EUROPEAN COMMISSION

DIRECTORATE-GENERAL

HOME AFFAIRS

DIRECTORATE C – MIGRATION AND BORDERS

EXTERNAL BORDERS FUND
SPECIFICACTIONS2012
GUIDE FORAPPLICANTS

EBF Specific Actions 2012

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. INTRODUCTION......

I.1.PURPOSE OF THE GUIDE......

II. GUIDELINES FOR APPLICANTS......

II.1.HOW TO APPLY?......

II.1.1.General Guidelines......

II.1.2.Conditions......

II.2.WHO CAN APPLY – CONCEPT OF PARTNERSHIP

II.2.1.Applicant......

II.2.2.Co-beneficiary / Associated partner......

II.2.3.Subcontractor(s)......

II.3.GUIDELINES CONCERNING THE PRESENTATION OF THE PROPOSAL......

II.3.1.Introduction......

II.3.2.The Application Package......

II.3.3.Grant Application Form......

II.3.4.Annexes to the Grant Application Form......

II.3.4.1.Annex I – Project Description and Implementation Form - What is the "milestone" concept?...

II.3.4.2.Annex II – Budget Form......

II.3.4.3.Annex III – Financial Identification Form......

II.3.4.4.Annex IV – Legal Entity Form......

II.3.4.5.Annex V – Partner/Associated Partner Declaration Form......

II.3.4.6.Annex VI – Curriculum vitae of key staff performing the work in connection with the project...

II.4.GENERAL REMARKS REGARDING THE EXPENDITURE......

II.4.1.Information on the budget......

II.4.2.Rules concerning eligible expenditure......

II.4.3.Eligible Direct Costs by Heading......

II.4.3.1.Heading A - Staff costs......

II.4.3.2.Heading B - Travel......

II.4.3.3.Heading C - Equipment......

II.4.3.4.Heading D - Consumables......

II.4.3.5.Heading E - Other direct costs......

II.4.4.Eligible Indirect Costs (Overheads) - Heading F......

II.4.5.Contribution in kind - Heading G......

II.4.6.Non-eligible costs......

I. INTRODUCTION

I.1.PURPOSE OF THE GUIDE

The purpose of this Guide is to offera user-friendly tool that guides you through the application procedure and the application form. It also serves as a reference and can be used to answer any questions you may have when preparing your application.

The application form has to be filled in by the applicant, in close cooperation with the partners which would receive EU contribution (identified as co-beneficiaries in the grant agreement). Filling in this form may take some time. Please make sure that you have allocated sufficient timeof hours to carry out this work and you have all the necessary documents at your disposal.

This guide is updated annually to make it as user-friendly as possible. You may share with the Commission your comments and suggestions on how to further improve the guide by sending an e-mail to

Before you start:

Please read carefully the 2012Call for proposals and the 2012Work Programme to find out which actions may be co-financed, this year's priorities, the conditions to apply, the evaluation criteria and how to submit your proposal.

Investigate and try to build on previous relevant projects co-financed by the European Union and/or projects foreseen within the context of the national annual programme.

Please bear in mind thatprojects under this call for proposals must be presented by public national authorities with responsibilities in the field of visa policy, external borders control and immigration controls which are registered in Greece, Italy, Malta, Spain, Hungary and Slovenia.

If you cannot find the answer to your question in the guide or among the FAQ, you may send your questions in writing (by e-mail) to the which has been set up for that purpose.

Deadline for application

The completed application and annexes must be submitted to the Commission by

14December2012

Applications submitted after the deadline will be automatically rejected

II. GUIDELINES FOR APPLICANTS

II.1.HOW TO APPLY?

II.1.1.General Guidelines

  • The first phase, prior to the formulation of the project, should consist in identifying the issue to be addressed.
  • Once this is done, the objective of the project must be set. This should directlyaddress the problems identified and should be precise and clearly set out.
  • The next step is to identify the results of the projects that are to be achieved in order to meet the objective. Wherever possible, these should be set out in quantifiable terms.
  • Next, consider which activities are needed to obtain these results. For each activity clearly identify how, where and when it will be undertaken, who will do it and how much it will cost. Any activity that does not contribute directly to the objective must be discarded.
  • Carefully plan how the project will be organised and managed, who is responsible for carrying out which activity, who reports to whom and what kind of management structure is needed.
  • Consider at each stage of writing the application, which assumptions you are making. External factors (authorisation of measures by other public authorities) are essential for the success of the project and should be fully identified and described, as should any potential difficulties that might arise.
  • Establish how the planned actions and expected results can be verified. This will make it possible to monitor the project.
  • Useful lessons that could be passed on from other past projects should be identified; the experience of similar projects should be used during the preparation of the project.
  • Make sure the budget is consistent with the actions proposed and that human and financial resources will be available when needed.

II.1.2.Conditions

Applications have to be submitted using DG HOME's electronic on-line application tool: PRIAMOS. PRIAMOS is a new system for the submission of proposals by applicants, allowing the applicants to fill in an electronic application form and submit all relevant documents via the Internet. Please refer to the PRIAMOS Applicants guide published with the call on:

II.2.WHO CAN APPLY– CONCEPT OF PARTNERSHIP

II.2.1.Applicant

Any public authority with responsibilities in the field of visa policy, external borders control and immigration controls which are registered in Greece, Italy, Malta, Spain, Slovenia or Hungary.

