CALL FOR PROPOSALS Procedure for acceptance of project proposals for grants from the Republic of Bulgaria
10 May 2021 News
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria through the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria to Montenegro announces a procedure for the acceptance and selection of proposals for projects to be implemented with a grant through the Official Development Assistance of the Republic of Bulgaria, with an initial implementation period in 2022.
Priority Areas for Project Implementation on the territory of Montenegro:
- Providing universal health coverage and access to quality health services;
- Sustainable management of natural resources, nature protection and mitigation of the effects of climate change;
- Providing inclusive and quality education and improving school infrastructure;
- Protection and guarantee of human rights with special attention to women, children, people with disabilities and other vulnerable groups.
1. Objectives and Scope of the Projects:
- Improving the infrastructure and preparedness of medical institutions in Montenegro to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic;
- Conservation of biodiversity, air and nature, water and waste management, innovative clean technologies, construction of treatment plants, waste processing plants and financing of activities related to the fulfilment of the criteria under Chapter 27 - Environment;
- Supporting innovative teaching methods and educational approaches, modernization of schools and centres for daily care for children and youth, centres for children with disabilities and disadvantaged children;
- Implementation of good European practices for protection of the rights of children with disabilities and disadvantaged children;
- Protection and guarantee of human rights with special attention to women, children, people with disabilities and other vulnerable groups.
2. Target Groups:
- state institutions;
- municipalities;
- hospitals, polyclinics, health centers and their employees;
- NGOs;
- educational institutions;
- pupils and students (including people with special needs and disadvantaged people);
- teachers and administrative staff of schools and universities;
- employees of the state and local administration;
- people with disabilities, disadvantaged people or representatives of other vulnerable groups.
3. Outputs/Results:
- improving socio-economic development and good governance, leading to sustainable and inclusive economic growth;
- improving the well-being and health of people;
- providing quality education;
- protection of human rights;
- improving administrative capacity;
- affirmation of the reputation and international prestige of the Republic of Bulgaria.
4. Eligible Project Budget:
4.1. Minimal amount of the project is 5 000 BGN (2 556 EUR).
4.2. Recommended maximum amount of the project is:
· for projects with main purpose to deliver goods and /or services - up to 70 000 BGN (35 790 EUR);
· for projects with main purpose to carry out repairs and /or construction activities - up to 120 000 BGN (61 355 EUR).
4.3. Co-financing of project activities provided by the applicant will be considered an advantage in the evaluation, selection and approval of the projects.
5. Implementation Deadlines and Duration of the Projects:
5.1. Project proposals must contain an indicative start date for the implementation of the project after March 1, 2022 and no later than November 30, 2022.
5.2. Projects must be completed no later than December 31, 2024.
6. Eligible Candidates:
- Primary and secondary budget spenders - legal entities of Montenegro;
- International and local non-governmental organizations;
- Municipalities and their associations;
- Educational, health and social institutions;
- International humanitarian organisations;
- Others organizations or entities who do not hold political aims or have political participation and are not commercial by nature.
No natural or legal person can apply for whom there are circumstances under Art. 23, para. 3-8[1] of Decree No. 234 of the Council of Ministers of 01.08.2011 on the policy of the Republic of Bulgaria on participation in international development cooperation.
7. Eligible Activities and Project Costs:
See Annex 1
7.1. The costs of project implementation must meet all of the conditions below:
- be lawful and comply with the principles of responsibility, economy, efficiency, effectiveness and transparency;
- be executed only against the necessary supporting documents - invoices or other documents of equivalent probative value, testifying the expenditures incurred;
- be within the budget limits of the project;
- not be funded by another project, program or any other financial scheme, related to or originating from the national budget, the EU budget or any other donor.
7.2. Compulsory Activities to be provided in the Project:
- provision of an audit report issued by an independent financial auditor;
- activities to ensure publicity and visibility of the financial assistance provided, in accordance with the Publicity and Visibility Guidelines of the Bulgarian Development Aid, worth 3 to 5% of the total project value, but not exceeding 5 000 BGN.
