Estonian EU external border programme-2014-2020
1
Guidelines for Project Applicants 6th Call for proposals
Managing Authority
State Shared Service Centre, Estonia
Estonian EU external border programme
2014-2020
Guidelines
for the 6
th Call for proposals
Estonian EU external border programme-2014-2020
2
Guidelines for Project Applicants 6th Call for proposals
NOTICE
These Guidelines for the 6th Call for proposals (Guidelines) are compiled to give particular
assistance to the Applicants elaborating the application documents (Application) of the 6th
Call for proposals of the Estonian EU external border prigramme 2014-2020 (Programme)1
.
The 6th Call for proposals is announced for the partners from the Republic of
Estonia. It is focused on short-term projects aimed at achieving programme`s
thematic objectives and benefiting the eligible area.
The Guidelines provide an overview of the planning, managing and follow-up activities to
the projects financed from the Programme. The Guidelines include mostly information on
the process from the preparation of the Application and glimpse to implementation,
monitoring, reporting and finalization of the project.
Please note that the English version of the document is approved by the Joint Monitoring
Committee (hereinafter JMC) of the Programme and takes precedence over other language
versions.
The relevant documents for the preparation of the 6
th Call for proposals can be downloaded
from the Programme’s web site: https://www.estoniarussia.eu. The Application shall be
submitted via electronic Monitoring System (eMS).
Please note that these Guidelines do not in any way replace the obligations and provisions
set out in the respective EU and national legislation. In case of doubt, the latest provisions
prevail.
Please note that provisions of these Guidelines are in accordance with Regulation(EU)
2022/2192 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 November 2022 laying down
specific provisions for the 2014-2020 cooperation programmes supported by the European
Neighbourhood Instrument and under the European territorial cooperation goal, following
programme implementation distuption2
.
1 Due to suspension of the Financing Agreement between the Russian Federation, the Republic of
Estonia and the European Union and JMC decision made on 23.05.2022 the Estonia-Russia CBC
Programme 2014-2020 is temporary called Estonian EU external border Programme.
2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2022/2192/oj
Estonian EU external border programme-2014-2020
3
Guidelines for Project Applicants 6th Call for proposals
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROGRAMME………………… 5
BACKGROUND……………………………………………………………………………………. 5
1.1 LEGAL FRAMEWORK ………………………………………………………….. 5
1.2 OBJECTIVES OF THE CALL ………………………………………………….. 6
1.3 ELIGIBLE AREA ………………………………………………………………. 12
2. FINANCIAL ALLOCATION FOR 6TH CALL FOR PROPOSALS ………. 12
3. OFFICIAL LANGUAGE ………………………………………………………. 13
4. ELIGIBILITY OF THE APPLICANT AND THE PROJECT PARTNER(S)
13
5. PARTNERSHIP REQUIREMENT…………………………………………… 15
6. DURATION OF THE PROJECT …………………………………………….. 15
7. ELIGIBILITY OF COSTS ……………………………………………………. 15
7.1 THE 3E ISSUES IN THE PROJECT BUDGET …………………………… 15
7.2 CO-FINANCING RATE ………………………………………………………. 15
7.3 ELIGIBLE COSTS …………………………………………………………….. 16
7.3.1 ELIGIBLE COSTS ARE COSTS ACTUALLY INCURRED BY THE
BENEFICIARY WHICH MEET ALL OF THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA: …………….. 16
7.3.2 THE FOLLOWING DIRECT COSTS OF THE BENEFICIARY SHALL BE
ELIGIBLE: 16
7.3.3 NON-ELIGIBLE COSTS……………………………………………………………….. 17
8. IDENTIFICATION AND SELECTION OF APPLICATIONS OF 6TH
CALL FOR PROPOSALS ………………………………………………………………………. 19
8.1 SUBMISSION OF PROJECT APPLICATION……………………………. 19
8.1.1 CONTENT OF THE PROJECT APPLICATION ……………………………………. 19
8.1.2 HOW TO APPLY AND THE PROCEDURES TO FOLLOW………………………. 20
8.1.3 SUPPORT TO THE PROJECT PARTNERS IN PREPARATION APPLICATION
FORM 20
8.1.4 WHERE AND HOW TO SUBMIT THE APPLICATION FORM…………………. 20
8.2 SELECTION PROCEDURE ………………………………………………………………. 21
8.2.1 ASSESSMENT OF PROJECT APPLICATION……………………………………… 21
9. AWARD PROCEDURE AND CONTRACTING……………………………. 26
10. PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION, MONITORING, REPORTING AND
CONTROL 27
10.1 ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGEMENT OF THE PROJECT…………………………. 27
10.1.1 START AND END DATE OF THE PROJECT …………………………………….. 27
10.1.2 MANAGEMENT OF THE PROJECT AND RESPONSIBILITIES WITHIN THE
PARTNERSHIP …………………………………………………………………………………. 27
10.1.3 OWNERSHIP OF THE PROJECT RESULTS …………………………………….. 29
10.1.4 VISIBILITY AND INFORMATION REQUIREMENTS ………………………… 30
10.1.5 USE OF THE PROGRAMME LOGO………………………………………………… 30
10.2 FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT OF THE PROJECT ……………………….. 31
10.2.1 DESCRIPTION OF BUDGET HEADINGS………………………………………… 31
10.2.2 REPORTING …………………………………………………………………………… 34
10.2.3 PAYMENTS TO THE PROJECT …………………………………………………….. 34
10.2.4 KEEPING THE PROJECT DOCUMENTS …………………………………………. 35
10.2.5 BUDGET RELOCATIONS AND CHANGES IN THE PROJECT ………………. 35
10.2.6 PROCUREMENT (TENDERING)…………………………………………………… 35
10.2.6.2 Other essential points…………………………………………………………… 35
10.3 REVENUE IN THE PROJECT………………………………………………. 36
10.4 STATE AID AND DE MINIMIS PRINCIPLES …………………………………….. 37
10.5 DOUBLE FINANCING /RETROACTIVITY OF FINANCING …………………… 37
10.6 MONITORING AND CONTROL ………………………………………………………. 37
10.6.1 AUDIT AND FINANCIAL CONTROL……………………………………………… 37
10.6.2 MONITORING OF THE PROJECTS BY THE MA/JTS ………………………… 38
Estonian EU external border programme-2014-2020
4
Guidelines for Project Applicants 6th Call for proposals
10.7 RECOVERY ……………………………………………………………………………….. 39
10.8 CLOSING OF THE PROJECT………………………………………………………….. 40
Estonian EU external border programme-2014-2020
5
Guidelines for Project Applicants 6th Call for proposals
1. GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROGRAMME
BACKGROUND
The Estonian EU external border programme (adopted on 18 December 2015 as Estonia–
Russia Cross Border Cooperation Programme 2014–2020) is implemented under the
European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI) and its 6th Call for proposals is co-financed by
the European Union and Estonia to promote economic and social development in border
regions.
Following the Russian military aggression against Ukraine and in line with the EU restrictive
measures, the cooperation with Russia and Belarus in the European Neighbourhood
Instrument cross-border cooperation programmes (ENI CBC), as well as in the Interreg
Baltic Sea region programme, is suspended as of 24 February 2022.
2014–2020 Estonia–Russia Cross Border Cooperation Programme is considered as a
programme facing implementation disruption according to Regulation (EU) 2022/2192. The
prorgamme implementation continues only on the Member States side.
1.1 LEGAL FRAMEWORK
The following EU legal acts and working documents provide further detailed information on
the implementation of the Programme:
Regulation No
232/2014
of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2014
establishing a European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI
Regulation)
Regulation 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
Commission
Implementing
Regulation No
897/2014
of 18 August 2014 laying down implementing rules for crossborder cooperation programmes financed under Regulation No
232/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council laying
down general provisions establishing a European Neighbourhood
Instrument (Implementing Rules), amended
by Commission Implementing Regulation 2020/879 of 23 June
2020
Regulation No
966/2012
Of the European Parliament and the Council Of 25 October 2012 on
the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union
(EURATOM)
Programming
Document
Programming document for EU support to ENI CrossBorder Cooperation (2014-2020) adopted by the Commission on 8
October 2014
Programme Estonia–Russia Cross Border Cooperation Programme 2014–2020
approved by European Commission on 18 December 2015, decision
No C(2015)9193, last changes approved on 16.12.2020
Regulation (EU)
2022/21923
Regulation (EU) 2022-2192 of the European Parliament and of the
Council of 9 November 2022 laying down specific provisions for the
2014-2020 cooperation programmes supported by the European
3 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2022/2192/oj
Estonian EU external border programme-2014-2020
6
Guidelines for Project Applicants 6th Call for proposals
Neighbourhood Instrument and under the European territorial
cooperation goal, following programme implementation disruption
Please note that all relevant Estonian national legislation is directly applicable for the
projects.
1.2 OBJECTIVES OF THE CALL
Current Call is focused on short-term projects aimed at supporting the social-economic
development of external-border regions of the Republic of Estonia within programme`s
thematic objectives.
The 6th Call for proposals applies for following thematic objectives and specific
areas.
Thematic objective 1 Business and SME development
-Increasing SME development and entrepreneurship by fostering cross-border4 business
contacts and the development of services and products;
-Increasing SME competitiveness and entrepreneurship by fostering cooperation between
public, private and R&D sectors;
-Improving the business environment through the development of business support
measures and infrastructure
Indicative list of supported actions under TO1:
• Cooperation between science parks, educational institutions, industrial parks,
SMEs and public sector institutions (triple-helix cooperation) in order to foster
innovation and modernisation;
• The development of business contacts and services-products: conferences,
contact-trips, study visits to acquire best practices, contact-meetings, fairs,
product development and marketing, including local/regional tourism products
and services such as tourism routes, etc.;
• Support for the development of the creative industry and cultural tourism;
• Educational programmes for launching start-ups;
• Support services and infrastructure such as industrial parks, incubators, and
clusters;
• Local/regional tourism objects and routes;
• Promoting entrepreneurship: start-ups or enterprise schools;
• Promoting tourism: marketing in foreign markets, trainings, etc.
