20.8.2010

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 225/7

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CALL FOR PROPOSALS — EACEA/21/10

Structural support for European public policy research organisations and think tanks and for civil society organisations at European level

‘Europe for Citizens’ programme, Action 2, Measures 1 and 2 — 2011

2010/C 225/07

1.   OBJECTIVES AND DESCRIPTION

This call for proposals EACEA/21/10 is based on the Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the ‘Europe for Citizens’ programme to promote active European citizenship for the period between 2007 and 2013 (1) (hereinafter referred to as the ‘programme’).

The programme constitutes the legal basis for this call for proposals, referring to Action 2 ‘Active Civil Society for Europe’ Measures 1 and 2, the ‘Structural support for European public policy research organisations and think tanks and for civil society organisations at European level’.

1.1.   General programme objectives

The programme is intended to contribute to the following general objectives:

(a)	giving citizens the opportunity to interact and participate in constructing an ever-closer Europe, which is democratic and world-oriented, united in and enriched through its cultural diversity, thus developing citizenship of the European Union;

(b)	developing a sense of European identity, based on common values, history and culture;

(c)	fostering a sense of ownership of the European Union among its citizens;

(d)	enhancing mutual understanding between European citizens, respecting and promoting cultural and linguistic diversity, while contributing to intercultural dialogue.

1.2.   Specific call objectives

The specific objectives of this call for proposals are:

(a)	to foster action, debate and reflection related to European citizenship and democracy, shared values, common history and culture through the activities and cooperation of think tanks and within civil society organisations at European level;

(b)	to encourage interaction between citizens and civil society organisations from all participating countries, contributing to intercultural dialogue and bringing to the fore both Europe’s diversity and unity.

1.3.   Thematic priorities

—	The future of the European Union and its fundamental values

—	Active European Citizenship — participation and democracy in Europe

—	Intercultural dialogue

—	People’s well-being in Europe, employment, social cohesion and sustainable development and the impact of EU policies

1.4.   Call description

This call for proposals concerns structural support, referred to as operating grants, to organisations pursuing an aim of general European interest. Operating grants provide financial support to cover part of the running costs of the normal activities of an organisation selected.

Grants can be awarded — according to specific criteria — in the form of annual operating grants or multi-annual partnerships. This call for proposals only concerns annual grants for the 2011 financial year.

2.   ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

2.1.   Organisations

To be eligible for a grant, organisations pursuing an aim of general European interest must:

(a)	be a non-profit making organisation with a legal personality; applications by networks that do not have a separate operational structure and their own status may be presented by the member organisation responsible for coordinating the network;

(b)

operate in the field of European citizenship as defined in their articles of association or mission statement and correspond to one of the following categories:   Measure 1: A. European public policy research organisations and think tanks.   Measure 2: B. Civil society organisations working on a European level: — European umbrella organisations (platforms) — European networks — organisations performing activities with a wide impact on Europe. C. Civil society organisations involved in fostering active European remembrance;

(c)

undertake the majority of their activities in eligible countries (see 2.2). The organisations involved must have been established legally and have had a legal personality for at least one (1) year (on 15 October 2010) in an eligible country and, for the categories given below, cover the following geographical area: — European umbrella organisations and European networks must have members in at least eight (8) eligible countries, — organisations performing activities with a wide impact on Europe must be active in at least eight (8) eligible countries. Individuals and public bodies are not eligible to apply for this call.

2.2.   Countries

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

(b)

Croatia;

(c)	former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia;

(d)

Albania.

3.   ELIGIBLE ACTIONS

The activities of the applicant organisation must make a tangible contribution to developing and implementing the specific objectives and thematic priorities of this call for proposals. They must cover at least one specific aim and one thematic priority among those listed under point 1.

The applicant organisation’s work programme for 2011 must cover its statutory activities, including conferences, seminars, round tables, representation, communication and enhancement, and their other recurrent European activities.

Eligibility period

The period of eligibility must correspond to the applicant's budget year, as evidenced by the organisation's certified accounts. If the applicant's budget year corresponds to the calendar year, the period of eligibility will be from 1 January to 31 December 2011.

For applicants with a budget year that differs from the calendar year, the period of eligibility will be the 12-month period from the starting date of their budget year in 2011.

4.   AWARD CRITERIA

Applications meeting the eligibility and exclusion criteria will be evaluated on the basis of award criteria by an evaluation committee set up with a view to determining which proposals may be co-financed.

The award criteria will comprise qualitative criteria, accounting for 80 %, and quantitative criteria, representing 20 % of the score awarded.

4.1.   Qualitative criteria (80 %)

The following factors will be assessed:

(a)	appropriateness to the objectives and priorities of the ‘Europe for Citizens’ programme (30 %);

(b)	adequacy, coherence and completeness of the work programme (20 %);

(c)	impact of the work programme (10 %);

(d)	European added value (10 %);

(e)	visibility of activities and dissemination and exploitation of results towards European citizens and other relevant parties (10 %).

4.2.   Quantitative criteria (20 %)

The following factors will be assessed:

(a)	number of eligible countries involved in the activities of the work programme (10 %);

(b)	number of potential direct beneficiaries (10 %).

5.   BUDGET

The Community budget earmarked for co-financing of annual operating grants is around EUR 1 million in 2011. The Executive Agency intends to finance around 12 organisations under this call, although it reserves the right not to attribute all the funds available if the quality of the applications is insufficient.

Grants will be awarded under item 16.05.01 of the General Budget of the European Union.

6.   DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION

The deadline for submission of applications is 15 October 2010.

For this call for proposals, applicants must send in their applications using an electronic form.

All paper versions of the necessary annexes must be sent to the address below:

Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency

Unit P7

Call for proposals EACEA/21/10

Avenue du Bourget 1 (BOUR 01/17)

1140 Bruxelles/Brussel

BELGIQUE/BELGIË

Only applications presented on the appropriate form, duly completed, dated and signed by the person authorised to enter into legally binding commitments on behalf of the applying body will be accepted.

7.   COMPLETE INFORMATION

Detailed guidelines for applicants and application forms are available at the following address: http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/citizenship/index_en.htm

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(1)  Decision No 1904/2006/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 December 2006 (OJ L 378, 27.12.2006, p. 32).

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