Information Session AMIF 1 st Call for Proposals 11 th November 2015 - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Information Session – AMIF 1st Call for Proposals

11th November 2015

Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund 2014-2020 Co-financing rate: 75% EU Funds 25% Beneficiary’s Funds Sustainable Management of Migration Flows

Calls for Project Proposals

■ As per article 7 of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No

1042/2014 which lays down the provisions with regard to the designation and management and control responsibilities of Responsible Authorities and with regard to status and Responsible Authorities and with regard to status and

• bligations of Audit Authorities,
• ne of the tasks of the Responsible Authority is to issue calls

for applications.

Calls for Project Proposals

■ In this respect Article 7 of Commission Delegated Regulation

(EU) No 1042/2014 provides that:

■ As a general rule, the Responsible Authority shall award grants ■ As a general rule, the Responsible Authority shall award grants

for projects under the national programme on the basis of open calls for proposals.

■ This means that the call is open to all organisations interested

in applying.

Calls for Project Proposals

• The third option laid down in the Regulation is to provide direct
• award. In this respect article 7 provides that:
• The Responsible Authority may award grants directly where
• The Responsible Authority may award grants directly where

the specific nature of the project or the technical or administrative competence of the relevant bodies leaves no

• ther choice, such as in the case of de jure or de facto

monopolies.

• The grounds justifying the use of a direct award shall be set
• ut in the award decision.

Calls for Project Proposals

• The Responsible Authority so far will be making use of these

two type of calls that is open calls and the direct award

• ption.
• With respect to open calls, the National Programme provides a

list of all the types of organisations which could benefit from the Fund. In this respect section 6.7.1 provides for the following list of entities:

• State authorities, local public bodies, non-governmental organisations,

international public organisations, national Red Cross, International Committee of the Red Cross, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, private and public law companies, education/research organisations, social partners

Calls for Project Proposals

• With respect to the direct award option the National Programme lists

down under section 6.7.2 the entities to which a direct award will be provided.

• The Refugee Commissioner , as is the office responsible to receive,
• The Refugee Commissioner , as is the office responsible to receive,

process and determine asylum applications.

• In case of Activities of Forced Return under the Return Measures

Objective, these will be awarded to the Immigration Police in view of the de jure monopoly existing in return management.

Calls for Project Proposals

■ The Detention Service enjoys a de jure monopoly in the

management of closed reception centres.

■ The Agency for the Welfare of Asylum Seekers is solely ■ The Agency for the Welfare of Asylum Seekers is solely

responsible for the implementation of national legislation and policy concerning the welfare of refugees, beneficiaries of protection and asylum seekers.

■ The Ministry for Education is responsible for compulsory

education and the national curriculum in schools.

Calls for Project Proposals

■ The Ministry for Social Dialogue, Consumer Affairs and

Civil Liberties as is responsible for the policies of equality, anti-discrimination and integration.

■ The Ministry for Energy and Health is responsible for

providing the mainstream national health services in Malta.

Calls for Project Proposals

• Both the Open calls and the Executing calls (direct award

method) will be subject to an evaluation by an independent Project Selection Committee.

• To

guide the applicants under either type

• f

call, the applications are accompanied by a set of Guidance Notes (to guide Applicants in the application process)

Calls for Project Proposals

• In case of an open call upon application submission, the RA

shall conduct a completeness check to determine the validity of the application. Documents to be submitted and obligatory supporting documents are indicated in the Guide for Applications supporting documents are indicated in the Guide for Applications which has been uploaded onto the website.

• The RA shall request any missing documentation which is

marked as required, but not submitted by the applicant, within

• ne week following the closure of the call set at noon of the 27th
• f November 2015.

Calls for Project Proposals

■ The eligibility criteria outlined in the guidance notes to the

application form shall be used to determine whether an application is eligible for funding.

■ Ineligible projects will not be considered further; however

applicants shall be informed at the first instance and also given the right of appeal to an independent Appeals Board.

■ Those proposals deemed to be eligible shall proceed to the

selection phase.

Calls for Project Proposals

■ Projects that make it through the eligibility check shall proceed

to the next round and assessed according to the selection and award criteria.

■ The PSC shall then award marks according to the criteria and

rank projects, according to the marks obtained.