TO5 Support to local and regional good governance
-Improving cooperation between local and regional authorities and their sub-units
-Improving cooperation between local and regional communities
4 Partnerships with Latvian and Finnish entities are possible as associated project partners.
In the period of programme disruption, the Estonian beneficieries can implement projects wth onesided actions in the programme eligible area of Estonia. More details can be found under section 4.
Estonian EU external border programme-2014-2020
7
Guidelines for Project Applicants 6th Call for proposals
• Indicative list of supported actions under TO5:
• Education – support to educational institutions in fields such as teaching
methodology, development of curricula and Estonian language training activities for
new immigrants from Ukraine;
• Health – active life and recreation, promoting physical activity, rehabilitation;
• Social – youth services, employment, HIV/AIDS prevention.
Cooperation of local and regional communities in the following fields:
• Culture – the preservation and promotion of cultural and historical heritage on a
municipal level;
• Educational programmes and activities on cultural topics;
• Improvement of facilities and increase of capacity for cultural institutions including
equipment and small-scale investments and automation/digitalization of processes;
• Cultural initiatives for integration of new immigrants from Ukraine including
language training;
• Cultural initiatives to support the preservation of Ukrainian culture;
• Sectoral assistance for expanding the competences and skills for new immigrants
from Ukraine;
• Sport – an exchange of know-how and contacts, studies, integration activities;
• Activities for the integration of new immigrants from Ukraine and local population;
• Raising awareness about the European Union among Russian-speaking population
in Estonia.
Cooperation between local/regional administrations and their sub-units in order to increase
change experience in various fields such as e-services and joint planning.
TO6 Environmental protection, climate change mitigation and adaptation
-Improving the biodiversity of joint natural assets;
-Improving the quality of shared water assets by reducing their pollution load (including
improving wastewater treatment facilities, improving solid (household and industrial)
waste management and relevant facilities, and reducing pollution that is caused by the
agricultural sector;
-Increasing awareness of environmental protection and efficient use of energy resources
-Fostering shared actions in risk management and a readiness to cope with environmental
disasters.
Indicative list of supported actions under TO6:
• Elimination of pollution in the Baltic Sea and Lake Peipsi/Chudsko-Pskovskoe: in
relation to equipment, increasing readiness and reaction;
• Educational projects that are related to energy and environmental protection;
• Development of different methodologies and tools, piloting;
• Evaluations and surveys on environmental topics;
• Preparation of necessary documentation for investments: environmental impact
assessment, feasibility-profitability analysis, detailed planning, etc;
Estonian EU external border programme-2014-2020
8
Guidelines for Project Applicants 6th Call for proposals
• Actions for improving rescue fire services and protecting forests:
• Reconstruction of waste water and water treatment plants – small-scale works;
• Increasing awareness in environmental protection;
• Actions to ensure the sustainability of the fishing industry;
• The design, construction, and reconstruction of solid waste recycling facilities;
• The design, construction, and reconstruction of safe storage locations for solid
household and industrial waste
Estonian EU external border programme-2014-2020
9
Guidelines for Project Applicants 6th Call for proposals
6th Call for proposals projects can contribute to following output and result
indicators and Thematic Objectives.
Thematic Objective 1 (TO 1)
Business and SME development
Output Indicators
Specific areas Output Indicator Name Measurement Unit
Increasing SME
development and
entrepreneurship by
fostering cross-border
business contacts and
developing services and
products
Number of enterprises that are
substantially and actively involved
in projects as final beneficiaries
Number
Increasing SME
development and
entrepreneurship by
fostering cross-border
business contacts and
developing services and
products
Number of improved cultural and
historical sites as a direct
consequence of programme support
Number
Increasing SME
competitiveness and
entrepreneurship by
fostering cooperation
between the public, private
and R&D sectors
Number of organisations using
programme support for cooperation
in education, R&D, and innovation
Number
Improving the business
environment through the
development of business
support measures and
infrastructure
Number of organisations using
programme support for promoting
local culture and preserving
historical heritage
Number
Result Indicators
Specific areas Result Indicator Name Measurement Unit
Increasing SME development
and entrepreneurship by
fostering cross-border
business contacts and
developing services and
products
The strength of joint development
in products and services by
businesses
Programme-level survey
Increasing SME development
and entrepreneurship by
fostering cross-border
business contacts and
developing services and
products
Attractiveness of cultural and
heritage sites to visitors
Programme-level survey
Increasing SME
competitiveness and
entrepreneurship by fostering
cooperation between the
public, private and R&D
sectors
The strength of cross-border
activities by institutions in
education, R&D, and innovation
sectors
Programme-level survey
Improving the business
environment through the
development of business
support measures and
infrastructure
The quality of the cross-border
business environment
Programme-level survey
Estonian EU external border programme-2014-2020
10
Guidelines for Project Applicants 6th Call for proposals
Thematic Objective 5 (TO 5)
Support for local & regional good governance
Output Indicators
Specific areas Output Indicator Name Measurement Unit
Improving cooperation
between local and regional
authorities and their sub-units
The number of participating
organizations cooperating across
borders for improved governance
Number
Improving cooperation for
local and regional
communities
The number of participants at
events that are aimed at
vocational and language training
Number
Result Indicators
Specific areas Result Indicator Name Measurement Unit
Improving cooperation
between local and regional
authorities and their sub-units
Accessibility of cross border social,
health and sporting services, and
vocational and language training
Programme-level survey
Improving cooperation for
local and regional
communities
Estonian EU external border programme-2014-2020
11
Guidelines for Project Applicants 6th Call for proposals
Thematic Objective 6 (TO 6)
Environmental protection, climate change mitigation and adaptation
Output Indicators
Specific areas Output Indicator Name Measurement Unit
Improving the quality of
shared water assets by means
of reducing their pollution
load, including improving
waste water treatment
facilities, improving solid
waste management and
relevant facilities (for both
household and industrial
waste) and reducing the
pollution that is caused by the
agricultural sector
The number of projects that are
related to the purification of
common water assets
Number
Improving the biodiversity of
joint natural assets
Additional waste recycling
capacity (by number of improved
facilities)
Number
Increasing awareness in
environmental protection and
the efficient use of energy
resources
The number of persons actively
participating in environmental
actions and awareness-raising
activities
Number
Fostering shared actions in
risk management and a
readiness to cope with
environmental disasters
Members of the population who
benefit from forest fire protection
measures
% of Programme area
population
Result Indicators
Specific areas Result Indicator Name Measurement Unit
Improving the quality of
shared water assets by means
of reducing their pollution
load, including improving
waste water treatment
facilities, improving solid
waste management and
relevant facilities (for both
household and industrial
waste) and reducing the
pollution that is caused by the
agricultural sector
Increased capacity in
environmental protection for joint
water assets
Improving the biodiversity of
joint natural assets
Increasing awareness in
environmental protection and
the efficient use of energy
resources;
Increased awareness in
environmental protection and
energy efficiency amongst
inhabitants and institutions in the
Programme area
Fostering shared actions in
risk management and a
readiness to cope with
environmental disasters
A decrease of the overall number
of land- and forest fires per year
Estonian EU external border programme-2014-2020
12
Guidelines for Project Applicants 6th Call for proposals
1.3 ELIGIBLE AREA
The eligible area for the 6
th Call for proposlas includes the following NUTS III regions (the
Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics) as core regions:
Estonia: Kirde-Eesti, Lõuna-Eesti, Kesk-Eesti
Põhja-Eesti region (including Tallinn) in Estonia is an adjoining region. Involvement of
adjoining region is allowed under 6th Call for proposals for projects under TO1
and TO6 only.
2. FINANCIAL ALLOCATION FOR 6th Call FOR PROPOSALS
The overall indicative amount made available from the Programme for the 6th Call for
proposals is ca 2,5 million EUR. The exact amount of the allocation will consist of
Programme savings. The minimum amount of the grant to the project is 50 000 EUR and
the maximum amount of the grant to the project is 300 000 EUR.
Estonian EU external border programme-2014-2020
13
Guidelines for Project Applicants 6th Call for proposals
3. OFFICIAL LANGUAGE
The official working language of the Programme is English. The project application shall be
submitted in English, Grant Contract shall be concluded in English, all official documentation
and communication related to the preparation and implementation of projects should be in
English. Interpretation and translation costs foreseen during the project implementation
can be included in the budget of the project.
4. ELIGIBILITY OF THE APPLICANT AND THE PROJECT PARTNER(S)
The 6th Call for proposals is announced only for the partners from the eligible area of the
Republic of Estonia. Organizations from Finland, Latvia and Lääne-Eesti region are allowed
to participate as associates.
4.1 The following bodies which are effectively established and have their main legal
address/office in the eligible area can act as applicants:
1. National, regional and local public authorities;
2. Associations that are formed by one or more national, regional or local
authorities;
3. Public equivalent bodies (any legal body that is governed by public or private legal
requirements), which have been established for the specific purpose of meeting
any needs that are in the general interest, and which do not have an industrial or
commercial character, but which do have a legal personality, and are financed by
national, regional, or local authorities;
4. Other bodies that are governed by public legal acts, or which are subject to
management supervision by those bodies, or which have an administrative,
managerial or supervisory board more than half of whose members are appointed
by national, regional, or local authorities, or by other bodies which are governed
by public legal acts (such as, for example, municipal and national enterprises,
trade unions, medical institutions, museums, etc.);
5. Associations that are formed by one or more bodies which are governed by public
legal acts as defined under point 3 above;
6. NGOs and other non-profit-making bodies;
7. Educational organisations (schools, preschool institutions, vocational schools,
colleges, institutes, or universities).
