Contracting Authority: 
Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Serbia 
Strengthening Media Freedom
Guidelines
for grant applicants
Budget line: BGUE-B2012-22.020100-C1-ELARG DELSRB
Restricted Call for Proposals
Reference: EuropeAid/134421/L/ACT/RS
Deadline for submission of Concept note: 20/06/2013 

	

Notice 
This is a restricted Call for Proposals. In the first instance, only Concept Notes must be submitted for evaluation. Thereafter, applicants who have been pre-selected will be invited to submit a Full Application Form. After the evaluation of the Full Applications, an eligibility check will be performed for those which have been provisionally selected. Eligibility will be checked on the basis of the supporting documents requested by the Contracting Authority and the signed ‘Declaration by the Applicant’ sent together with the application.

Table of contents
1.	STRENGHTENING MEDIA FREEDOM
1.1.	Background
1.2.	Objectives of the programme and priority issues
1.3.	Financial allocation provided by the contracting authority
2.	Rules FOR thIS call for proposalS
2.1.	Eligibility criteria
2.1.1.	Eligibility of applicants (i.e. applicant and co-applicant(s))
2.1.2.	Affiliated entities
2.1.3.	Associates and Contractors
2.1.4.	Eligible actions: actions for which an application may be made
2.1.5.	Eligibility of costs: costs that can be included
2.2.	How to apply and the procedures to follow
2.2.1.	Concept Note content
2.2.2.	Where and how to send Concept Notes
2.2.3.	Deadline for submission of Concept Notes
2.2.4.	Further information about Concept Notes
2.2.5.	Full Application forms
2.2.6.	Where and how to send Full Application forms
2.2.7.	Deadline for submission of Full Application forms
2.2.8.	Further information about Full Application forms
2.3.	Evaluation and selection of applications
2.4.	Submission of supporting documents for provisionally selected applications
2.5.	Notification of the Contracting Authority’s decision
2.5.1.	Content of the decision
2.5.2.	Indicative timetable
2.6.	Conditions for implementation after the Contracting Authority’s decision to award a grant
2.7.	Early warning system and central exclusion database
3.	LIST OF annexes

1.	STRENGHTENING MEDIA FREEDOM 
1.1.	Background

The European Commission Enlargement Strategy and Main Challenges 2012-2013  underlined the importance to strengthen the rule of law and democratic governance the enlargement process.  In a number of enlargement countries, freedom of expression remains a serious concern, with political interference, economic pressure, self-censorship and insufficient protection of journalists against harassment or even violent attacks.

Serbia 2012 Progress Report noted that Serbia needs to pay particular attention to the rule of law, notably the judiciary. The legal framework to ensure freedom of expression is in place, but violence and threats against journalists remain of concern, although their frequency has decreased slightly. 

The Government of the Republic of Serbia adopted Media Strategy in September 2011. The aim of the Strategy is to define most important directions for the public information system in Serbia, so that the development of media freedom and media market may contribute to further strengthening of the democratic reforms in the society. This was one important step in the process of European integration and an important element of the political criteria which was noted in the Opinion on Serbia's membership application.  Its adoption was the final step taken in direction of getting Candidate status.

According to the priorities for IPA support to the Republic of Serbia over the period covered by MIPD 2011-2013 the following target areas have been identified: strengthening the rule of law and public administration, overcoming the economic crisis and improving competitiveness and social inclusion and reconciliation. Freedom of expression and professionalization of the media is identified as a cross-cutting intervention in all targeted support.   
Due to the economic crisis media outlets struggle to survive with limited resources to produce investigative reporting programmes.  This Call for Proposals is financed through the 2012 IPA National Programme and it is designed to strengthen the freedom of expression and to improve professionalism of the media.   The programme aims at promoting quality media production and investigative reporting in the area of good governance, human rights and minority protection, freedom of expression and regional reconciliation. 
1.2.	 Objectives of the programme and priority issues 
The global objective of this Call for Proposals is to contribute to respect of freedom of expression and successful implementation of EU media standards.
The specific objective of this Call for Proposals is to enhance investigative reporting through support of quality media productions in the area of rule of law.  
1.3.	Financial allocation provided by the contracting authority
The overall indicative amount made available under this Call for Proposals is EUR 1,800,000. The Contracting Authority reserves the right not to award all available funds. 
Size of grants
Any grant requested under this Call for Proposals must fall between the following minimum and maximum amounts:
•	minimum amount: EUR 50,000
•	maximum amount: EUR 150,000
Any grant requested under this Call for Proposals must fall between the following minimum and maximum percentages of total eligible costs of the action:
•	Minimum percentage: 50 % of the total eligible costs of the action.
•	Maximum percentage: 90% of the total eligible costs of the action (see also Section 2.1.4). 
The balance (i.e. the difference between the total cost of the action and the amount requested from the Contracting Authority) must be financed from sources other than the European Union Budget or the European Development Fund.

