VAPRO

The call for increasing the coverage of social services – vulnerable group: elderly over 65 years old (Specific Objective 8.3) within the Regional Operational Program (POR) 2014-2020 has been launched.

The projects can be submitted in the period: 28.02.2017 – 29.08.2017.

Eligible beneficiaries are:

1. Administrative Territorial Units, other entities of public law;
2. Entities of private law:

• associations and foundations, including subsidiaries of international associations and foundations recognized in accordance with Romanian law;
• cult units / structures of denominations belonging to religious cults, including foundations and associations constituted by cults;

3. Partnerships between any of the entities mentioned above.

The Beneficiary or one of the partners must be accredited provider of social services and have at least 1 year of activity at the date of submission of the application.

Types of investments: 

• rehabilitation / modernization / expansion / endowment of infrastructure of existing social center without residential component;
• rehabilitation / modernization / expansion / endowment of infrastructure for the establishment of new social centers without residential component;
• ensuring / modernization of general and specific utilities for the infrastructure of social services without residential component;
• creation / modernization of facilities for physical access for people with disabilities;
• arranging of workshops in social centers without residential component;
• facilities adapted to the needs of beneficiaries of services provided by the social infrastructure without residential component, including equipment for people with disabilities;

Eligible value of the project: vary according to the project objective between 50.000 euro and 850.000 euro.

Grant financing percentage: 98% from the eligible costs.

More information here.

In 23 December MA POR announced the launch of the call for SMEs for a financing up to 1.000.000 euro.

The period during which the applications grant may be submitted: 23/02/2017, 12:00 – 23/08/2017, 12:00.

In the new guideline there are some changes that make this call more attractive for SMEs, among which are:

– the reduction of few financial indicators in order to obtain the maximum score for this criterion;

– the substantial reduction of the profit rate growth (from 40% to 20%) for maximum score for this criterion.

We remind you the main conditions:

 Eligible beneficiaries:

• SMEs (with up to 250 employees and up to 50 million euro turnover) from urban areas (including microenterprises) and
• medium enterprises from rural areas.

It is required for a beneficiary to have at least 1 year of activity (established at 04.01.2016).

Eligible regions: North-East, South-East, South Muntenia, South-Vest Oltenia, North-West, Centre (Projects implemented in the Bucharest – Ilfov development region cannot be submitted);

Eligible investments:

1. Construction, extension of the production/ services areas;
2. Acquisition of tangible (equipment, tools etc), intangible assets (patents, licenses etc), including e-commerce tools.
3. Implementation of quality environmental or health management systems;
4. Participation to international fairs and exhibitions, trade missions etc.

Financing amount: minimum 200.000 euro and maximum 1.000.000 euro.

Non- reimbursable financing rate:

For investments mentioned at points a) and b):

• Small enterprises: 60% ( from North-East, South-East, South Muntenia, South-West Oltenia, North-West, Centru regions) and 45% (from West region), from the eligible expenses value;
• Small and micro enterprises: 70% ( from North-East, South-East, South Muntenia, South-West Oltenia, North-West, Centru regions) and 55% (from West region from the eligible expenses value;

For investments mentioned at points c) and d): 90% from the eligible expenses value;

More information here.

SMEs, including micro-enterprises, can apply for a grant from 200.000 euro up to 1.000.000 euro.  This launch is expected to take place in the following weeks.

 Eligible beneficiaries:

• non-agricultural SMEs (with up to 250 employees and up to 50 million euro turnover) from urban areas (including micro-enterprises) and
• non-agricultural medium enterprises from rural areas.

It is required for a beneficiary to have at least 1 year of activity (established at 5.01.2015).

Eligible regions: North-East, South-East, South Muntenia, South-Vest Oltenia, North-West, Centre (Projects implemented in the Bucharest – Ilfov development region cannot be submitted);

Eligible investments:

1. Construction, modernization, extension of the production/ services areas;
2. Acquisition of tangible (equipment, tools etc), intangible assets (patents, licenses etc), including e-commerce tools.
3. Implementation of quality environmental or health management systems;
4. Participation to international fairs and exhibitions, trade missions etc.

 Financing amount: minimum 200.000 euro and maximum 1.000.000 euro.

Non- reimbursable financing rate:

For investments mentioned at points a) and b):

• Small enterprises: 60% ( from North-East, South-East, South Muntenia, South-West Oltenia, North-West, Centru regions) and 45% (from West region), from the eligible expenses value;
• Small and micro enterprises: 70% ( from North-East, South-East, South Muntenia, South-West Oltenia, North-West, Centru regions) and 55% (from West region from the eligible expenses value;

For investments mentioned at points c) and d): 90% from the eligible expenses value;

More information here.