4.2 The following bodies which are established and have their legal address in the eligible
area can act as project partners:
1. Partners can be bodies listed in point 4.1 and SMEs5
;
2. SMEs can be eligible for funding in projects for which the immediate objective is
non-commercial. SMEs cannot act as the only partner from the participating
country. Participation of SME is allowed only under TO1 Business and SME
development. SMEs cannot act as the applicant (lead beneficiary) of the
project.
5 A micro, small or medium sized enterprise according to the Commission Recommendation
2003/361/EC and Annex I of the Commission Regulation (EU) No 651/2014.
Estonian EU external border programme-2014-2020
14
Guidelines for Project Applicants 6th Call for proposals
4.3 The applicant and the project partner(s) must not be in any of the situations listed
below:
(a) they are bankrupt or being wound up, are having their affairs administered by the
courts, have entered into an arrangement with creditors, have suspended business
activities, are the subject of proceedings concerning those matters, or are in any analogous
situation arising from a similar procedure provided for in national legislation or regulations;
(b) they or persons having powers of representation, decision making or control over them
have been convicted of an offence concerning their professional conduct by a judgment of
a competent authority of a Member State which has the force of res judicata;
(c) they have been guilty of grave professional misconduct proven by any means which
the managing authority can justify including by decisions of the EIB and international
organisations;
(d) they are not in compliance with their obligations relating to the payment of social
security contributions or the payment of taxes in accordance with the legal provisions of
the country in which they are established or with those of the country of the contracting
authority or those of the country where the contract is to be performed;
(e) they or persons having powers of representation, decision making or control over them
have been the subject of a judgment which has the force of res judicata for fraud,
corruption, involvement in a criminal organisation, money laundering or any other illegal
activity, where such illegal activity is detrimental to the Union’s financial interests;
(f) they are subject to an administrative penalty referred to in Article 109(1) of EURATOM:
– are guilty of misrepresenting the information required by the managing authority as a
condition of participation in the procurement procedure or fail to supply that information;
– contractors who have been declared to be in serious breach of their obligations under
contracts covered by the budget.
Points (b) and (e) shall not apply where the applicants or partner(s) can demonstrate that
adequate measures have been adopted against the persons having powers of
representation, decision making or control over them, who are subject to a judgement as
referred to in points (b) or (e).
The following are not the project partners (later beneficiaries) and do not have to sign
the Partner Statement but have specific and important role in the implementation of the
project:
1) associates;
Organizations from Finland, Latvia and Lääne-Eesti region are allowed to
participate as associates
Associates can be involved in the project implementation if they play a real role in
the project. Associates may not receive funding from the grant with the exception
of daily allowances, accommodation and travel costs. Associates do not have to
meet the eligibility criteria referred to in point 4 of the Guidelines.
The associates have to be mentioned in the project application and they have to
sign the Letter of Endorsement by the Associates.
Estonian EU external border programme-2014-2020
15
Guidelines for Project Applicants 6th Call for proposals
5. PARTNERSHIP REQUIREMENT
The Programme will finance activities within the projects which are implemented in the
eligible area and involve at least one beneficiary from the Republic of Estonia.
The partnership consisting of several beneficiaries from the Republic of Estonia is highly
recommended.
Organizations from Latvia, Finland and Lääne-Eesti region can participate in the Projects
as associates and may receive the daily allowances, accommodation and travel costs.
6. DURATION OF THE PROJECT
The project duration is maximum 6 months.
The activities of the project must be finalized on 31 December 2023 at the latest.
7. ELIGIBILITY OF COSTS
Only eligible costs shall be taken into account for the total project budget. The categories
of costs considered as eligible and non-eligible are indicated in point 7.3. Note that the
eligible costs must be based on real costs6 and backed by supporting documents during
the project implementation.
7.1 THE 3E ISSUES IN THE PROJECT BUDGET
The project budget has to be in line with the principles of economy, efficiency and
effectiveness.
The principle of economy requires that the resources used by the institution for the pursuit
of its activities shall be made in due time, in appropriate quantity and quality and at the best
price.
The principle of efficiency is concerned with the best relationship between resources
employed and results achieved.
The principle of effectiveness is concerned with attaining the specific objectives set and
achieving the intended results.
7.2 CO-FINANCING RATE
Every beneficiary has to co-finance the project with at least 10% contribution of their own
part of the project budget. The own-financing sources shall come from source other that
the European Union.
In case of participation of the SME from the Republic of Estonia, the Programme cofinancing rate shall be in line with State aid and de minimis aid regulations.
Treatment of State aid for beneficiaries, including thresholds and support rates are
provided in relevant State aid regulations and described further more in the State aid
Guidelines. Please note that in case of State aid the Estonian beneficiaries co-financing rate
could be more than previously described 10%.
6 Except indirect costs on a flat-rate basis calculated on the basis of a fair, equitable and verifiable
method.
Estonian EU external border programme-2014-2020
16
Guidelines for Project Applicants 6th Call for proposals
7.3 ELIGIBLE COSTS
7.3.1 ELIGIBLE COSTS ARE COSTS ACTUALLY INCURRED BY THE
BENEFICIARY WHICH MEET ALL OF THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA7
:
(a) they are incurred and paid during the implementation8 period of the project. In
particular:
(i) costs relating to services and works shall relate to activities performed during the
implementation period. Costs relating to supplies shall relate to delivery and
installation of items during the implementation period. Signature of a contract,
placing of an order, or entering into any commitment for expenditure within the
implementation period for future delivery of services, works or supplies after expiry
of the implementation period do not meet this requirement; cash transfers between
the lead beneficiary and the other beneficiaries may not be considered as costs
incurred;
(iv9
) procedures to award contracts, as referred to in Article 52 of Implementing Rules
and following, may have been initiated and contracts may be concluded by the
beneficiary(ies) before the start of the implementation period of the project,
provided the provisions of Article 52 and following have been respected;
10
(b)they are indicated in the project’s estimated overall budget;
(c) they are necessary for the project implementation;
(d) they are identifiable and verifiable, in particular being recorded in the accounting
records of the beneficiary and determined according to the accounting standards and
the usual cost accounting practices applicable to the beneficiary;
(e) they comply with the requirements of applicable tax and social legislation;
(f) they are reasonable, justified, and comply with the requirements of sound financial
management, in particular regarding economy and efficiency;
(g) they are supported by invoices or documents of equivalent probative value.
7.3.2 THE FOLLOWING DIRECT COSTS OF THE BENEFICIARY SHALL BE
ELIGIBLE:
(a) the costs of staff assigned to the project under the following cumulative conditions:
—they relate to the costs of activities which the beneficiary would not carry out if the
project was not undertaken;
—they must not exceed those normally borne by the beneficiary unless it is
demonstrated that this is essential to carry out the project,
—they relate to actual gross salaries including social security charges and other
remuneration-related costs
(b) travel and subsistence costs of staff and other persons taking part in the project,
provided they exceed neither the costs normally paid by the beneficiary according to its
rules and regulations nor the rates published by the Commission at the time of the
mission if reimbursed on the basis of lump sums, unit costs or flat rate financing;
(c) purchase or rental costs for equipment (new or used) and supplies specifically for the
purpose of the project, provided they correspond to market prices;
(d) the cost of consumables specifically purchased for the project;
(e) costs entailed by contracts awarded by the beneficiaries for the purposes of the project;
7 According to Article 48 of Implementing Rules
8 The period between start and end date of the project.
9 Numbering is in accordance with Commission Implementing Regulation No 897/2014
10 The provisions of Article 52 of Implementing rules are described in the chapter `Procurements` of
this Guidelines and Implementation Guidelines
Estonian EU external border programme-2014-2020
17
Guidelines for Project Applicants 6th Call for proposals
(f) costs deriving directly from requirements imposed by the Implementing Rules and the
project (such as information and visibility operations, evaluations, external audits,
translations) including financial service costs (such as costs of bank transfers and
financial guarantees).
For projects involving more than one partner to allow the preparation of strong
partnerships, costs incurred before submission of the full project application by projects to
which a grant has been awarded are eligible in amount of lump sum of 1000 EUR.
Only awarded projects will be able to claim the reimbursement of the costs
incurred before submission of the full project application (described above). The
applicant must clearly indicate these costs in the full project application.
7.3.3 NON-ELIGIBLE COSTS
The following costs of the Beneficiaries are not eligible:
1) Debts and debt service charges (interest);
2) Provisions for losses or liabilities;
3) Costs declared by the beneficiary and already financed by the Union budget and/or other
international or national budget;
4) Purchases of land or buildings for an amount exceeding 10 % of the eligible expenditure
of the project concerned;
5) Exchange rate losses;
6) Duties, taxes and charges, including VAT, except where non-recoverable under the
relevant national tax legislation;
7) Loans to third parties;
8) Fines, financial penalties and expenditure on legal disputes and litigation;
9) Contributions in kind;
10) Any costs incurred before and/or after the implementation period of the project, except
costs related to preparation costs ;
11) Preparation costs that have incurred earlier before the date of launching of the call and
preparation costs that have incurred during the implementation period of the project;
12) Costs that have been made in conflict with the procurement rules and tender
procedures;
13) Subcontracting between project partners, from the beneficiary and associated partners
including consultant fees or other service costs between partners for services and works
carried out within the project;
14) Costs of promotional gifts, except those not exceeding EUR 50 per gift clearly related
to promotion, communication, publicity or information;
15) Daily travels of project staff from home to office and back;
16) Alcoholic beverages as a part of catering costs planned in the agenda of a project event
that form more than 1/4 of the respective catering invoice;
17) Parallel remuneration systems and topping ups.