2.	Rules FOR thIS call for proposalS
These guidelines set out the rules for the submission, selection and implementation of the actions financed under this Call, in conformity with the Practical Guide to contract procedures for EU external actions, which is applicable to the present call (available on the Internet at this address: http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/work/procedures/implementation/index_en.htm).
1.	2.1.	Eligibility criteria
There are three sets of eligibility criteria, relating to:
(1) the actors:
•	The applicant, i.e. the entity submitting the application form (2.1.1),
•	if any, its co-applicant(s) (where it is not specified otherwise the applicant and its co-applicant(s) are hereinafter jointly referred as the "applicants") (2.1.1), 
•	and, if any, affiliated entity(ies) to the applicant and/or to a co-applicant(s). (2.1.2);
(2) the actions:
Actions for which a grant may be awarded (2.1.4);
(3) the costs:
•	types of cost that may be taken into account in setting the amount of the grant (2.1.5).
2.1.1.	Eligibility of applicants (i.e. applicant and co-applicant(s))
Applicant
(1)	In order to be eligible for a grant, the applicant must:
•	be legal persons and
•	Print, electronic, on-line media, news agencies and news services, media production houses or media associations and 
•	be established in a Member State of the European Union or in a country covered by the Article 19 of the IPA Regulation and
•	be directly responsible for the preparation and management of the action with the co-applicant(s) and affiliated entity(ies), not acting as an intermediary. 
•	In case the applicant is a CSO not established in Serbia, it must act with at least one co-applicant that is established in Serbia.
(2)	The potential applicant may not participate in calls for proposals or be awarded grants if it is in any of the situations listed in Section 2.3.3 of the Practical Guide to contract procedures for EU external actions (available from the following Internet address:
http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/work/procedures/implementation/index_en.htm);
In Part A, section 3 of the grant application form (‘Declaration by the applicant’), the applicant must declare that the applicant himself, the co-applicant(s) and affiliated entity(ies) are not in any of these situations.
The applicant may act individually or with co-applicant(s). 
If awarded the Grant contract, the applicant and (if any) the co-applicants will become the Beneficiaries in the Action. In particular, the applicant will become the Beneficiary identified as the Coordinator in annex E3h1 (Special conditions). The Coordinator is the main interlocutor of the Contracting Authority. It represents and acts on behalf of any other Beneficiary (if any) and coordinate the design and implementation of the Action.
Co-applicant(s)
Co-applicant(s) participate in designing and implementing the action, and the costs they incur are eligible in the same way as those incurred by the applicant. 
Co-applicant(s) must satisfy the eligibility criteria as applicable to the applicant himself.
Co-applicant(s) must sign the Mandate in Part B section 4 of the grant application form.
In addition to the categories referred to above for the applicant, the following are however also eligible: 
•	Independent government bodies working in the areas relevant for the Call.

If awarded the Grant contract, the co-applicant(s)(if any) will become beneficiaries in the Action (together with the Coordinator) 

2.1.2.	Affiliated entities
Affiliated entity(ies)
The applicant and its co-applicant(s) may act with affiliated entity(ies). 

Only the following entities may be considered as affiliated entities to the applicant and/or to co-applicant(s):
(i)	legal entities together forming one entity, including where it is specifically established for the purpose of implementing the action. In this case, the resulting entity may apply as a applicant or co-applicant whereas the other entities as its affiliated entity(ies). 
(ii)	legal entities having a link with the applicants, notably a legal or capital link, which is neither limited to the action nor established for the sole purpose of its implementation on the condition that they satisfy the eligibility and non-exclusion criteria of an applicant.
If the applicants are awarded a contract, their affiliated entity(ies) will not be become Beneficiary(ies) of the Action and signatory(ies) of the Contract. However, they will participate in the design and  in the implementation of the Action and the costs they incur (including those incurred for Implementation Contracts and Financial Support to third parties) may be accepted as eligible costs, provided they comply with all the relevant rules already applicable to the Beneficiary(ies) under the Grant Contract. 
Affiliated entity(ies) must satisfy respectively the eligibility criteria as applicable to the applicant and to the co-applicant(s). 
Affiliated entity(ies) must sign the affiliated entity(ies) statement in Part B section 5 of the grant application form.
2.1.3.	Associates and Contractors
The following entities are not co-applicant(s) nor affiliated entity(ies) and do not have to sign the “mandate” or “affiliated entities’ statement”:
•	Associates
Other organisations may be involved in the action. Such associates play a real role in the action but may not receive funding from the grant, with the exception of per diem or travel costs. Associates do not have to meet the eligibility criteria referred to in section 2.1.1. Associates must be mentioned in Part B section 6 — ‘Associates of the Applicant participating in the Action’ — of the Grant Application Form. 
•	Contractors
The grant beneficiaries and their affiliated entities are permitted to award contracts. Associates or affiliated entity(ies) cannot be also contractors in the project. Contractors are subject to the procurement rules set out in Annex IV to the standard grant contract.
2.1.4.	Eligible actions: actions for which an application may be made
Definition 
An action is composed of a set of activities.

Duration
The initial planned duration of an action may not be lower than 6 months nor exceed 18 months.
Sectors or themes
Specific sectors or themes to which the actions must relate:
The actions must relate to the sector rule of law, which includes the following themes:
•	Independence, transparency and efficiency in administration of justice and work of the judiciary
•	Law enforcement and fight against all forms of crime, including organised crime and cross-border crime
•	Border management
•	Support for refugees, IDPs and asylum seekers 
•	Fight against corruption, abuse of position and office
•	Protection of media freedoms 
•	Reconciliation, regional cooperation and good neighbouring relations in the area of rule of law
•	War crimes investigations and trials

Indicators
Actions should be designed so that they aim to contribute to a maximum to meet the following indicators.
•	Number of persons reached through quality programmes/ reports/news stories published and broadcasted by the media in Serbia focusing on the above rule of law issuesPredominantly positive feedback provided from the citizens reached by the productions about their content and quality.
•	Number of persons that have changed view and attitude based on the content of the productions.
•	Follow up actions initiated by public or judicial authorities as consequence of the media productions
•	Number of citizens that feel better informed on the above rule of law issues
•	Significant public debate stimulated on the above issues as result of the programmes