7.3. Examples of Activities Eligible for Funding:
Eligible activities are ones contributing to the strengthening of public institutions in Montenegro responsible for developing and implementing national policies in priority areas and aiming to enhance their transparency, accountability and effectiveness and contributing to strengthening the development of civil society and increasing the contribution on social justice, democracy and sustainable development, for example:
• Development of new / modernization of existing training modules;
• Organizing and conducting trainings for the employees of the administration of Montenegro;
• Conducting trainings on specific topics at Bulgarian institutions for exchange of good practices and raising the qualification of the employees of the administration of Montenegro;
• Organizing and conducting seminars, forums, conferences;
• Development of research and strategies;
• Activities to raise awareness of citizens' rights;
• Activities to promote multicultural dialogue and to reduce racism, xenophobia, hate speech, discrimination and intolerance in society;
• Activities to promote cooperation between NGOs and local, regional and national authorities.
• Activities related to increasing the potential of the urban sites through supply of equipment and materials, construction works, restoration, renewal, rehabilitation, measures for preservation and improvement of the adjacent buildings and infrastructure, public buildings and other sites, for example:
- Delivery of equipment and materials intended for state or municipal property - schools, hospitals, kindergartens, homes for the elderly, etc.
- Construction works for improvement of state or municipal property sites - schools, hospitals, kindergartens, homes for the elderly, etc.
8. Required Documents for Application:
An Application Form is available on the following website in Bulgarian and English: https://www.mfa.bg/bg/3866
All parts of the application form should be duly completed in Bulgarian and / or English. In case of any deficiencies that hinder the evaluation of the project proposal, the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria to Montenegro may require additional information within a short period of time. Failure to provide such information within the deadline shall be considered a ground for rejection of the proposal.
9. Method and Deadlines for Projects Applications:
Project proposals will be accepted until June 30, 2021 (inclusive) at the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria to Montenegro, address: Podgorica, bul. Ivana Crnojevica 99/2 and in the form of e-documents (both in PDF and MS Word - .doc, .docx) by e-mail at: [email protected];
10. Additional Information:
Applicants shall be informed of the results of the procedure for evaluation, selection and approval of the project proposals within 14 working days of the completion of the individual stages of the procedure. The Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria to Montenegro has no obligation to inform applicants about the grounds for approval or rejection of the submitted project proposals.
Annex 1
Decree No 234 of the Council of Ministers of 01.08.2011 on the policy of the Republic of Bulgaria regarding its participation in international development cooperation (excerpts)
Article 23(3) A legal person seeking to apply for the provision of development aid must not:
1. be declared bankrupt;
2. be in liquidation proceedings or in a similar procedure under the national laws and regulations;
3. be in open insolvency proceedings or must not have entered into an out-of-court settlement with its creditors within the meaning of Article 740 of the Commerce Act, and if the applicant is a non-resident – it must not be in a similar procedure under the national laws and regulations, including if its activities are under the court's control or it has ceased its activities;
4. be disqualified from practicing a particular profession or activity under the law of the State in which the offense was committed;
5. have any monetary debts owed to the State or a municipality within the meaning of Article 162, paragraph 2 of the Tax and Social Insurance Procedure Code established by an act of a competent authority which has entered into force, unless rescheduling or deferral of the debts has been allowed, or monetary debts relating to the payment of social insurance contributions or taxes under the legal provisions of the State in which it is established;
6. have any outstanding private debts owed to the State listed in Article 3, paragraph 7 of the National Revenue Agency Act.
(4) A legal person seeking to apply for the provision of development aid must not have a member of the management body that:
- has been convicted by a final sentence for indictable offense;
- has not fulfilled his/her/its obligations relating to the payment of social insurance contributions or taxes in accordance with the applicable law;
- has provided deliberately false documents when providing information requested as a condition for financing development aid activities or has not provided such information;
- has been disqualified from practicing a particular profession or activity under the law of the State in which the offense was committed;
- is a legal person for which any of the circumstances under paragraph 3 exist;
- has any outstanding private debts owed to the State listed in Article 3, paragraph 7 of the National Revenue Agency Act.
(6) Where the members of the management bodies are legal persons, the requirements of paragraph 5 shall apply to their representatives in the relevant management bodies.
(7) Persons seeking to apply for the provision of development aid must not:
- have a member of a management or supervisory body, as well as such person ad interim, including a procurator or a commercial agent who has “close links”, within the meaning of § 1, item 1 of the Supplementary Provision of the Conflict of Interest Prevention and Ascertainment Act, with the agency administering the relevant project or with senior employees in his/her organisation;
- have entered into a contract with a person under Article 21 or 22 of the Conflict of Interest Prevention and Ascertainment Act.
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