APULIA REGION Global Grant Small Subsidies Sovvenzione Globale Piccoli Sussidi

1. APULIA REGION Global Grant Small Subsidies Sovvenzione Globale Piccoli Sussidi Presentation of Results Bruxelles, October 2 2008 Giovanni Tricarico, Managing Director Confcooperative Puglia – Management Committee Global Grants – Apulia Region

2. Apulia Surface: 19.358 kmq Population: 4.076.546  (31 december 2007) Density: 210,6 ab./Kmq.

3. Global Grant is a means foreseen by the CE Regulation 1260/99, aimed to promote specific actions for local development. • Each Global Grant involves choosing a management organism for the intervention – Intermediary Organization – which must carry out specific actions to assure: • Specific efficiency at the local level; • Unique action method; • Constant and standardized monitoring; • Quick results; • Simpler procedures.

4. Global Grant – Small Subsidies is the intervention action promoted by the Apulia Region, within the ESF (European Structured Funds) program for 2000-2006, aiming to develop the local social economy, favor employment for people in unfavorable social conditions, in particular through development of enterprises, self-employment and focused itineraries for employment. • Global Grant has been enacted through Action c) of POR Puglia 2000-2006 – ESF (Measure 5.3 action C) of the ORP (Operative Regional Plan) Puglia 2000-2006 – ESF).

5. The Intermediary Organism (IO) identified by the Apulian Region for enacting Global Grant Small Subsidies ORP Puglia Meas. 5.3, is the Social Enterprise for Development Temporary Business Association • the TBA is made up of the following organisms: • APE: Agency for Promotion of Social Cooperation, non profit organization, belonging to Legacoop • FONDOSVILUPPO spa: Confcooperative’s Mutual Fund • the Intermediary Organism has been operating since December 2006 and will conclude in November 2008

6. From the planning phase, the TBA has defined a network of relations with other organizations of the territory with the aim of promoting the initiative across the Apulian social context and assure its applicability. The Intermediary Organism has therefore defined a second level partnership including the most significant representatives of cooperation, the third sector, university and research

7. The objectives of the Global Grant have been achieved through the following actions: • Action 1 – Consolidation of the organizations operating in social assistance an employment sectors, by enforcing the quality of services provided; • Action 2 – Development of new enterprises operating in the social assistance and services sector, though spin-off processes aimed to support employment of people in unfavorable social conditions; • Action 3 – Assistance initiatives focused on promoting access to and enactment of employment and training activities of non autonomous subjects; • Action 4 – Participation to risk capital of third sector organisms (action entirely funded by the IO partners).

8. Action 1 – Consolidation of the organizations operating in social assistance an employment sectors, by enforcing the quality of services provided Characteristics of the intervention: • The action has financed interventions for qualitatively and quantitatively consolidating and improving services offered by organizations operating within social inclusion.

9. Action 1 – Consolidation of the organizations operating in social assistance and labor inclusion, by enforcing the quality of services provided • Acquire instrumentation, with particular attention to those related to information and communication technologies; • Support requalification itineraries, that support training of new professional social profiles, as required at regional and national level; • Achieve adequate qualitative performance standards (including Social Audit plans, certification and accreditation). • Implement procedures concerning work security • Acquire structural and instrumental endowment able to favor employment of not completely autonomous subjects.

10. Action 2 – Development of new enterprises operating in the social assistance and services sector, though spin-off processes aimed to support employment of people in unfavorable social conditions All the subjects had to: • Prove their ability to provide services of technical assistance for developing a project idea and defining an enterprise project, along with training and tutoring during project start-up; • Prove their ability to involve other public and private subjects, focused on managing social assistance, training and occupational interventions, in projects; • Prove their consolidated operation in time.

11. Eligible costs The costs recognized as eligible within the projects presented on Action 2 are: Phase a) – before enterprise start-up • Costs for orientation, information and training; • Costs for technical assistance and consulting Phase b) – after enterprise start-up • Costs for defining and starting-up the enterprise; • Costs for instrumentation and other amortizable material and incorporeal goods • Costs for technical assistance and consulting

12. Action 3 – Assistance initiatives focused on promoting access to and enactment of employment and training activities of non autonomous subjects Characteristics of the Intervention The action funded assistance initiatives aimed at supporting and improving the efficacy of results achieved in Action 1 and 2; • Services that allow employment of subjects in unfavorable conditions, such as assistance to education for young disabled attending courses and training, and interventions for eliminating architectural barriers; • Support actions like: data processing and electronic devices, educational material adapted to subjects in unfavorable conditions, adoption of specific teaching methodologies; • Facilitation to access telecommunication and information services; • Assistance to employment; • Work experience.