Location
Actions must take place in the Republic of Serbia. 
Types of activity
Types of activities which may be financed under this call for proposals: 
•	One-off projects and series of documentaries
•	Production and development of new print/electronic/multimedia productions
•	Talk shows and current affairs programmes
•	Social media productions
•	Books, journals, special editions/supplements to newspapers or magazines
•	Docudramas and TV films
•	Educational programmes
•	Investigative print journalism projects such as reports, new columns, series of articles or features
•	Joint productions or production exchange within networks of local media 
•	Related activities to implement and follow up the above
The projects should include the preparation of the productions but also their publication as well as the monitoring of the follow up of their impact. The description of the action should be designed accordingly.
Types of action
The following types of action are ineligible:
•	actions concerned only or mainly with individual sponsorships for participation in workshops, seminars, conferences and congresses;
•	actions concerned only or mainly with individual scholarships for studies or training courses;
•	actions essentially focused on construction activities, purchase of equipment, purchase and/or renovation of building or offices;
•	actions aiming predominantly at charitable donations and profit making activities;
•	actions which are already funded by other Community programmes and undertaken before the date of contract signature. 
Financial support to third parties 
Applicants may not propose financial support to third parties.  
Visibility
Applicants must comply with the objectives and priorities and guarantee the visibility of the EU financing (see the Communication and Visibility Manual for EU external actions specified and published by the European Commission at http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/work/visibility/index_en.htm).
Number of applications and grants per applicant
An applicant may not submit more than one application under this Call for Proposals.
An applicant may be a co-applicant or an affiliated entity in another application at the same time.
A co-applicant may submit maximum two applications under this Call for Proposals.
A co-applicant may be an affiliated entity in another application at the same time.
The affiliated entity(ies) may take part in maximum two applications under this Call for Proposals.
2.1.5.	Eligibility of costs: costs that can be included 
Only ‘eligible costs’ can be covered by a grant. The categories of costs that are eligible and non-eligible are indicated below. The budget is both a cost estimate and a ceiling for ‘eligible costs’. 
The reimbursement of eligible costs may be based on any or a combination of the following forms:
•	actual costs incurred by the Beneficiary(ies) and affiliated entity(ies)
•	one or more simplified cost options.
Simplified cost options may take the form of:
•	unit costs: covering all or certain specific categories of eligible costs which are clearly identified in advance by reference to an amount per unit.
•	lump sums: covering in global terms all or certain specific categories of eligible costs which are clearly identified in advance.
•	flat-rate financing: covering specific categories of eligible costs which are clearly identified in advance by applying a percentage fixed ex ante.
The amounts or rates have to be based on estimates using objective data such as statistical data or any other objective means or with reference to certified or auditable historical data of the applicants or the affiliated entity(ies). The methods used to determine the amounts or rates of unit costs, lump sums or flat-rates must comply with the criteria established in Annex K, and especially ensure that the costs correspond fairly to the actual costs incurred by the Grant Beneficiary(ies) and affiliated entity(ies), are in line with their accounting practices, no profit is made and the costs are not already covered by other sources of funding (no double funding). Refer to Annex K for directions and a checklist of controls to assess the minimum necessary conditions that provide reasonable assurance for the acceptance of the proposed amounts.
The applicant proposing this form of reimbursement, must clearly indicate in worksheet no.1 of Annex B, each heading/item  of eligible costs concerned by this type of financing, i.e. add the reference in capital letters to "UNIT COST" (per month/flight etc), "LUMPSUM" or "FLAT RATE" in the Unit column. (see example in Annex K)
Additionally in Annex B, in the second column of worksheet no.2, "Justification of the estimated costs" per each of the corresponding budget item or heading the applicant must:
•	describe the information and methods used to establish the amounts of unit costs, lump sums and/or flat-rates, to which costs they refer, etc.
•	clearly explain the formulas for calculation of the final eligible amount
•	identify the beneficiary who will use the simplified cost option (in case of affiliated entity, specify first the beneficiary), in order to verify the maximum amount per each beneficiary (which includes if applicable simplified cost options of its affiliated entity(ies))
At contracting phase, the Contracting Authority decides whether to accept the proposed amounts or rates on the basis of the provisional budget submitted by the applicant, by analysing factual data of grants carried out by the applicant or of similar actions and by performing checks established by Annex K. 
The total amount of financing on the basis of simplified cost options that can be authorised by the Contracting Authority for any of the applicants individually (including simplified cost options proposed by their own affiliated entities) cannot exceed EUR 60 000 (the indirect costs are not taken into account). 
For the purpose of this call, the Contracting Authority authorises the use of simplified cost options only to the following budget subheadings: 1.1 and 1.2 Salaries.
Recommendations to award a grant are always subject to the condition that the checks preceding the signing of the contract do not reveal problems requiring changes to the budget (such as arithmetical errors, inaccuracies, unrealistic costs and ineligible costs). The checks may give rise to requests for clarification and may lead the Contracting Authority to impose modifications or reductions to address such mistakes or inaccuracies. It is not possible to increase the grant or the percentage of EU co-financing as a result of these corrections.
It is therefore in the applicant’s interest to provide a realistic and cost-effective budget.
Eligible direct costs
To be eligible under the Call for Proposals, costs must comply with the provisions of Article 7 of the Standard Grant Contract and Article 14 of its General Conditions (see Annex G of the Guidelines).
The applicants (and where applicable its affiliated entities) agree that the expenditure verification(s) referred to in Article 15.7 of the General Conditions to the Standard Grant Contract (see Annex G of the Guidelines)  will be carried out by the Contracting Authority or any external body authorised by the Contracting Authority.
Contingency reserve
The budget may include a contingency reserve not exceeding 5 % of the estimated direct eligible costs. It can only be used with the prior written authorisation of the Contracting Authority.
Eligible indirect costs
