Applying for Funding: How to Apply for the ESPON 2013 Programme

1. 2002-2012 A Decade of Territorial Evidence ESPON 2013 Programme Info Day Luxembourg , 11 September 2013 How to apply

2. Legal Framework EC Regulations • Council Regulation (EC) No 1083/2006 • Regulation (EC) No 1080/2006 • Commission Regulation (EC) No 1828/2006 Community rules • Community rules for competition, protection of the environment, equal opportunities between men and women, public procurement National rules • National rules applicable to the Lead/Project Partners Programme rules • Operational Programme Document and Programme Manual • Agreement between the Member/Partner States-MA

3. ECP Eligible for Funding Geographical references The applicants can be ECPs nominated by EU Member States and Partner States of the ESPON 2013 Programme • Member States: Countries of the EU 27 • Partner States: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland Other eligibility criteria • ECPs which nomination has been confirmedby the Monitoring Committee by the 22 August 2013 • ECPs with a valid nomination until the end of the proposed project duration (confirmed by 18 October 2013, closure of the call)

4. Application Procedure MC decision on the call Deadline for submissions (18 October 2013) MC decision on approved projects (likely 3-4 December 2013) call is opened evaluations 2 months 2 months Project Implementation Launch of the call for proposal (22 August 2013) Signature of subsidy contract (Pre) announcement (22/08/2013)

5. How to Apply ? Using a standard Application Form • Part A: Administrative, Financial and Management related information (protected Excel file) + 2 charts • PART B: Content related information, (Word file) • Annexes – solvency documents (in case of involvement of private partners) Application must • Be completed in English • Be completed by using the provided files only • Be submitted any time during the time when the call is open • Be submitted electronically via e-mail AND via post (one original signed and stamped and one copy) • Deadline for submission – 18 October 2013

6. Application Form - PART B (1) • Application Form: PART B • Outline of the strategy and approach for implementing a Transnational Networking Activity describing the objectives of the proposed work and covering the requirements mentioned in the Programme Manual (maximum 15 pages). • Detailed description of the various activities to be implemented and how the project will be organised and coordinated as well as the expected outcomes (maximum 20 pages) • Indications of which ESPON Projects is intended to make use of and how you intend to ensure the targeted capitalisation of ESPON results in the transnational and specific local contexts (maximum 10 pages). • Detailed time plan for the implementation of the various activities indicating also the respective responsibilities of each project partner (maximum 5 pages)

7. Application Form – Part B (2) • Separate Word Document • Each of the four chapter can be described within the maximum number of pages indicated. • Each chapter will only be considered up to the allowed maximum number of pages.

8. Application Form – PART A (1) Application Form: PART A • Partnership information and financial overview • Financial information on specific equipment and external expertise • Budget breakdown per work package and per budget lines • Payment forecast • Overview of working hours • Management structure • Chart describing interlinkages in the management structure (separate document) • Chart describing the audit trail

9. Application Form - PART A (2) • Protected excel file • Filling in instructions • Macros • Interlinked sheets • Color codes • Drop down lists • Cut/Paste function to be avoided • Tick boxes • Character limits • Error messages

10. Instruction Sheet • Please read the instruction sheet before filling in the form

11. Error Messages • The “Cover Sheet” and some of the other sheets include error messages • In case a cell is not completed, or incorrectly completed an error message appears • All error messages have to be cleared before submission

12. Cover Sheet • Your priority is already set • Complete the Acronym and the Title cells. They will be automatically shown in the following sheets Color code helps you to fill in the cells correctly.

13. Budget Appropriateness of resources allocation and justification is one of the eligibility criteria. Budget exercise among project partnership is key element in the preparation of the Application Form. Main elements to consider when preparing budget: Total budget per Project Partner involved in the partnership; Breakdown per Work Package(2 in total: Coordination and Activities); Breakdown per Budget Lines (5 in total: staff, administration, travel and accommodation, equipment and external expertise and services); Breakdown per Reporting Period (payment forecast) on a 6-month period basis. IMPORTANT: budget exercise needs to be consistent with the planned working hours per partner to be detailed in the Application Form.