■ In order to qualify for selection, the proposal needs to obtain at

least 50% of the marks.

Calls for Project Proposals

• For those eligible projects going through the assessment

stage, the PSC shall seek clearance from the State Aid Monitoring Board (SAMB) to ensure that the projects do not entail state aid. entail state aid.

• The selection of projects may be limited by the available

budget, in which case the highest ranking projects shall be

• ffered a grant.
• The RA shall inform all applicants about the outcome of the

selection process and aggrieved applicants are given the right to Appeal.

Calls for Project Proposals

• In the case of direct award projects, the relevant organization

will be invited to submit a project description which will also be reviewed by the PSC to ensure good quality proposals. Following the review and approval of the project by the PSC, Following the review and approval of the project by the PSC, the RA shall proceed to sign a Grant Agreement with the relevant organization.

Calls launched

• As announced on the 2nd of November the Responsible

Authority has launched two open calls and three direct award;

• The two open calls are in relation to the implementation of

voluntary return measures and integration measures.

• While the three direct award are in relation to forced return

measures, evaluation measures as part of the asylum determination process and integration measures targeting mainstream education.

Launch of Calls

• The budgets made available are the following:

Executing Call EU Funds made available Activities of Forced Return € 937,500 Activities of Forced Return € 937,500 Evaluation Measures € 1,260,500 Integration Measures € 654,312 Open Call EU Funds made available Voluntary Return Measures € 937,500 Integration Measures € 556,488

Launch of Calls

• The Deadline for the Submission of all Applications is set

for Friday 27th November.

• - All the documentation with respect to the call can all be

downloaded from www.eufunds.gov.mt

The Application Form

Points to take into account:

• The EU Budget Available
• Availability of Funds to cover the co-financing rate of 25%
• Availability of Funds to cover the co-financing rate of 25%
• To submit a complete Application Form
• To submit at least the obligatory Annexes to the application

especially the Budget Breakdown excel sheet and the Timeline excel sheet.

The Application Form

The First section of the Application provides for the basic

• information. Kindly try and respect the character amounts as these

would need to be reproduced on the Commission’s database.

The Application Form

The Applicants can be of various types. It is important that the enrolment with the Commissioner for Voluntary Organisation is presented when applicable.

The Application Form

The Application has to be signed in original by the Head of the Organisation / CEO and the Project Leader. It is important that the Project leader is employed/ forms part of the Organisation and who is availableafter the end of the project activities to process the payments.

The Application Form

In this section list the persons who will be employed or assigned on the project and their function on the project.

The Application Form

In this section describe how the persons identified above are answerable to whom. This should be reflected in the organigram which has to be attached to the application form.

The Application Form

If you have partners on the project, please identify the type of

• partnership. Partners just to provide the co-financing? will provide the

co-financing and will be involved in the activities? will only provide the activities? All partners need to submit the Declaration by Partner Organisation.

The Application Form

There are two objectives which can be targeted under the open call method – Return for Voluntary Return Measures. Description of what is expected to cover the National Programme is listed in section 3.2 below

The Application Form

The other objective targeted under the open call method is Integration for language training and cultural orientation classes. Description of what is expected to cover the National Programme is listed in section 3.2

• below. Please note that vocational training is no longer eligible under

AMIF as this will be catered through the European Social Fund.

The Application Form

Please note that the project activities can extend till the 30th of December 2022. So when planning the project activities one can spread them out to attain the necessary flexibility. However keep note that request for payments should also be spread out to meet the National Programme’s yearly financial commitments.

The Application Form

Please note that a different target is applicable for the two objectives. Return Measures target the above identified target group.

The Application Form

Integration under the Specific Objective Integration / Legal Migration targets only Third Country Nationals who have entered Malta legally. Same target group as we had under the European Integration Fund.

The Application Form

Integration under the Specific Objective Integration / Legal Migration targets only Third Country Nationals who have entered Malta legally. Same target group as we had under the European Integration Fund.

The Application Form

The objectives have attached to them a number of indicators which are common to all Member States. The other indicators are still under discussion with the European Commission as they have been proposed at a later stage to have them included in the Evaluation process that would need to be undertaken. Only estimates need to be provided but try to be less optimistic but based on previous activities undertaken.

