VAPRO

The Ministry of European Funds, will launch on 05.03.2018 a call for projects for “Reducing the energy consumption of industrial consumers” – 6.2 Specific Objective within the Operational Programme Large Infrastructure 2014-2020, which will be opened until 31.12.2018.

Total call allocation: 7.884.197 euro

Eligible value of the project:

• Up to 200.000 euro;

Non-reimbursable financing:

• 100% non-reimbursable;

Project implementation period:

• 18 months

Eligible beneficiaries:

• Industry companies with consumption of more than 1,000 toe/year, performing activities related to the: Extractive industry and Manufacturing industry sectors.

Projects implemented in the Bucharest – Ilfov development region are not eligible.

Eligible expenditure:

• Acquisition of the monitoring system of energy consumption at the level of industrial platform (monitoring systems, RTU-remote terminal units, communication system, master stations etc.); land acquisition/development; utilities; design; constructions etc.
• Project preparation (studies, permits, authorizations etc.);
• Project management, Audit;
• Information and publicity.

For more information you can consult a summary of the guideline here.

A new call for projects has been launched within the EEA and Norway Grants Fund 2014-2021: “National partnership cooperation projects in the field of Roma children inclusion in school”, with the purpose to increase the capacity of schools to ensure the inclusion of Roma children.

Call allocation:

• 811.764 euro.

Non-reimbursable financing:

• Minimum – 60.000 euro.
• Maximum – 200.000 euro.

The non-reimbursable financing covers:

• public institutions – 100% from eligible costs
• NGOs – 90% from eligible costs

Eligible applicants:

• Romanian NGOs or Romanian public institutions active in the area of Roma children inclusion, on behalf of a consortium.

Eligible partners:

• 5 – 6 Romanian schools with at least 20% of Roma children students enrolled, schools from disadvantaged communities.

Eligible activities:

• training of teachers working with Roma children;
• developing new curricula and/or teaching materials on inclusiveness and multicultural environment;
• extracurricular activities for Roma and non-Roma parents/students (on discrimination and inclusion issues).

Implementation period:

• Mininum – 12 months;
• Maximum – 24 months.

Eligible expenditures:

• management, implementation and project activities;
• implementation of eligible activities (salaries);
• transport;
• support for the participants with special needs.

Deadline for project submission: 31.05.2018.

For more information you can consult a summary of the guideline here.

The first call for projects within the EEA and Norway Grants Fund for Regional Cooperation (2014-2021) has been launched.

Within the call “Common Challenges – Shared Solutions” are eligible cross-border cooperation projects and transnational cooperation projects ideas focusing on measures like:

• knowledge-sharing,
• exchange of good practice
• capacity building, within all priority areas:
  • Innovation, Research, Education and Competitiveness;
  • Social Inclusion, Youth Employment and Poverty Reduction;
  • Environment, Energy, Climate Change and Low Carbon Economy;
  • Culture, Civil Society, Good Governance, and Fundamental Rights and Freedoms;
  • Justice and Home Affairs;

Total allocation:

• 31,89 mil euro, out of which, for the current call: 15 mil euro.

Grant:

• Minimum > 1 mil. euro.

With a non-reimbursable financing of:

• up to 90% for NGOs, Universities and Research organisations:;
• up to 85% for other entities (e.g.: companies);
• up to 100% for any expertise partners from the Donor States.

Who can apply?

• Companies and cooperatives;
• Civil society organisations, social enterprises, non-profit organisations and foundations;
• Public and private education and research organisations;
• Social partners;
• Municipalities, regions and state level entities;

*Project shall be submitted by a consortium composed of entities from at least three countries, including at least two Beneficiary States.

Eligible expenditures:

• Cost of staff;
• Travel expenses;
• Costs of consumables and supplies;
• Cost of equipment;
• Services costs;
• Indirect costs (15% flat rate);
• Non-recoverable value added tax etc.

Deadline for concept notes submission: 01.07.2018.

For more information click here.

According to the last published calendar, AMPOCU will launch in February a new financing line –“SOLIDAR START-UP”, related to 4.16 Specific Objective of POCU 2014-2020.

The projects aim at setting up social enterprises, including social insertion companies, to integrate people from vulnerable groups into the workforce and combating poverty.

The project beneficiary shall ensure to the target group:

• Entrepreneurship education courses;
• Advice on implementing the business plan;
• A mentoring and business development program;
• A micro-grant within 40.000-100.000 euro/business plan;

Maximum project value: 3.000.000 euro.

Eligible applicants/partners:

• Social economy entities;
• Accredited public and private training providers;
• Authorized public and private employment services providers;
• Social services providers;
• Trade unions and employers;
• Professional Associations; NGOs;

Target group:

• Individuals who intend to establish a social enterprise;
• Individuals from newly established social enterprises (staff, members, volunteers, beneficiaries of services provided by social economy entities).