The indirect costs incurred in carrying out the action may be eligible for flat-rate funding, but the total must not exceed 7 % of the estimated total eligible direct costs. Indirect costs are eligible provided that they do not include costs assigned to another budget heading in the standard grant contract. The applicant may be asked to justify the percentage requested before the contract is signed. However, once the flat rate has been fixed in the special conditions of the standard grant contract, no supporting documents need to be provided.
If any of the applicants or affiliated entity(ies) is in receipt of an operating grant financed by the EU, it may not claim indirect costs on its incurred costs within the proposed budget for the action.
Contributions in kind
Contributions in kind mean the provision of goods or services to a Beneficiary(ies) or affiliated entity(ies)  free of charge by a third party. As contributions in kind do not involve any expenditure for a Beneficiary(ies) or affiliated entity(ies), they are not eligible costs. 
The contributions in kind may not be treated as co-financing. However, if the description of the action as proposed includes contributions in kind, the contributions have to be made.
Ineligible costs
The following costs are not eligible:
•	taxes, including value added taxes;
•	customs and import duties, or any other charges;
•	purchase, rent or leasing of land and existing buildings;
•	fines, financial penalties and expenses of litigation;
•	operating costs;
•	second-hand equipment;
•	bank charges, costs of guarantees and similar charges;
•	conversion costs, charges and exchange losses associated with any of the component specific euro accounts, as well as other purely financial expenses;
•	contribution in kind;
•	any leasing costs;
•	depreciation costs;
•	debts and debt service charges (interest); 
•	provisions for losses or potential future liabilities;
•	costs declared by the Beneficiary(ies) and financed by another action or work programme receiving a Union (including through EDF) grant;
•	credits to third parties.
2.2.	How to apply and the procedures to follow
Prior registration in PADOR for this Call for Proposals is obligatory. 
•	Phase 1, concept note: Registration in PADOR is obligatory for an applicant applying for grants above € 60 000.
Registration is optional though strongly recommended for:
•	An applicant applying for grants of € 60 000 or less;
•	co-applicant(s) and affiliated entity(ies).
•	Phase 2, full proposal: Registration in PADOR is obligatory for all pre-selected applicant, co-applicant(s) and all their affiliated entity(ies).
PADOR is an on-line database in which organisations register and update their data regularly, through the EuropeAid website: http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/work/onlineservices/pador/index_en.htm
Before starting to register your organisation in PADOR, please read the ‘Quick guide’ on the website. It explains the registration process.
It is strongly recommended to register in PADOR when you start drafting your proposal and not to wait until just before the deadline of submission.
On the paper version of the proposal you must give your EuropeAid ID (EID). To get this ID, your organisation must enter PADOR to register, save and ‘sign’ certain obligatory data (the fields shown in orange on each screen) and the related documents (see section 2.4).
However, if it is impossible for the organisation to register in PADOR, it must submit a justification proving that this impossibility is general and beyond the control of the applicants and/or its affiliated entity(ies). In such cases, the applicants and/or affiliated entity(ies).concerned must complete the ‘PADOR off-line form attached to these Guidelines and send it by the submission deadline, together with the application, to the address indicated in sections 2.2.2 and 2.2.6. The registration in PADOR will then be carried out by the European Commission service in charge of the CfP. If, at a later stage, the organisation wishes to update its data itself, it will have to send an access request to the PADOR helpdesk.
All questions related to registration in PADOR should be addressed to the PADOR helpdesk at: Europeaid-pador@ec.europa.eu.
2.2.1.	Concept Note content 
Applications must be submitted in accordance with the Concept Note instructions in the Grant Application Form annexed to these Guidelines (Annex A). 
Applicants must apply in English.
In the Concept Note, applicants must only provide an estimate of the amount of contribution requested from the Contracting Authority and an indicative percentage of that contribution in relation to the total amount of the Action. Only the applicant invited to submit a full application in the second phase will be required to present a detailed budget. 
The elements outlined in the Concept Note may not be modified by the applicant in the full application form. The EU contribution may not vary from the initial estimate by more than 20 %. Applicants are free to adapt the percentage of co-financing required within the minimum and maximum amount and percentages of co-financing, as laid down in these Guidelines in section 1.3. Own contributions by the applicants can be replaced by other donors' contributions at any time.
Any error or major discrepancy related to the points listed in the Concept Note instructions may lead to the rejection of the Concept Note.
Clarifications will only be requested when information provided is unclear and thus prevents the Contracting Authority from conducting an objective assessment. 
Hand-written Concept Notes will not be accepted.
Please note that only the Concept Note form will be evaluated. It is therefore of utmost importance that this document contain ALL relevant information concerning the action. No additional annexes should be sent.
2.2.2.	Where and how to send Concept Notes
The Concept Note together with the Checklist for the Concept Note (Part A section 2 of the grant application form) and the Declaration by the applicant for the Concept Note (Part A section 3 of the grant application form) must be submitted in one original and 2 copies in A4 size, each bound.
An electronic version of the Concept Note must also be submitted. A CD-Rom with the Concept Note in electronic format will be included, along with the paper version, in a sealed envelope as described below. The electronic file must contain exactly the same application as the paper version enclosed. 
Where applicants send several different Concept Notes (if allowed to do so by the Guidelines of the Call), each one must be sent separately.
The outer envelope must bear the reference number and the title of the call for proposals, together with the full name and address of the applicant, and the words ‘Not to be opened before the opening session’ and ‘Ne otvarati pre zvanicne sednice otvaranja’.
Concept Notes must be submitted in a sealed envelope by registered mail, private courier service or by hand-delivery (a signed and dated certificate of receipt will be given to the deliverer) to the address below:
Postal address and address for hand delivery or by private courier service:
Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Serbia
Contracts and Finance Section 
Vladimira Popovica 40/V
11070 Belgrade, Serbia 
Concept Notes sent by any other means (e.g. by fax or by e-mail) or delivered to other addresses will be rejected. 
