31.10.2008

Official Journal of the European Union

C 276/94

CALL FOR PROPOSALS — EACEA/29/08

European associations active at European level in the field of education and training

(2008/C 276/10)

1. Objectives and description

The purpose of this call for proposals is to support the activities of European associations in the field of education and training or which pursue an objective which is part of an EU policy.

The action programme in the field of lifelong learning (the ‘Lifelong Learning Programme’) (1) and more specifically its ‘Jean Monnet sub-programme’ constitute the legal basis.

In the implementation of key activity 3 of the Jean Monnet programme, the objectives of this call for proposals are:

—	to support the existence of high-quality European Associations active in the field of education and training,

—	to support European Associations contributing to the implementation of the Education and Training 2010 work programme (2),

—	to support European Associations contributing to increasing knowledge and awareness on the European integration process through education and training.

Community financing under this call for proposals takes the form of one-year operating grants for 2009 to support certain operational and administrative expenditure of the selected European Associations.

The Education, Audiovisual and Culture Agency (‘the Agency’), acting under powers delegated from the European Commission (‘the Commission’), is responsible for the management of this call for proposals.

2. Eligible applicants

A European Association is eligible if it satisfies the following conditions. The organisation:

—	is a non-profit making organisation,

—	is located and has legal personality and seat for more than two years (on 23 December 2008) in one of the eligible countries (the 27 EU Member States, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Turkey),

—	undertakes the majority of its activities in the Member States of the European Union, in countries belonging to the European Economic Area and/or in the candidate countries,

—	exists as a body pursuing an aim of general European interest as defined in Article 162 of the implementing rules for the Financial Regulation laid down by Commission Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 2342/2002 (3); most recently modified by Regulation (EC) No 478/2007,

—	operates in the field of education and training at European level and pursues clear and well-defined objectives laid down in the articles its official statutes,

—	conducts activities that are compatible with the priorities of the ‘Education and training 2010’ work programme and/or contributes to increasing knowledge and awareness on the European integration process through education and training,

—	includes member-associations having their seat in at least 12 different EU Member States (4). Such member-associations should have ‘full member’ status (associate members and observers are not counted as ‘full members’) at transnational, national, regional or local level.

Please note: Private individuals, individual contractors, individual higher education institutions, or public bodies and institutions that are part of the administrative structure of the Member States are not considered to be ‘associations’.

3. Award criteria

Eligible applications will be assessed on the basis of the quality of a detailed 12 months work programme for 2009 and the following award criteria will be applied:

—	the relevance, clarity and coherence of the short-term objectives (12 months),

—	the quality of the management of the work programme (clarity and coherence of the activities and the budget proposed to achieve the objectives, timetable),

—

the probable impact of the activities on education and/or training at European level (in particular the degree to which the applicant European Associations contribute to the implementation of the Education and Training 2010 work programme and/or to increasing knowledge and awareness on the European integration process).

A more detailed description of information to be provided by the applicant for each award criteria is available at: http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/index.htm and should be read carefully.

4. Budget and project duration

The total indicative Community budget for the co-financing of European Associations under this call is EUR 600 000.

The maximum operating grant per association for an annual work programme of 12 months (corresponding to one budget year) shall not exceed EUR 100 000.

Applicant organisations can choose between two systems of co-financing:

(a)	budget based financing: the traditional eligible costs financing for which the Community financial support may not exceed 75 % of the total eligible costs set out in the budget for the association's work programme;

(b)	flat rate financing: flat rate based financing for which the Community financial support may not exceed 75 % of the summary of provisional expenditure and income statement for the relevant year.

The period of eligibility of costs for a work programme of maximum 12 months shall start between 1 January 2009 and 1 April 2009 and may not extend beyond the end of the beneficiary's budgetary year.

5. Deadline And submisstion of proposals

The deadline for submission of applications is 23 December 2008 (date as postmark) and applications must be sent to the following address:

Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency

Lifelong Learning: Erasmus, Jean Monnet

Call for proposal — EACEA/29/08

Mr Ralf RAHDERS

Office: BOUR 2/61

Avenue du Bourget 1

B-1140 Brussels

Only applications submitted on the official application form, duly signed by the person entitled to enter into legally binding commitments on behalf of the applicant organisation and containing all the information and annexes specified in the guidelines for applicants will be accepted. Applications sent by fax or e-mail will be rejected.

6. Further information

The guidelines for applicants and the application form are available on the website of the Agency: http://eacea.ec.europa.eu

Further information can be obtained from:

Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency

Ms Ilona POKORNA

E-mail: Ilona.Pokorna@ec.europa.eu

Tel. (direct line) (32-2) 295 83 94

(1) See Decision No 1720/2006/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 November 2006 establishing an action programme in the field of lifelong learning.

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site/en/oj/2006/c_327/c_32420061230en00590067.pdf

(2) See http://ec.europa.eu/education/policies/2010/et_2010_en.html

(3) According to this definition, an organisation pursuing an aim of general European interest is:

—	a European body involved in education, training, information or research and study in European policies or a European standards body, or

—	a European network representing non-profit bodies active in the Member States or in the candidate countries and promoting principles and policies consistent with the objectives of the Treaties.

(4) In addition, the European association may include member-associations based in other LLP participating countries (non-EU Member States).