Deadline: 14 August 2019

The European Union (EU) is currently accepting proposals from eligible organizations for a program entitled “EU announces Cross-border Programme Albania – Kosovo” to strengthen good neighbourly relations and foster environmentally friendly and social inclusive economic development of the bordering regions, through the promotion of their touristic potential and respect of its common cultural and natural heritage.

Funding Information

• Lot 1 Development of green economy and circular economy, supporting economic activities that reduce environmental risks and ecological scarcities, and that aims for sustainable development without degrading the environment
  • Minimum amount of EU grants: EUR 420,000
  • Maximum amount of EU-funded grant: EUR 840,000
• Lot 2 Tackling water pollution and promoting climate change adaptation related to water basins
  • Minimum amount of EU grants: EUR 600,000
  • Maximum amount of EU-funded grant: EUR 1,200,000

Eligibility Criteria

• Lead applicant
  • In order to be eligible for a grant, the lead applicant must:
    • be a legal person, and
    • be non-profit-making for the purpose of this call, and
    • be established in4 either Albania or Kosovo, and
    • be a specific type of organisation such as: non-governmental organisation, public sector operator, local authority, inter-governmental organisation as defined by Article 43 of the rules of application of the EU Financial Regulation and be a specific type of institution or organisation such as (please note the list is not exhaustive):
      • Civil society organisations
      • Central, regional and local government units (ministries, municipalities, departments, public/ministerial agencies)
      • Local authorities, local governments and their institutions, associations of municipalities
      • Public bodies acting as service providers
      • Local tourist organisations
      • National Parks
      • Chambers of Commerce and Chambers of Crafts and Trades
      • Professional associations, famers associations and associations of SMEs
      • Formal and non-formal education and training institutions (e.g. primary schools, VET schools, Universities, etc.)
      • Cultural institutions such as museums, libraries, orchestras, etc.
      • Research, development and innovation (RDI) institutions
      • Agencies for local or regional development
      • Public utility companies controlled by government units as their major stakeholder
      • National and regional centres for disaster management and monitoring
      • Emergency services
      • Body governed by private law with a public service mission
    • And
    • be directly responsible for the preparation and management of the action with the coapplicant(s) and affiliated entity(ies), not acting as an intermediary, and
    • apply in partnerships with at least one entity per participating country. The total number of applicants must not exceed 6 (six), including the Lead Applicant. Single applicants should not participate in more than one Application per Lot (as a Lead applicant or a Co-applicant). In case this rule is not respected, all applications where the said applicant is involved will be automatically excluded from the evaluation.
    • Each application shall include at least one Local/Regional Authority per each Country, meaning one from Albania and one from Kosovo.
    • IPA regulation and its provisions are applicable to this procedure. The lead applicant shall assume responsibility for ensuring the financial implementation of the entire operation, monitor that the operation is in accordance with the conditions set out in the contract and lay down the arrangements with other beneficiaries to guarantee the sound financial management of the funds allocated to the operation, including arrangements for recovering amounts unduly paid.
• Co-applicant(s)
  • • The applicant must act with at least one co-applicant as specified hereafter.
    • If the applicant is established in Albania, at least one co-applicant must be established in Kosovo, and vice versa.
    • The maximum number of co-applicants that could be involved in the action is 5. However, CBC partners must carefully bear in mind the most appropriate conditions to ensure an intra-project efficient coordination when deciding on this. The number of partners and the composition of the partnership should be coherent with the envisaged objectives and activities of the action.
    • The application should specify the role and added value of each one of the applicants. Applications with more than 5 co-applicants will be disqualified from the selection process. The applicant and co-applicant(s) shall cooperate in the development and implementation of action. In addition, they shall cooperate in the staffing or the financing of operation or both.
    • The lead applicant and co-applicant(s) must represent different legal entities.
    • Co-applicants participate in designing and implementing the action, and the costs they incur are eligible in the same way as those incurred by the lead applicant.
• Affiliated entities
  • The lead applicant and its co-applicant(s) may act with affiliated entity(ies).
  • Only the following entities may be considered as affiliated entities to the lead applicant and/or to coapplicant(s):
  • Only entities having a structural link with the applicants (i.e. the lead applicant or a co-applicant), in particular a legal or capital link. This structural link encompasses mainly two notions:
    • Control, as defined in Directive 2013/34/EU on the annual financial statements, consolidated financial statements and related reports of certain types of undertakings:
    • Entities affiliated to an applicant may hence be:
      • Entities directly or indirectly controlled by the applicant (daughter companies or first-tier subsidiaries). They may also be entities controlled by an entity controlled by the applicant (granddaughter companies or second-tier subsidiaries) and the same applies to further tiers of control;
      • Entities directly or indirectly controlling the applicant (parent companies). Likewise, they may be entities controlling an entity controlling the applicant;
      • Entities under the same direct or indirect control as the applicant (sister companies).
    • Membership, i.e. the applicant is legally defined as a e.g. network, federation, association in which the proposed affiliated entities also participate or the applicant participates in the same entity (e.g. network, federation, association) as the proposed affiliated entities.

How to Apply

In order to apply for the grants, applicants have to register themselves in PADOR, an on-line database via given website.