Applicants must verify that their Concept Note is complete using the Checklist for Concept Note (Part A section 2 of the grant application form). Incomplete concept notes may be rejected.
2.2.3.	Deadline for submission of Concept Notes 
The deadline for the submission of Concept Notes is 20/06/2013 as evidenced by the date of dispatch, the postmark or the date of the deposit slip. In the case of hand-deliveries, the deadline for receipt is at 15:00 h local time as evidenced by the signed and dated receipt. Any Concept Note submitted after the deadline will be rejected.
However, for reasons of administrative efficiency, the Contracting Authority may reject any Concept Note sent in due time but received after the effective date of approval of the Concept Note evaluation (see indicative calendar under section 2.5.2) 
2.2.4.	Further information about Concept Notes
Information sessions on this call for proposals will be held throughout Serbia. The schedule of the information sessions will be published at a later date at the following websites: 
- EU Delegation to the Republic of Serbia: www.europa.rs
- EuropeAid: https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/europeaid/online-services/index.cfm?do=publi.welcome
Questions may be sent by e-mail no later than 21 days before the deadline for the submission of concept notes to the address(es) below, indicating clearly the reference of the Call for Proposals:
E-mail address: DELEGATION-SERBIA-FCS@eeas.europa.eu  
The Contracting Authority has no obligation to provide clarifications to questions received after this date.
Replies will be given no later than 11 days before the deadline for submission of Concept Notes. 
To ensure equal treatment of applicants, the Contracting Authority cannot give a prior opinion on the eligibility of applicants, or affiliated entity(ies), an action or specific activities.
Questions that may be relevant to other applicants, together with answers and other important notices in the course of the evaluation procedure, will be published on the EuropeAid website https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/europeaid/online-services/index.cfm?do=publi.welcome and the Delegation’s website: http://www.europa.rs. It is therefore advisable to consult the abovementioned website regularly in order to be informed of the questions and answers published.
All questions related to PADOR registration should be addressed to the PADOR help desk: 
Europeaid-pador@ec.europa.eu 
2.2.5.	Full Application forms 
An applicant invited to submit a full application form following pre-selection of their Concept Note must do so using Part B of the application form annexed to these Guidelines (Annex A). Applicants should then keep strictly to the format of the application form and fill in the paragraphs and pages in order.
The elements outlined in the Concept Note cannot be modified by the applicant in the full application form. The EU contribution may not vary from the initial estimate by more than 20 %, although applicants are free to adapt the percentage of co-financing required within the minimum and maximum amount and percentages of co-financing, as laid down in these Guidelines under section 1.3.
Applicants must submit their applications in the same language as their Concept Note.
Please complete the full application form carefully and as clearly as possible so that it can be assessed properly. 
Any error related to the points listed in the Checklist (Part B, Section 7 of the Grant Application form) or any major inconsistency in the full application form (e.g. if the amounts in the budget worksheets are inconsistent) may lead to the rejection of the application.
Clarifications will only be requested when information provided is unclear and thus prevents the Contracting Authority from conducting an objective assessment.
Hand-written applications will not be accepted.
Please note that only the full application form and the published annexes which have to be filled in (budget, logical framework) will be transmitted to the evaluators (and assessors, if used). It is therefore of utmost importance that these documents contain ALL the relevant information concerning the action. No supplementary annexes should be sent.
2.2.6.	Where and how to send Full Application forms
Applications must be submitted in a sealed envelope by registered mail, private courier service or by hand-delivery (a signed and dated certificate of receipt will be given to the deliverer) to the address below:
Postal address and address for hand delivery or by private courier service:
Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Serbia
Contracts and Finance Section 
Vladimira Popovica 40/V
11070 Belgrade, Serbia 
Applications sent by any other means (e.g. by fax or by e-mail) or delivered to other addresses will be rejected.
Applications must be submitted in one original and 2 copies in A4 size, each bound. The full application form, budget and logical framework must also be supplied in electronic format (CD-Rom) in a separate and single file (i.e. the full application form must not be split into several different files). The electronic file must contain exactly the same application as the paper version. 
The Checklist (Section 7 of Part B of the grant application form) and the Declaration by the applicant (Section 8 of Part B of the grant application form) must be stapled separately and enclosed in the envelope.
Where applicants send several different applications (if allowed to do so by the Guidelines of the Call), each one must be sent separately.
The outer envelope must bear the reference number and the title of the Call for Proposals, together with the number and title of the lot, the full name and address of the applicant, and the words ‘Not to be opened before the opening session’ and ‘Ne otvarati pre zvanicne sednice otvaranja’.
Applicants must verify that their application is complete using the checklist (Section 7 of Part B of the grant application form). Incomplete applications may be rejected.
2.2.7.	Deadline for submission of Full Application forms
The deadline for the submission of applications will be indicated in the letter sent to the applicants whose application has been pre-selected. 
However, for reasons of administrative efficiency, the Contracting Authority may reject any application sent in due time but received after the date of approval of evaluation report for full applications (see indicative calendar under Section 2.5.2) 
2.2.8.	Further information about Full Application forms
Questions may be sent by e-mail no later than 21 days before the deadline for the submission of applications to the addresses listed below, indicating clearly the reference of the Call for Proposals:
E-mail address: DELEGATION-SERBIA-FCS@eeas.europa.eu  
The Contracting Authority has no obligation to provide clarifications to questions received after this date.
Replies will be given no later than 11 days before the deadline for the submission of applications. 
To ensure equal treatment of applicants, the Contracting Authority cannot give a prior opinion on the eligibility of applicants, affiliated entity(ies), or an action.
No individual replies will be given to questions.  All questions and answers as well as other important notices to applicants during the course of the evaluation procedure, will be published on the website https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/europeaid/online-services/index.cfm?do=publi.welcome and the Delegation’s website: http://www.europa.rs. It is therefore advisable to consult the abovementioned website regularly in order to be informed of the questions and answers published.
