CALL FOR PROPOSALS Procedure for acceptance of project proposals for grants from the Republic of Bulgaria
11 May 2021 News
Priority Areas for Project Implementation on the territory of the Republic of North Macedonia:
- Capacity building in support of security and development, including through support for good governance and civil society building, including the promotion of quality and independent journalism;
- Support for providing universal health coverage and access to quality health services;
- Providing inclusive and quality education and improving school infrastructure;
- Preservation of cultural diversity and development of cultural and educational cooperation;
- Protection and guarantee of the rights of children, people with disabilities and other vulnerable groups;
- Development of quality and sustainable local infrastructure, in accordance with the needs of the respective municipalities, with priority on projects from the border areas and those of political importance for the Republic of Bulgaria;
1. Objectives and Scope of the Projects:
- Promoting cohesion in all areas, including working with young people, strengthening good neighbourly relations, regional stability and mutual cooperation, cooperation in the field of culture and social policy;
- Stimulating and supporting the building of the administrative capacity of the Republic of North Macedonia in order to strengthen the law and democratic governance;
- Improving the quality of education in schools on the territory of the country through the equipment with technical means of halls and offices for specialized training in various disciplines, improving the building stock and adjacent infrastructure through repairs and installation of new installations, interior repairs, etc. .;
- Providing better health care through repair and reconstruction of health facilities, as well as equipment with modern computer and specialized equipment;
- Improving the working conditions and promoting the activities of creative teams and sports teams in the Republic of Northern Macedonia through equipment with modern technical means, musical instruments, sports equipment, repair and reconstruction of buildings, etc .;
2. Target Groups:
- Disadvantaged children,
- Socially vulnerable groups,
- Local population in towns and villages,
- State and local administration, with as many people as possible to whom the result of the implemented projects will be available.
3. Outputs/Results:
- Affirmation of the Republic of Bulgaria's reputation and international prestige;
- Improving the socio-economic development;
- Improving management;
- Reducing poverty and increasing welfare;
- Deepening the interaction between the institutions at central, regional and local level;
- Improving the quality of the educational system;
- Improving the quality of health services.
4. Eligible Project Budget:
4.1. Minimal amount of the project is 5 000 BGN.
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;
· for projects with main purpose to carry out repairs and /or construction activities - up to 270 000 BGN.
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 the Republic of North Macedonia;
- International and local non-governmental organizations;
- Municipalities and their associations;
- Educational, health and social institutions;
- International humanitarian organisations;
- Others (depending on country specificity).
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:
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:
- Development of new or modernization of existing training modules;
- Organizing and conducting trainings for the employees of the country's administration;
- Conducting trainings on specific topics in Bulgarian institutions for exchange of good practices and raising the qualification of the employees of the administration;
- 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 improve the dialogue between non-governmental organizations and local, regional and national authorities;
- Delivery of equipment and materials intended for state or municipal property sites - 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: https://www.mfa.bg/bg/3866
All parts of the application form should be duly completed in Bulgarian language. In case of any deficiencies that hinder the evaluation of the project proposal, the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in Skopje 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:
Projects are accepted only electronically at: [email protected]
The deadline for sending the projects is June 30, 2021.
Contact telephone and consultations - 00389 2 3229 444
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 in Skopje 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.