1

Swiss-Slovak Cooperation Programme

April 2010

2

SWISS-SLOVAK COOPERATION PROGRAMME

New possibilities of financial support for the 10 new member states which joined the EU on 1 May 2004

66,866 mil. CHF (approx. 41 mil. Euro) is allocated for the Slovak Republic

At least 40% of the Contribution shall be spent in the region of the geographical focus

The Swiss Contribution will be increased with the finances from the State Budget in a form of co-financing

3

DOCUMENTS

Memorandum of understanding between the Council of the European Union and the Swiss Federal Council of 27 February 2006

Framework agreement between the Government of the Slovak Republic and the Swiss Federal Council concerning the implementation of the Swiss-Slovak Cooperation Programme to reduce economic and social disparities within the enlarged European Union

4

AUTHORITIES RESPONSIBLE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CONTRIBUTION

1. On national level in the Slovak Republic Government Office of the Slovak Republic (National Coordination Unit) Ministry of Finance of the Slovak Republic (Paying Authority and Audit

Authority) National Monitoring Committee for the Swiss-Slovak Cooperation

Programme

2. On national level in the Swiss Confederation Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) Embassy of Switzerland in the Slovak Republic

5

Open Call 2010-03Regional development initiatives in peripheral or

disadvantaged regions Subject of the Call- Selection and support of projects with focus on tourism planning,

mobilization of tourism potentials and improvement of the social services

Geographical focus - The region of the East Slovakia, i.e. Prešov and Košice self-government

regions

6

TYPES OF ELIGIBLE PROJECTS

a) tourism planning at regional and district level,

b) mobilization of tourism potentials, primarily in eco-tourism, sports, cultural heritage,

c) strengthening and improving social services, social inclusion, the fight against poverty, measure of social law protection, social guardianship and social economy

7

FINANCIAL ALLOCATION AND LEVEL OF ASSISTANCE

Indicative financial allocation- 7 396 085 EUR, including the 15% assistance from the State Budget

Minimum amount of grant for a project (eligibility criterion)- 616 340 EUR, i.e. 882 353 CHF including the 15% assistance from the State Budget

Maximum amount of grant for a project (eligibility criterion)- For projects defined under a) 986 145 EUR, i.e. 1 411 765 CHF including

the 15% assistance from the State Budget

- For projects defined under b) and c) 1 643 574 EUR, i.e. 2 352 941 CHF including the 15% assistance from the State

Budget

8

EXAMPLES OF THE ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES FOR THE INDIVIDUAL TYPES OF PROJECTS

a) tourism are

development of tourism products

models of tourism management and organisation, including development of partnership boards

setting up regional/ local management organization

b) social issues area development and implementation of measures to prevent and solve the social exclusion

of children networking the providers of social services, executors of the children social law protection and guardianship measures, including development and capacity building of partnership boards

development of permanent and on-the-spot social services and measures of social law protection and social guardianship

9

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

1. Tourism planning:- self-government regions from the geographic focus area

2. Mobilization of tourism potentials:- municipalities, association of municipalities in terms of Act No. 369/1990 on municipal establishment- non-government organizations, e.g. in terms of Act No. 213/1997- civil associations in terms of Act No. 83/1990- non-investment funds in terms of Act No. 147/1997.

3. Social area:- applicants defined in article 1. and 2.

10

PROJECT PREPARATION FACILITY (PPF)

financing the technical and expertise documentation necessary for the elaboration and submission of a comprehensive Final Project Proposal

(i.e. activity 6.1a))

Grant application for the PPF is submitted and approved within the Project Outline

the maximum total grant from the PPF must not exceed 2% of the total direct eligible expenses on other activities

Project Preparation Facility Implementation Agreement (concluded between the Government Office of the Slovak Republic and the successful applicant)

11

ASSESSMENT AND SELECTION OF THE PROJECTS

1st loop – submission of the Project Outlines• Administrative compliance check,• Eligibility check of the Grant Application and the applicant,• Technical evaluation,• Recommendation issued by the National Monitoring Committee,• Decision of the Swiss Confederation on Project Outlines.

