Funding transnational cooperation of NGOs Lukáš Maláč Regional Consultancy Agency Ltd.

1. Funding transnational cooperation of NGOs Lukáš Maláč Regional Consultancy Agency Ltd.

2. Organization of the seminar • General information on theStructural Funds • Structural Funds in the Czech Republic • „Ex-EQUAL“ provisions • Territorial cooperation • Community schemes and action programmes

3. 1. General information on theStructural Funds

4. 1. General information on the SF. • SF Objectives2007 – 2013 • Objective 1: Convergence • Aim: Promoting convergence of the least developed regions. • countries with GDP per capita < 90 % of the Community average (eligible for assistance from CF) regionswith GDP per capita below75 % of the Community average (ERDF) Objective covers all regions of the C.R. with the expection of Prague region. • Objective 2: Regional Competitiveness and Employment: • Aim: Strengthening competitiveness and attractiveness, as well as employment • In the C.R. only Prague region is eligible for assistance under this Objective • Objective 3: European Territorial Co-operation: • Aim: strengthen cross-border co-operation through joint local and reg. initiatives • In the C.R. all regions with the expections of Central Bohemian region and Prague are eligible for assistance under this Objective

5. infrastructure, innovation, investments etc. vocational training, employment aids etc. environmental and transportinfra- structure, renewableenergy all Member States andregions MemberStates with a GNI/head below 90% 1. General information on the SF. Objectives, SF andinstruments 2007 - 2013 Objectives Structural Funds and instruments Convergence ERDF ESF Cohesion Fund ERDF ESF Regional Competitiveness and Employment European territorial Cooperation ERDF

6. 1. General information on the SF. Comparing 2000-06 and 2007-2013 • 2007-2013 • Financial instruments: • the 2 Structural Funds (ERDF, ESF) • CohesionFund, IPA • the EIB • The priorities : • 3 Objectives: • 1) Convergence, • 2) RegionalCompetitiveness and Employment (RCE), • 3) Territorial Co-operation • 2000-06 • Financial instruments: • the 4 Structural Funds (ERDF, ESF, EAGGF, FIFG) • CohesionFund, ISPA • the EIB • The priorities : • Objectives 1, 2 et 3 • Community initiatives • Innovative Actions

7. 2. Structural Funds in the Czech Republic

8. 2. SF in theCzechRepublic. • Operational programmes: Objective Convergence • 1. Sectional OPs • OP Enterprises and Innovations(11,75%) • OP Environment (20%) • OP Transport (21,5%) • OP Education for Competitiveness(7%) • OP Research and Development for Innovations (8%) • OP Human Resources and Employment (10%) • Integrated Operational Programme(8%)

9. 2. SF in theCzechRepublic. • 2.RegionalOP • OperationalProgrammeSouth-East‚ • OperationalProgrammeSouth-West‚ • OperationalProgrammeMoraviaSilesia • OperationalProgrammeNorth-East • OperationalProgrammeNorth-West • OperationalProgrammeCentralMoravia • OperationalProgrammeCentralBohemia

10. 2. SF in theCzechRepublic. • Operational programmes: Objective RegionalCompetitivenessandEmployment • OP Prague – Competitiveness (71%) • OP Prague – Adaptability(29%)

11. 2. SF in theCzechRepublic. • OperationalProgrammes: ObjectiveEuropeanTerritorial Co-operation • OP Interregionalcooperation(= INTERREG IIIC) • OP CentralEurope(= INTERREG IIIB) • OPsCross-bordercoopeeration: • CR-Bavaria OP • CR-Austria OP • CR-Slovakia OP • CR-Poland OP • CR-Saxony OP

12. 2. SF in theCzechRepublic.

13. 3. „Ex-EQUAL“ provisions

14. 3. „Ex-EQUAL“ provisions MainstreamingofCommunityinitiatives → need to track down the provisions of formar EQUAL initiative in the standard MS architecture of OPs

15. 3. „Ex-EQUAL“ provisions • Location of ex-EQUAL provisions in Czech structure of OPs: Structure of Human Resources and Employment Operational Programme(HREOP) • Priority axis 1: Adaptability • Priority axis 2: Active labor market policy • Priority axis 3: Social integration and equal opportunities • Priority axis 4: Public administration and public services • Priority axis 5: Transnational cooperation

16. 3. „Ex-EQUAL“ provisions Priority axis 5 of HREOP: justification “This priority axes will, in accordance with Article 8 of the Regulation on the European Social Fund, focus on the promotion of transnational cooperation in human resources development between projects in different EU Member States, between groups of actors specializing in specific areas, between actors from a joint regional area and actors from other areas, and between national organizations in several EU Member States. The expedient support of transnational cooperation helps increase the impact of projects at local, regional and national level thanks to the incorporation of the experience, credit and professional knowledge of foreign partners, improves the efficiency of expenditure thanks to the acquisition of solutions already discovered abroad, and facilitates transnational comparisons and the spread of good practice. Projects realized under this priority axes will focus on promoting the objectives of other HREOP priority axes.”

