CULTURE (2007-2013)

Call for proposals — EACEA/05/08

Special actions of cultural cooperation with and in third countries

(2008/C 71/02)

1.   Legal basis

This call for proposals is based on the Decision No 1855/2006/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 December 2006 establishing the programme Culture (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 a view to encouraging the emergence of European citizenship.

The Programme provides for Community intervention to support ‘special actions’ and, in this framework, support may be given to cooperation with third countries and international organisations.

More specifically, the Programme may be open to cooperation with third countries, which have concluded association or cooperation agreements with the Community, provided that the latter contain cultural clauses, and this on the basis of supplementary appropriations and specific procedures to be laid down.

3.   Purpose of the call for proposals

In order to meet the objectives of the Programme, this call for proposals seeks to support cultural cooperation projects aimed at cultural exchanges between the countries taking part in the Programme and the selected third country, Brazil.

The cooperation projects are bi-annual (2008-2010) and shall involve cultural cooperation with the selected third country's organizations and/or involve cultural activities carried out in Brazil.

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

4.   Budget available and duration of the project

The total budget granted for this call for proposals is EUR 1 million.

The level of Community co-financing shall not exceed 50 % of eligible costs associated with each project (maximum ceiling of EUR 200 000 per project).

The maximum duration of projects is 24 months.

5.   Eligibility criteria and selection criteria

Eligible applicants must be public or private cultural organisations with legal status, whose main activity lies in the cultural sphere, and which are able to demonstrate at least a 2 year long experience in the field of cultural project design and management at international level, in particular in Brazil. These organisations must be involved both in the design and the implementation of the project, and also make a real and significant financial contribution to the project's budget. They must provide at least 50 % of the total budget of the project.

The organizations must have their registered legal seat in one of the countries taking part in the Programme (2). They must also have the financial capacity and operational capacity to complete the cooperation projects.

Eligible projects will correspond to bi-annual cultural cooperation projects which involve cooperation of at least three (3) cultural operators from at least three (3) different eligible countries. Eligible projects must also involve at least one associated partner from Brazil. The cooperation must be supported by a signed declaration of partnership between the European cultural operators and the associated partner(s) in Brazil. At least 50 % of the activities carried out under the cultural cooperation projects shall take place on the territory of the third country in question (Brazil). Priority could be given to cooperation projects with associated partners having their legal seats registered in Brazil.

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 submitting applications

1 June 2008.

8.   Additional information

The specifications which complement the call for proposals EACEA/05/08 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.eceuropa.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, FYROM and Turkey); Serbia.