27.6.2012

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 187/11

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Call for proposals — EACEA/18/12

‘Youth in Action’ programme

Youth support systems — Sub-action 4.6 — Partnerships

2012/C 187/10

1.   Objectives and description

This call for proposals aims at supporting partnerships with regional or local public bodies or other stakeholders active in the youth sector at European level in order to develop over the long-term projects which combine various measures of the ‘Youth in Action’ programme.

This mechanism aims at encouraging synergies and cooperation between the European Commission — via the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency — and the different actors working in the field of youth by pooling resources and practices with a view to maximising the impact of the programme and to reaching out to a higher number of beneficiaries.

This call shall provide grants to projects.

1.1.   Specific objectives and priorities

The specific objectives of such partnerships are to:

—	encourage the involvement of public bodies at regional or local level or other stakeholders active in the youth sector in European youth and non-formal education activities,

—	support their capacity building as bodies active in the youth field providing non-formal education opportunities to young people and youth workers,

—	promote the development of sustainable networks, the exchange of best practices as well as the recognition of non-formal education.

Preference will be given to those projects which best reflect the following priorities:

Permanent priorities of the ‘Youth in Action’ programme:

—	participation of young people,

—	cultural diversity,

—	european citizenship,

—	inclusion of young people with fewer opportunities.

Annual priorities of the ‘Youth in Action’ programme:

—	youth unemployment, poverty and marginalisation,

—	spirit of initiative, creativity and entrepreneurship, employability,

—	grassroots sport and outdoor activities,

—	global environmental challenges and climate change.

Furthermore, preference will be given to well-structured projects which are framed within a longer-term perspective and planned with a view to achieve a multiplying effect and a sustainable impact.

1.2.   Characteristics of the partnership

This call for proposals will support the development of a programme including one activity or combining several activities taking inspiration from the ‘Youth in Action’ programme.

Such activity programme can be:

—	either directly implemented by the applicant itself (procedure A),

—	or cooperatively implemented with ‘co-organising partner(s)’ who are extensively involved in the design and implementation of the project and designated by the applicant at the time of submitting the application (procedure B).

In both cases (procedure A or procedure B), the activity programme can involve ‘associated partners’. Associated partners take part in the implementation of the proposed activities of the project, but not to the same extent and at the same level of participation as co-organising partners.

2.   Eligible applicants

Proposals must be submitted by:

—	a public body at regional or local level,

—	an association or network of regional and/or local public bodies,

—	a European grouping for territorial cooperation (1),

—	a non-profit body active at European level in the youth field (ENGO) which has member organisations in at least eight programme countries of the ‘Youth in Action’ programme,

—	a company/undertaking/profit-making body active in corporate social responsibility in favour of youth.

If the project indicates that the programme of activities is to be implemented jointly with one or more co-organisers (procedure B) this/these organisation/s can be:

—	a public body at regional or local level,

—	an association or network of regional and/or local public bodies,

—	a European grouping for territorial cooperation,

—	a non-profit non-governmental organisation (NGO),

—	a non-profit body active at European level in the youth field (ENGO) which has member organisations in at least eight programme countries of the ‘Youth in Action’ programme,

—	a company/undertaking/profit-making body active in corporate social responsibility in favour of youth.

Applicants must have a legal status and must — at the specified deadline for submitting their proposals — have been legally registered for at least two years in one of the programme countries.

The programme countries are as follows:

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the Member States of the European Union: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom (2),

—	those countries of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA): Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland,

—	candidate countries for which a pre-accession strategy has been established, in accordance with the general principles and general terms and conditions laid down in the framework agreements concluded with these countries with a view to their participation in EU programmes: Croatia and Turkey.

3.   Eligible themes and proposals

The project must include activities of a non-profit-making nature that are related to the field of youth and non-formal education.

The following activities are eligible under this call:

—	trans-national youth exchanges,

—	national or trans-national youth initiatives,

—	European voluntary service,

—	training and networking.

Applicants must submit an activity programme that complies with the specific criteria applicable to each of the eligible activities.

Furthermore, the activity programme must encompass activities aiming at ensuring the coordination of the project and the visibility of the partnership.