17. 3. „Ex-EQUAL“ provisions • HREOP Priority axes 5: Objecives • Global objective: • Intensification of transnational cooperation in human resources development and employment. • Specific objectives: • To increase the efficiency of strategies and policies in the field of human resources and employment • To develop partnership, pacts and initiatives in the field of HRE

18. 3. „Ex-EQUAL“ provisions • HREOP Priority axes 5: Areas of activity (1) • Following activities are eligible to be carried out in the scope of individual projects and global grants: • Activity A: Innovative projects in following fields: • the exchange of experience and transfer of good practice between EU Member States in matters concerning the management and administration of the ESF (the active employment policy, the handling of problems concerning the social inclusion of specific groups of the population, further education, the modernization of public administration, etc.), and the implementation of the ESF; • cooperation between projects in various EU MS with the aim of improving the results of their own projects or achieving joint results

19. 3. „Ex-EQUAL“ provisions • HREOP Priority axes 5: Areas of activity (2) • Activity B: Development of partnerships and thematic networks: • support for the establishment and development of local partnerships; • the exchange of experience and transfer of good experience between local partnerships in a matters concerning the building and management of partnerhips, specific activities of local partnerships, etc.; • the formation of thematic networks to address a specific problem

20. 3. „Ex-EQUAL“ provisions • HREOP Priority axes 5: Areas of activity (3) • Especially and exclusively for NGOs (!): • Activity C: Mobility • support of capacity building of NGOs through international internships, study visits, etc.

21. 3. „Ex-EQUAL“ provisions • HREOP Priority axes 5: Partnership • Realization of the projects through established partnership is an essential condition • Moreover, transnational cooperation in the form of partnership is a prerequisite of the eligibility of submitted projects for financing.

22. 3. „Ex-EQUAL“ provisions • HREOP Priority axes 5: Other conditions • Individual projects as well as global grants; however, in the case of NGOs only global grants projects are eligible • Maximal duration of single project (submitted in the scope of relevant global grant): 3 years • Maximal amount of finances to be granted to single project: • 10.000.000 Kč (approx. 370.000 €) • Maximum grant amount: 100% of eligible costs

23. 3. „Ex-EQUAL“ provisions • HREOP Priority axes 5: Target groups • Job seekers • Social partners, their organizations and employees • Socially exclude groups or at the risk of social exclusion • Local governments, their offices, bodies, organizations and employees • R&D institutions • Local partnerships • NGOs

24. 3. „Ex-EQUAL“ provisions • HREOP Priority axes 5: Call for proposals • Currently no open call for proposals • Upcoming call for proposals: expected to be opened at the end of May (allegedly will be open till 2011 or till withdrawal of all allocated finances)

25. 4. Territorial cooperation

26. 4. Territorialcooperation • Operation programmes concerned with cross-border cooperation (Objective 3) at disposal for NGOs from bordering regions • Prerequisites / conditions of submitting granting applications much more benevolent than in standard OPs • Essential: joint preparation, realization, work teams or financing of the project (at least two) • Eligible variety of activities that cannot be eligible in any other OP (e.g. sport events) • Usually encompassing Small Project Funds available for rich variety of actions with cross-border impact • In a limited scope also available for investment projects! (e.g. joint infrastructure for emergency services)

27. 5. Community schemes and action programmes

28. 5. Community schemes and action programmes • “Community programmes” –outside the structure of EU Regional Policy • Budgetary instruments applied by various DGs and used to support desired developments in areas of major interest • Extremely complex and unsystematic set of up to several hundreds of various programmes, budgetary schemes, areas of intervention, etc. • Sometimes managed at the level of MS, most of them managed directly by EU institutions • In vas majority of cases requiring strong aspects of international cooperation of relevant actors across the EU

29. 5. Community schemes and action programmes • Examples of relevant “Community programmes” • Youth in Action • EU Programme for young people aged 15-28 • Aims to inspire a sense of active citizenship, solidarity and tolerance among young Europeans • Programme promoting mobilityof young people within and beyond the EU borders, non-formal learning and intercultural dialogue • Extremely user-friendly, almost anyone (of proper age) can apply • Total budget of 885 million euros for seven years (2007-2013) • Further information: http://ec.europa.eu/youth/youth-in-action-programme/

30. 5. Community schemes and action programmes • DAPHNE III • Programme to combat violence against children, young people and women • Managed by DG Freedom, Security and Justice • Aims at supporting organizations that develop measures and actions to prevent or to combat all types of violence against children, young people and women and to protect the victims and groups at-risk. • At least two partners from two different EU/EEA MS. • Co-funding up to 80% of total costs of the project • Further information: http://ec.europa.eu/justice_home/funding/daphne3/funding_daphne3_en.htm

31. 5. Community schemes and action programmes • Culture 2007 • Aims to achieve three main objectives: • promote cross-border mobility of those working in the cultural sector; • encourage the transnational circulation of cultural and artistic output; • foster intercultural dialogue • Eligible activities: • Multi-annual co-operation projects, running over a period of 3 to 5 years • Co-operation measures, running over a maximum period of 2 years • Special measures (e.g. support to European Capitals of Culture) • At least 6 partners from 6 MS (or 3 from 3 MS in the case of activity 2), awarding up to 500.000 € to single project (max. 50% of total costs) • Total budget for 2007 – 2013 period: 400 mil. € • Further information: http://ec.europa.eu/culture/index_en.htm

32. 5. Community schemes and action programmes • Media 2007 • EU support programme for the European audiovisual industry • Supported actions: • training professionals • developing production projects • distributing films and audiovisual programmes • promoting films and audiovisual programmes • supporting film festivals • Budget: approx. 5 mil. € annually. • Further information: http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/media/index_en.htm

33. Thank you for your attention!Mgr. Lukáš MaláčE-mail: malac@rpa.czGSM: +420 737 611 547