2.3.	Evaluation and selection of applications
Applications will be examined and evaluated by the Contracting Authority with the possible assistance of external assessors. All actions submitted by applicants will be assessed according to the following steps and criteria.
If the examination of the application reveals that the proposed action does not meet the eligibility criteria stated in paragraph 2.1, the application will be rejected on this sole basis.
(1)	STEP 1: OPENING & ADMINISTRATIVE CHECKS AND CONCEPT NOTE EVALUATION
The following will be assessed:
•	Compliance with the submission deadline. If the deadline has not been met, the application will automatically be rejected.
•	Concept Note satisfies all the criteria specified in points 1-5 of the Checklist Section 2 of Part A of the grant application form. If any of the requested information is missing or is incorrect, the application may be rejected on that sole basis and the application will not be evaluated further.
The Concept Notes that pass the first administrative check will be evaluated on the relevance and design of the proposed action.
The Concept Note will receive an overall score out of 50 using the breakdown in the evaluation grid below. The evaluation will also check on compliance with the instructions on the Concept Note, which can be found in Part A of the Application Form.
The evaluation criteria are divided into headings and subheadings. Each subheading will be given a score between 1 and 5 as follows: 1 = very poor; 2 = poor; 3 = adequate; 4 = good; 5 = very good.
	Scores	
1. Relevance of the action	Sub-score	30	
1.1 How relevant is the proposal to the objectives and priorities of the Call for Proposals?*	5x2**		
1.2 How relevant to the particular needs and constraints of the target country(ies) or region(s) is the proposal (including synergy with other EU initiatives and avoidance of duplication)?	5x2*		
1.3 How clearly defined and strategically chosen are those involved (final beneficiaries, target groups)? Have their needs been clearly defined and does the proposal address them appropriately?	5		
1.4 Does the proposal contain specific added-value elements, such as environmental issues, promotion of gender equality and equal opportunities, needs of disabled people, rights of minorities and rights of indigenous peoples, or innovation and best practices?	5		
2. Design of the action	Sub-score	20	
2.1 How coherent is the overall design of the action? 
In particular, does it reflect the analysis of the problems involved, take into account external factors and relevant stakeholders? 	5x2**		
2.2 Is the action feasible and consistent in relation to the objectives and expected results?	5x2**		
TOTAL SCORE		50	
* Note: A score of 5 (very good) will only be allocated if the proposal specifically addresses more than the required minimum number of priorities as indicated in Section 1.2 (Objectives of the programme) of these guidelines.
**these scores are multiplied by 2 because of their importance
Once all Concept Notes have been assessed, a list will be drawn up with the proposed actions ranked according to their total score. 
First, only the Concept Notes with a score of at least 30 will be considered for pre-selection. 
Secondly, the number of Concept Notes will be reduced, taking account of the ranking, to the number of Concept Notes whose total aggregate amount of requested contributions is equal to 200% of the available budget for this Call for Proposals. The amount of requested contributions of each concept note will be based on the indicative financial envelopes for each lot.
After the evaluation of Concept Notes, the Contracting Authority will send letters to all applicants, indicating whether their application was submitted by the deadline, informing them of the reference number they have been allocated, whether the Concept Note was evaluated and the results of that evaluation. The pre-selected applicants will subsequently be invited to submit full applications.
(2)	STEP 2: EVALUATION OF THE FULL APPLICATION 
First, the following will be assessed:
•	Compliance with the submission deadline. If the deadline has not been met, the application will automatically be rejected.
•	The full application form satisfies all the criteria specified in points 1-9 of the Checklist (Section 6 of Part B of the grant application form). If any of the requested information is missing or is incorrect, the application may be rejected on that sole basis and the application will not be evaluated further.
The quality of the applications, including the proposed budget and capacity of the applicants and affiliated entity(ies), will be evaluated using the evaluation criteria in the evaluation grid below. There are two types of evaluation criteria: selection and award criteria.
The selection criteria help to evaluate the applicant(s)'s and affiliated enity(ies) operational capacity and the applicant's financial capacity and to ensure that they:
•	have stable and sufficient sources of finance to maintain their activity throughout the proposed action and, where appropriate, to participate in its funding;
•	have the management capacity, professional competencies and qualifications required to successfully complete the proposed action. This also applies to any affiliated entity(ies) of the applicants.
The award criteria help to evaluate the quality of the applications in relation to the objectives and priorities, and to award grants to projects which maximise the overall effectiveness of the Call for Proposals. They help to select applications which the Contracting Authority can be confident will comply with its objectives and priorities. They cover the relevance of the action, its consistency with the objectives of the Call for Proposals, quality, expected impact, sustainability and cost-effectiveness.
Scoring:
The evaluation grid is divided into sections and subsections. Each subsection of sections 1 of the evaluation grid will be assessed on whether the criteria has been fulfilled or not. Each subsection of sections 2, 3, 4, and 5 will be given a score between 1 and 5 as follows: 1 = very poor; 2 = poor; 3 = adequate; 4 = good; 5 = very good. 
Evaluation Grid
Section		
1. Financial and operational capacity	Yes/No	
1.1 Do the applicants and, if applicable, affiliated entity(ies) have sufficient experience of project management? 		
1.2 Do the applicants and, if applicable, affiliated entity(ies) have sufficient technical expertise? (especially knowledge of the issues to be addressed.)		
1.3 Do the applicants and, if applicable, affiliated entity(ies) have sufficient management capacity? 
(including staff, equipment and ability to handle the budget for the action)?		
1.4 Does the applicant have stable and sufficient sources of finance?		
	Maximum Score	
2. Relevance of the action	30	
Score transferred from the Concept Note evaluation		
3. Effectiveness and feasibility of the action	20	
3.1 Are the activities proposed appropriate, practical, and consistent with the objectives and expected results?	5	
3.2 Is the action plan clear and feasible?	5	
3.3 Does the proposal contain objectively verifiable indicators for the outcome of the action? Is any evaluation planned?	5	
3.4 Is the co-applicant(s)'s and affiliated entity(ies)'s level of involvement and participation in the action satisfactory?	5	

