|
Here you will find answers to the most frequently asked questions about the Programme and project implementation.
General questions
Implementation
General questions
What does the Central Baltic INTERREG IV A Programme 2007-2013 do?
“Central Baltic INTERREG IV A Programme 2007-2013 is a European territorial co-operation programme funding cross-border projects.” This means the Programme aims at overcoming challenges that are related to the internal borders of the European Union. This is done by acting as an engine for making cooperation possible between the partners located in different countries. Another important factor is that by bringing together different experiences and viewpoints of the partners from different regions and countries the outcome is expectedly better and more innovative than individual attempts to do the same thing parallel in several regions and countries.
Central Baltic INTERREG IV A Programme 2007-2013 has one overall Programme and two sub-Programmes. How does one know which part to apply for?
The Central Baltic INTERREG IV A Programme 2007-2013 is one cross-border cooperation Programme of the EU. It consists of three parts (see below) that become important when one wants to apply for funding from the Programme. The composition of partner origins (i.e. where the partners are located) defines which of the three parts of the overall Central Baltic INTERREG IV A Programme 2007-2013 one should apply for.
The three parts of the Central Baltic INTERREG IV A Programme 2007-2013 are:
- Central Baltic Programme (Partners can come from anywhere in the Programme area unless the composition falls under 2 or 3.)
- Southern Finland – Estonia Sub-programme (Partners only come from Finnish and Estonian regions unless the composition falls under 3.)
- Archipelago and Islands Sub-programme (At least one partner comes from the Archipelago and Island parts defined in the Programme Document and the rest from anywhere in the Programme area. Additionally, the project main results must address the Archipelago and Island areas of the Programme.)
What is the difference between the “Central Baltic INTERREG IV A Programme 2007-2013” and the “Central Baltic Programme”?
The Central Baltic INTERREG IV A Programme 2007-2013 is the name for the so-called “Operational Programme” of the EU. It consists of three parts relating to the projects’ partner origins (see the following question). The part covering geographically the whole Programme area of the Central Baltic INTERREG IV A Programme 2007-2013 is called the “Central Baltic Programme”. The other two parts (called Sub-programmes) cover only limited areas of the total Programme area.
What kinds of projects, thematically, can get funding from the Central Baltic INTERREG IV A Programme 2007-2013?
The Programme has the following three priorities that are the same for all three parts of the Programme:
Safe and healthy environment
This priority focuses on protecting and improving our common environment and puts a special focus on the Baltic Sea. This priority supports a sustainable environmental development of the programme area, making it attractive for both inhabitants and visitors.
Economically competitive and innovative region
This priority focuses on enhancing the overall economic development and competitiveness of the programme area. It emphasises innovations and broad, qualitative co-operation. Moreover, the development of connections to facilitate cross-border co-operation and a better flow of goods and people is another focus, together with the utilisation of the labour force and the development of the tourism sector.
Attractive and dynamic societies
This priority focuses on creating a better living environment for the programme area’s inhabitants. Thus, it is important to address people’s health, well-being and security as well as co-operation aiming at strengthening cultural exchange and the programme area’s togetherness. Improving the quality of life for the citizens is an important aspect of sustainable development.
The priority also deals with creating a region with equal opportunities for different groups of the population. It also supports their active participation in society. The Lisbon objective of building a more inclusive EU is one element in achieving the strategic goal of sustainable economic growth, more and better jobs and greater social cohesion.
How much money does the Programme have for the projects? How much can one project get?
The Programme has altogether 102 MEUR for the years 2007-2013. Out of this 96 MEUR are to be given out to projects and the remaining 6 MEUR is there for running the Programme itself. All this 102 MEUR comes from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
There are no absolute amounts set for how much funding a project can get. However, the recommended total budget of a project can be said to be approximately 1 MEUR, the recommended duration of the project being 2-3 years. Out of the total budget the ERDF portion can be up to 75 % or 85 % depending on where the project partners are located. The remaining funding must come from other (in most cases public) sources.
How often are there Calls for Proposals?
The decision on when to open Call for Proposals is made by the Steering Committee. In general, there are planned two calls a year, one during spring and one during autumn. The dates of open calls will be made public on the website and via the Programme’s mailing list.
