
The program operator of the program "Local development, poverty reduction and improved inclusion of vulnerable groups", financed through the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area (EEA FM) 2014 - 2021, announced a call for the selection of project proposals under the Small Grant Scheme " Creating jobs”.
The small grant scheme will support innovative approaches aimed at stimulating economic activity and creating jobs in the target areas. The current small grant scheme is aimed exclusively at the following 10 (ten) pre-selected municipalities in Bulgaria:
Valchi Dol, Levski, Ivanovo, Dimitrovgrad, Bansko, Brezovo, Belitsa, Elena, Momchilgrad, Lyaskovets.
The funding is aimed at testing and promoting innovative approaches to developing local employment, making job vacancies more accessible, encouraging employers to adopt flexible working practices, organizing events that bring employers and jobseekers together and creating job opportunities for disadvantaged groups. Support will also be provided for the implementation of measures included in the local development strategies developed by the 10 municipalities within the "Growth through activation of local potential (GALOP)" project.
Total budget foreseen for the procedure: 3 (three million five hundred and twenty-three thousand) euros
The amount of funding is from EUR 5 to EUR 000, and the minimum and maximum amounts may have additional restrictions, depending on the selected categories of activities included in the project proposals.
The amount of the grant can be up to 100% of the total eligible costs of the project.
The implementation of the project activities should be completed no later than 30.04.2024/XNUMX/XNUMX.
Eligible applicants (beneficiaries) and partners
Eligible candidates
All public or private organizations, commercial or non-commercial and non-governmental organizations registered as legal entities in Bulgaria. The official registration of the applicant can be in a place other than the selected municipalities, but he must undertake to develop activities and create jobs in the municipalities of Valchi dol, Levski, Ivanovo, Dimitrovgrad, Bansko, Brezovo, Belitsa, Elena, Momchilgrad , Lyaskovets.
Each applicant can apply with up to two different project proposals.
Eligible partners from Bulgaria
All public or private organizations, commercial or non-commercial, as well as non-governmental organizations registered as legal entities in Bulgaria.
IMPORTANT! Partnerships between private and public organizations (from the respective municipality) are highly recommended. They will receive more points in the evaluation of the project proposal based on the quality, participation and level of contribution to the achievement of the project results. Partnership evaluation requires a signed Partnership Agreement or Letter of Intent detailing the partner's participation, contribution and commitment to the achievement of project outcomes and submitted with the Application Form.
There is no limit to the number of project proposals in which the local municipal administration and the local administrative units of the respective state administration can participate as partners.
All other organizations may be partners in up to three project proposals.
Other eligible partners
All public or private legal entities, commercial or non-commercial, as well as non-governmental organizations registered as legal entities in donor countries, beneficiary countries or a country outside the European Economic Area that shares a common border with the relevant beneficiary country, or any international organization or body or agency of such party, actively participating and effectively contributing to the implementation of a given project, are considered eligible project partners, pursuant to Article 7.2.2 of the EEA FM Implementing Regulation.
IMPORTANT!
- Applicants/partners operating in the fisheries and aquaculture sector,
- Applicants/partners operating in the sector of processing and trading of agricultural products (in the following cases: when the amount of aid is fixed on the prices or quantities of these products purchased from the primary producers or placed on the market by the relevant enterprises; when the aid is conditioned by partial or total transfer of primary producers),
- Applicants/partners carrying out primary production of agricultural products, are admissible only if they also operate in sectors other than those mentioned above.
Applicants/partners should indicate in the Application Form the code of the economic activity according to the Classification of Economic Activities (KID-2008). In case the main activity of the applicants/partners is in the fisheries and aquaculture sector, the processing and trading sector of agricultural products or the primary production of agricultural products, they should prove that they also have a secondary activity that is not related to the main one.
With regard to the eligible sectors or activities, the applicant/partner should ensure through appropriate methods such as activity segregation or cost segregation that activities in sectors excluded from the scope of this call do not benefit from aid de minimis, provided under this procedure.
The deadline for applying for the procedure is 20.09.2022/17/30 by XNUMX:XNUMX p.m.
The application guidelines and other documents regarding the procedure are also published in ISUN 2020 at the following address: CONNECTION
The program operator of the Local Development, Poverty Reduction and Enhanced Inclusion of Vulnerable Groups Program funded through the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area 2014-2021 will hold an information day, for which more detailed information will be provided on the official website and the Program's Facebook page. Technical details of the application guidelines will be explained to potential applicants at the event.