1 10/12/ 2007 – Katowice, Poland EUROPEAN REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT FUND Preparing an INTERREG IVC application: Project Activity Benoît DALBERT, Project Officer,

1 10/12/ 2007 – Katowice, Poland

EUROPEANREGIONALDEVELOPMENTFUND

Preparing an INTERREG IVC application:Project Activity

Benoît DALBERT, Project Officer, INTERREG IVC JTS

Lead Applicant Seminar, Katowice, Poland


SummarySummary

1. INTERREG IVC main features

• Eligible Area & Objective

• Thematic Priorities

• Types of Interventions

2. Insight into the FAQs

3. Points of attention to applicants


1. INTERREG IVC main features


1 Programme for

27 Member States

+ CH

+ NOR

INTERREG IVC

1. Programme’s main features1. Programme’s main features



Overall Objective Improve the effectiveness of regional development policies

Contribute to economic modernisation and increased competitiveness of Europe

… by…

Enabling the exchange of experiences and knowledge

Matching less experienced with more advanced regions

Ensuring the transfer of identified good practice into mainstream programmes


Programme Priorities

Innovation, Research & Technology Development Entrepreneurship and SMEs Information Society Employment, Human Resources and Education

Priority 1 (Lisbon strategy): Innovation and Knowledge Economy (ERDF 177 M€)

Priority 2 (Gothenburg strategy):Environment and Risk Prevention (ERDF 125 M€)

Natural and Technological Risks (incl. Climate Change) Water Management & Waste Prevention/Management Biodiversity and Preservation of Natural Heritage (incl. Air Quality) Energy and Sustainable Transport Cultural Heritage and Landscape



Regional Initiative Projects Exchange of experience dedicated to the identification, analysis,

dissemination and possible transfer of good practices

Intensity of cooperation

Capitalisation Projects, including Fast Track Projects Exchange of experience dedicated to the transfer of good practices

already identified into SF mainstream programmes

Final outcome: Action Plan for each participating regions

Fast Track projects: Capitalisation Projects benefiting from specific European Commission assistance and expertise in order to contribute to the “Regions for Economic Change” initiative

Types of Interventions



Type 1 ‘Regional Initiative Projects’Overview of Recommendations

Size of the partnership

Depends on the level of intensity of cooperation

- Basic level: min of 8 to max of 20 partners

- Medium level: max of 10 to 15 partners

- High level (mini-programmes): partnership must not exceed 8 partners

Duration 36 months (up to 48 months for mini-programmes)

Budget Min ERDF: EUR 500,000

Max ERDF: EUR 5 million (only in exceptional case)



Type 2 ‘Capitalisation Projects’Overview of Recommendations

Size of the partnership

Min n° of countries represented: 6

Max n° of countries represented: 10

Duration 24 months

Budget Min ERDF: EUR 300,000

Max ERDF: EUR 3 million



2. Frequently Asked Questions on IVC


What is meant by ‘integrated approach’?

2. Programme FAQs2. Programme FAQs

Even if projects need to have a clear focus on one of the

programme’s sub-themes, it is appreciated when the way they

tackle this sub-theme has side effects on other themes covered

by the programme

Example: exchange of experiences on eco-construction cluster- Sub-priority addressed: ‘Entrepreneurship and SMEs’- Also related to Gothenburg strategy and more precisely on the ‘Energy and Sustainable Transport’ sub-priority

Integrated approach does not mean that projects should address at the same time different sub-themes of the programme


Who is eligible?


Regional and local authorities as main ‘target group’

In justified cases, also bodies governed by public law acc. to Directive 2004/18/EC

on public procurement rules, Art. 1:

(a) Meeting needs in general interest, no industrial or commercial character

(b) Having legal personality

(c) - Financed for the most part by the State, regional or local authorities or other bodies

governed by public law or

- Subject to management supervision of these bodies or

- Having administrative, managerial or supervisory board more than half of whose members

are appointed by these bodies

In case of doubts, each MS is responsible for confirming the legal status of partners

based on their territory


What are the criteria for a Norwegian

organisation to be the Lead Partner?


No specific criteria set by the programme

Possible justifications could include:

- this organisation has an deep experience in the policy field tackled by the project

- this organisation is the first financial contributor to the projects


What is meant by ‘contributing partners’?