Idea and Planning
Can we get funding for preparing the application?
No, the Central Baltic INTERREG IV A Programme 2007-2013 does not support the preparations of the application. These costs must be borne by the project partners. Project costs are only eligible between the start and end date of the approved project.
Do the project partners have to contribute to the project budget themselves?
Yes, each partner has to have its own budget in the project. In order to generate ERDF funding the partner must show enough national co-financing. The partner’s own contribution is at least 25 % for project partners from Finland incl. Åland Islands and Sweden, and at least 15 % for project partners from Estonia and Latvia.
Usually the national co-financing is provided by the partner organisation. If a partner cannot use its own money or it receives co-financing from another organisation, the co-financing can also come from other sources. As a general rule, the co-funding has to originate from public funds. The only exceptions from this rule are Estonian partners in the Southern Finland- Estonia sub-programme who can also have funding from private enterprises.
What is the national co-financing of a project?
In the Application Form the partners will have to specify their national co-financing to the project. The national co-financing must come from sources that are eligible to be used as national co-financing in the project partner country in the Central Baltic INTERREG IV A Programme 2007-2013.
Please note that the eligibility of a project partner to participate in the project does not automatically mean that its budget money could be used as national co-financing.
As a general rule the national co-financing must be public funding. The only exception are Estonian partners in the Southern Finland – Estonia sub-programme in which also the private funding can be used as national co-financing.
The national co-financing can consist of:
-
State funding – this means funding coming from different state organisations, Finnish / Åland national co-financing
-
Municipal funding – this means municipalities and for instance different development organisations funded by municipalities
-
Other public funding: this means funding coming from other organisations which money can be considered being of public origin
-
Private funding: Money from private enterprises only in the case of Estonian partners in the Southern Finland-Estonia sub-programme
Often the origin of funding must be checked on a case-by-case basis and therefore it is advisable to discuss with the JTS the funding the partners are planning to use as national co-financing. In addition, there are differences between countries regarding which funding can be used as national co-financing.Therefore e.g. using money from state budget is in general allowed in the programme rules, but may be prohibited in some of the participating countries.
What is the maximum project duration?
The length of a project always depends on the content and targets of the project. It is crucial that you analyse how long it takes to achieve the targets of the project and set a realistic schedule. The advised length of projects in the Central Baltic INTERREG IV A Programme 2007-2013 is 2-3 years. If you need much less or more time, you should justify this in the application.
Keep in mind that the nature of a project is, that it deals with a certain task and has a limited time frame and budget. A project cannot be used to finance the regular activities of an organisation. It is also not possible to continue the exactly same activities in follow-up projects (project, project 2, project 3...). Each project must have a new and specific aim and content.
What should be the outcome of a Central Baltic INTERREG IV A Programme 2007-2013 project?
Your project always has to produce an added value beyond being a series of one-time events. Therefore, your project cannot content-wise consist merely of individual sponsorships for participation in or organisation of workshops, seminars, conferences or the like. Project funding will not be available for only supporting individual studies, training courses, tourism trips and tours, entertainment activities, export aid focused on specific enterprises, loan or grant schemes, aid to private companies or similar. Though, as such activities might be eligible if they are part of a bigger project.
Projects are particularly good for trying out or spreading new innovations, models or methods or to establish new co-operations. Projects should deliver concrete outputs and tangible implementation activities, which have the potential to make a change. They need to be activity related, which means that studies, guidelines, etc. will not be sufficient as end-results. A successful project creates practices, models, solutions, networks or knowledge that live on after the project ends even without project funding. The Programme does not support pure networking projects. A network must always be used to achieve some concrete and joint targets and cannot be an end in itself.Though, such activities might be eligible if they are part of a bigger project.
Partners
Who can be a partner?
An eligible project partner has to come from, or have jurisdiction and activities in the Central Baltic INTERREG IV A 2007-2013 Programme area (including the adjacent area).
Here you will find some examples of organisations that may be partners in the Central Baltic INTERREG IV A Programme 2007-2013. You should, however, always keep in mind that there might be differences in the interpretation between different countries. If you have any questions, the JTS is glad to help:
- Local and regional authorities – this means municipalities, regional councils, educational facilities and other actors, funded by municipalities.