4. Sustainability of the action 	15	
4.1 Is the action likely to have a tangible impact on its target groups?	5	
4.2 Is the proposal likely to have multiplier effects? (Including scope for replication, extension and information sharing.)	5	
4.3 Are the expected results of the proposed action sustainable?:
- financially (how will the activities be financed after the funding ends?)
- institutionally (will structures allowing the activities to continue be in place at the end of the action? Will there be local ‘ownership’ of the results of the action?)
- at policy level (where applicable) (what will be the structural impact of the action — e.g. will it lead to improved legislation, codes of conduct, methods, etc?)
- environmentally (if applicable) (will the action have a negative/positive environmental impact?)	5	

5. Budget and cost-effectiveness of the action	15	
5.1 Are the activities appropriately reflected in the budget?	5x2*	
5.2 Is the ratio between the estimated costs and the expected results satisfactory?	5 	
Maximum total score	80	
*these scores are multiplied by 2 because of their importance
Note on Section 1. Financial and operational capacity
If the answer is negative to one or more of the criteria, the application will be rejected.
Provisional selection
After the evaluation, a table will be drawn up listing the applications ranked according to their score and within the limits of the funds available. In addition, a reserve list will be drawn up following the same criteria to be used if more funds should become available during the validity period of the reserve list.
(3)	STEP 3: VERIFICATION OF ELIGIBILITY OF THE APPLICANTs AND AFFILIATED ENTITY(IES)
The eligibility verification, based on the supporting documents requested by the Contracting Authority (see Section 2.4) will only be performed for the applications that have been provisionally selected according to their score and within the available financial envelope. 
•	The Declaration by the applicant (Section 8 of Part B the grant application form) will be cross-checked with the supporting documents provided by the applicant. Any missing supporting document or any incoherence between the Declaration by the applicant and the supporting documents may lead to the rejection of the application on that sole basis. 
•	The eligibility of applicants, the affiliated entities(ies), and the action will be verified according to the criteria set out in Sections 2.1.1, 2.1.2 and 2.1.3.
Any rejected application will be replaced by the next best placed application in the reserve list that falls within the available financial envelope.
2.4.	Submission of supporting documents for provisionally selected applications
An applicant that has been provisionally selected or placed on the reserve list will be informed in writing by the Contracting Authority. It will be requested to supply the following documents in order to allow the Contracting Authority to verify the eligibility of the applicant, (if any) of the co-applicant(s) and (if any) of their affiliated entity(ies):
Supporting documents may/must be provided through PADOR, see Section 2.2
1.	The statutes or articles of association of the applicant, (if any) of each co-applicant(s) and (if any) of each affiliated entity(ies) .Where the Contracting Authority has recognised the applicant’s, or the co-applicant(s)’s, or their affiliated entity(ies)’s eligibility for another call for proposals under the same budget line within 2 years before the deadline for receipt of applications, it should be submitted, instead of the  statutes or articles of association, a copy of the document proving their eligibility in a former Call (e.g. a copy of the special conditions of a grant contract received during the reference period), unless a change in legal status has occurred in the meantime.  This obligation does not apply to international organisations which have signed a framework agreement with the European Commission.  
2.	A copy of the applicant’s latest accounts (the profit and loss account and the balance sheet for the last financial year for which the accounts have been closed). A copy of the latest account is not required from (if any) the co-applicant(s)).
3.	Legal entity sheet (see annex D of these Guidelines) duly completed and signed by each of the applicants (i,e by the applicant and (if any) by each co-applicant(s), accompanied by the justifying documents requested there. If the applicants have already signed a contract with the Contracting Authority, instead of the legal entity sheet and supporting documents, the legal entity number may be provided, unless a change in legal status occurred in the meantime.
4.	A financial identification form of the applicant (not from co-applicant(s)) conforming to the model attached at Annex E of these Guidelines, certified by the bank to which the payments will be made. This bank should be located in the country where the applicant is established. If the applicant has already submitted a financial identification form in the past for a contract where the European Commission was in charge of the payments and intends to use the same bank account, a copy of the previous financial identification form may be provided instead.
Where the requested supporting documents are not uploaded in PADOR they must be supplied in the form of originals, photocopies or scanned versions (i.e. showing legible stamps, signatures and dates) of the said originals. However, the Legal entity sheet and the financial identification form must always be submitted in original.
Where such documents are not in one of the official languages of the European Union or in the language of the country where the action is implemented, a translation into English of the relevant parts of these documents proving the applicant(s)'s eligibility, must be attached and will prevail for the purpose of analysing the application.
Where these documents are in an official language of the European Union other than English, it is strongly recommended, in order to facilitate the evaluation, to provide a translation of the relevant parts of the documents, proving the applicants' eligibility, into English.
If the abovementioned supporting documents are not provided before the deadline indicated in the request for supporting documents sent to the applicant by the Contracting Authority, the application may be rejected.
After verifying the supporting documents, the Evaluation Committee will make a final recommendation to the Contracting Authority, which will decide on the award of grants.
2.5.	Notification of the Contracting Authority’s decision
2.5.1.	Content of the decision
The applicant will be informed in writing of the Contracting Authority’s decision concerning their application and, if rejected, the reasons for the negative decision. 
An applicant believing that it has been harmed by an error or irregularity during the award process may lodge a complaint. See further Section 2.4.15 of the Practical Guide.