13. Eligible Costs • Costs for staff and consulting for carrying out activities • Costs for acquiring and supplying services • Support to employment, through contributions for a total of € 5.165,00 towards enterprises that have committed to hire subject trained in initiatives from Action 1 and 2. • Costs for buying/renting/fixing material and incorporeal goods • Costs for work-experience provided through scholarship: • Full time: a monthly scholarship of € 590 for 4 months • Part time: a monthly scholarship of € 370 for 5 months

14. Subjects eligible to presenting projects on Action 1, 2, and 3 • Social promotion associations • Social Cooperative societies along with their consortiums in cooperative status • Volunteer associations recognized as ONLUS registered in regional and national registers; • Local partnerships having involved in fighting social alienation by promoting employment of subjects in unfavorable social conditions, organized in TBA with one of the above as lead partner. • The contribution of eligible costs, for actions 1, 2 and 3 was equal to 100% ( max € 35.000,00). • The recipient subjects had to have legal and/or operative site in Apulia and commit to enact their initiative within the region.

15. Action 4 – Participation to risk capital of third sector organisms (action entirely funded by the IO partners) Characteristics of the Intervention: this action involves participation in the risk capital of cooperative societies along with their consortiums in cooperative status, with proven experience in the field of employment and social involvement of subjects in unfavorable conditions. • The above enterprises had to present a development project focused on improving assets’ structure and enactment of investment programs • No initiatives for economical and financial recovery of striving enterprises were carried out.

16. Through its partners, I.O. will become member of the lead partner if: • There is an explicit agreement to subscribe and contextually submit an amount at least equal to the one required by the initiative; • The requesting organization commits to refund the amount received in no longer than 5 years from the date of deposit on behalf of the lead partner. available resources and reference parameters • The maximum amount attributable for each project is of € 50.000,00. • The available resources for Action 4 are equal to € 650.000,00.

17. Activities of the IO as support to carrying out the Global Grant … • I.O. has provided a technical assistance, support, monitoring and control service, through experts that follow the initiative during each phase (administration, management, cost statements), in favor of those subjects to whom the grants have been adjudged. • A research aiming at analyzing the consistency of the third sector in Apulia has been carried out. The study investigated the areas of application, the number of employees, the potentials of the third sector, along with unexpressed employment capabilities. Results will be presented in November. • Balance sheets of beneficiary subjects have been analyzed in order to assess the main indicators, point out critical issues and suggest focused initiatives, also according to Basilea 2 guidelines.

18. Activities of the I.O. as support to carrying out the Global Grant Cost Statement and grant disposal • The beneficiary subjects could request an anticipation of 50% of the grant assured by a bank or insurance fidejussion. Once spent the 80% of the advanced payment, another advanced payment could be disposed, up to 45% of the entire project cost.

19. Beneficiary Subjects We have received over 450 requests

20. Amount allocatedfor each action 1The Apulia Region has refinanced the Global Grant with residuals from other actions of the Measure for a total of € 2.900.000,00.

21. Some indicators of results The capitalized cooperative societies (Action 4) have increased their social capital of € 65.000,00 in average.

22. Although started at the end of the ORP 2000-2006, the Global Grant has proven to be an interesting means for consolidating the third sector and social cooperation, and has achieved and gone beyond the expected results. • It is the first time in Apulia that a coordinated and controlled intervention has been carried out to support investments and enforce the third sector with excellent occupational results and enforcement of the services in disadvantaged areas • Many initiatives are planned: conferences, brochure with funded Organizations; DVD for presenting the initiative; journal articles with the aim of promoting good practices and pointing out a forgotten aspect of our society.

23. The collaboration between Confcooperative and Legacoop along with the participation of other third sector organizations has contributed to an efficacious management • The Cooperative Movement in Apulia are ready to collaborate to promote and enact other similar initiatives within the next Structural Fund program.

24. Thank you for your attention Giovanni Tricarico Confcooperative Puglia Viale L. Einaudi, 15 – 70125 – Bari - Italy Tel. +39 080.5011001 – Fax +39 080.5013329 tricarico.g@confcooperative.it www.confcooperative.it www.puglia.confcooperative.it