Estonian EU external border programme-2014-2020
18
Guidelines for Project Applicants 6th Call for proposals
Estonian EU external border programme-2014-2020
19
Guidelines for Project Applicants 6th Call for proposals
8. IDENTIFICATION AND SELECTION OF APPLICATIONS OF 6th
CALL FOR PROPOSALS
The 6
th Call for proposals is opened for a predefined period of time. The concrete deadlines
of the call will be provided on the Programme`s homepage www.estoniarussia.eu.
Identification and selection procedure consists of 1 step – submission and assessment of
the project application.
The applications of the 6
th Call for proposals are evaluated by the Selection Committee and
finally selected and approved by the JMC. If necessary, additional specific expertise will be
engaged. All projects submitted by the applicants are checked according to the following
steps and criteria:
8.1 SUBMISSION OF PROJECT APPLICATION
8.1.1 CONTENT OF THE PROJECT APPLICATION
The Application Form in eMS consists of following information:
(a11) an analysis of the problems and needs justifying the project, taking into account the
programme strategy and its expected contribution to address the corresponding
priority;
(c) the logical framework;
(d) an assessment of the sustainability of the project’s expected results after project’s
completion;
(e) objectively verifiable indicators (common output indicators and result indicators) (if
applicable);
(f) information on the geographic coverage and target groups of the project;
(g) the expected project implementation period and detailed work plan;
(h) an analysis of the effects of the project on the cross-cutting issues referred to in point
3(d) of Article 4 of Implementing Rules where relevant12;
(i) the project implementation requirements, including the following:
(i)identification of the beneficiaries and designation of the lead beneficiary (if needed),
(ii) providing guarantees of its competence in the domain concerned,
(iii) its administrative and financial management capacity.
(ii) description of the project management and implementation structure;
(iv) monitoring and evaluation arrangements
The complete project application includes the following documents:
1. Project application form, duly filled-in in the eMS.
2. Declaration by the Applicant, in Annex 1, duly filled-in and digitally signed by
the Applicant.
11 Numbering is in accordance with Commission Implementing Regulation No 897/2014
12 A description of ways to mainstream the following cross-cutting issues, where relevant: democracy
and human rights, environmental sustainability, gender equality and HIV/AIDS
Estonian EU external border programme-2014-2020
20
Guidelines for Project Applicants 6th Call for proposals
3. Partner Statement(s) in Annex 2, duly filled-in, digitaly signed, by each of the
project partner(s) (including the Applicant).
4. Letters of Endorsement by the Associates in Annex 3, duly filled-in, signed,
dated and stamped (if applicable) by each of the associate partner(s) (if relevant).
5. Logical Framework in Annex 4.
6. Evidence of ownership or access to the land/ buildings (if applicable). (In
case the applicant or partner is not the owner of the land/building the document
which according to national law proves the right to carry out the investment and
other planned activities). Template declaring the evidence of ownership or access
to the land/ buildings is provided in Annex 5.
7. Technical documentation related to the infrastructure/investment works
according to national legislation (if applicable).
8. The building permit (if applicable and available).
9. The declaration of applying State aid/ de minimis aid (with digital
signature, for all partners) in Annex 6.
10. The applicants and/or partners declaration in Annex 7 of meeting the criteria of
a micro, small or medium sized enterprise (SME) (if applicable, digitally signed).
8.1.2 HOW TO APPLY AND THE PROCEDURES TO FOLLOW
Applicant (in cooperation with its project partners) shall prepare a project application and
submit it electronically via the electronical monitoring system (eMS).
Detailed instructions on how to fill in the project application form are provided in the form
itself in eMS.
8.1.3 SUPPORT TO THE PROJECT PARTNERS IN PREPARATION
APPLICATION FORM
JTS will provide online or offline individual and/or group consultations for preparation of
the Application Form/needed documents and use of eMS and other online or offline events
to support the preparation of projects. On the programme webpage www.estoniarussia.eu
the question-answer section is developed and is available for all.
The applicants (and project partners) should work in close cooperation with the JTS starting
from the stage of drafting the project application. It is recommended to consult with the
JTS at least once during the preparation process of application. Applicant should take into
consideration that consultations during 2 weeks before submission deadline may be
provided only within JTS capacity.
8.1.4 WHERE AND HOW TO SUBMIT THE APPLICATION FORM
The complete project application shall be submitted via eMS. Deadline for submission of
the application is provided on the Programme website www.estoniarussia.eu
The project application should be submitted via eMS environment within the opening and
closing dates of 6
th Call for proposals. Please note that saved but not submitted applications
are not considered submitted.
The documents in points 2-4, 6 (if applicable), 9 and 10 (if applicable) of chapter 8.1.1
should be submitted as originals (in one electronical container). The digitally signed
folder with all documents must bear the following sentences: “6th Call for Proposals of the
Estonian EU external border programme, ER___” unique project identification number
given by the eMS.
Estonian EU external border programme-2014-2020
21
Guidelines for Project Applicants 6th Call for proposals
The digitally signed documents shall be submitted via eMS.
Where an applicant submits more than one project application, documents for each project
has to be submitted separately in eMS as attchments to the concrete project.
8.2 SELECTION PROCEDURE
8.2.1 ASSESSMENT OF PROJECT APPLICATION
After the deadline for submitting the project application the assessment of the application
will be performed. It consists of two steps:
1. administrative eligibility check;
2. quality assessment.
First the administrative eligibility check of project application will be performed by the
JTS and will be based on administrative eligibility criteria listed below in the Checklist. If
clarifications are needed, the JTS will ask for additional documents or clarifications during
administrative eligibility check stage. The deadline for submission of missing information
will be given by the JTS via e-mail sent from the eMS environment.
Criteria Yes No Not
applicable
1. The project application and its Annexes are submitted within
set deadline
2. The project application is entirely filled in and is in English
3. Declaration by the Lead Applicant is enclosed, has been filled
in, digitally signed by authorised person
4. Each Project partner, including the Project Lead Applicant,
has submitted a Partner Statement (digitally signed by
authorised person)
5. Letter of Endorsement by Associates is duly filled-in, signed,
and dated by each of associated partner(s), if applicable
6. The Lead Applicant is eligible in accordance with the
requirements indicated in the section 4.1 of the Guidelines
7. The project partner(s), if applicable, are eligible (type and
territory) in accordance with the requirements indicated in
the section 4.2 of the Guidelines
8. Project is within time limits set in accordance with
requirements indicated in the section 6 of the Guidelines
9. Project is within financial limits set in accordance with
requirements indicated in the section 2 of the Guidelines
10. Co-financing rates have been observed and it is not less
than 10% per partner and on project level
11. Activities are mainly located in the eligible territory in
accordance with requirements indicated in the sections 1.2,
1,3 and 5 of Guidelines
12. Applicant’s and partner(s) (if applicable) declaration of
applying State aid/de minimis aid provisions is submitted
(digitally signed and dated)
Estonian EU external border programme-2014-2020
22
Guidelines for Project Applicants 6th Call for proposals
13. The partners confirmation of meeting the criteria of a micro,
small or medium sized enterprise (SME) is submitted. (if
applicable)
During the administrative eligibility check the JTS can ask assistance from the NA of the
Republic of Estonia for a determination of whether the project overlaps with other EU or
publicly financed activities.
The outcome of the administrative eligibility check – a list of eligible/non eligible projectsperformed by the JTS shall be approved by the JMC.
If a project does not fulfil the administrative eligibility criteria, the JMC will take a decision
to reject the project application. The MA shall send the administrative decision letter to the
applicant.
Project applications that fulfil the administrative eligibility criteria are subject to quality
assessment. The Selection Committee (SC) does quality assessment and their evaluation
report is approved by the JMC.
SC is a committee established by the JMC. The SC members perform quality assessment
of the project applications which have passed the administrative eligibility check.
2. Quality assessment.
During introductory session of SC, the common understanding of evaluation criteria will be
developed, later individual assessment based on the predefined criteria will take place.
At least two SC members will perform the quality assessment of the project application
based on predefined criteria. If needed, content wise expertise will be engaged. The
organisation of meetings and technical support given to the quality assessment process
will be ensured by the JTS. The project application will be given an overall score out of 100
weighted points in accordance with the breakdown provided in the evaluation grid below.
Award criteria Description (issues to be
considered)
Score
1. Project contribution to
programme`s objectives
and indicators, relevance
to wider strategy and
policies
Max 20
(weight/share: 10%)
1.1 The project is relevant to
the programme`s objectives
and indicators
1. The project is in line and
clearly contributes to the
programme`s thematic
objectives and its
specific area(s)
Max 2×5
2. Project expected results,
outputs and activities clearly
contribute to the programme´s
output and result indicators.
1.2 The project contributes to
local/regional competitiveness
1. All project activities clearly
contribute to local and/or
regional strategies and
development documents
Max 5
1.3 The project has positive
side-effects to other crosscutting programme issues
1. The project in accordance
with its nature contributes to
the programme`s horizontal
Max 5
Estonian EU external border programme-2014-2020
23
Guidelines for Project Applicants 6th Call for proposals
principles like sustainable
development (environment);
equal opportunities and nondiscrimination; equality
between men and women; HIV
prevention in accordance with
the nature of the project
2. Relevance and added
value of the project
Max 10
(weight/share: 25%)
2.1 Relevance of the project
for the eligible area is clearly
demonstrated and justified
1. The need to address
challenges and/or opportunities
in the eligible area and achieve
the project’s objectives is
justified
Max 5
2.2 The added value of the
project is clearly
demonstrated
1. The project has clear impact
and benefits on eligible
territory and clearly describes
proposed solutions
Max 5
3. Project design Max 15
(weight/share: 20%)
3.1 The proposed project
activities (including
communication) are relevant
and lead to the planned
outputs and results
1. Proposed activities, including
communication measures, are
consistent with project`s
specific objectives and
interlinked towards
achievement of the set results
and respective output
indicators
Max 5
3.2 The project results and
outputs are realistic
2. The activities are adequately
planned, described with
sufficient level of precision and
are relevant to achieve set
objectives, outputs and results.
