Call for proposals for the provision
of support
for Representative European Co-ordination Organisations
active in the field of Equal Opportunities for Disabled
People
Context and Objectives
Budget line B3-4111 enables the European Commission to implement measures to support representative European organisations that are active in the field of equal opportunities for disabled people and are in charge of co-ordinating their own network. This budget line aims at anticipating the new Community approach with regard to the fight against discrimination which the Commission intends to pursue in the future.
In this context, the Commission is calling on European organisations to submit proposals with a view to obtaining a financial contribution. This contribution would be towards costs inherent in carrying out the activities provided for in their annual work programme (maximum twelve months). Applicant organisations should be operating at a European level. This means that their structure and activities should cover more than half the Member States of the EU.
Financial assistance under this Call may be provided for activities which are of Community interest and which contribute significantly to the further development and implementation of the Community disability policy and meet the principles underlying the Communication of the Commission of 30 July 1996 (COM 406 final) on equality of opportunity for people with disabilities.
The maximum budget made available under this Call is EURO 1.300.000. The financial contribution will not exceed 70% of the total costs including the counter value of contribution in kind, if any. The maximum amount of each subsidy will be EURO 100.000.
Beneficiaries will be selected on the basis of the criteria set out in this Call for the submission of proposals and the availability of funds. The decisions taken will concern 1999 and in no way represent a commitment for subsequent years.
Eligibility Criteria
Consideration will be given only to proposals from organisations:
- Which have their own legal status;
- Which are non-profit organisations
- Whose aim is to promote the rights, equal opportunities and integration of disabled people;
- Which have members in more than half the Member States of the European Community that are nationally-organised non-profit organisations;
- Which have their own administrative and financial management structure;
- Whose financial resources are not exclusively made up of subsidies and grants from the European institutions. Applications from organisations which will fail in indicating in the budget form all other sources of revenues secured at the time the application is submitted will be automatically rejected.
- Whose application will be sent to the Commission before the deadline indicated below.
- Whose application will be presented as required (with a cover letter dated and signed quoting the reference VP/1999/001; with filled, dated and signed application form, with filled and signed ID bank form; with a provisional budget expressed in EURO and balanced; with all supporting documents as required in the 1999 Guide to the Grant application form)
Selection Criteria
When the proposals are examined, the beneficiaries will be selected on the basis of the following criteria:
- the degree to which the foreseen activities contribute to the promotion of a rights-based approach to disability issues;
- the degree of participation of disabled people which should be effective and substantial in the design and implementation of each of the foreseen activities; the latter in addition must prove to benefit disabled people;
- the degree of co-operation which should be effective and balanced between the association and its members with regard to: planning of activities, carrying out of activities, regular exchange of information and financial participation;
- the extent of representation within the movement concerned;
- the degree to which the proposed work programme favours a multisectoral approach to disability issues;
- the degree to which the current disability policy of the European Union is publicised;
- a sound cost-efficiency ratio;
- the degree of financial feasibility of the annual programme of activities by means of a realistic, reasonable and balanced budget.
Financial Conditions
Grants are awarded on a strictly annual basis. The one year period is to start on 1 April 1999 at the earliest, and by 31 December 1999 at the latest.
All general financial conditions are listed in the Guide to the 1999 Grant Application Form. Please ensure that you have read the information supplied carefully and ensure that you have fulfilled all of the necessary requirements.
However, applicant's attention is drawn in particular to the following provisions:
Only contributions in kind which do not exceed 10% of the total expenditure and limited to costs incurred related to premises rent, stationary costs will be accepted. Proof of their occurrence is required. Voluntary work will not be accepted as contribution in kind.
The partial or total withholding by an applicant of any kind of information that may have an impact on the final decision of the Commission will entail the automatic ineligibility of the applicant's application or, if discovered at a later stage, will entitle the Commission to unilaterally terminate the grant agreement in addition to demanding the full repayment of all sums received by the beneficiary under the said grant agreement.
Presentation of an Application
The request must be drawn up in one of the official languages of the EU and accompanied by an official letter explicitly requesting the subsidy. It should include Annex A to this document, duly filled by machine (not hand-written) in triplicate, as well as full details of the applicant's bank account. (bank ID form)
Applications should include a description of the activities of the organisation in Point 2 of Annex A. Please enclose a detailed and accurate programme of anticipated activities for the organisation 's 1999 financial year. This should cover all activities such as: participation in co-ordination actions between member associations, annual meetings, information measures for members (newsletter etc), preparation of reports, publication etc.
For each activity, a separate sheet will entail a description of the activity in question, its objectives and target audience, clear indication on the effective and substantial participation of disabled people in its design and implementation, indicative timetable and the anticipated results.
Procedure for the Submission and Appraisal of Requests
Only applications submitted on the prescribed form will be considered.
The form and all documents forming part of the application must be mailed in triplicate, duly completed and signed, to the following address by 25 March 1999 at the latest (the postmark serving as proof). Complementary documents sent by fax will not be considered for evaluation. Any document sent after the deadline will not be accepted.
European Commission
Archives - Courrier DG V
VP/1999/001
Rue de la Loi 200, J 37 00/026
B-1049 BRUSSELS
The applicant's attention is drawn to the fact that incomplete or unsigned forms, hand-written forms, those sent by fax, Internet, or hand-delivered will not be taken into consideration.
Where feasible, the applicant's attention is drawn to the fact that the European Commission would welcome, along with the application obligatory posted by 25 March at the latest, the Annex A also e-mailed at the following e-mail address:
dayarani.schumacher@bxl.dg5.cec.be
Material (video-tapes, photos, books etc) other than the form and documents forming part of your application will be neither considered nor returned.
Applications will be processed in the following manner:
- Commission receives and records the application;
- Commission examines the applications;
- Final decision is taken; applicants are informed in writing of the outcome.
The decision of the Commission is final. The entire procedure is strictly confidential. Organisations to which the Commission awards a grant will be sent an agreement specifying figures in EURO, the terms and level of funding. It must be signed and returned to the Commission without delay. Any change made to the running of the co-ordination work programme and in the terms of the agreement must be notified in advance to the Commission for approval.
Please read the information supplied carefully and ensure that you have fulfilled all of the necessary requirements.
The timetable will be scheduled as follows:
- 25 March 1999: final date for mailing applications to the European Commission;
- End of April 1999: final decision by the Commission.
Annexes
A. 1999 application form for a grant (PDF format - 59kB)
B. guide to the 1999 grant application form
C. list of granted NGOs in 1998 (PDF format - 6kB)