- State organisations – this means universities, research centres, environmental authorities and other similar organisations that are funded from the state budget.
- Organisations established for general interest needs as defined below – this means organisations that do not fall directly under any of the other categories. These can be foundations, regional development centres, business incubators and similar organisations that are established for the common good and,
- Non-governmental organisations – this refers to organisations that have been created around a specific question that is in the interest of the general public or for the common good.
In general all organisations must be public. This means that their funding have to come mainly from public funds (state or municipal money) and/or they have to be under supervision by public bodies and they have to deal with issues of general interest and be of benefit to the large public.
- Private enterprises are eligible only in the Southern Finland – Estonia Sub-Programme (Private funding by private enterprises generates ERDF co-financing only in Estonia).
How many partners do we need?
Each project must have at least two partners from two countries. The maximum number of project partners is 30. You can also have up to 10 additional partners.
The programme does not have a suggestion on the “right” number of partners, as long as it is between the minimum and maximum. Each project must choose the partners that are the most helpful in carrying out the project activities. Sometimes it is important to have a large partnership, sometimes two or three well chosen partners are all you need.
Regarding project management it can be said, that the more partners, the more challenging the coordination of the project will be. If you need to have many partners you should make sure that the Lead Partner, Project Manager and Financial Manager are really capable of carrying out the project.
What is the Lead Partner?
Each project must nominate one of the partners to act as Lead Partner of the project. The Lead Partner bears the overall responsibility for the preparation and well-functioning of the project. The work of the Lead Partner starts already when the application is being prepared. The Lead Partner is responsible for collecting all the information from the other partners, finalising the Application Form, signing it and sending it to the JTS.
During the assessment of the project, the Lead Partner must co-ordinate any eventual requests for additional information by the JTS. Now, and in the future, the JTS and all other programme authorities will communicate only with the Lead Partner. The Lead Partner must then collect the information from the relevant partner and send the answer.
When the project has been approved, the Managing Authority will sign a Subsidy Contract with the Lead Partner. The Lead Partner is usually in charge of employing the project personnel. They are in general responsible for the smooth running of the project. The Lead Partner collects the information for the Progress Report and Payment Claim and submits it to the JTS. Once the Payment Claim has been approved, the ERDF funds will be paid to the Lead Partner account. The Lead Partner must then distribute the funds to the other partners.
The Lead Partner, then, has a big role in the project. The partners should give this responsibility to a partner that they trust. The Lead Partner should also have enough experience and financial stability to be able to take on these tasks.
Note that there are stricter rules for NGO´s and "Organisations established for general interest needs" in case they would like to be a Lead Partner and not just a project partner. See the Project Applicant´s Programme Manual on page 15.
A good overview of the different roles and responsibilities of the Lead Partner and a regular Partner is found in the Project Applicant´s Programme Manual in chapter 4.2.4.
Can a project consist of only partners from Finland and Åland?
No, projects with only Åland and mainland Finland participation are not considered to make up a cross-border co-operation project. In case the project involves partners from Finland or the Åland Islands, there has to be at least one other partner from Estonia, Latvia or Sweden.
Can an organisation in the adjacent area be a partner or even the Lead Partner?
Yes, project partners and Lead Partners can come from the adjacent areas. There are currently no restrictions or different rules for partners from adjacent areas.
If you plan projects for the future, you should, however, be aware of the Programme rule that a maximum of 20 % of the total ERDF budget of the Programme may be used in the adjacent areas. This is monitored on Programme, not project, level. If, later during the Programme implementation, the adjacent areas approach the 20 % limit, an announcement will be made and restrictions might be put in place for partners from those areas.
Can a project have partners from outside the Programme area?
The project partners must come from the Programme area. If a project feels that there is expertise or important partners outside the Programme area, there are several options.
Within one country an organisation of national or a larger regional importance can be a partner even if it is located outside the Programme area. This is the case if the organisation has jurisdiction over and activities in the Programme area and is therefore an important partner.
The project may include so-called additional partners. These do not have a budget and do not receive ERDF funding. They can participate in project activities at their own cost. The additional partners can come from outside the Programme area (but from the EU).
The project can also buy expert services from organisations outside the Programme area. A tendering procedure can be extended to cover other countries.