Only three options to be involved in a IVC project:

If the organisation is eligible and contributes, it can directly be involved as a partner and appear in the Application Form (see Section 2.3.3 of the Programme Manual)

The organisation can intervene as external expert under the conditions that public procurement rules are respected (this organisation is then fully paid by one of the partners on the basis of a contract and invoices)

The organisation participates at its own costs

“Sub-partners” or “observers” are not possible under IVC


Financial size of the Components?


No specific recommendation except for Component 1 whose

costs should not exceed 20% of total costs

Components 2 and 3 are core Components but their

financial size will depend on the approach proposed by each

project


Mini-programme: not a priority Focus on IVC thematic priorities Project limited to a maximum of to

8 partners and 12 sub-projects No private involvement

Sub-projects in line with IVC rationale (exchange of experience)

Transparent and open calls for proposals for sub-projects selection

RFOs: priority of the programme Broad approach possible No fixed limit in terms of

partnership and project number Possible involvement of private

participants in sub-projects Possible ‘implementation

oriented’ sub-projects Transparent and open calls for

proposals for sub-projects selection

INTERREG IVC mini-programmesINTERREG IIIC RFOs

Main differences & similarities between IIIC RFOs and IVC mini-programmes?



Capitalisation Projects


How should the MA be involved?

- ideally the MA should be partner in the project (‘deep delegation’)

- if not, its involvement needs to be precisely described in the AF

Does the OP of each region have to be modified to ensure that it can

finance the good practices? No, two scenarios:

- it already includes a priority or a measure on ‘Regions for Economic

Change’ (RfEC) which can support the good practice

- it is very likely that an existing measure of the OP would correspond

to the theme of the good practices to be financed


3. Points of attention to applicants


General advice

3. Points of attention3. Points of attention

To always keep in mind the programme’s rationale

Strategic objective of the programme: improvement of regional policies

INTERREG IVC = ‘capitalisation’ programme

Interregional cooperation ≠ cross-border cooperation

Interregional cooperation ≠ transnational cooperation

Capitalisation: process of optimising the results achieved in a specific

domain of regional policy. Capitalisation activities consist

of the collection, analysis, dissemination and transfer of

good practices in a certain policy area.


General advice


Key elements derives from this programme’s rationale:

Local & regional authorities = ‘natural’ target group of IVC

Other bodies may be involved only if their link with regional

and local policies is clearly demonstrated

Exchange of experiences = core activities of all IVC projects;

Pilot actions / experimentations possible only under very strict

conditions - closely related to the exchange of experiences


General advice


Proposed activities have to respect 3 fundamental conditions:

Relevance to the programmeActivities have to be clearly in line with the overall objective of the

programme (i.e. contribute to the improvement of policies)

InterregionalityActivities should be interregional. Example for pilot experimentation:

- transfer from one region to another

- pilot experimentation benefiting all the partners

Additionality Activities would not be supported without the INTERREG support


Specific advice


January

June

2009

Activities - Steering group meeting- Activity report & financial claim

Outputs SC minutes

To be as precise as possible in the Application Form

Example of weak description



January

June

2009

Activities The LP will sign the subsidy contract and appoint a project co-ordinator and organise internal financial management. This Project Secretariat (PS) will be in place in March 2009. It will make the arrangements for the project's initial meeting in April 2009 in Livorno and liase for simultaneous translation into/from Italian. At this meeting, the project's International Management Group (IMG) will be convened, with one representative from each region. The IMG will agree upon the working and financial arrangements, laid out in the Co-operation Agreement, a draft version of which will be introduced at the meeting. The PS will develop a set of guidelines for the partners, to aid the smooth running of the project.

Outputs 1 subsidy contract signed; 1 partnership agreement signed; 1 IMG meeting; 1 set of guidelines produced

Example of good description

Specific advice


New context of INTERREG IVC


Increased competition:

Similar budget to INTERREG IIIC (around ERDF 300 M€)

Two new Member States (Bulgaria and Romania)

Longer operational period (6.5 years vs. 9 years)

Higher co-financing rates (75%-85% instead of 50%-75%)

Mechanically, less projects will be approved!


www.interreg4c.net

Reference Documents

- Operational Programme

- Programme Manual

- Application Pack

- FAQ List

Additional InformationAdditional Information

Thank you for your attention!

1 10/12/ 2007 – Katowice, Poland EUROPEAN REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT FUND Preparing an INTERREG IVC application: Project Activity Benoît DALBERT, Project Officer,

Documents

poland slide

ivc slide

poland type

poland summary

programme faqs regional

programmes subthemes

ivc project

max erdf