The programme of activities must start between 1 March 2013 and 1 September 2013 and may run a maximum duration of 2 years (24 months).

Please note that no more than one project proposal can be submitted by the same applicant under this call for proposals.

4.   Award criteria

Eligible applications will be assessed on the basis of the following criteria:

4.1.   Qualitative criteria

Qualitative criteria will represent 80 % of the points available within the evaluation procedure.

The following qualitative criteria will be taken into consideration:

—

Relevance of the project in relation to the objectives, priorities and themes of the call (30 %) In this respect, the following aspects will be assessed: (a) the project meets the general objectives of the ‘Youth in Action’ programme; (b) the project meets the objectives and priorities of this call for proposals, including the annual priorities for 2012.

—

Quality of the project and of the working methods that it comprises (50 %) In this respect, the following aspects will be assessed: (c) the high quality of the activity programme in terms of content and methodology, its clearness and consistency. Where applicable, the clarity of the description of the partners' actual role in the cooperation, as well as the experience and motivation of the partners to set up the project/cooperation; (d) the visibility of the ‘Youth in Action’ programme in general and of the partnership between the Commission and the applicant in particular; (e) the scope of the project; in other words, its multiplier effect and in particular its sustainable impact, as well as its long-term viability; (f) the active involvement of young people in the project; (g) the quality of measures aimed at disseminating and exploiting project's results; (h) the consistency between the budget and the activities planned in the work programme.

4.2.   Quantitative criteria

Quantitative criteria will represent 20 % of the points available within the evaluation procedure.

The following quantitative criteria will be taken into consideration:

—	Profile and number of participants and of promoters involved in the project, namely: (a) the number of countries involved in the project; (b) the number of young people — including those with fewer opportunities — and youth workers directly involved in the project.

5.   Budget available

The total budget allocated to the co-financing of projects under this call for proposals is estimated at EUR 2 500 000. The maximum grant allocated to each project shall not exceed EUR 100 000. Financial assistance from the Agency shall not be granted for more than 50 % of the project’s total eligible expenses.

Applicants must submit a budget that complies with the funding rules applicable to each of the eligible activities.

The Agency reserves the right not to distribute all the funds available. In addition, although balanced geographical representation will be sought in the selected projects, the major determining factor as to the number of projects funded per country will be quality.

6.   Deadline for submission of applications

Grant applications must be drawn up in one of the EU official language, using the electronic form specifically designed for this purpose.

The forms can be obtained on the Internet at the following address:

http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/youth/index_en.htm

The electronic application form duly completed must be submitted by 12.00 (noon, Brussels time) on 17 September 2012.

A paper version of the application must also be sent by 17 September 2012 at the latest to the following address:

Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency

‘Youth in Action’ programme — EACEA/18/12

BOUR 4/029

Avenue du Bourget/Bourgetlaan 1

1140 Bruxelles/Brussel

BELGIQUE/BELGIË

—	by post (date of postmark),

—	by an express courier company, the date of receipt by the courier company being taken as proof of posting (a copy of the original deposit date receipt must be included in the application form).

Applications sent by fax or e-mail will not be accepted.

7.   Additional information

Applications must comply with the provisions contained in the Application Guidelines — Call for proposals EACEA/18/12, be submitted on the application form provided for this purpose and contain the relevant annexes.

The said documents can be found on the Internet at the following address:

http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/youth/index_en.htm

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(1)  Regulation (EC) No 1082/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 July 2006 on a European grouping of territorial cooperation (EGTC) (OJ L 210, 31.7.2006, p. 19).

(2)  Persons from overseas countries and territories and, if applicable, public or private institutions based there, are eligible under the ‘Youth in Action’ programme, depending upon the rules of the programme and those which apply in the Member State with which they are connected. A list of these overseas countries and territories is given in Annex 1A to Council Decision 2001/822/EC of 27 November 2001 on the association of the overseas countries and territories with the European Community (‘Overseas Association Decision’) (OJ L 314, 30.11.2001): http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CONSLEG:2001D0822:20011202:EN:PDF

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