The project can also to some extent use money outside the Programme area. It is possible for instance to make a study visit to a country outside the Programme area. In such cases the costs for travelling outside the Programme area must be explained already in the Application Form. These costs are never automatically eligible but have to be included and justified in the Application. Such costs can only be included in the budget of two partners.
Is it possible to sub-contract project partners?
No, it is not. The partners have divided the project activities among themselves and they cannot charge each other for project activities.
A different case is tendering and buying services already planned in the project plan. In such cases, also the different departments of also a partner organisation may give an offer. If they have the best offer, they may be chosen. In these cases the service is paid for according to its regular price and on the basis of an offer and invoice.
Can we add partners after approval of the project?
It is not possible to add partners after the approval of the project. Keep in mind that the application must be completely ready when you submit it and you cannot make any changes to it. Therefore the information regarding the partners, activities and financing has to be ready at the time of submission.
Application
Where can I find out about the requirements for the Central Baltic INTERREG IV A Programme 2007-2013 projects?
The programme website is a good place to start. All the relevant information has been listed here. The most important document is the Programme Document, which gives information on the vision and aims of the Programme and explains in detail the Priorities.
The Project Applicant’s Programme Manual is the next crucial document. It provides the applicant of the Central Baltic INTERREG IV A Programme 2007-2013 with most of the necessary information that is needed to develop a project idea, to prepare a project and to plan the project application.
When you are ready to start filling in your Application Form, you should read the Practical Guide for filling in the Application Form. This document gives hands-on information about how to fill in the Application Form.
Sometimes you might have questions that you cannot find answers to in the above mentioned documents. And sometimes reading a document is just not the same as talking things through. Therefore, the JTS members are always ready to answer your questions and assist you in the project preparations.
Where can I talk to a person about my project/application?
The Joint Technical Secretariat has offices in Turku/Finland, Mariehamn/Åland, Tallinn/Estonia, Riga/Latvia and Stockholm/Sweden. You can e-mail or call us or book a face-to-face consultation time in any of these locations. The JTS members also regularly visit the programme regions, so consultations can also be set outside the offices.
See the Contact section on this site to find out the most convenient office to contact for your project.
Can the Secretariat check our application before it is submitted?
The Secretariat cannot do a so-called pre-assessment of your project and tell you in advance that it will/will not pass due to x, y and z. This evaluation will be done during the assessment period and will be the basis for the recommendation to the Steering Committee. The Secretariat can at no point guarantee that a project will receive funding. All funding decisions are made by the Steering Committee, and they do not have to follow the recommendation made by the JTS.
Nevertheless, by being in frequent contact with the JTS in the preparation phase, you can receive good information and tips regarding the parts of the project that are still in need of improvements.
Does the Programme provide advance payments?
No, the Programme does not provide advance payments to the projects. All project partners will first have to cover their project expenses and can reimburse up to 75% or 85% of these costs afterwards. The ERDF rate is based on the maximum rates defined in the programme document as well as the financial shares presented in the Application Form.
The time between paying out a cost and receiving the ERDF funding will be several months. Therefore the project partners should ensure that they have necessary financial resources for the implementation of the project.
Can we submit the Application Form filled in our own language?
No, the only language of the Central Baltic INTERREG IV A Programme 2007-2013 is English. This concerns all official correspondence and documentation. The Application and all reports have to be done in English.
There are some exceptions to the rule. You are allowed to send some mandatory annexes (VAT declaration and registration certificate) in the original language, if they cannot be received in English. The JTS does not want to have unofficial translations of these. The background material for investments may also be in national languages. However, in the case of investments a summary of the information is required in English.
During reporting the invoices etc will naturally be in the local languages. The partners must provide explanations and summaries regarding the costs in English as part of the Progress Report and Payment Claim.
When can we start our project?
The earliest starting date can be the first day of the month following the Steering Committee meeting of your (Sub-)programme. You can find information about the dates of the Steering Committee meetings on our website or by contacting the JTS. In the Application Form you can choose the starting (and closing) month and year. The starting date is the first day of the chosen month. Your project costs will be eligible between the starting date and the closing date.
Who decides which projects get funding?