14. Financial Overview Sheet (1) - Please consult with the documents of the Application Pack for the timing of the project, activities shall not go beyond December 2014 - You can add as many partners as you need. Please consider a sound and efficient management • Please carefully select the legal status from the drop down menu • In case of private ECPs, consult with the Application Pack for necessary solvency documents

15. Financial Overview Sheet (2) • Indicate the budget foreseen for the Lead/Project Partners • Budget is to be prepared on the basis of the activities needed to carry out project activities • The indicated budget will appear automatically in the following sheets

16. Breakdown Equipment Sheet • Please include here the equipment(s) per partner that are necessary for the project implementation • For selecting a partner please use the drop down menu • The total equipment costs will be shown in the following sheets

17. Breakdown External Expertise Sheet • Please include here the external expertise per partner foreseen for the project implementation • For selecting a partner please use the drop down menu • The total external expertise costs will be shown in the following sheets

18. Breakdown Budget Line and WP Sheet • Please break down the costs per budget line and per workpackage • Staff costs have to be based on the number of working hours indicated in sheet 2 “Working Hours”

19. Budget monitoring • Significance of the well-justified budget allocation: • Appropriateness of the allocation and justification of the resources (budget and staff) is one management related criteria for the evaluation of Application Form (hereinafter AF); • In case the AF is selected, will ease the duty of the LP to produce a budget breakdown per partner, per WP, per BL as part of the subsidy contract; • Budget consumption is monitored for each reporting period (automatically filled-in in each progress report) in the implementation phase; • Necessity of having a well-prepared budget since the very beginning because the budget change during implementation phase is limited by: • flexibility rules (max of 20.000 EUR or up to 10% of the BL, WP, partner budget whichever is the higher) or • twice in the project lifetime, changes above the flexibility rules, adding up to a max. of 20% of the total costs stated in the contract.

20. Payment forecast and reporting Applicants are asked to complete the payment forecast table in Application Form representing 6 month reporting periods over the full implementation period. → please make sure to use the full implementation period from the start of the project (date of approval of the MC) until the end of the activities. → Please make sure that the total in the payment forecast table is the same as the total project budget of the Application Form.

21. Payment Forecast Sheet • Please plan the payment forecast of the project according to the recommended duration of the project • Each payment claim covers a six-month period - Please indicate the payment forecast of the partners coming from CH, NO, IS and LI separately in table B

22. Overview of Working Hours Sheet • Please include here an overview of the working hours foreseen by the Lead and Project Partners • Please make the calculation in working hours. No other unit will be accepted

23. Management Structures Sheet (1) • Each project has to appoint a Project Coordinator and a Financial Manager. Please include their details in this section • The appointment of a Project Manager and a Communication Manager is optional

24. Management Structures (2) • - Application Form Part A has to be accompanied with two charts: • 1. Chart or diagram to visualizing interlinkages in relation to the management process (as required in point 3.5/b) • 2. Chart or diagram to illustrating the financial flow and the audit trail (as requested in point 3.6 b) • - The two charts have to be sent as annexes to the Application Form Part A (both in original and in electronic versions)

25. Consistency Sheet • Please eliminate error messages by selecting one of the tick boxes. • Please complete the sections on EU horizontal policies

26. LP-Certification Signature Sheet • Please tick all tick boxes to eliminate error messages - This sheet of the Application Form has to be signed and stamped by the representative of the Lead Partner.

27. Checklist for Submission Sheet -This checklist is to be completed before the submission of the application in order to ensure that all requirements listed below are fulfilled. -Please tick all boxes in order to eliminate error messages.

