Third CALL for PROPOSALS Ref: EUROPEAID/ 135-001/M/ACT/MU under the

1. Third CALL for PROPOSALS Ref: EUROPEAID/ 135-001/M/ACT/MU under the DECENTRALISED COOPERATION PROGRAMME II Programme Coordination Unit for DCP Ministry of Finance & Economic Development November 2013

2. Outline of presentation • Important notification 1. Open approach (Concept Note and Full Application submitted at one go, USE ONLY THE FORMS IN THIS GUIDELINES ) 2. Two lots : (a) Mauritius (b) Rodrigues & Others • Call for Proposals no.3 • Application (Parts A and B submitted together) • Part A : concept note • Part B : full application • Evaluation (done by EC in two steps) • Step 1 : evaluation of concept note only • Step 2 : evaluation of full application • Award of grant • Award / Implementation

3. Grants - Call for Proposals • Direct support (up to MUR 800,000) for poverty alleviation using microprojects (CfP) Launch date : November 2013 Budget : MUR 25.6 M (19.2 M + 6.4 M) Deadline for application : 21st January 2014 @ 14.00 p.m. Expected award : April 2014

4. What is DCP II’s Third Call about? • General Objective and focus of this first Call for Proposals (CfP) is: “ direct support to micro projects for poverty alleviation through improved delivery of social services and through the provision of complementary resources ”

5. What is DCP II’s third Call about? Specific objectives : • education, health and social welfare of the poor, vulnerable and marginalised. • creation of opportunities for social inclusion of the disabled and the stigmatised; • women’s empowerment and gender issues.

6. Who will be the final beneficiaries? • Priority will be given to proposals that maximise direct impact on targeted, vulnerable groups. • CfP3 targets women, children and men identified as poor and / or vulnerable • The target group is the entities who will be directly positively affected by the action at the action purpose level. • The final beneficiaries are defined as those who will benefit from the project in the long term at the level of society at large.

7. Possible final beneficiaries… • Individuals living in precarious or dangerous conditions (in particular women and children) • School drop outs and other youth marginalized through lack of skills and illiteracy, lack of care .... • The unskilled or semi-skilled, unemployed, under-employed and those in the informal sector living below the poverty line

8. Final beneficiaries (continued)… • Those in stigmatised groups • Those with Special Needs • The elderly • Asset poor groups living in urban, peri-urban and rural areas unable to sustain an adequate livelihood.

9. What types of actions can be funded? Any activity that will – • Directly alleviate poverty on sustainable basis • Effectively integrate marginalised groups into the economic mainstream Actions may involve, for example: • remedial education; adult literacy; • responsible parenthood; sensitisation on social issues; • prevention of substance abuse and social ills; • training for employability, creation of opportunities for improved livelihood and social inclusion.

10. Other action requirements… • Activities may involve infrastructure (but less than 30% of Total eligible cost) or process interventions such as training or other capacity building • Applicants must be able to demonstrate that their proposals are demand-driven, and meet a clearly defined priority need, as articulated by the target group /ultimate beneficiaries • Themes excluded : (addressed elsewhere) • internal capacity building of NGOs; • networking of civil society organisations; • advocacy and policy dialogue.

11. What actions cannot be financed? • Actions concerned only or mainly with • sponsorships for workshops/conferences/ training courses; • support to political parties /religion • involving capital expenditure exceeding 30% of Total Eligible Cost (e.g land, buildings, equipment...) • involving discrimination against minorities • Micro-finance, sub-granting, housing • General operations of an organisation • Actions involving land unless lease or letter of intent already granted by authorities • Actions formal education or health sector unless prior approval of authorities obtained

12. Who may apply? To be eligible for a grant under this CfP, applicants must: • Be legal, non-profit organisations • Be registered in the Republic of Mauritius for more than 2 years • Operate in the public interest • Adhere to democratic structures and exhibit high levels of participation, transparency and accountability • Emphasise empowerment of their beneficiaries

13. Applicant eligibility (continued)… • Be directly responsible for the preparation and management of the action • Have demonstrable competences and a strong track record of success in working at grass roots level with vulnerable groups • Fall within the meaning of the term of Non State Actor (NSA)

14. What is an NSA? • According to Article 6 of the Cotonou agreement, NSAs are deemed to include: “the private sector, economic and social partners, including trade union organisations; and civil society in all its forms according to national characteristics.”

15. Eligible organisations… In Mauritius, the types of organisations that will be considered eligible for grant assistance will include the following: • local associations and organisations (such as community-based organisations [CBOs], associations representing women, youth, and vulnerable groups); • development-promotion entities (such as associations, non-governmental organisations [NGOs], research institutions);

16. Eligible organisations (cont.) • federative entities and networks (such as labour unions, trade unions, federations, institutions protecting human rights); • private sector groupings, business support organisations, as well as representative organisations and networks.

17. Other requirements for eligibility Applicants may not participate or be awarded a grant if: • they are bankrupt; guilty of professional misconduct, fraud, corruption, or have been in breach of contract, etc. • they are subject to a conflict of interests; are found guilty of misrepresentation in supplying information; or have attempted to obtain confidential information or to influence the evaluation process

18. Can applicants have Co-Applicants? • Applicants can implement projects singly or with one or more Co-Applicant (New) [partnerships are encouraged] • Co-Applicant must satisfy the same eligibility criteria as applicants. • Co-Applicant can benefit from the grant in return for their role in the formulation and implementation of the action same as the Applicant. • Co-Applicant must sign the Mandate (Part B-Section 4) in the Application Form

19. What other orgn’s can be involved? (1) • Other entities may be involved as ‘affiliated entities’ • What can considered as an affiliated entity(ies) • 1. must be a legal entity specially established for the purpose of implementing the action; in this case the entity may apply as an applicant or co-applicant whereas the other entity as its affiliated entiy(ies). • 2. legal entities having a link with the applicants, notably a legal or capital link, which is neither limited to the action nor established for the sole purpose of implementation on the condition that they satisfy the eligibilty and non-exclusion criteria of the applicant.

