Budget heading B3-4102 provides for Commission funding of preparatory measures for co-operation to foster equal opportunities for people with disabilities.
In accordance with the provisions adopted by the budgetary authority for 1997 and the Financial Regulation, the Commission wishes to identify and promote examples of innovative practice concerning equal opportunities for disabled people, to serve as models for others. The underlying aim here is to test and promote the principles set out in the Resolution of 20 December 1996 of the Council and of representatives of the governments of the Member States meeting within the Council on Equality of Opportunity for People with Disabilities (OJ N° C12, 13.01.1997) and in the United Nations Standard Rules on the Equalisation of Opportunities for People with Disabilities.
The models must also allow the evaluation of the impact of innovative measures concerning disabled people, and see what can be transferred or capable of being developed on a large scale, particularly through the Structural Funds and the Community Initiatives.
The Commission wishes to support pilot projects, i.e. small-scale measures run at a local level by non-governmental organisations, with a view to testing methods which appear promising. Selected projects must have the potential to act as models of good practice in terms of equal opportunities and must also have potential for use at European level.
The aim is not to provide funding for part of Member States' infrastructure. Hence, Community support is available for a limited period only. Nor is the point to develop structures in parallel to the existing arrangements in the Member States; the aim is rather to ensure that know-how and experience acquired under grant-aided projects can have a beneficial effect on existing facilities and structures and adapt these as far as possible to the innovative objectives concerning equal opportunities for disabled people.
The following is an indicative list of themes - or combination of themes - coming within the scope of the pilot projects' objectives (corresponding to the guidelines set out in the above-mentioned Resolution):
2.1 Priority 1: Empowering people with disabilities for participation in society
Consideration may be given here to innovative measures pursuing the following aims:
2.2 Priority 2:Removing access barriers to participation
This involves projects which deploy innovative solutions to problems concerning access barriers to participation in the light of the principle of equal opportunities and the right to participate. They may focus on removing existing architectural, communications and transport barriers and on developing detailed and enforceable guidelines on accessibility. Other projects may concentrate on ensuring a barrier-free environment in the design and construction of new facilities and in the development of new communications technologies.
2.3 Priority 3:Opening up various spheres of society
2.4 Priority 4:Nurturing public opinion to be receptive to strategies on equality of opportunity for people with disabilities
These projects are geared to improving the image of people with disabilities among the public in general and the decision-makers.
The above themes have deliberately been formulated in general terms and do not rank certain sectors or target groups higher than others, since it is impossible to decide on such priorities in advance. Instead, the themes make it possible to decide, at a local level, which groups of disabled people should receive special attention and which sectors are of priority importance. The choice will depend to a large measure on the local context and on such parameters as the scale and quality of existing services, and the degree of autonomy and activity of the disabled people themselves.
Applications will only be entertained from non-profit organisations which pursue, as their main mandated objective, the defence of the rights and/or promotion of equal opportunities and/or integration for disabled people.
They must have their registered office in a Member State of the European Community.
Public bodies, such as ministries, regional or local authorities, universities and research establishments, organisations representing employers or workers or any other organisation active in the social field may be associated in the proposed measures on a partnership basis.
Such a partnership is seen as an essential condition for the implementation of the projects, with a view to their becoming self-financed action in the medium term.
An application form may be obtained from the European Commission at the address below.
The form must be completed in full and applications must meet the participation conditions. Forms are to be sent in duplicate by registered letter before the stipulated deadline (date as per postmark) to the address shown below, bearing the wording "candidature à l'appel à propositions concernant des projet-pilotes men²s en faveur de l'égalité des chances des personnes handicapées":
European Commission
For the attention of Ms SANGUINETTI
Archives - Courrier DG V
Rue de la Loi 200
J 37 0/22
B - 1049 Brussels
4.1 Eligibility criteria
4.1.1Applicants must enjoy legally established non-profit status and have as their main objective the promotion of the rights, equal opportunities or integration of disabled people.
4.1.2Applicants must attach to their application a detailed provisional budget signed by the person responsible for the proposed measure.
4.1.3Such measures must relate to the objectives set out in point 2.
4.1.4Measures may not be for more than two years.
4.2 Assessment criteria
In addition to the above eligibility criteria, selection will be based on a number of evaluation criteria, including the following:
4.2.1Match between project and the objectives set out in point 2
4.2.2Impact of the project on improving equal opportunities for disabled people.
4.2.3Active involvement of disabled people themselves in the design and management of the project.
4.2.4Multidimensional approach.
4.2.5Innovation aspect (in the national context).
4.2.6Sustainability of the project, i.e. continuity without Community funding.
4.2.7Number, diversity and complementary nature of the partnership
4.2.8Transferability.