28. Before Submission Please make sure that: - Application Form Part A is completed entirely -“Cover sheet” and all other sheets are cleared from error messages - The character limits are not exceeded • Correct information is selected from the drop down lists • Application Form is signed and stamped by the representative of the Lead Partner • Charts 3.5/b and 3.6/b are attached • In case private partners are involved, the relevant solvency documents are attached • Application Form Part B is completed • Page limits are respected • Please verify that all points of the Submission Checklist are fulfilled! • Please ensure to eliminate all error messages. • Application Forms including error message are not eligible

29. Submission (1) The application has to be submitted in both paper and electronic versions by 18 October 2013 Paper version • Application Form Part A (signed and stamped in original) • Chart on management structure (as requested in point 3.5/b) • Chart on financial flow (as requested in point 3.6/b) • Application Form Part B • Solvency related documents (if private partners are involved) • Please send TWO PAPER VERSIONS of the application: one ORIGINAL and one COPY by mail/courier to the following address: • ESPON Coordination Unit • 4, rue Erasme • L-1468 Luxembourg - Kirchberg • Grand Duchy of Luxembourg • The date of sending will be checked through the postal stamp on the envelope. Please ensure that sending date can be justified.

30. Submission (2) Electronic version • Application Form Part A (excel version) • Chart on management structure (as requested in point 3.5/b) • Chart on financial flow (as requested in point 3.6/b) • Application Form Part B • Solvency related documents (if private partners are involved) • Please send the electronic version of the application to: • application@espon.eu • An automatic reply will be sent in order to confirm the receipt of your application. Please carefully keep this message. • Deadline for submission of applications: 18 October 2013

31. Selection Procedure - eligibility check Eligibility check according to 6 criteria: • Application has been submitted in due time in original and electronic versions; • Application is complete and includes the requested administrative forms properly filled in according to the detailed instructions provided in Part A and Part B of the Application Form; supporting document as well as the proposal for a TNA • The content of the proposal specifically includes all the 4 compulsory activities required and respects the minimum requirements provided (see list in page 13 and 14 of the Programme Manual); • The proposal comply with the requirement set by the ESPON 2013 Programme (as detailed in Chapter 5.3.2 of the Programme Manual); • The partnership involves at least the minimum number of participants given in the specific call. • The nomination of all ECP institutions involved in the project proposal has been confirmed by the Monitoring Committee by the time of the opening of the call, and a valid nomination exists for all partners involved until the end of the projectby the deadline for the submission of the proposal.

32. Selection Procedure – correctable omission Correctable omission: • Missing supporting document in paper version as requested by the call (the two annexes of AF part A as well as the solvency documents; • Missing signature and/or missing stamp in a document • Missing supporting document in electronic version as requested by the call (the two annexes of AF part A as well as the solvency documents • Corrections of discrepancy in the electronic version of the proposal submitted compared to the paper version sent to the MA (CU) by post which is considered the valid application in legal terms;

33. Selection Procedure – Evaluation Evaluation : the evaluation starts with Part B of the Application Form in order to avoid any bias • Three blocks of criteria: content related, management related, partnership related • Each block has a total number of points • No weighting will be applied • Each criterion will be scored individually (scores 0-10) • Each criterion shall be scored at least 6 – Sufficient (knock-out criterion) • In case of equal scoring, the MC will consider additional criteria: • Reasonable geographical distribution • Reasonable involvement of partners having entered the EU after 1 January 2004 Notification The decision of the MC will be notified to all Lead Applicants

34. Decision Making • The MC will approve the best eligible proposal(s) confirming the ranking of the content related evaluation. • This decision will be notified to all Lead Applicants soon after the MC decision • All the Lead Partners of the approved projects will receive a letter from the MA(CU) stating the decision of the MC as well as the total ERDF, EU Member States’ and eventually Partner States’ national funds approved. • The MC decision may include certain conditions, recommendations and/or suggestions for improvements. In this case, the process of contracting, managed by the CU, will include a necessary revision/amendment of the project proposal. The result of this procedure will be the basis for concluding a Subsidy Contract.

35. Further Questions For questions on the content please send an e-mail to: content@espon.eu. For questions regarding procedures please send an e-mail to: procedures@espon.eu. Thank you for your attention!