The Ministry of European Funds launched under public consultation the second Applicant Guidelines – Specific Conditions: “Future for youngsters II” (SO 2.1 – 2.2) financed through POCU.

The financing line is dedicated to the improvement of young people’s situation from NEETs category from Bucharest-Ilfov, North-East, North-West, West, South-West Oltenia regions through:

• Personalized training;
• Evaluation and certification for the recognition of the skills gained in informal and non-formal context;
• Self-employment and entrepreneurship;
• Apprenticeship and  traineeship by giving financial support to employers;
• Measures intended to develop the autonomy of disadvantaged NEETs workers etc;

Project duration: maximum 36 months. All projects will have to fulfil also minimum indicators until 31^st October 2018.

Maximum project value:

• Less developed regions: 5 mil. euro and
• Developed regions: 2.5 mil euro, with a contribution from the beneficiaries of: 2%/5%/8%, according with the organization type.

Eligible applicants:

• Employers
• Training providers; Providers of occupation/evaluation and certification of competences;
• Employers organizations/Trade unions;
• NGOs with relevant activities (social services providers/youngsters organizations);
• Social inclusion enterprises;
• Other relevant entities;

Target group:

• NEETs (Not in Education Employment or Training) aged between 16-24 years, who are resident or established in Bucharest-Ilfov, North-East, North-West, West, South-West Oltenia regions, registered and profiled by the Public Employment Service.

The Guideline is under public consultation until 29 of December, and can be downloaded here.

The Ministry of European Funds launched under public consultation the Applicant Guidelines – Specific Conditions: “Future for youngsters” (SO 1.1 – 1.2) financed through POCU. The financing line is dedicated to the improvement of young people’s situation from NEETs category from Centre, South-Muntenia, South-East regions through:

• Personalized training;
• Evaluation and certification for the recognition of the skills gained in informal and non-formal context;
• Self-employment and entrepreneurship;
• Apprenticeship and  traineeship by giving financial support to employers;
• Measures intended to develop the autonomy of disadvantaged NEETs workers etc;

Project duration: minimum 4 months and maximum 16 months, without being able to exceed the limit of 31^st October 2018.

Maximum project value:

• 500.000 euro, with a contribution from the beneficiaries of: 2%/5%/8%, according with the organization type.

Eligible applicants:

• Employers
• Training providers; Providers of occupation/evaluation and certification of competences;
• Employers organizations/Trade unions;
• NGOs with relevant activities (social services providers/youngsters organizations);
• Social inclusion enterprises;
• Other relevant entities;

Target group:

• NEETs (Not in Education Employment or Training) aged between 16-24 years, who are resident or established in Centre, South-Muntenia, South-East regions, registered and profiled by the Public Employment Service.

The Guideline is under public consultation until 26 of December, and can be downloaded here.

The consultative form of the POCU 2014-2020 Applicant Guidelines – Specific Conditions: “Community grandparents“ (SO 4.4) have been published.
 
Project value: maximum 400.000 euro.
Implementation period: maximum 36 months.
 
Eligible applicants/partners:

• Authorised social services providers, alone or in partnership with relevant social actors (eg. Elderly organisations);
• Public local institutions, in partnership with relevant social actors;

Target group:

• Elderly persons that are in dependency situations and/or vulnerable to social exclusion. 

Activities:

• Day centres for elderly persons, existing or established within the project;
• Home care services/units for elderly persons;
• Food preparation and distribution centres (soup kitchens);

Projects under this call will be correlated with investment supported by POR, PA 8 – Health and social infrastructure development.
 
You can submit your proposals and recommendations until 23 December 2016 at the email address: servicii.sociale@fonduri-ue.ro.

For more information about the complementarity with POR you can consult the Applicant Guideline and annexes here.

The European Funds Ministry published the 2nd Corrigendum to the guide: “Guidelines for accessing funds under the Operational Programme Human Capital 2014-2020”.

Through the included changes are:

• Calculation of indirect costs as flat rate from the direct costs with eligible staff. In the original provisions, from this calculation were excluded the expenditure with subcontracted personnel. VAPRO Romania & Structural Consulting ™ Group-www.fonduri-structurale.ro pointed out since July 2016, through the analysis about simplified costs options, that this “correction” of the flat rate with “subcontracted personnel costs” is beyond the provisions of European regulations.

