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Preparing an INTERREG IVC application: Project Activity. Benoît DALBERT, Project Officer , INTERREG IVC JTS Lead Applicant Seminar, Katowice, Poland. Summary. INTERREG IVC main features Eligible Area & Objective Thematic Priorities Types of Interventions Insight into the FAQs
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Preparing an INTERREG IVC application:Project Activity Benoît DALBERT, Project Officer, INTERREG IVC JTS Lead Applicant Seminar, Katowice, Poland
Summary • INTERREG IVC main features • Eligible Area & Objective • Thematic Priorities • Types of Interventions • Insight into the FAQs • Points of attention to applicants
1. Programme’s main features INTERREG IVC 1 Programme for • 27 Member States • + CH • + NOR
1. Programme’s main features Overall Objective • Improve the effectiveness of regional development policies • Contribute to economic modernisation and increased competitiveness of Europe … by… • Enabling the exchange of experiences and knowledge • Matching less experienced with more advanced regions • Ensuring the transfer of identified good practice into mainstream programmes
1. Programme’s main features Programme Priorities Priority 1 (Lisbon strategy): Innovation and Knowledge Economy (ERDF 177 M€) • Innovation, Research & Technology Development • Entrepreneurship and SMEs • Information Society • Employment, Human Resources and Education Priority 2 (Gothenburg strategy): Environment and Risk Prevention (ERDF 125 M€) • Natural and Technological Risks (incl. Climate Change) • Water Management & Waste Prevention/Management • Biodiversity and Preservation of Natural Heritage (incl. Air Quality) • Energy and Sustainable Transport • Cultural Heritage and Landscape
1. Programme’s main features Types of Interventions • Regional Initiative Projects • Exchange of experience dedicated to the identification, analysis, dissemination and possible transfer of good practices • Intensity of cooperation • Capitalisation Projects, including Fast Track Projects • Exchange of experience dedicated to the transfer of good practices already identified into SF mainstream programmes • Final outcome: Action Plan for each participating regions • Fast Track projects: Capitalisation Projects benefiting from specific European Commission assistance and expertise in order to contribute to the “Regions for Economic Change” initiative
1. Programme’s main features Type 1 ‘Regional Initiative Projects’ Overview of Recommendations
1. Programme’s main features Type 2 ‘Capitalisation Projects’ Overview of Recommendations
2. Programme FAQs What is meant by ‘integrated approach’? • Even if projects need to have a clear focus on one of the programme’s sub-themes, it is appreciated when the way they tackle this sub-theme has side effects on other themes covered by the programme Example: exchange of experiences on eco-construction cluster - Sub-priority addressed: ‘Entrepreneurship and SMEs’ - Also related to Gothenburg strategy and more precisely on the ‘Energy and Sustainable Transport’ sub-priority • Integrated approach does not mean that projects should address at the same time different sub-themes of the programme
2. Programme FAQs Who is eligible? • Regional and local authorities as main ‘target group’ • In justified cases, also bodies governed by public law acc. to Directive 2004/18/EC on public procurement rules, Art. 1: • Meeting needs in general interest, no industrial or commercial character • Having legal personality • - Financed for the most part by the State, regional or local authorities or other bodies governed by public law or - Subject to management supervision of these bodies or - Having administrative, managerial or supervisory board more than half of whose members are appointed by these bodies • In case of doubts, each MS is responsible for confirming the legal status of partners based on their territory
2. Programme FAQs What are the criteria for a Norwegian organisation to be the Lead Partner? • No specific criteria set by the programme • Possible justifications could include: - this organisation has an deep experience in the policy field tackled by the project - this organisation is the first financial contributor to the projects
2. Programme FAQs What is meant by ‘contributing partners’? Only three options to be involved in a IVC project: • If the organisation is eligible and contributes, it can directly be involved as a partner and appear in the Application Form (see Section 2.3.3 of the Programme Manual) • The organisation can intervene as external expert under the conditions that public procurement rules are respected (this organisation is then fully paid by one of the partners on the basis of a contract and invoices) • The organisation participates at its own costs • “Sub-partners” or “observers” are not possible under IVC
2. Programme FAQs Financial size of the Components? • No specific recommendation except for Component 1 whose costs should not exceed 20% of total costs • Components 2 and 3 are core Components but their financial size will depend on the approach proposed by each project
2. Programme FAQs Main differences & similarities between IIIC RFOs and IVC mini-programmes? INTERREG IIIC RFOs INTERREG IVC mini-programmes • RFOs: priority of the programme • Broad approach possible • No fixed limit in terms of partnership and project number • Possible involvement of private participants in sub-projects • Possible ‘implementation oriented’ sub-projects • Transparent and open calls for proposals for sub-projects selection • Mini-programme: not a priority • Focus on IVC thematic priorities • Project limited to a maximum of to 8 partners and 12 sub-projects • No private involvement • Sub-projects in line with IVC rationale (exchange of experience) • Transparent and open calls for proposals for sub-projects selection
2. Programme FAQs Capitalisation Projects • How should the MA be involved? - ideally the MA should be partner in the project (‘deep delegation’) - if not, its involvement needs to be precisely described in the AF • Does the OP of each region have to be modified to ensure that it can finance the good practices? No, two scenarios: - it already includes a priority or a measure on ‘Regions for Economic Change’ (RfEC) which can support the good practice - it is very likely that an existing measure of the OP would correspond to the theme of the good practices to be financed
3. Points of attention General advice • To always keep in mind the programme’s rationale Strategic objective of the programme: improvement of regional policies • INTERREG IVC = ‘capitalisation’ programme • Interregional cooperation ≠ cross-border cooperation • Interregional cooperation ≠ transnational cooperation Capitalisation: process of optimising the results achieved in a specific domain of regional policy. Capitalisation activities consist of the collection, analysis, dissemination and transfer of good practices in a certain policy area.
3. Points of attention General advice Key elements derives from this programme’s rationale: • Local & regional authorities = ‘natural’ target group of IVC Other bodies may be involved only if their link with regional and local policies is clearly demonstrated • Exchange of experiences = core activities of all IVC projects; Pilot actions / experimentations possible only under very strict conditions - closely related to the exchange of experiences
3. Points of attention General advice Proposed activities have to respect 3 fundamental conditions: • Relevance to the programme Activities have to be clearly in line with the overall objective of the programme (i.e. contribute to the improvement of policies) • Interregionality Activities should be interregional. Example for pilot experimentation: - transfer from one region to another - pilot experimentation benefiting all the partners • Additionality Activities would not be supported without the INTERREG support
3. Points of attention Specific advice • To be as precise as possible in the Application Form Example of weak description
3. Points of attention Specific advice Example of good description
3. Points of attention New context of INTERREG IVC Increased competition: • Similar budget to INTERREG IIIC (around ERDF 300 M€) • Two new Member States (Bulgaria and Romania) • Longer operational period (6.5 years vs. 9 years) • Higher co-financing rates (75%-85% instead of 50%-75%) • Mechanically, less projects will be approved!
Additional Information www.interreg4c.net • Reference Documents • - Operational Programme • - Programme Manual • Application Pack • FAQ List Thank you for your attention!