The Application Form

Here one needs to provide in detail what is being planned on the project activities that will be undertaken. This section is needed for the Project Selection Committee to evaluate the quality of the Application.

The Application Form

It is important for NGOs to obtain the Declaration from the VAT Department on whether you can claim back the VAT submitted and be given a credit, if this is so the VAT on the project is ineligible or else if you cannot get a credit and then the VAT paid is an eligible cost.

The Application Form

The column expenditure is to indicate the costs of the project, while the income should provide the amount requested from the EU funds amounting to 75% of the eligible costs, the 25% equivalent co-financing share, to be provided either by the applicant/ partner or third party and to deduct any profit already envisaged.

The Application Form

The above costs are the eligible expenditure. Please go through the eligibility rules to know what obligations are linked for each budget component.

The Application Form

The above costs are the eligible expenditure. Please go through the eligibility rules to know what obligations are linked for each budget component.

The Application Form

Applicants who receive an operational grant cannot ask for indirect costs. This is also applicable for partners. In fact partners have to submit the Declaration from the head of the organisation stating that the organisation is not receiving an

• perational grant from the European Union budget.

The Application Form

The budget available/project activities can be spread over the following no of

• years. Activities which have already started under the project can only be

eligible prior to the signing of a grant agreement if these can be justified. Payments on the projects cannot go beyond 2022.

The Application Form

Governmental Entities need to follow the Public Procurement Regulations, NGOs need to follow the thresholds outlined in our Manual of Procedures. There are three thresholds for NGOs, below €5000 (one quotation), between €5000 & €100,000 (three quotations), over €100,000 (open tender).

The Application Form

Here one needs to insert previous projects undertaken and financed through EU Funds. Please note that double funding is prohibited. Project Activities must

• nly be financed from one EU Funding programme.

The Application Form

Points are given to projects which complement other initiatives. Questions which will be asked by the Project Selection Committee in this respect during the evaluation of the project are listed in the Guidance Notes to the Application Form.

The Application Form

Please note the durability clause attached to purchases made under the project in relation to real estate costs and equipment. If renovations are paid from the project, the building so renovated has to continue to be utilised for the activities

• utlined in the project for at least 5 years following final payment made by

Commission on the project. While for example if ICT equipment is purchased from the project, these need to continue to be used for 4 years following final payment.

The Application Form

Points are given to projects which have already a clear plan of action and have maybe tenders/quotations already drafted. Questions which will be asked by the Project Selection Committee in this respect during the evaluation of the project are listed in the Guidance Notes to the Application Form.

The Application Form

Beneficiaries are obliged under the Regulation to make the general public aware of the project and how this was co-financed. Apart from describing actions that will be undertaken to make the general public aware, one needs to tick in the table below the different publicity measures that will be undertaken. In case of training and employment of staff one should note the obligation of having both the trainees and the staff aware that the training/ salary is being part-financed from EU funds.

The Application Form

One should note that in case of NGOs the possibility of not having sufficient funds to cover the co-financing share on the project (the 25%) cannot be a

• condition. Insufficiency of funds leads to non-eligibility. For the co-financing

share one can ask MSDC for assistance under the NGO fund.

The Application Form

One should note that in case of NGOs the possibility of not having sufficient funds to cover the co-financing share on the project (the 25%) cannot be a

• condition. Insufficiency of funds leads to non-eligibility. For the co-financing

share one can ask MSDC for assistance under the NGO co-financing fund.

The Application Form

It is important to contact the State Aid Monitoring Board in order to check that the project activities and/or the involvement of private entities as partners to the project do not involve State Aid. Contact details of the State Aid Monitoring Board are listed in the Guidance Notes to the Application Form.

The Application Form

It is important to read through the Declaration prior to signing the application It is important to read through the Declaration prior to signing the application form and have it submitted to the Responsible Authority in Santa Venera by noon of the 27th of November. The Application needs to be signed by the Project Leader and the CEO/head of the Applicant Organisation. In case of Government Entities, this needs also to be signed by the Permanent Secretary. Do not forget to submit also the Annexes to the Application form, especially the Budget Breakdown and its separate sheets.

Thanks for your Attention

Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund 2014-2020 Co-financing rate: 75% EU Funds 25% Beneficiary’s Funds Sustainable Management of Migration Flows