(it is possible to achieve them
within given resources – i.e.
time, partner(s), budget and
other resources)
Max 5
3.3 Project main outputs and
results are sustainable
3. The project clearly
demonstrates how its outputs
and results have a lasting
effect beyond project duration
(e.g financially, institutionally,
environmentally)
Max 5
4. Partnership relevance
and experience
Max 5
(weight/share: 10%)
4.1 The project involves the
relevant partner (s) to achieve
project goals
1. Involved partner (s) are
relevant and have proven
experience and competence in
the thematic field concerned
Max 5
Estonian EU external border programme-2014-2020
24
Guidelines for Project Applicants 6th Call for proposals
5. Management Max 10
(weight/share: 10%)
5.1 Management structures
are proportionate to the
project size and needs and
allow partners’ involvement in
decision-making(if applicable)
1. Management structures,
procedures and competences of
staff are clearly defined and
correspond to the project setup (size and complexity)
Max 5
5.2 Necessary provisions for
risk and quality management
are in place
1. Major risks (including their
impact and probability) which
could hamper the outcome of
the project are identified and
mitigating actions to be put in
place are presented
Max 5
6. Budget Max 10
(weight/share: 25%)
6.1 Sufficient and reasonable
resources are planned to
ensure project implementation
1. The budget is detailed
enough, reasonable, efficient
and realistic (the costs
correspond to average market
rates/or rates in the
public/private sector)
Max 5
6.2 The project budget is
justified and corresponds to
the proposed activities,
objectives, outputs and results
1. The budget of the activities
are proportional to the
description and scope of those
activities and to outputs/results
to be achieved
Max 5
Total 70
Grand total 100
Each criteria will be evaluated on a scale of 1-5 in full points. The scale is:
5 – Very good (relevant information has been provided, showing that project is
exceptionally well in line with the requirements set by the programme)
4 – Good (relevant information has been provided, showing that the project is well in
line with the requirements set by the programme)
3 – Acceptable (information has been provided, showing that the project meets the
requirements set by the programme)
2 – Poor (information can be found to prove that the minimum requirements of the
programme have been met)
1 – Very poor (no information has been provided or the information provided is not
in line with the requirements set by the programme)
During closing session of the SC the final assessment of the project application will be
performed and an evaluation report (including consolidated evaluation grids) will be
prepared for the JMC decision.
Please note, that only the project applications which have been given a score of a minimum
of 60 weighted points will be considered for pre-selection by SC.
The proposal prepared by the SC is in no way binding for the JMC, the JMC is free to
prioritise and select the projects to be co-financed (including the total budget and the
duration of the project) based on the same quality evaluation assessment criteria and/or
strategical importance,which are explained, justified and documented.
Estonian EU external border programme-2014-2020
25
Guidelines for Project Applicants 6th Call for proposals
Based on the given scores by the SC or the JMC considerations the projects will be ranked
and the financing will be granted to projects within available financing. It is possible to
decide for the JMC that some projects will be included into the reserve list. The Programme
will turn to the reserve list projects and check the possibilities for continuation of the grant
awarding process in case of available additional financing for the programme.
The JMC may approve the project directly or under certain conditions. The conditions set
by the JMC must be fulfilled before signing the Grant Contract. The assessment of the
fulfilment of conditions is made by the JTS. If a project fails to fulfil the conditions set by
the JMC, the project will be rejected and Grant Contract will not be signed.
The Managing Authority will inform the successful applicant of the JMC decision within 15
days after the decision is taken; and within further 15 days to unsuccessful applicants with
reasons for negative decision. It is the responsibility of the Applicant to inform the other
project partners about the outcome of the selection procedure.
Project applications will be rejected by the JMC in case they do not fulfil the administrative
eligibility criteria or receive less than 60 weighted points in the the quality assessment
procedure. Those projects will receive an Administrative Decision on Rejecting the Project
Proposal from the Managing Authority. This includes the reasoning behind the rejection
and instructions for the appeal procedure.
Estonian EU external border programme-2014-2020
26
Guidelines for Project Applicants 6th Call for proposals
9. AWARD PROCEDURE AND CONTRACTING
Once the project has been approved by the JMC, the MA shall approach the Applicant and
request the updated documents required for the signature of the Grant Contract (for
example, updated timetable and budget). The MA, based on the selection outcome of the
JMC, will make a final administrative decision for awarding the grant to the project.
Grant Contract is signed between the MA and the Lead beneficiary. Lead beneficiary
assumes full legal and financial responsibility for project implementation vis-à-vis MA; it
receives the financial contribution from the MA and ensures it is managed and distributed
in accordance with agreements drawn up with its partners; it alone is responsible to the
MA and it is directly accountable to the authority for the operational and financial progress
of activities.
With the signature of the Grant Contract the contractual relations and responsibilities
between the MA and the Lead beneficiary emerge. The Lead beneficiary becomes
responsible and accountable to the MA for efficient implementation of the project in
compliance with the provisions of the concluded Grant Contract and the approved project
application.
Before the MA signs the Grant Contract, the following procedures have to be carried out
(but not limited to):
1. The applicant submits corrections of errors, and /or updates of the project budget
by removing non eligible costs in respective section of the project application
and/or provides clarifications and minor adjustments according to the JMC decision
letter. Only after fulfilment of corrections/clarifications/minor adjustments, the
Grant Contract can be prepared and signed;
2. The applicant submits to the MA the Partnership Agreement signed by all partners,
if relevant – in case there is more than one partner;
3. The applicant has to provide the original of the Financial Identification Form with
the details of its banking account;
4. During preparation of the Grant Contract the JTS/ MA could carry on monitoring
visits. The visits may give rise to request for additional clarifications and may lead
MA to impose modifications or reductions to address any possible mistakes or
inaccuracies.
Grant Contract shall be signed latest by the 30 June of 2023.
By signing the Declaration by the Applicant, the Applicant declares accepting, in case where
it is awarded a grant, the contractual conditions as laid down in the Grant Contract. The
MA sends the signed Grant Contract to the Lead Beneficiary indicating the deadline when
the countersigned contract shall be returned to the MA.
The Partnership Agreement, relevant in case there is more than one partner in the
project, has to lay down provisions for the distribution of tasks, responsibilities and the
contribution of all beneficiaries, including the arrangements for recovery of amounts unduly
paid. The Partnership Agreement has to be concluded between the Lead beneficiary and
beneficiaries defining their rights and responsibilities before the Grant Contract is signed.
Model Partnership Agreement is available on the Programme’s web-site
www.estoniarussia.eu.
The Partnership Agreement will not be a part of or Annex to the Grant Contract.
Estonian EU external border programme-2014-2020
27
Guidelines for Project Applicants 6th Call for proposals
10. PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION, MONITORING, REPORTING AND
CONTROL
10.1 ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGEMENT OF THE PROJECT
10.1.1 START AND END DATE OF THE PROJECT
Project starting date is defined by the Lead beneficiary and the Managing Authority;
stipulated in the Grant Contract and it can be either:
• the day following that on which the Lead beneficiary signs the Grant Contract, or
• a later date agreed in the Grant Contract, but no later than 1 July 2023.
All the Grant Contracts shall be signed no later than 30 June 2023.
The end date of the project is calculated by adding to this date the number of months
indicated in the Application as the duration of the project.
Programme level eligibility for project implementation ends on 31 December 2023,
meaning that all project activities have to be completed by that date.
10.1.2 MANAGEMENT OF THE PROJECT AND RESPONSIBILITIES
WITHIN THE PARTNERSHIP
All projects must follow the Lead beneficiary principle in the project management.
Note! In case the Applicant is the only partner in the project, the role of the Lead
beneficiary is automatically assigned to the Applicant and Partership Agreement is not
required.
Provided that there is more than one partner in the project, the beneficiaries shall
designate one Lead beneficiary for representing the partnership.
All beneficiaries shall actively cooperate in the development and implementation of the
project. In addition, they shall cooperate in the staffing and financing of the project. Each
beneficiary shall be legally responsible for the activities and outputs that it is
implementing. The specific obligations of the beneficiaries shall be laid down in the
partnership agreement.