2.5.2.	Indicative timetable 

	DATE	TIME*	
Information meeting (if any)	See Section 2.2.4	See Section 2.2.4	
Deadline for requesting any clarifications from the Contracting Authority	30/05/2013	16:00	
Last date on which clarifications are issued by the Contracting Authority	07/06/2013	-	
Deadline for submission of Concept Notes 	20/06/2013	15:00h	
Information to applicants on opening, administrative checks and concept note evaluation  (Step 1)	August 2013*	-	
Invitations to submit Full Application Form	August/September 2013*	-	
Deadline for submission of Full Application Form	October 2013*	-	
Information to applicants on the evaluation of the Full Application Form (Step 2)	November 2013*	-	
Notification of award (after the eligibility check) (Step 3)	December 2013*	-	
Contract signature	December 2013*	-	
*Provisional date. All times are in the time zone of the country of the Contracting Authority.
This indicative timetable may be updated by the Contracting Authority during the procedure. In such cases, the updated timetable will be published on the EuropeAid web site	 https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/europeaid/online-services/index.cfm?do=publi.welcome and on the website of the Contracting Authority http://www.europa.rs.
2.6.	Conditions for implementation after the Contracting Authority’s decision to award a grant
Following the decision to award a grant, the Beneficiary(ies) will be offered a contract based on the Contracting Authority’s grant contract (see Annex G of these Guidelines). By signing the application form (Annex A of these Guidelines), the applicants agree, if awarded a grant, to accept the contractual conditions of the standard grant contract.
Implementation contracts
Where implementation of the action requires the Beneficiary(ies) and its affiliated entity(ies) (if any) to award procurement contracts, it must award the contract to the tenderer offering the best value for money, that is to say, the best price-quality ratio, in compliance with the principles of transparency and equal treatment for potential contractors, care being taken to avoid any conflict of interests. To this end, the Beneficiary must follow the procedures set out in Annex IV to the standard grant contract.
2.7.	Early warning system and central exclusion database 
The applicants and, if they are legal entities, the persons who have powers of representation, decision-making or control over them, are informed that, should they be in one of the situations mentioned in:
-	Commission Decision of 16.12.2008 on the Early Warning System (EWS) for the use of authorising officers of the Commission and the executive agencies (OJ, L 344, 20.12.2008, p.125) or
-	Commission Regulation of 17.12.2008 on the Central Exclusion Database (CED) (OJ L344, 20.12.2008, p.12),
their personal details (name, given name (if natural person), address, legal form and name and given name of the persons with powers of representation, decision-making or control (if legal person)) may be registered in the EWS only or both in the EWS and CED, and communicated to the persons and entities listed in the above-mentioned Decision and Regulation, in relation to the award or the execution of a grant agreement or decision.
3.	LIST OF annexes
Documents to be completed
Annex A:	Grant Application Form (Word format)
Annex B:	Budget (Excel format)
Annex C:	Logical Framework (Excel format)
Annex D:	Legal Entity Sheet
Annex E:	Financial identification form
Annex F:	PADOR off Line Form
DOCUMENTS FOR INFORMATION
Annex G:	Standard Grant Contract
-	Annex II:	General conditions applicable to European Union-financed grant contracts for external actions
-	Annex IV:	contract award procedures
-	Annex V:	standard request for payment
-	annex VI:	model narrative and financial report
-Annex VII:	model report of factual findings and terms of reference for an expenditure verification of an EU financed grant contract for external action
-Annex IX:	standard template for transfer of ownership of assets
Annex H:	Daily allowance rates (Per diem), available at the following address: http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/work/procedures/implementation/index_en.htm
Annex K:	Guidelines and Checklist for assessing Budget and Simplified cost options.
Project Cycle Management Guidelines 
http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/multimedia/publications/publications/manuals-tools/t101_en.htm