The Joint Technical Secretariat will first perform an admissibility check of each project application within 20 working days after the closure of the call. The criteria of the admissibility check are of purely technical nature (e.g. if the application has been submitted in time including all required annexes etc.; if the project partners are eligible; if all relevant budget information is delivered etc.)
Those that pass the admissibility check will continue to the content assessment. It consists of a quality evaluation (by the JTS) and an evaluation of the strategic relevance (by the Steering Committee) of the project. The assessment will be done against a number of Core Selection Criteria. These can be found on the web site. The quality evaluation at the JTS is supposed not to take more than 60 working days
Based on the outcome of this assessment, the Joint Technical Secretariat will prepare a separate proposal for each of the three Steering Committees on which projects to be co-financed under the Central Baltic Programme, the Southern Finland – Estonia Sub-programme and the Archipelago and Islands Sub-programme.
Each Steering Committee will then discuss separately the project applications which have passed the admissibility check. The Steering Comittee assesses the strategic relevance of the projects and selects the ones that receive ERDF co-financing. It has to be underlined that the proposal prepared by the Joint Technical Secretariat is in no way binding for the Steering Committees. The Steering Committees are totally free to choose the projects to be co-financed (including the total budget and the duration of the project).
The Steering Committees do not make a decision only between “yes” and “no”, but can also decide to approve a project under certain conditions. The conditions must be fulfilled before the Subsidy Contract can be signed. Once all conditions have been fulfilled the Managing Authority and the Lead Partner sign the Subsidy Contract and the funding decision enters into force.
Implementation
Financial Issues
What does reimbursement of costs mean and can all project related costs be reimbursed?
When implementing the project the project partners will first have to cover all the project costs and reimburse them afterwards from the programme. The ERDF rates of different partners have been defined in the Subsidy Contract (max. 75 or 85% depending on the location of the project partner) and this rate must be obeyed when reporting the project costs. The transfer of the national co-financing (remaining min. 15-25% of the project costs) will be checked by the First Level Control as part of the verification of the project partner costs as well as that the Lead Partner has transferred the received ERDF contributions to other project partners.
When the project report has been approved and costs certified by the Certifying Authority, the programme pays the ERDF contribution to the Lead Partner.
Please note that the eligibility of a project partner to participate in the project does not automatically mean that its budget money could be used as national co-financing.
Are investments eligible?
As a general principle investments are possible in the Central Baltic INTERREG IV A Programme 2007-2013. In the assessment of their eligibility the JTS will strongly emphasise the cross-border nature of the investment. Also investment-only projects are possible, but then their cross-border impact is extremely crucial. The generation of projects of such nature should be considered carefully.
All investments should be clearly linked to the development of a cross-border operational environment and support the overall aims of the programme.
As the Central Baltic INTERREG IV A Programme 2007-2013 mainly has sea borders, it is not always easy to find a direct and obvious cross-border character. The cross-border character and relevance of an investment can be achieved either through an extensive geographical coverage, by establishing functional relations between different regions and countries or by a model character.
If the partners choose to make an investment with a pilot character in one location, it is important that the whole partnership receives the same benefit in the form of know-how. The project partners from different regions and countries should participate in all phases of the investment (from planning to analysing the results).
Project owners are strongly advised to develop projects having a pilot nature paving the way for future larger and sustainable investments which would be later (co)financed through other, mainly national sources. The pilot nature and active participation of the whole partnership also ensures that if the pilot investment is found to be useful, all partners have the capability to implement a similar investment in their region.
Often the JTS is asked about the eligibility of investments for very local needs (a club house needs to be renovated, a small harbour built or a museum updated). These are never eligible as such in our programme, as they do not have a cross-border character. The argument that they are open for foreign tourists is not enough to justify the cross-border element. Usually such investments are best carried out through national funds. In order for such investments to be eligible in this programme they must in addition to the local character have a strong pilot nature, or be implemented in a strong partnership with similar needs and in creation of a concrete network of investments.
Can a certain amount be included in the project budget for unforeseen expenses?
No lump sums for unforeseen expenses can be included in the budget. When planning the budget, the partners must be realistic and have a sound basis for their calculations. The budget should not be too big and not too small. If the project is too big, the project will not be able to use the money. If the budget is too small, the project activities are in danger.
