Open call for proposals — GP/RPA/ReferNet-FPA/002/11

ReferNet — Cedefop’s European Network for Vocational Education and Training (VET)

2011/C 289/09

1.   Objectives and description

Founded in 1975 and based in Greece since 1995, the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop) is an agency of the European Union (EU). Acknowledged as an authoritative source of information and expertise on VET, skills and competences, its mission is to support European vocational education and training (VET) policy development and contribute to its implementation.

Refernet is Cedefop’s European network for VET. The mission devoted to ReferNet is to support Cedefop by reporting on national VET systems and policy developments and by raising the visibility of VET and Cedefop’s products. It comprises 29 members known as ReferNet national partners from an EU Member State, Iceland and Norway. ReferNet national partners are key institutions involved in VET in the country they represent.

With the objective of establishing a European network for VET — ReferNet, this call aims at selecting one applicant from each eligible country with which Cedefop will conclude a four-year framework partnership agreement; and at concluding with each successful applicant a specific grant agreement for a work plan to be carried out in 2012.

Framework partnership agreements are implemented through specific grant agreements. Therefore, applicants shall not only submit a proposal for the 4-year framework partnership (which, if successful, will lead to the signature of a Framework Partnership Agreement for the years 2012 to 2015) but also the grant application for the 2012 action (which may lead to the signature of a Specific Grant Agreement for the year 2012). The applicant must demonstrate its capacity to carry out all the activities foreseen over the four-year period and ensure adequate co-financing of the implementation of the work plan.

2.   Budget and project duration

The estimated budget available for the four-year duration of the framework partnership agreements amounts to EUR 4 000 000, depending on the annual decisions of the Budgetary Authority.

The total available budget for the 2012 annual work plan (project duration: 12 months) is EUR 955 000 for the 27 Member States, Iceland and Norway.

The grant varies according to the country population and is awarded for carrying out an annual work plan. The total available budget for the 2012 work plan will be distributed on the basis of three country groups based on country population:

—   Country group 1: Cyprus, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Slovenia and Iceland. Maximum grant amount: EUR 23 615.

—   Country group 2: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, the Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Slovak Republic, Sweden and Norway. Maximum grant amount: EUR 33 625.

—   Country group 3: France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, United Kingdom. Maximum grant amount: EUR 43 620.

The Union grant is a financial contribution to the beneficiary’s (and/or co-beneficiaries’) costs which must be supplemented by own financial contribution and/or local, regional, national and/or private contributions. The total Union contribution shall not exceed 70 % of the eligible costs.

Cedefop reserves the right not to award the total budget available.

3.   Eligibility criteria

To be eligible, applicants should meet the following requirements:

4.   Deadline

Applications for the framework partnership agreement AND the 2012 work plan must be submitted at the latest on 20 October 2011.

The 2012 work plan following the award of the specific grant agreement 2012 will start in January 2012 and lasts 12 months.

5.   Further information

The detailed specifications of the call for proposals, the application form and its annexes will be available as from 30 September 2011 on Cedefop’s website at the following address:

http://www.cedefop.europa.eu/EN/working-with-us/public-procurements/calls-for-proposals.aspx

Applications must comply with the requirements set out in the full text of the call and be submitted using the official forms provided.

The evaluation of proposals will be based on the principles of transparency and equal treatment.

All submitted applications will be evaluated by a committee of experts against the eligibility, exclusion, selection and award criteria defined in the full text version of the call.