The services and/or products offered by the company How the project proposal fit within the above two points 1. The main lines of business

24. It is important that the project is managed by a stable network structure. The applicant must indicate how the project, if approved, will be managed Therefore the applicant must describe which members or persons within the network will be carrying out which tasks. This is important to show that the applicant has the capacity to implement the project and also meet the administrative requirement. 2. Organisational Structure of the Network

25. 3. Organisational Structure of the group of companies Should the applicant form part of a group of companies, the organisational diagram of this group should be included in the application form

26. Network Agreement The members of the network must enter into an agreement between them to determine who will be doing what and who will be leading the company In this agreement, the applicants should also state why the network was created to implement this project

27. Section 3The Project

28. Project Name The applicant is expected to give the project a name which should reflect the nature of the project This name will be used as a reference to the project during project evaluation and implementation

29. Project Description • Applicants must outline the following in their project description: • A general description of the project being proposed • The aims and results of the project being proposed • A list of activities that will be financed through the project

30. 1. General description A general description of the project being proposed must be given in order to explain better the main aims and objectives of the project This description will be used as a summary of the project for information and reporting purposes

31. 2. Aims and results of the project The applicant must provide a detailed description of the aims that the project should achieve. These must relate to tourism in Malta and how the sector will be effected by the project. The applicant must indicate what results the project is expected to have. It is important to ensure that these results can be attained

32. 3. List of activities The applicant is requested to submit a list of ALL the project activities that the applicant wants financed through the scheme

33. Project Duration The applicant is required to submit the proposed start and end dates of the project Applicants may choose to start their project activities prior to the conclusion of the evaluation procedure However, it is important to note that this should be done as from February 2011 and it will be done at their own risk and knowing that the funds may not be allocated to their project In all cases the IB will issue permission in writing to the applicant allowing works on the project to commence For infrastructural works & purchase of equipment applicants must wait for a site visit by the IB before commencing

34. Information on the project location is necessary to ensure that the applicant has jurisdiction to implement the proposed project in that site A document proving ownership must be submitted with the application form If the site is leased: The applicant must submit an authentic copy of the leasing contract and/or agreement AND Provide a letter from the owner authorising his/her consent for the work to be done Project Location

35. Should the project proposed be implemented in a different address from the one stated in section 1, the applicant should state this address It is very important to give the location where the project will be implemented as site checks will be conducted prior and during the implementation of the project Location Address

36. Project interventions that have any impact on heritage sites or heritage artefacts would require the endorsement of the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage and in the case of heritage buildings, a related MEPA permit application The following documentation must be attached to the application form: Information on the restorer to be utilised Status report Methodology Budget Heritage sites These documents need to be endorsed by the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage

37. Project activities must fall under one or more of the specified intervention areas: Product Upgrade and Investment in Equipment Investment in Environmental Friendly Measures Investment in Information and Communication Technology Investment in Entrepreneurship Investment in Marketing Project Interventions

38. Project Interventions Taking a catering establishment as an example: Increasing accessibility of the establishment Product Upgrade and Investment in equipment Buying a POS system Investment in ICT Website development Investment in Marketing

39. Enterprises can opt to appoint an external Project Manager to ensure the implementation of the project. However, only small and medium sized enterprises are eligible for the funding of such a project manager The maximum project management costs refunded by the scheme must not supersede 5% of the project eligible costs Project Manager

40. Applicants need to explain each intervention area through the following questions: Description of Project Interventions • Provide a detailed description of the activities to be carried out • Identify which supplier/s will carry out the above activities 3. Give the details of the other two quotations submitted

41. 1. Detailed description of the activities Applicants are requested to give a detailed description on the activities to be carried out under each intervention area It is important to give as much detail as possible so that evaluators understand what the activities consist of and to show their relevance & importance to the tourism industry

42. 2. Identifying suppliers The applicant has to attach 3 quotations from 3 different suppliers for each activity, selecting the cheapest supplier The quotations submitted must specify in detail the works that will be carried out, hours dedicated to the project, etc. The selected supplier is required to submit a report pertaining to the works involved with every receipt sent for the reimbursement process

43. Developing the tourism sector through the investment in products that enhance the quality of the enterprise and investment in equipment Indicative activities Physical upgrading activities which aim at enhancing the enterprise product Purchase of equipment which will ensure an enhanced product offer Development of the tourism product so as to increase the quality of the product Product upgrade &Investment in equipment

44. To promote the use of environmentally friendly measures to ensure sustainable tourism development Indicative Activities Activities leading to EMAS or eco-certification or Travelife Sustainability System Implementation of responsible tourism Air and noise pollution prevention All activities related to enhance waste and water management systems Activities related to environmentally related Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Investment in Environmentally Friendly Measures

45. Stimulate the use of ICT in the enterprise so as to increase competitiveness, innovation and efficiency Indicative activities Purchase of ICT tools which enhance tourism products and services ICT tools which are created specifically for the enterprise Implementation of innovative ICT tools which will help the development of innovation in the sector Investment in ICT

46. Diversify the tourism sector by aiding enterprises with project ideas in the early stages of development Indicative activities Research identifying ways of adapting sustainable tourism practices in an enterprise’s operations Studies relating to innovative development of the tourism products and services available Studies focusing on how to address the seasonality issue Design new products/project ideas for the Maltese islands Conversion of existing properties of historical value into accommodation establishments or attractions Investment in Entrepreneurship

47. Increase the economic contribution of the tourism industry through the channelling of investment towards various marketing interventions Indicative activities Overseas large scale marketing campaigns Creating a long term marketing strategy Implementing existing marketing strategy Website development including e-Business activities Investment between traditional and new forms of marketing Activities providing a platform for local crafts Design costs related to advertisements and promotional materials Production of audio visual material and promotional tools to target potential tourists Investment in Marketing

48. The applicant must show a detailed timeline identifying the different phases of the project The applicant must also divide the implementation of activities into phases The quarter and year for each activity will have to be given for the following two milestones: Implementation of activities The submission of receipt to the project team Project Timeline

49. Importance of the Project Timeline The Project Timeline is a crucial factor in the evaluation of the project. It will impact on particular evaluation criteria and on the implementation of the project. Failure to adhere to the stated timeline may result in loss of funds. Applicants are also advised to take changes in suppliers and delivery delays into consideration whilst planning their project timeline as these may affect the timely completion of the project.

50. Preparatory work may have been undertaken in developing the proposal for financing under the scheme This will be considered as proof of the applicant’s commitment towards the projects being submitted Such preparatory work may include any preliminary studies and/or professional fees resulting in specialised consultative studies related to the project design Commitment to the Project