The Lead beneficiary shall:
(a) receive the financial contribution from the MA for the implementation of project
activities/ achieving the project´outputs;
(b) for projects implemented in the partnership to ensure that the beneficiaries receive the
total amount of the grant as quickly as possible and in full in accordance with the
arrangements referred to in point (c). No amount shall be deducted or withheld and no
specific charge with equivalent effect shall be levied that would reduce these amounts
for the beneficiaries;
(c) for projects implemented in the partnership to lay down the partnership arrangements
with the beneficiaries in an agreement comprising, provisions that, inter alia, guarantee
the sound financial management of the funds allocated to the project including the
arrangements for recovery of funds unduly paid;
(d) assume responsibility for ensuring implementation of the entire project;
After grant award decision, the Lead beneficiary is responsible for:
1. ensuring the implementation of the entire project;
Estonian EU external border programme-2014-2020
28
Guidelines for Project Applicants 6th Call for proposals
2. signing the Partnership Agreement with all partners defining rights and
responsibilities of the parties, the Partnership Agreement should in particular cover
all obligations arising from the Grant Contract between the MA and the Lead
beneficiary which are applicable to the project partners. – applicable for the projects
having more than one beneficiary;
3. signing the Grant Contract with the MA;
4. setting up and maintaining efficient and reliable project implementation system
(strategic, daily and financial management), i.e.: ensuring efficient use of the
project’s resources; co-ordination of activities and tasks among the beneficiaries
(applicable for the projects in the partnership) and ensuring that these tasks are
subsequently fulfilled; ensuring proper communication with and among the
beneficiaries (if applicable) and wider public;
5. representing the project – the Lead beneficiary serves as a contact point to the
Managing Authority, JMC, JTS and National Authority concerning the
implementation of the project and should ensure continuous communication
between the Programme (JTS) and the beneficiaries (if applicable);
6. progress of the project as far as its physical execution is concerned, and in
particular, for ensuring the delivery of outputs and results in line with the approved
Application;
7. establishing adequate monitoring and evaluation system of the project that ensures
timely delivery of project outputs and results in a proper quality;
8. timely and correct reporting in eMS;
9. requesting and receiving payments from the MA, which then are timely forwarded
to the beneficiaries (applicable for the projects in the partnership)13;
10. respecting and observing Programme rules and requirements, the EU, EURATOM,
and national legislation concerning financial management and controls, public
procurement and tender procedures, rules on nationality and origin, information
and visibility and state aid rules;
11. ensuring that the Lead beneficiary`s expenditure is supported by invoices or
documented by accounting documents understandable to third parties; has actually
been paid out by the Lead beneficiary within the reporting period for activities
described in the approved Application; and that the products or services have
actually been delivered; and has been examined by public officer;
12. ensuring that the expenditure presented by beneficiaries has been incurred for the
purpose of implementing the project and corresponds to the application and verify
that the expenditures has been examined by public officer (applicable for the
projects in the partnership);
13.ensuring production and maintenance of all documentary evidence required for
control purposes on the Lead beneficiary’s level;
14.implementation of the project in accordance with the provisions of the Grant
Contract and the Partnership Agreement (applicable for the projects in the
partnership);
15. recovering the amounts unduly paid together with any interest on late payment;
16. ensuring adequate visibility of the EU contribution to the project;
13 No amount shall be deducted or withheld and no specific charge with equivalent effect shall be
levied that would reduce these amounts for the beneficiaries.
Estonian EU external border programme-2014-2020
29
Guidelines for Project Applicants 6th Call for proposals
17. calculate the operating profit for the project.
Beneficiaries14 are responsible (legally and financially) for implementation of the project
in accordance with approved Application Form and the provisions of Partnership
Agreement, specifically for:
1. signing the Partnership Agreement with all partners/beneficiaries defining rights
and responsibilities of the parties, the Partnership Agreement should in particular
cover all obligations arising from the Grant Contract between the MA and the Lead
beneficiary which are applicable to the project partners/beneficiaries;
2. implementation of their part of activities in the project and they must actively assist
the Lead beneficiary in efficient implementation of the project in line with the
requirements of the Application, the Programme and the Partnership Agreement;
3. establishing adequate monitoring and evaluation system of the project that ensures
timely delivery of project outputs and results in a proper quality;
4. timely and correct reporting in eMS;
5. respecting and observing Programme rules and requirements, EU, EURATOM and
national legislation concerning financial management and controls, public
procurement, rules on nationality and origin, information and visibility and state
aid rules;
6. ensuring that their expenditure is supported by invoices or documented by
accounting documents understandable to third parties; has actually been paid out
by beneficiary within the reporting period for activities described in the approved
Application; and that the products or services have actually been delivered; and
has been examined by public officer;
7. ensuring production and maintenance of all documentary evidence required for
control purposes on the beneficiaries level;
8. ensuring adequate visibility of the EU contribution to the project.
10.1.3 OWNERSHIP OF THE PROJECT RESULTS
The ownership, title, and intellectual and industrial property rights to the project’s outputs,
results, reports and other documents relating to it shall be vested in (belong to) the Lead
beneficiary, beneficiaries, associates or final recipients. The Lead beneficiary and
beneficiaries grant the Programme authorities and the European Commission the right
to use freely and as it sees fit all documents deriving from the project, whatever their form,
provided it does not thereby breach existing industrial and intellectual property rights.
In case of the transfer of ownership, industrial and intellectual property rights for outputs
and results the transfer shall be done according to the national legislation. The
sustainability requirements defined in the project should not be jeopardised and transfer
of the ownership should not result in a profit for the beneficiaries.
According to the Article 39.3 of ENI Implementing Rules, any project including an
infrastructure component shall repay the Programme contribution if, within five years of
the project closure or within the period of time set out in state aid rules, where applicable,
it is subject to a substantial change affecting its nature, objectives or implementation
conditions which would result in undermining its original objectives. Sums unduly paid in
14 Applicable for projects that have more than one beneficiary.
Estonian EU external border programme-2014-2020
30
Guidelines for Project Applicants 6th Call for proposals
respect of the project shall be recovered by the Managing Authority in proportion to the
period for which the requirement has not been fulfilled.
The MA should be notified about changes of ownership of the project results
during implementation period of the project and five years after completion of the project.
10.1.4 VISIBILITY AND INFORMATION REQUIREMENTS
The Lead beneficiary and the beneficiaries must take the necessary measures to publicise
the Programme’s financial support to the project and to give visibility to the financial
contributions of the European Union, and the Republic of Estonia. The measures must be
in accordance with the communication and visibility requirements of the Programme laid
down in Communication and Visibility Guidelines and Communication and visibility
instructions for Estonian beneficiaries and applicable EU regulations.
Every project, funded by the Programme must conduct communication and visibility
activities in order to:
• ensure smooth operation of the project (due to efficient communication among the
beneficiaries);
• make the results of the project visible to the target groups concerned and/or to the
public;
• emphasise the contribution of the Programme to the development of the region.
In order to carry out effective, concise and consistent communication, the Lead beneficiary
and the beneficiaries must plan the communication and promotion activities from the stage
of drafting the Application and should plan these activities and specify them in the project
application, work package Communication. The sufficient budget for information and
communication related activities should be considered.
Lead beneficiaries, beneficiaries should also send information to the JTS prior to major
project events.
10.1.5 USE OF THE PROGRAMME LOGO

The use of the Programme logo is compulsory on all communication materials and tools
(both hard copy and electronic), documents of the project and outputs produced by the
project. Use of the Programme logo is also compulsory when using other logos, like
project’s or project partner’s own logo. The Programme logo must be displayed at least as
prominently and visibly as the other logo(s)/emblem(s) and be at least the same size as
the biggest of the other logo(s)/emblem(s) used.
The Programme logo can be downloaded here:
https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/en/information/logos_downloadcenter/. The precise
visibility requirements are provided in the Communication and visibility instructions for
Estonian beneficiaries.
Estonian EU external border programme-2014-2020
31
Guidelines for Project Applicants 6th Call for proposals
10.2 FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT OF THE PROJECT
10.2.1 DESCRIPTION OF BUDGET HEADINGS
The project budget is divided between the six budget headings and further detailed into
budget lines. The detailed breakdown of the project budget consists of the Programme’s
grant and the Lead Beneficiary’s and the beneficiaries’ co-financing.
The following costs can be included into the project budget as eligible:
Heading 1 – STAFF
Includes only the costs of the staff of the Lead beneficiary and the beneficiaries assigned
directly to the project and relate to the costs of activities, which the lead beneficiary and
beneficiaries would not carry out if the project was not undertaken. The costs shall
correspond to actual gross salaries (including wages, employment taxes, social security
charges, health insurance and pension contributions etc.). Salaries must not exceed those
normally borne by the employer (organisation of the Lead beneficiary or beneficiaries) as
the case may be, unless it is justified in the Application Form by showing that it is essential
to carry out the project. The staff costs should be comparable with the salaries on the
market and have to be calculated based on national legislation requirements and principles.
Staff costs are eligible only if they are sufficiently justified and documented in
beneficiary document recording system and accountancy according to national
legislation and internal procedures of the concrete beneficiary. The internal
recognised practise of organisation should be followed in relation to the costs incurred by
the project.
Employees can be employed either full-time or part-time with fixed percentage for the
project. If staff is not working full time for the project, percentage of involvement should
be indicated in the description of the costs.
If the Lead beneficiary and/ or the beneficiary’s institutions do not have the necessary
human resources to ensure implementation of project, needed specialists can be employed
on the basis of the Service Contracts. In this case their costs have to be budgeted under
the Budget Heading 5 “External expertise and services”.
Contributions in kind are not eligible. The cost of staff assigned to a project shall not
be considered a contribution in kind but may be considered part of the minimum 10% cofinancing paid by beneficiaries.
Heading 2 – TRAVEL & ACCOMMODATION
Costs for travel (business trips) to project-related activities and events are budgeted under
this Budget Heading 2 “Travel & accommodation”. Travel costs are eligible only if they are
directly related to and essential for the effective implementation of the project.
NB! Daily allowances for project staff included in the Budget Heading 1 “Staff” shall be
planned under the Budget Heading 2 “Travel & accommodation”.
The Lead beneficiaries and the beneficiaries have to follow their usual practice in setting
the daily allowance and accommodation rates based on the national legislation and internal
procedures of the concrete organisation setting limits for the business trips. Please note
that the daily allowances rates as well as accommodation that exceed the maximum limits
set by national legislation and internal regulation of current beneficiary are eligible from
the budget of the project only in duly justified cases by showing that it is essential to carry
out the project.
Also visa and travel insurance costs are to be listed under this Budget Heading.
All costs budgeted under this Budget Heading should be supported by the documentary
evidence for the travel such as business trip requests, orders and reports, agendas, travel
tickets, invoices, boarding passes, etc.
Estonian EU external border programme-2014-2020
32
Guidelines for Project Applicants 6th Call for proposals
All travel and accommodation costs (including daily allowances) for external experts must
be included into their service contracts and budgeted in the Budget Heading 5 “External
expertise and services”.
NB! In case travelling outside the Programme territory is foreseen in the project, costs
shall be planned under separate line within this Budget Heading.