There is only one applicant per project. The applicant is the only interlocutor of the Commission. The responsibilities of the potential beneficiary and/or co-ordinator are defined in the draft grant agreements.

II.2.2.Co-beneficiary / Associated partner

The co-beneficiary / associated partner shall actively participate in the technical implementation of one or more tasks of the project, for which their costs are co-financedand to which they could contribute financially.

Co-beneficiary

Access to the programmes as co-beneficiary to projects on the basis of refundable costs covers:

  • The 25 Member States which are participating in the Fund in 2011 (Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Denmark (as Denmark has notified by letter of 19 June 2007 that it has decided to implement Decision 574/2007/EC in its national law), Germany, Greece, Spain, France, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Austria, Portugal, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Finland, Sweden);
  • Schengen associated third countries (for the time being Norway, Switzerland, Iceland and Liechtenstein);
  • International Organisations, European Union agencies and Non-Governmental Organisations registered in the 29 countries mentioned above may also participate in the projects as partners, provided that they all work on a strictly non-profit basis and have proven experience in the fields covered.

Associated partner

Access to the programmes as associated partner to projects on a no cost basiscovers:

  • Ireland and the United Kingdom as they are not participating in the Fund.

This means that the cost for their participation may not be covered by the European Union contribution and must be financed entirely by their own resources.

Attention has to be paid to ensure optimal synergy with programmes carried out at European Union and national level by the Frontex Agency, the Member States and international organisations. This will require effective information sharing about the activities so that the necessary contacts and connections can be made.

The applicant public authority and its partners shall agree upon appropriate arrangements between themselves for the proper performance of the action. The partners of the project must sign a 'Declaration by Partner public authority/organisation' by which they agree to actively contribute to the implementation of the project, as described in the grant application (see Point 4 of Application Form). They shall grant power of attorney to the applicant publicauthority to act in their name and in their behalf in signing the possible grant agreement and its possible subsequent riders with the European Commission. The responsibilities of the potential co-beneficiaries are defined in the draft grant agreements.

II.2.3.Subcontractor(s)

Subcontractors are service providers to the beneficiary or to co-beneficiary who fully funds (100%) their activity. The applicant and the co-beneficiaryare expected to have the resources necessary to carry out the work required by the project. Nevertheless, in certain circumstances subcontracting some aspects of the work may be more cost effective or efficient.

Subcontractors do not contribute financially to the project and therefore do not benefit from any intellectual property rights arising from the achievements of the project.

There shall be no statutory link between subcontractors and applicant, co-beneficiaryand their representatives, situation which could lead to potential conflicts of interest and circumvention of the principle of non-profit.

The award of subcontracts by a public applicant and/or partners must comply with the applicable rules on public tendering and be in conformity with European Union Directives on public tendering procedures.

Note
Please note that there will be two types of grant agreements signed depending of the structure of the project.
  • Mono-beneficiary grant agreement - when the project will be implemented by the applicant / beneficiary (and subcontractors under specific conditions).
  • Multi-beneficiary grant agreement - when the project will be implemented by the applicant / beneficiary and several partners, a grant agreement with multi-beneficiaries has to be signed. In this agreement, the term "applicant public authority" will be replaced by "co-ordinator''. For the purpose of the grant agreement, the 'partners' receiving EU contribution will be considered as co-beneficiaries, they have to sign a mandate to the applicant (co-ordinator) and they are bound by the terms of the grant agreement. Please note that all references to Articles of the grant agreement refer to the draft grant agreement for an action with multiple beneficiaries.

II.3.GUIDELINES CONCERNING THE PRESENTATION OF THE PROPOSAL

II.3.1.Introduction

In principle, project proposals may be submitted in any official language of the European Union but English is preferable because the time needed for translation is long. However, in order to facilitate assessment by evaluators, English translation should preferably accompany any proposal written in other languages.

Whencompleting the application form it is important to:

  • be precise, provide quantifiable data in order to describe current situation at the targeted border sections;
  • provide a map indicating the location of the action;
  • provide detailed and clear information on how the action will address specific weaknesses, while remaining concise;
  • concentrate on the key features, objectives and results of the project.

The evaluators will assess the project on the basis of the exclusion, eligibility, selection and award criteria defined in the Call for Proposals.

II.3.2.The Application Package

The Application Package is composed of the:

- Grant Application Form

- Its Annexes:

  • Annex I– Project Description and Implementation
  • Annex II– The Budget Form
  • Annex III– Financial Identification Form
  • Annex IV– Legal Entity Form
  • Annex V– Partner/Associated Partner Declaration Form (if relevant)
  • Annex VI– Curriculum vitae of key staff performing the work in connection with

the project

II.3.3.Grant Application Form

The Grant Application Form is an Adobe Acrobat (pdf) document where the basic data about

the Applicant, the Partnership and the project can be included.