As the budget planning for a project of many years is a demanding task, you should allow yourself enough time for it. Make careful plans and be realistic. When you fill in the budget information in the Application and Annex 6 you should always try to be as specific and detailed as possible. This allows the JTS to understand and assess properly the budget proposal.
Are there any limits for expert fee rates, staff salary/personnel costs for the project?
There are no set limits for the different budget lines. All costs must relate to project activities, be reasonable, bring added-value for the project and be based on real expenditure.
Please note that all costs must be in line with the general level in the respective country and organisation. For instance, the salary of the project personnel cannot differ considerably from the salary that is actually paid for similar tasks in a comparable structure (either public or private).
What are in-kind contributions?
By definition in-kind refers to situations where only the nominal value of a service is shown and no money transfers take place. You can include in-kind to cover part of your co-financing. In kind contributions are always shown both as a project cost and income at exactly the same value.
In-kind contributions can consist of either unpaid voluntary labour or the provision of land or real estate, equipment or raw materials. The value of in- kind contributions must always be assessed by an independent assessors before the application is submitted to the JTS. Documentation should be sent with the Application Form.
In addition, according to Finnish (incl. Åland) and Swedish national interpretation the sub-budget line “Other partner personnel contributing to the project” will be considered as in-kind contribution.
Please note that there are differences between participating countries e.g. concerning what in-kind contributions are eligible and how they should be counted.
Reporting
How does the project report its costs?
The project has to report its costs according to three reporting milestones (reporting periods) per year (January-April, May-August, September-December). After the end of the reporting period each project partner (including Lead Partner) fills in its partner report and sends it to the national Controllers for verification. After the Controllers have returned the material to the project partner (in Estonia the materials will be sent directly to the Lead Partner), the partner will forward the information to the Lead Partner for the preparation of the joint Progress Report and Payment Claim of the project. After the Lead Partner has finalised the report, it will submit that to the JTS with a confirmation letter.
How long does it take to receive ERDF payment after submission of the Progress Report?
The JTS will assess the submitted Progress Reports in the order of their arrival. Therefore it is advised that the Lead Partner submits the Progress Report and Payment Claim immediately after the report has been finalized. Unfortunately at this point it is impossible to say average time needed for the payment of ERDF funding to a project.
Are there any possibilities to add/award additional funds to the project?
The project costs and financing are fixed in the subsidy contract that is signed with the Managing Authority. Any changes to the information included in the approved application needs to be communicated to the JTS and project may need to be reapproved by the Steering Committee.
Finalisation
How long will I need for the project finalisation?
The finalisation of the project includes paying all expenditures and closing the accounts as well as compiling the Final report and the last Progress Report and Payment Claim.
How long this will take in practice depend on many things. One issue is how long it takes to get the bookkeeping documents including all payments. You should plan well ahead and make sure that all invoices are received and paid in time. Filling in the Final report and the Progress Report and Payment Claim should not take longer than it does for a usual report. Remember, that all project activities should be finished by this time.
It would be unlikely that the finalisation procedures could be done in less than two months, but it may require considerably more time. It is advisable to carefully think through how long these processes take in your organisation and the partnership.
Can we have money for a continuation project?
The Central Baltic INTERREG IV A Programme 2007-2013 does not finance follow-up projects with the same content and aims (i.e. Project I, Project II). This means that you cannot simply copy a project and ask for funding for the same project again. Each project is to set its individual aims.
It is possible to apply for funding if you include new actors, new regions and develop the project idea and targets further.
Who makes sure our results get spread to other actors?
It is up to the partners to ensure that the project results live on after the project has ended. The partners should think about how this is done, with what financial means and who will take the responsibility. You will be asked to explain your plans and thoughts in the Application Form.
Even though the project is limited in time, it would be good if the best practices or results of the project do live on. If the project has no lasting impact on the partnership or the project target group, the project did not achieve its goals. The JTS and Steering Committees want the projects to make a real difference in the region. Therefore the sustainability of the project results is important.
One important aspect of a project is communication. All projects are to have a communication plan of their own. It should cover how the project informs its stakeholders and the general public about the project work and results.
Although the project has the main responsibility for spreading its results, the Programme helps in informing about the funded projects. Summaries of all funded projects are published on the Programme website. The Programme may also in other ways support the dissemination of project results.
|