(up to 3 months from the day of the submission of the Project Outlines)

2nd loop – elaboration of the Final Project Proposals• Administrative compliance check,• Eligibility check of the Grant Application and the applicant,• Technical evaluation,• Recommendation issued by the National Monitoring Committee,• Final decision of the Swiss Confederation on the projects implementation.

(up to 3 months from the day of the submission of the Project Outlines)

12

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS ON GRANT APPLICATIONS

applicant – steady organization

objectives and results are in compliance with the local and regional development strategies

sustainability of results

respecting the horizontal criteria (sustainable development, good governance, gender equality and non-discrimination, strengthening

the bilateral relation)

added value

time frame

13

ELIGIBILITY OF EXPENSES

• Guideline on the eligibility of expenses for the focus area: Regional development initiatives in peripheral or disadvantaged regions

• eligibility period – specified in the respective Project Implementation Agreement/ Project Preparation Facility Implementation Agreement

• expenses or cost incurred before or after the eligibility period defined in the respective agreement will be considered as non-eligible

14

PROJECT CO-FINANCING RATE

From finances allocated for the Call – up to 100% of the total eligible expenses of a project (activities 6.1 b) and c) of the Call, indirect expenses of a project, reserve)

From the Project Preparation Facility – up to 100% of expenses eligible for financing from the Project Preparation Facility (activity 6.1 a) of the Call)

15

PROJECT BUDGET BREAKDOWN

Budget preparation = familiarization with the Guideline on the eligibility of expenses

Categories of the expenses on the basis of the synthetic accounts of the accounting system valid for the double entry book-keeping

Annex 2 = instructions within the Instructions for the applicant for grant Annex 2 of the Grant Application Comments to the budget breakdown (inevitable part of the Annex 2) –

justification and method of calculation of each budget item Data transfer from Annex 2 into the relevant parts of the Grant Application

Non-eligible ex penses in line

w ith the Guideline

Eligible ex penses in line w ith

the Guideline

Total non-eligible

ex penses for financeing

from the Programme

(financed from the ow n

sources of the applicant)Ex penses eligible for financing

from the PPF, from the v iew

of the Programme and the Call

Grant from the PPF out

from total ex penses on

activ ity 6.1.a), eligible for

financing from the PPF.

Grant application for PPF -

Annex 6 of the Grant

application Activ ities

6.1.b),c)

Non-eligible ex penses from

the v iew of the Programme

(date of incurrence, category

in line w ith the Guideline)

Eligible ex penses from the

v iw e of the Programme and

the Call

Grant from the total eligible

ex penses from the

finances allocated for the

Call

Total indirect ex penses of

project:

- ex penses on ex ternal

financial audit

- ex penses to increase

capacity of EA for the project

management

Non-eligible ex penses from

the v iew of the Programme

(date of incurrence, category

in line w ith the Guideline)Eligible ex penses from the

v iw e of the Programme and

the Call

Total expenses on project

Total direct

ex penses of

project:

- ex penses

on each

project

activ ity

Activ ity 6.1.a)

Non-eligible ex penses from

the v iew of the Programme

(date of incurrence, category

in line w ith the Guideline)

Contingency (in case of

projects underly ing the Act

No. 50/1976 - Building Code,

max . up to 10% of the total

eligible direct ex penses)

Min

. 616

340

EU

R

Max

. 3.1

. a) 9

86 1

45 E

UR

Max

. 3.1

. b),

c) 1

643

574

EU

R

17

SUBMISSION OF THE GRANT APPLICATIONS

• in compliance with the Instructions for the applicant for grant and the Guideline on the eligibility of expenses

• submission deadline for the Grant Applications = 12 July 2010

• place for the submission – Úrad vlády SR, Námestie slobody 1, Bratislava

18

Additional and up-to-date information regarding the Call 2010-03 is available on the

web page

www.swiss-contribution.sk