The Grant Application Form includes an important notice on data protection and datahandling issues. You are advised to read them carefully, this topic is further detailed in the call notice.

0. GENERAL INFORMATION

The field "Call for proposals reference" isautomatically completed by the PRIAMOS system.

The Application number will be generated automatically when the Grant Application Form is uploaded. In all subsequent correspondence related to your application, please always enter the reference number of the application in the subject field of letters/e-mails.

1. INFORMATION CONCERNING THE APPLICANT
1.1. Identity of the applicant organisation

The fields with grey background are filled in automatically based on the information stored in the profile of the organisation on behalf of which the application will be submitted. Please always verify the data stored in your profile in PRIAMOS before downloading the Grant Application Form. For further information on the update of the PRIAMOS profile, please consult the PRIAMOS Applicants guide.

1.2. Bank details

Please provide the details of the Bank Account that should be used for this project. Please note that the same information should be stated also in the worksheet"Identification Form" of the Annex II – Budget Form.

1.3. Authorised signatory legally representing the organisation/Co-ordinator
organisation

The name and the title of the legal representative are filled in automatically based on the information stored in the profile of the organisation on behalf of which the application is submitted. Please always verify the data stored in your profile in PRIAMOS before downloading the Grant Application Form. For further information on the update of the PRIAMOS profile, please consult the PRIAMOS Applicants guide.

This person should be authorised to enter into financially and legally binding commitments on behalf of the Applicant/Co-ordinator organisation. Please note that the Commission may request a copy of the authorising decision.

If the proposal is awarded a grant, the Commission services will automatically prepare the Grant Agreement for the signature of the person named under this section, unless otherwise notified.

1.4. Contact person responsible for the application

The fields with grey background are filled in automatically by the system. It is the contact information of the person who downloads the Application Form from PRIAMOS. Please always verify the data stored in your profile in PRIAMOS before downloading the Grant Application Form. For further information on the update of the PRIAMOS profile, please consult the PRIAMOS Applicants guide.

Also please note that the contact person who will be responsible for the project should log in the system with his/her username and password and download the Application Form. Please take note that the Commission would appreciate that all communication between the Commission and the contact person can be carried out in English for the sake of efficiency.

2. INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROJECT FOR WHICH THE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE IS REQUIRED
2.1 Project Title

Please give your project a specific title that reflects the actions proposed. Please avoid using in the project title the name of the programme under which you submit your application.

The field is limited to 250 characters.

2.1.2 Duration (months):
2.1.3 Planned start date of the project:
2.1.4 Planned end date of the project :

The projects cannot have duration of more than 6 months. When you planyour project you should take into account that the projects cannot be extendedbeyond this limit during the implementation. Therefore, please plan your activities accordingly.The duration of the project includes solely implementation of the action; it does not include procedures preceding its implementation (e.g. public procurement procedures, analysis and configuration; in case of purchase of equipment, project starts when the equipment is delivered and deployed within 6 months period).

Please indicate when you intend to start the proposed project. For planning purposes youshould take into account that the evaluation of the proposals takes at least 6 months after thesubmission deadline.The grant agreement relating to the actions concerned shall be signed by 31 December 2013 at the latest. The projects shall start no later than 9 months after the signature of the grant agreement.

In case the proposal is awarded a grant the project officer responsible for the preparation ofthe Grant Agreement will contact the Applicant to confirm the starting date and the agreeddate will be included in the Grant Agreement.

2.2Measure(s) covered by the project

Please identify which measure(s) the project intends to address:

(a) the reinforcement of the surveillance capacities of Member States by co-financing the purchase, rental and/or maintenance cost of land vehicles, airplane/helicopters, vessels or highly specific equipment and other costs related to the running of specific surveillance activities;

(b) training and/or deployment of experts and/or multidisciplinary teams (e.g. linguistic experts, psychologists, specialised police experts) at national or transnational level with the aim of assistance in management of the flows of irregular migrants apprehended at the borders;

(c) measures to fight against the falsification of travel documents;

(d) other additional expenses incurred in border control activities.

2.3. Project BudgetInformation

Under this section of the Grant Application Form you should present the budget estimate ofthe project per category of costs and income.

The amounts indicated here should be identical to the ones indicated in the Budget Form- Annex II. Therefore, we suggest that you fill in these fields only after the budget estimatehas been finalised.

Please note that the fields with grey background are calculated automatically on the basis ofthe information that you input in the rest of the fields.

All amounts should have only two decimals.

In case of discrepancy the information presented in the Annex II – Budget Form will prevail. For detailed information on how to prepare the budget estimate please refer to the Guide to Budget Form.

2.4. Summary of the project

The summary must provide the reader with a clear understanding of the proposal's objectives and its compliance with the objectives of the funding Programme, under which it is submitted, as well as the content and activities to be carried out to achieve those objectives. It must also provide information about the target groups and beneficiaries of these activities, the methodology, the expected results, the concrete outputs and deliverables, as well as the dissemination strategy. This section will be used for publication/dissemination purposes, if your project is awarded a grant.

The number of characters is limited in this filed. You cannot write more than 4000 characters with spaces. Please use one English or French.