ECFIN/2008/A3-042 (Closed)

The European Commission is launching a call for proposals (ref. ECFIN/2008/A3-042) for carrying out surveys as part of the Joint Harmonised EU Programme of Business and Consumer Surveys (approved by the Commission on 12th July 2006 COM(2006) 379) in Ireland. This co-operation shall take the form of a framework partnership agreement between the Commission and the specialised bodies over a period of two years.

The survey programme is designed to gather information on the state of the economies in the EU Member States and in the candidate countries so as to be able to compare their business cycles for Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) management purposes. It has become an indispensable tool in the EMU economic surveillance process, as well as for general economic policy purposes.

Instructions and rules for drawing up and submitting proposals, covering all relevant information, formalities and documentation:

OJEC C-18 of 24 January 2009

The proposals must be presented in three sections:

I. Administrative proposal
II. Technical proposal
III. Financial proposal

I. The administrative proposal must include :

1. A duly signed standard grant application form;
2. A duly completed and signed standard legal entity form and the requested supporting documentation proving the legal status of the body or institute;
3. A duly completed and signed standard financial identification form;
4. A duly signed standard declaration form of the applicant’s eligibility;
5. A duly signed standard declaration form indicating the  willingness to sign the framework partnership agreement and specific agreement, if selected;
6. The organisation chart of the body or institute, showing the names and positions of the management and of the operational service responsible for conducting the surveys;
7. Proof of sound financial situation: balance sheets and profit and loss accounts from the previous two financial years, (i.e; 2007 and 2006) for which the accounts have been closed, should be attached.

II. The technical proposal must include:

8. A description of the activities of the body or institute;
9. A detailed description of the operational organisation for carrying out the surveys;
10. Duly completed standard form(s) providing a detailed description of the survey methodology: sampling method, sampling error, targeted sample size, coverage rate, targeted response rate, etc. ( PDF + Excel);
11. A duly completed standard form regarding subcontractors involved in the action, including a detailed description of the tasks to be subcontracted.

III. The financial proposal must include:

12. A duly completed and detailed standard budget statement (in euro), (for the operation envisaged) ( Excel + PDF);
13. A certificate of non-liability for VAT, if applicable;
14. A document certifying the financial contribution from other organisations (co-financing), if applicable.

Documentation regarding the financial aspects of the grant:

• aide-memoire for drawing up financial estimates and financial statements;
• model of the framework partnership agreement to formalize the two years cooperation between the Commission and the partner .

Annex I : Action planned under the partnership and functioning of the network.
Annex II : Model of specific grant agreement

• model of the specific grant agreement to be concluded annually (see Annex II of Framework partnership agreement).

Annex I to the specific grant agreement: "Description of the action"
Annex II to the specific grant agreement: "Budget statement" (see first bullet point above relating to the financial proposal)
Annex III to the specific grant agreement: "Detailed list"

Please complete and return all the documents requested in the Call for proposals (point 8.2) no later than 20 February 2009 to the address specified in point 8.3 of the Call for proposals.

The Commission will notify candidates that their proposal has been received by returning the acknowledgement of receipt slip submitted with the proposal.