• A clear outline of the fact that for the operations implemented in the region / eligible regions concerned in the call for projects, “the eligibility of expenditure – including those related to transnational activities and direct expenses related to the activity of project management – is not conditioned by the category of regions concerned in the call for projects.”

• A clear outline of the fact that legal persons under private law without patrimonial purpose have 0% own contribution within POCU projects. From the previous form of the Guideline General Guidelines is commonly understood that legal persons under private law without patrimonial purpose (NGOs) were benefiting from 0% own contribution only when they applied alone, respectively when they were “individually applicants, not in partnership” (the situation when they would file a partnership project was not presented). This discrepancy has been notified to the responsible authorities on several occasions, including through the document developed with Structural Consulting ™ Group-www.fonduri-structurale.ro regarding the recommendations about the Guideline General Guidelines sent to AM POCU in July 2016.

You can consult the Corrigendum nr.2 here.

The Ministry of European Funds announced today the extension of the deadline of the call for proposals “Internships for students in the agri-industry and services sectors” – POCU, until 1^st of February 2017.

The clarifications and additions needed for the call will be the subject of a new corrigendum which is currently in preparation.

We remind you the most important information about the call:

Project value: minimum 75.000 euro, maximum 500.000 euro.
Implementation period: 9 – 24 months.

Eligible applicants and partners: (Projects can be submitted ONLY in partnership):

• Accredited private and public universities;
• Employers (as traineeship/internship partners);
• NGOs;
• Professional Associations;
• Chambers of commerce and industry; Public and private professional counselling and guiding services providers; Ministry of Education and subordinated/coordinated: institutions/ agencies/ organizations; – only for projects regarding the industry and services areas;
• County School Inspectorates – only for projects regarding the agriculture, food industry, forest and agro-tourism areas;

Target group:

• Pupils from secondary schools, high-schools;
• Students;

Activities:

• Development and implementation of learning programs at work, traineeship, internship;
• Providing professional counselling services;
• Development of partnerships between educational institutions and traineeship/internship partners, organizing professional competitions etc.

Activities eligible only for projects regarding industry and services areas:

• Development of a coordinated information system;
• Organization of professional competitions;
• Piloting innovative solutions to facilitate the internship;
• Organizing internships in EU Member States;

For more information click here.

The Ministry of European Funds extended another two calls for projects under the 2014-2020 POCU!

The new deadlines for submitting applications for funding are:

• for the call “Motivated teachers in disadvantaged schools” – 14^th December, 2016
• for the call “School for All” – 16^th December, 2016

We remind you the most important information about the calls:

“School for all” (SO 6.2, 6.3, 6.4, 6.6) – financing line dedicated to:

• facilitating the access to education and preventing / reducing the rate of early school leaving;
• increasing the quality of educational services;
• developing the capacity of human resources in schools;

Target group:

• Children with ante-preschool age (2-3 years), preschool age, students from groups with school dropout risk, with accent on the ones belonging to Roma minority and from rural areas/disadvantaged communities, including their parents;
• Teachers and other specialists in education;
• Youngsters and adults who abandoned school;

Maximum project value:

• Simple projects: maximum 1.450.000 euro;
• Combined projects: maxim 2.100.000 euro. 

Non-reimbursable financing:

• 100% for NGOs; 95% for private beneficiaries; 98%/85% for public institutions;

Eligible applicants:

• NGOs;
• Religious institutions;
• Public or private educational institutions;
• The Ministry of Education and subordinated bodies;
• Various organizations with attributions in education area, according to the Guidelines;

 “Motivated teachers in disadvantaged schools” (SO 6.2, 6.3, 6.6) – financing line dedicated to:

• attracting and maintaining quality, competent and motivated human resources in the target schools;
• developing the institutional capacity of managerial teams from the target schools;

Target group:

• Teachers from secondary schools
• Support personnel from schools;
• School managers;
• Social partners personnel, including NGOs, which work in the targeted schools;

Project value:

• Large projects (min. 300 persons from the target group, from the same development region category) – maximum 1.500.000 euro;
• Small projects (min. 90 persons from the target group, from the same development region category) – 450.000 euro

Non-reimbursable financing:

• 100% for NGOs; 95% for private beneficiaries; 98%/85% for public institutions;

Eligible applicants:

• NGOs;
• Public or private educational institutions;
• Local public authorities with responsibilities in the field;
• Guidance, counselling, scholar mediation services providers;
• Ministry of Education and subordinated institutions;
• Social partners from pre-university education system;
• National Administration of Penitentiaries and subordinated institutions (SO 6.3 and 6.6);