The applicant’s guideline is currently in the draft version, and the final version will be published in the next period. More information here.

According to the last published calendar, AMPOCU will launch in February a new financing line – “Innovation through training”, within which LARGE companies can reimburse their investment in professional training programs for employees, especially the directly productive ones.

The call is dedicated to human resource development through:

• professional training programs (qualification/ specializations /short term programs / informal courses); minimum 60% of the courses should be for qualification (level 2-4);
• learning and development planning;
• evaluation / validation and certification of the competencies previously acquired;
• development of an own training system at employer level – learning at workplace;

How long does it take to implement a project?

• maximum 18 months;

What is the maximum value of the project?

• 500.000 euro of which the percentage of non-reimbursable financing is 50-95% depending on specific activities.

Who can apply?

• Large enterprises with activity in priority sectors: tourism / ecotourism, textiles / leather, wood / furniture, auto and components, IT and communications, food / beverage processing, energy / environment, health / pharmaceutics, bio economy / bio pharmaceutics / bio technology, creative industries.

Which employees can be involved in the project (target group)?

• Employees seeking the development of their knowledge, competencies and aptitudes levels or who seek the certification / validation of the competencies, especially in the priority economic sectors;
• Employees with present / future activities in the priority economic sectors.

Minimum target group: 50 persons

Draft guidelines can be downloaded here.

According to the latest calendar of the calls within the Human Capital Operational Program, published by the Ministry, a series of interesting calls for the private sector will be launched by June 30, 2018.

The calendar contains information about: the launch of the draft guidelines, the launch of the call and allocation for each call.

The estimative launch dates for the main funding lines dedicated to private beneficiaries are:

February 2018:

• Axes 1 & 2 – Entrepreneurship projects for young NEETs;
• 3.12 – Training for own direct productive employees (for large companies);
• 3.12 – Training for directly productive employees from SMEs and large companies (for training providers);
• 4.16 – Social economy enterprises;
• 6.3 & 6.5 & 6.6 – Measures for pupils to reduce the early school leaving phenomenon, training of teaching staff in pre-university education, including the development of educational offers;
• 6.4 & 6.6 – Second chance and professional training programs;

March 2018:

• 4.4 – Integrated measures for people belonging to vulnerable groups;
• 4.12 – Measures to reduce the number of institutionalized children and young people;
• 4.13 – Measures to prepare institutionalized young people for an independent life;
• 6.12 – Providing adult vocational training programs;

The calendar has been published by the Ministry here.

The Ministry of European Funds launched under public consultation the Applicant Guidelines – Specific Conditions: “SOLIDAR START-UP”, related to the Specific Objective 4.16 within POCU 2014-2020.

The projects aim at setting up social enterprises, including social insertion companies, to integrate people from vulnerable groups into the workforce and combating poverty.

The project beneficiary shall ensure to the target group:

• Entrepreneurship education courses;
• Advice on implementing the business plan;
• A mentoring and business development program;
• A micro-grant within 40.000-100.000 euro/business plan;

Maximum project value: 3.000.000 euro.

Eligible applicants/partners:

• Social economy entities;
• Accredited public and private training providers;
• Authorized public and private employment services providers;
• Social services providers;
• Trade unions and employers;
• Professional Associations; NGOs;

Target group:

• Individuals who intend to establish a social enterprise;
• Individuals from newly established social enterprises (staff, members, volunteers, beneficiaries of services provided by social economy entities).

The guideline is under public consultation until 20^th of December, 2017. More information here.

AM POR launched a new type of financing under the Regional Operational Program: 2.1B “Business Incubators”. The submission of the projects will be opened for 3 months, in the period: 05.02.2018 – 07.05.2018.

Total call allocation: 117,65 mil. euro.

Eligible applicants:

• Founders of business incubators (local public authority, territorial administrative unit, research & development centers/institutes, Chambers of Commerce, companies,
  associations / foundations, employers / unions) or
• Partnerships between business incubators founders.

Value of no reimbursable grant: min. 200.000 euro – max. 7 mil. euro.

Financing percentage:

• For regional aid component: up to 70% (depends on the dimension of the applicant and location of investment);
• For minimis aid component: up to 90% and within the minimis ceiling.
  The minimis component can not exceed 50% of the total eligible costs.

Types of eligible investments:

Investments financed through the regional state aid:

• Creation of sectoral business incubators by building the related spaces and equipping them with tangible and intangible assets. It is also eligible to rehabilitate / reconvert an existing unused building and equip it with the purpose of creating a business incubator;
• Equipping business incubators with tangible assets, intangible assets;

Investments financed through the minimis aid:

• Development of services provided within the business incubators.

For more details from the Applicant Guideline you can find here.