Page 1 of 51

Interreg IPA Cross-border Cooperation Programme

Croatia-Bosnia and Herzegovina-Montenegro 2014-2020

Call for Proposals no. 1

Guidelines for Applicants

Deadline for reception of applications: 10 June 2016

Page 2 of 51

Table of Contents Legal Basis ..................................................................................................................................................... 4

1. GENERAL INFORMATION ...................................................................................................................... 6

1.1. Overview of the Programme ............................................................................................................. 6

1.1.1. Objectives and priorities ........................................................................................................... 7

1.1.2. Programme strategy ................................................................................................................. 9

1.1.3. Programme area ....................................................................................................................... 9

1.2. Programme management structure ............................................................................................... 11

1.3. Financial Allocation and sizes of grants .......................................................................................... 12

1.4. Implementation period ................................................................................................................... 13

1.5. Programme indicators..................................................................................................................... 13

1.6. State Aid .......................................................................................................................................... 14

1.7. Revenue generating projects .......................................................................................................... 14

1.8. Contributions in kind ....................................................................................................................... 15

2. RULES FOR THE 1st CALL FOR PROPOSALS .......................................................................................... 16

2.1. Cross border relevance ................................................................................................................... 16

2.2. Horizontal principles ....................................................................................................................... 17

2.3. Eligibility criteria.............................................................................................................................. 17

2.3.1. Eligibility of Applicants (Lead Partner and Project Partners) .................................................. 18

2.3.2. Eligibility of Activities .............................................................................................................. 22

2.3.3. Eligibility of Expenditures ........................................................................................................ 28

3. HOW TO APPLY ................................................................................................................................... 32

3.1. The content of Application package ............................................................................................... 32

3.2. Where and how to send the applications ....................................................................................... 32

3.3. Deadline for receipt of applications ................................................................................................ 34

3.4. Further information ........................................................................................................................ 34

4. ASSESSMENT AND SELECTION OF APPLICATIONS .............................................................................. 35

4.1. Assessment and selection ............................................................................................................... 35

4.2. Contracting ...................................................................................................................................... 45

4.3. Indicative timetable ........................................................................................................................ 47

Page 3 of 51

4.4. Resolution of Complaints ................................................................................................................ 48

4.5. Data protection ............................................................................................................................... 50

5. ANNEXES ............................................................................................................................................. 51

Page 4 of 51

Legal Basis

In the elaboration of these Guidelines for Applicants the following legal provisions have been observed:

CPR REGULATION (EU) No 1303/2013 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE

COUNCIL of 17 December 2013 laying down common provisions on the European

Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund, the Cohesion Fund, the

European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the European Maritime

and Fisheries Fund and laying down general provisions on the European Regional

Development Fund, the European Social Fund, the Cohesion Fund and the

European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No

1083/2006

ETC Regulation

REGULATION (EU) No 1299/2013 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE

COUNCIL of 17 December 2013 on specific provisions for the support from the

European Regional Development Fund to the European territorial cooperation

goal

Delegated ETC

Regulation

Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 481/2014 of 4 March 2014

supplementing Regulation (EU) No 1299/2013 of the European Parliament and of

the Council with regard to specific rules on eligibility of expenditure for

Cooperation programmes

ERDF

Regulation

REGULATION (EU) No 1301/2013 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE

COUNCIL of 17 December 2013 on the European Regional Development Fund and

on specific provisions concerning the Investment for growth and jobs goal and

repealing Regulation (EC) No 1080/2006

IPA II

REGULATION (EU) No 231/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of

11 March 2014 establishing an Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA II)

hereinafter referred to as IPA II Regulation

CPR EA

REGULATION (EU) No 236/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of

11 March 2014 laying down common rules and procedures for the

implementation of the Union's instruments for financing external action

IPA II

Implementing

Regulation

Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 447/2014 of 2 May 2014 on the

specific rules for implementing Regulation (EU) No 231/2014 of the European

Parliament and of the Council establishing an Instrument for Pre-accession

assistance (IPA II)

Page 5 of 51

Financial

regulation

REGULATION (EU, EURATOM) No 966/2012 of the European Parliament and of

the Council of 25 October 2012 on the financial rules applicable to the general

budget of the Union and repealing Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No

1605/2002

Delegated

financial

regulation

Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 1268/2012 of 29 October 2012 on the

rules of application of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 of the European

Parliament and of the Council on the financial rules applicable to the general

budget of the Union

Interreg IPA

Cooperation

Programme

Interreg IPA Cross-border Cooperation Programme CroatiaBosnia and

Herzegovina Montenegro 2014-2020 approved by the European Commission

Decision No C(2015)6026 of 24 November 2015

Programme

rules on

eligibility of

expenditures

This document sets programme rules on eligibility of expenditures and shall

provide guidance for the beneficiaries requesting IPA II1 co-funding as well as for

programme management bodies including First Level Controllers as regards the

funding conditions and certification of expenditures in the Interreg IPA Cross-

border Cooperation Programme Croatia-Bosnia and Herzegovina-Montenegro

2014-2020.

Programme rules are applicable for all Beneficiaries from all participating

countries and for all Operations2 financed by Programme. Programme rules are

available on programme website: www.interreg-hr-ba-me2014-2020.eu.

National rules Applicable national rules to the Lead beneficiary and its Partners.

Suspension clause: The applicants should take into consideration that the Financing Agreement between the European Commission and the:

Government of the Bosnia and Herzegovina, and

Government of Montenegro, for allocation years under the Programme has not been signed at the date of publication of the Call. Therefore, Subsidy contracts with the beneficiaries selected for financing will only be signed upon signature of the Financing Agreement.

1 The programme is co-financed from