CULTURE PROGRAMME (2007-2013)

CALL FOR PROPOSALS — EACEA/26/07

Networking of organisations carrying out evaluation or impact assessment activities in the field of cultural policies — Networks (strand 3.2)

(2007/C 184/05)

1.   Legal basis

This call for proposals is based on Decision No 1855/2006/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 December 2006 establishing the Culture Programme (2007-2013) (1) (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Programme’).

2.   Objectives and description

The Programme is part of the European Union's ongoing commitment to enhance the cultural area shared by Europeans and based on a common cultural heritage, through the development of cultural cooperation between the creators, cultural players and cultural institutions of the countries taking part in the Programme, with the view to encouraging the emergence of European citizenship.

The Programme encompasses the cultural sector as a whole and aspires to stimulate synergies leading to a sustainable cultural cooperation at European level, by means of promoting trans-national mobility of people working in the cultural sector, trans-national circulation of artistic and cultural works and products and intercultural dialogue.

3.   Purpose of this call for proposals

In order to meet the objectives of the Programme, this call for proposals aims to award Community grants, following a selection process, up to 3 Networks Projects (strand 3.2).

The Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (hereinafter ‘the Executive Agency’) is the service responsible for implementing this call for proposals.

Action 3 of the Programme provides for Community intervention, support for ‘analyses in the field of European cultural cooperation and European cultural policy development’ (Article 4, paragraph 1).

The intention of this support shall be to increase the volume and quality of information and data to develop comparative data and analysis on cultural cooperation at European level, particularly with regard to the mobility of creators and cultural players, the circulation of works of art and artistic and cultural products and intercultural dialogue.

In this context, the present call for proposals aims to support the networking of various types of stakeholders (cultural departments of national, regional or local authorities, cultural observatories, universities specialized in cultural affairs etc.) which have a direct and practical experience in evaluation or impact assessment in the cultural policy field on the following two topics:

Each Network must involve at least three organisations from three different countries participating in the Programme.

4.   Budget and project duration

4.1.   Budget

The total budget allocated amounts to approximately EUR 0,6 million.

Community co-financing cannot exceed EUR 200 000 and 50 % of the total eligible costs of the action financed.

The right is reserved not to distribute all the funds available.

4.2.   Project Duration

‘Networks’ Projects must have a duration from twelve (12) to a maximum of twenty-four (24) months.

5.   Eligibility criteria and selection criteria

Eligible applicants must be a public or private body with legal status in one of the countries taking part in the Programme (2)and a proven experience of at least five years in impact assessment or evaluation in the field of cultural policies.

Natural persons are not eligible to apply for a grant.

Applicants must have the professional competencies and qualifications required to complete the action financed and must be involved both in its design and implementation. They must have stable and sufficient financial resources to make a real and significant financial contribution by providing at least 50 % of total budget of the action financed.

Actions for which co-financing is granted must comply with the principles underpinning the Community action in the field of culture (3) and must take account of the objectives laid down in point 2 and the conditions defined in point 3.

6.   Award criteria

Awarding of a grant is not only dependent on examination of the eligibility, exclusion and selection criteria. Decision will be determined on the basis of the award criteria.

The award criteria can be outlined as follows:

7.   Deadline for submission of applications

1st October 2007 (date as postmark or courier service stamp).

8.   Additional information

The specifications which complement the call for proposals EACEA/26/07 are integral part thereof. Applications must satisfy the requirements laid down in the specifications and must be submitted using the application forms provided for this purpose.

The specifications, the application pack and all the relevant forms are available on the website of the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency:

http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/

(1)  OJ L 372, 27.12.2006, p. 1.

(2)  The 27 Member States of the European Union; the EEA countries (Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway); the candidate countries (Croatia and Turkey; FYROM, subject to the conclusion of a Memorandum of Understanding concerning the participation of this country in the Programme); the countries of the western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia including Kosovo (under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244)), subject to the conclusion of a Memorandum of Understanding concerning the participation of each of those countries in the Programme.

(3)  Article 151 of the Treaty establishing the European Community.