Heading 3 – EQUIPMENT
Costs for purchase or rent of equipment (new or used) and supplies are eligible, if these
items are specifically needed for the purposes of the implementation of the project, are
listed in the approved project budget, correspond to market prices and are purchased
following the relevant procurement procedures.
Please note:
Used equipment cannot be originally bought by public funds (another project etc.). The
price of the used equipment is lower than for same new equipment. The technical
specification of the equipment meets the applicable requirements of rule of origin (the
declaration of origin of the equipment has to be provided etc.).
The applicant is asked to provide a breakdown (cost estimation) of costs for equipment in
the Application. Therefore, please make sure that all cost items of equipment are listed.
Every purchased piece of equipment must comply with the information and visibility rules.
Heading 4 – OFFICE & ADMINISTRATION
Indirect administrative costs are related to office running for the purposes of the project.
Indirect costs may be calculated on a flat-rate of up to 7% of eligible direct costs, excluding
costs incurred in relation to the provision of infrastructure, provided that the rate is
calculated on the basis of a fair, equitable and verifiable calculation method.
Heading 5 – EXTERNAL EXPERTISE & SERVICES
All services/works sub-contracted to an external service provider for the purpose of the
project should be listed under the Budget Heading “External expertise and services” (e.g.
external management of the project, consultants, speakers for workshops, experts, webdesign, organisation of meetings, conferences, seminars, trainings, translation,
interpretation, reproduction, dissemination of information, evaluation specific to the
project, information and publicity, publications, research, other services necessary for the
project, financial service costs (in particular the bank charges for the project account, the
costs of transfers and financial guarantees, etc.).
Work of the external experts should be essential for the project, rates should be reasonable
compared to the level of experience and expertise according to the standard rates in the
respective country where the project partner is located, average market rates resulting
from the public procurement procedures are applied; and quality of produced outputs is
ensured.
All the travel and accommodation costs for experts should be part of the service contract
and listed under this Budget Heading.
Purchase of services/ expertise is subject to relevant procurement procedures.
The Lead beneficiary and the beneficiaries as well as associates are not allowed
to sub-contract each other or employees of their organisations in order to carry
out project activities.
Estonian EU external border programme-2014-2020
33
Guidelines for Project Applicants 6th Call for proposals
Heading 6 –INVESTMENT
Please list under the Budget Heading 6 “Investment” all costs of works and services related
to construction, renovation, installation of infrastructure and their supervision. Please list
each work and service contract as a separate item in the project budget.
All services and works sub-contracted to an external service provider have to strictly follow
the relevant procurement procedures.
Investments are financed only in case they are necessary for reaching the results of the
project and the Programme.
Any project including an infrastructure component shall repay the Programme contribution
if, within five years of the project closure or within the period of time set out in state aid/de
minimis rules, where applicable, it is subject to a substantial change affecting its nature,
objectives or implementation conditions which would result in undermining its original
objectives. Sums unduly paid in respect of the project shall be recovered by the Managing
Authority in proportion to the period for which the requirement has not been fulfilled.
Estonian EU external border programme-2014-2020
34
Guidelines for Project Applicants 6th Call for proposals
10.2.2 REPORTING
Beneficiaries, including the Lead beneficiary, implement their part of activities of the
project, cover related costs and retain the accounting documents constituting the audit
trail (contracts, invoices, time sheets, calculation and payment evidence, etc.), as well as
output documents showing the implementation of the project’s activities (minutes of
meetings, studies, manuals, policy documents, training materials, etc.).
The Lead Beneficiary and beneficiaries must draw up only one report – Individual Final
Report. Based on individual reports verified by the public officer the Lead Beneficiary must
draw up the Final consolidated report. All reports shall be drafted in English. They shall be
submitted to the MA/JTS via eMS.
An inividual final report shall consist of narrative and financial report on the costs incurred
and paid in the reporting period.
Each beneficiary fills in their individual Final report in eMS within 30 calendar days after
reporting period. After drawing up the individual reports the Beneficiary(ies) should submit
them to the public officer for verification.
The public officer from the INTERREG Project´s Supervision Unit of the State Shared
Service Centre shall verify whether the costs and revenue are real, accurately recorded
and eligible. The public officers will conduct expenditure verification within 60 calendar
days.
After public officer verification the Lead beneficiary prepares the consolidated Final report
and submits it to the JTS via eMS. The consolidated report shall be submitted to the JTS
by the Lead Beneficiary within 30 calendar days after the expenditure verification report of
all partners has been issued by the public officer.
The JTS and the MA check the report within 25 working days. They may request
clarification, alteration or additional information, which must be produced within 10
working days of the request. The countdown for submission of clarifications starts again
on the date when requirement from the JTS/MA is received.
The MA executes payment to the Lead beneficiary as soon as possible within 45 days after
reports have been approved by the MA.
The Lead beneficiary transfers the funds to the beneficiaries or contractors or suppliers as
defined in the Partnership Agreement (for projects in the partnership).
10.2.3 PAYMENTS TO THE PROJECT
The total amount to be paid by the MA to the Lead Beneficiary may not exceed the
maximum grant laid down in the Grant Contract neither in terms of absolute amount nor
in percentage of the total estimated costs of the project.
If the total actual costs of the project at the end of the project are less than the estimated
total costs laid down in Grant Contract, the MA’s contribution shall be limited to the amount
obtained by applying the percentage laid down in the Grant Contract to the total actual
costs of the approved project.
The following payments options are foreseen for 6
th Call for proposals projects: prefinancing (after signing of the Grant Contract) in amount of 60% of awarded grant;
payment of the final balance (upon completion of the project) after approval of the Final
Consolidated Report.
Estonian EU external border programme-2014-2020
35
Guidelines for Project Applicants 6th Call for proposals
10.2.4 KEEPING THE PROJECT DOCUMENTS
The Lead beneficiary and the beneficiaries shall keep accurate and regular accounts of the
implementation of the project using an appropriate accounting and bookkeeping system.
In order to ensure it the Lead beneficiary and all beneficiaries involved in the
implementation of the project and receiving funds from the Programme must maintain:
• a separate accounting system or
• an suitable accounting code
for all transactions related to the project without prejudice to national accounting rules. In
this way all project related expenditure and receipts should be clearly identified.
The beneficiaries shall keep all documents related to the project for five years from the
date of payment of the balance to the programme or until the date stipulated in the State
aid de minimis rules (if applicable). In particular, they shall keep reports, supporting
documents as well as accounts, accounting documents, documents related to the
procurements and any other document relating to the financing of the project.
10.2.5 BUDGET RELOCATIONS AND CHANGES IN THE PROJECT
Beneficiaries should implement the project as defined in the Grant Contract. It is important
that the project budget and a plan of activities are carefully observed during the whole
period of project implementation. Nevertheless, situations may arise where there is a need
to make some changes in the activities and/or budget, update the contact information or
replace an expert, etc. However neither the objectives of the project can be changed nor
the total maximum amount of the grant stipulated in the Grant Contract be increased. The
amendment must not cause such changes to the Grant Contract that could call an award
decision into question or put the grant applicants into unequal position.
Changes can only be done within the implementation period of the project,
modifications cannot be made retroactively.
The procedures for changes are described in the Project Implementation Guidelines.
10.2.6 PROCUREMENT (TENDERING)
Project Lead beneficiaries and beneficiaries must follow national public procurement
legislation of the Republic of Estonia. The procurement and tender procedures, rules of
nationality and origin are described in the Project Implementation Guidelines.
The contract shall be awarded to the tender offering best value for money or as appropriate
to the tenderer offering the lowest price. The market research may be done. The
beneficiary shall avoid any conflict of interests and respect the principles of equal
treatment, non-discrimination, fair competition, transparency.
10.2.6.2 Other essential points
Conflict of interest: The Lead beneficiary and beneficiaries undertake to take all
necessary precautions to avoid conflicts of interests and shall inform the JTS/MA without
delay of any situation constituting or likely to lead to any such conflict.
There is a conflict of interests where the impartial and objective exercise of the functions
of any person involved in the project is compromised for reasons involving family,
emotional life, political or national affinity, economic interest or any other shared interest
with another person.
Estonian EU external border programme-2014-2020
36
Guidelines for Project Applicants 6th Call for proposals
No retroactive awards: Contracts are considered to take effect from the date of signature
of the last signatory. There is no way that contracts or contract addenda can be awarded
retroactively (i.e. when goods or services have been already purchased and/or carried out).
This means that no payments can be made and no goods and services can be provided
prior to the signature of the contract and/or addendum. All contracts must show the true
dates of signature of the contracting parties.
Use of standard documents: Standard contracts and document formats must be used
(in accordance with the national legislation) and can be in national language.
Record keeping: Written records of the entire tendering and contracting procedure must
be kept confidential and retained by the Lead beneficiary and beneficiary for a period of
five years after payment of the balance to the Programme. These must include the
originals of all tenders submitted, together with the corresponding tender dossiers and
any related correspondence.
It is also important to follow up the contract implementation in order to define milestones
and penalties (in case of failure to meet the conditions) in contracts; keep contractors to
the contractual terms and apply penalties if necessary and ensure regular on-site
inspections and quality checks during implementation of the project. Do not:
• modify the essential terms of a contract after its award (physical, financial object);
• award additional works directly in circumstances not covered by the procurement
documents;
• use exceptional procedures (direct award, negotiated procedure) in nonexceptional circumstances.
10.3 REVENUE IN THE PROJECT
Similarly as costs incurred, also the revenues of the project must be recorded by the
beneficiaries. In general, revenues generated by project are added to the sources of
funding, provided there is no profit. The rule of non-profit is essential in the calculation of
the final amount of grant.
In case the project generates profit, project eligible costs will be reduced in the amount of
profit.