Maximum involvement of disabled people in the management and implementation of the projects shall be required. To this end, at least 75 % of co-ordinators should be disabled people.
4.3 Ineligible measures
4.3.1Measures in receipt of other sources of Community funding, particularly under the Structural Funds and more especially under the Employment-Horizon Initiative.
4.3.2Seminars, conferences and study visits (except under point 6.3 below)
4.3.3Publications and studies.
4.3.4Applications which seek essentially to obtain additional funds for existing measures.
The financial viability of the measure must be demonstrated. The Commission must be informed of the project's financial structure and of what stage negotiations have reached with the various parties.
5.1 Potential maximum contribution
The Community's financial contribution will in no circumstances exceed 70% of the provisional budget; the minimum amount will be ECU 30 000 and the maximum ECU 100 000.
5.2 Final amount of the contribution
On completion of the measure, the beneficiary will be expected to present a schedule of actual expenditure and income incurred and received in relation to the measure, set out in the same form as the initial estimate.
The final amount due will be calculated by reference to the fixed percentage, even where the eligible expenditure is below the estimate, up to the maximum applicable limit. Given that the financial aid may in no circumstances generate a profit, the Commission will bear in mind the other forms of income from which the project was financed.
5.3 Accounts
The beneficiary must undertake to keep special accounts for the measure concerned and to retain all original supporting documents for five years from the date of receipt of final payment for the purposes of verification by the European institutions or by any organisation they may nominate.
5.4 Eligible expenditure
Eligible expenditure is taken to mean expenditure actually incurred by the beneficiary from the effective date of commencement of the measure and which is essential to the sound performance of the measure. Such expenditure may include all or part of the following categories:
5.4.1 Staff costs
These will be estimated on the basis of good employer practice in the Member State concerned. On completion of the measure, the staff costs will be worked out on the basis of time effectively put in by the beneficiary's staff. Consideration will be given only to the cost of scientific, technical or specialist staff, and will exclude any management, office, secretarial or any other similar expenditure, which should be charged to general costs.
5.4.2 Costs of travel
Any expenditure on travel must be duly substantiated and must comply with the Commission's guidelines on travel expenditure.
5.4.3 General costs
General costs may include indirect costs such as general administration and management, depreciation of buildings and material covered by the general accounts, rents, upkeep, telephone, heating, lighting, electricity and office supplies, postage and insurance. These indirect costs will be calculated on the basis of the accounting principles, rules and methods in force in the beneficiary's country.
General costs may not be included unless they are clearly identified and verifiable and include no element which has already been included in another category of expenditure or which has been charged to another of the beneficiary's projects.
5.4.4 Expenditure on material
Expenditure which is essential to the efficient running of the measure may be taken into account, subject to the principles governing depreciation, and provided that such expenditure is not charged to general costs or under any other heading.
5.4.5 Subcontracting
A subcontract is a subordinate contract under which a party other than the main contractor undertakes to carry out a distinct element of a contract which is let as a whole to the main contractor. Applicants' attention is drawn to the need in such cases to supply the Commission with full information as to why the work has been subcontracted, the nature of the subcontractor and any relevant contractual document. The subcontractor is in any case subject to the same obligations as the main contractor.
5.4.6 Ineligible expenditure
The following will not be considered (it is not an exhaustive list):
Applicants must submit a full dossier in compliance with the instructions given in the specially produced forms. These forms, together with any other information, may be obtained from the European Commission.
6.2The application dossier must contain, in five copies :
6.3Provision for an information exchange action covering 3% to 5% of total budget should be foreseen as a separate item of the general budget. The purpose of this action is to ensure dissemination of know how to other projects as well to the Commission and to allow exchange of experiences.
A preliminary selection will be carried out by the Commission services determining whether proposals meet the formal requirements for application. After that, a team of independent international experts will assist the Commission services to identify the most innovative ideas in order to select those proposals which correspond most closely to the criteria set.
The final number of proposals to be cofinanced will be decided by the Commission taking into consideration overall availability of funds, theme of proposals, and distribution of appropriate projects across all types of impairment and throughout the territory of the Union.
Once a final decision is taken, applicants will be informed of the outcome. Where an application is approved, a convention, denominated in ECU, will be concluded between the Commission and the beneficiary.
A letter of undertaking will be signed by all applicants whose measures are approved for Commission support.
This undertaking provides for a final report to be presented, setting out:
Applicants are required, in connection with their information and communication activities, to mention any support they receive from the Community.
Payment will be in two instalments: 60% on signature of the contract, 40% on presentation of the final report.
There will only be one call for applications for 1997. The timetable will be scheduled as follows:
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