The MA/JTS will check compliance with the non-profit rule when calculating the final
balance of the grant after receipt of the last payment request from the Beneficiary. This
verification:
• Relates to the actual project costs and actual receipts;
• Takes into account all the project costs;
• Includes revenue established (collected and entered into the accounts), generated
or confirmed on the date when the request for payment of the balance is
established.
Estonian EU external border programme-2014-2020
37
Guidelines for Project Applicants 6th Call for proposals
10.4 STATE AID AND DE MINIMIS PRINCIPLES
The applicable European Union rules on State aid will be taken into account during the
implementation of the programme in the territory of the European Union.
Article 12 of the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 897/201423 states that aid
granted under the programme shall comply with the applicable Union rules on State aid
within the meaning of Article 107 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.
The applicable State aid and de minimis aid regulations and articles will be stated in the
the State aid guidelines document. The State aid schemes will be notified to the EC
according to the procedures stipulated in the State aid regulations. The following scheme
illustrates the communication when deciding if and what State aid / de minimis aid
regulations to apply. If the applicant considers that the activity is not State Aid relevant
then relevant justification shall be provided (see Annex 6).
The overall budget and the eligible costs shall be also indicated for every activity in Annex
6. By drawing up the budget and the eligible costs the applicant has to follow the provisions
of the corresponding State aid regulations.
The decision which of the regulations/articles to apply shall be indicated by the applicants
in the applications in consultation with JTS/ MA. After the eligibility check and during the
assessment of applications the the JTS will also check the State aid relevance.
During the assessment of the applications the MA and the JTS will check if selected State
aid instruments can be applied to the activities for which the support is asked. If no
appropriate State aid instruments can be applied, the applicant has to remove the ineligible
actions or costs from the application.
10.5 DOUBLE FINANCING /RETROACTIVITY OF FINANCING
The project activities duplicated those already financed from any EU fund; international,
national, regional and/or local funds are not eligible as this is considered double-financing.
No grant may be awarded for the projects already completed.
10.6 MONITORING AND CONTROL
10.6.1 AUDIT AND FINANCIAL CONTROL
The Programme foresees the following types of Audit and Financial Control:
Verification of Expenditures
All costs reported to the Programme are subject to verification of expenditures. The
verification of expenditure of Lead beneficiary and beneficiaries which are registered and
located in Estonia will be performed by the INTERREG Project´s Supervision Unit of the
State Shared Service Centre.
The public officer shall examine whether the costs declared by the beneficiary and the
revenue of the project are real, accurately recorded and eligible in accordance with the
contract.
This verification shall be performed on the basis of an agreed-upon procedure which will
be undertaken in accordance with:
(a)the International Standard on Related Services 4400 Engagements to perform Agreedupon Procedures regarding Financial Information as promulgated by International
Federation of Accountants (IFAC);
Estonian EU external border programme-2014-2020
38
Guidelines for Project Applicants 6th Call for proposals
(b)IFAC Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants, developed and issued by IFAC’s
International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants.
For public officers, those procedures and standards shall be laid down at national level
taking account of international standards.
The public officer shall have the necessary technical expertise in carrying out its verification
work
The verification shall ensure that costs declared by the Lead beneficiary and beneficiaries
are real, exact, accurate and eligible in accordance with the Grant Contract. Costs of the
project must be examined based on the sample-check methodology introduced by the
Programme. The verification procedure is done in the eMS environment, where the financial
documents of the respective beneficiary shall be uploaded.
Additional requirements for verifications of expenditure:
• expenditure should be identifiable, verifiable and recorded in the accounting records
of the Lead beneficiary/ the beneficiaries;
• expenditure must be easily identifiable and verifiable and traced to and within the
Lead beneficiary’s/ the beneficiaries accounting and bookkeeping systems;
Based on the results of the performed check, the public officer issues a verification report,
in eMS.
Managing Authority verification
In addition to the above mentioned expenditure verification MA shall perform its own
verification of project expenditure.
Audits (sample checks) in the projects
The controls and audits referred in next sections can be performed at any stage of the
project implementation and five years after the receipt of the balance payment to the
project.
In accordance with Article 32 of the Implementing Rules audits shall be conducted by
examining the documents and conducting on-the-spot checks of a sample of projects
selected by the Audit Authority.
The Lead beneficiary and the beneficiaries shall be informed if the project is selected for
the sample check before the check is performed.
Any further controls
The Commission, the European Anti-Fraud office (OLAF), the European Court of Auditors
and any external auditor authorized by these institutions and bodies, with the support of
the Group of Auditors may conduct documentary and on-the-spot checks on the use made
of the projects financing and carrying out a full audit, if necessary, on the basis of
supporting documents of accounts and accounting documents and any other documents
relating to the financing of the projects. Each contract shall expressly stipulate that these
institutions and bodies can exercise their power of control, concerning premises,
documents and information, irrespective of the medium in which they are stored.
10.6.2 MONITORING OF THE PROJECTS BY THE MA/JTS
The monitoring of implementation of the project shall be carried out by the MA and the
JTS. The monitoring will be performed based on the result oriented evaluation. All
beneficiaries shall be ready to report on the results achieved by the project in any point of
the project implementation.
The main tools to be used during monitoring are monitoring visits. Moreover, regular
communication between the JTS and the Lead beneficiary/the beneficiaries shall be
Estonian EU external border programme-2014-2020
39
Guidelines for Project Applicants 6th Call for proposals
ensured during the implementation of the project. The Lead beneficiaries are requested to
send the prior information to the JTS in regards to the major upcoming events.
If the MA, JTS or European Commission carries out an evaluation or a monitoring mission,
the Beneficiary and the project partner(s) shall undertake to provide the authorised
persons with any document or information which will assist with the evaluation or the
monitoring mission.
If the construction/ renovation works are planned in the project, in 2 weeks after the
contract on construction/renovation works is signed within the project, the Lead Beneficiary
shall inform JTS of the planned construction/renovation works including the start date of
the works.
The JTS will appoint project consultant to every project to work on the respective project
issues. As far as possible JTS staff would take part in main events of each project.
The projects and their progress will be presented at the JMC meetings annually or upon
request.
10.7 RECOVERY
The Managing Authority shall recover the amounts unduly paid together with any interest
on late payments from the lead beneficiary. The concerned beneficiaries shall repay the
lead beneficiary the amounts unduly paid in accordance with the partnership agreement
signed between them. If the lead beneficiary does not succeed in securing repayment from
the concerned beneficiary, the MA shall formally notify the latter to repay to the lead
beneficiary.
Recovery procedures will follow the provisions set in Article 74 and 75 of Implementing
Rules and will be stipulated in the Grant Contract. After the amount exceeding the
Programme contribution will be detected by any auditing body, the Lead beneficiary will
receive a debit note for the amount paid in excess from the MA. The Lead beneficiary will
forward the debit note to the respective beneficiary, which has to repay the requested
amount to the Lead Beneficiary within 45 days of the issuing of the debit note. Lead
Beneficiary has to repay the MA within 45 days after receiving the payment from the
respective beneficiary.
The default interest shall be incurred over the time which elapses between the date of the
payment deadline set by the MA, and the date on which payment is actually made. The MA
may offset amounts to be repaid against amounts of any kind due to the Lead beneficiary
or beneficiary, but it shall not affect the Lead beneficiary’s or the beneficiary’s or the MA’s
rights to agree on payment in instalments. Bank charges incurred by the repayment of
amounts due to the MA shall be borne entirely by the Lead beneficiary.
If the MA is unable to recover the debt within nine months of issuing the recovery order,
the Republic of Estonia shall pay the amount owing to the MA and claim it back from the
Beneficiary or partner.
Any project including an infrastructure component shall repay the Programme contribution
if, within five years of the project closure or within the period of time set out in state aid
rules, where applicable, it is subject to a substantial change affecting its nature, objectives
or implementation conditions which would result in undermining its original objectives.
Sums unduly paid in respect of the project shall be recovered by the MA in proportion to
the period for which the requirement has not been fulfilled.
Estonian EU external border programme-2014-2020
40
Guidelines for Project Applicants 6th Call for proposals
10.8 CLOSING OF THE PROJECT
All projects should close their activities within the time frame (implementation period)
stated in the Grant Contract.
All the project related documents are to be kept for at least five years after the receipt
of the balance payment for the Programme or according to time stipulated in the State Aid
/ de minimis aid regulations.
With regards to the project closure, it is important to be aware of the following:
• the Lead beneficiary must appoint the contact person to enable a smooth closure
of the project and communication with the Programme management bodies;
• the Lead beneficiary or beneficiaries are at all times obliged to retain all files,
documents and data about the project on standard data storage media in a safe
and orderly manner for control and audit purposes at least for five years after
balance payment to the programme
• Project may continue to be managed by the Lead beneficiary or beneficiary after
the Programme co-financed phase of the project has been completed. In this case,
six months after the phase co-financed by the Programme has finished, no
Programme symbol may be included in any communication tools of the project, with
the exception of any commemorative plaques.
• The Programme rules on information and visibility must be respected for all
products produced with the assistance from the Programme. After the closure of
the Project rules on information and publicity should be respected during the
lifetime of the product (example, if the project purchase fire-engines for airports
the informative signs „purchased with the assistance of the programme” will have
to be kept during their lifetime)
ANNEX 1 DECLARATION BY THE APPLICANT
ANNEX 2 PARTNER STATEMENT
ANNEX 3 LETTERS OF ENDORSEMENT BY THE ASSOCIATES
ANNEX 4 LOGICAL FRAMEWORK
ANNEX 5 EVIDENCE OF OWNERSHIP OR ACCESS TO THE LAND TEMPLATE
ANNEX 6 THE DECLARATION OF APPLYING STADE AID OR DE MINIMIS AID
ANNEX 7 APPLICANTS OR PARTNERS DECLARATION OF MEETING THE CRITERIA
OF A MICRO, SMALL OR MEDIUM SIZED ENTERPRISE