20. What other orgn’s can be involved? (2) • affiliated entities cannot benefit from the grant in return for their role in the formulation and implementation of the action, but the cost they incur in the design can be accepted as eligible • affiliated entitiesmust satisfy the same eligibility criteria as applicants and co-applicants • affiliated entitiesmust sign the affiliated entity(ies) statement (Part B-Section 5) in the Application Form

21. What other orgn’s can be involved? (3) • Other entities may be involved as ‘Associate’ • Associates can play a useful role in projects, eg. sponsorship, technical support, etc. but they cannot benefit directly from the grant except per diem or travel costs • Associates do not have to meet the same eligibility criteria as grant applicants or their partners, but must be mentioned in Part B, section 6 of the Application Form • Grant beneficiaries may also use Contractors to implement the action (subject to EDF rules on procurement– Annex IV of grant contract)

22. Where should projects take place? Actions must take place in : Lot 1 : Island of Mauritius Lot 2 : Islands of Rodrigues, Agalega or St Brandon. What size of grants can be obtained? • Total available for CfP3 is Rs 25.6 million • Grant between Rs 400,000 and Rs 800,000 What is the duration of projects? • Projects must last between 6 (min) and 12 months (max)

23. How many applications can be submitted by an applicant? • Not limited, but no more than one grant may be awarded per applicant • An applicant may also be a co-applicant or an affiliated entity in another application • Co-applicant may not take part in more than 1 application, but will not be awarded more than two grants under this CfP • Applicants are encouraged to concentrate on one or a few good proposals

24. What types of costs are eligible? Those that: • are necessary for carrying out the action, are provided for in the contract and comply with the principles of sound financial management • have actually been incurred during the agreed implementation period • are recorded in the beneficiaries accounts and are identifiable and verifiable, backed by original supporting documentation • have been incurred whilst respecting EU procurement procedures

25. Examples of Eligible Costs… • costs of staff assigned to the action (including travel) • purchase of equipment and supplies • services and sub-contracting • costs arising from the requirements of the contract (eg. visibility, financial services, printing, etc) • a contingency reserve (up to 5%) of direct cash costs – used only after DCP approval • administrative overheads (up to 7% of overall eligible cash costs) – to be justified upfront

26. Note: Only Eligible costs can be covered by a grant • Eligible costs can be reimbursed on any or a combination of the following forms: • 1. actual costs incurred • 2. simplified cost options as shown: • Unit costs • Lump sums • Flat-rate financing (see pg 6 of 15 in the Guidelines) and examples are explained in Annex K

27. What are ineligible costs? • Debts and losses • Interest owed • Items already financed from other sources or other retroactive expenses • Currency exchange losses • Taxes • Purchases of land or buildings • Credits /loans to third parties

28. Contributions required from applicants? • No DCP grant may be below 65% nor exceed 75% of the total costs • Applicants must contribute at least 25% of the total costs from own resources or those of their partners or sponsors • Contributions in kind are allowed within these 25%, but cash contribution must be at least 10% of total costs. • Cash contribution must be deposited in a bank account specifically set up for the action before DCP releases any pre-financing

29. New formula for financing • Any request from this CfP must represent a maximum of 90% of the total eligible costs, the balance, i.e 10% will be a cash contribution by the beneficiary.( Note that previously, the EDF contribution was a maximum of 75% of the eligible costs, but now, it is 90% of the eligible costs. • Example: Accepted or project cost= Rs 125 inclusive InKind. Eligible cost=Rs 100. Funding by EU=Rs 90.

30. Contributions (continued)… • Contributions in kind means the provision of goods and services free of charge by a third party. • It is allowed for co-financing, but do not represent actual expenditure . • Costs of staff assigned to the project can be considered as co-financing when they are paid by the grant beneficiary or partners. • Beneficiary must also manage project and set up a PIC to oversee the smooth implementation of the action.

31. How to apply ? Procedures to follow? • Applications must be made using the new standard application form (No form for CN. Use the headings provided as a guide) • Forms can be downloaded from the DCP website at http://dcp.gov.mu • CDs with all the necessary files will also be available at DCP offices for those with no or poor access to internet. • Hard copies may also be obtained at the DCP offices, but only for viewing. They should not be used to submit applications.

32. Concept note- a concise overview 1.1 Summary of the action (max 1 page) • Title of theaction: • Location(s) of the action: - •  Total duration of the action (months): • Requested EU contribution (MUR) • Objectives of theaction • Overall objective(s) • Specific objective(s) • Target group(s) • Final beneficiaries • Estimatedresults •  Main activities

33. APPLICATION FORM Part A. CONCEPT NOTE 1 Instructionsforthedrafting of the concept note 1.1. Summary of theaction 1.2.Descriptionof theaction (max 1 page) 1.3. Relevance of theaction (max 3 pages)

34. Concept Note 1.1 Summary of the action (max 1 page) • Title of the action: • Location(s) of the action: - •  Total duration of the action (months): • Requested EU contribution (MUR) • Objectives of the action • Overall objective(s) • Specific objective(s) • Target group(s) • Final beneficiaries •  Estimated results •  Main activities

35. Part B. FULL APPLICATION FORM 1 GENERAL INFORMATION 2 THE ACTION 3 THE APPLICANT 4 CO-APPLICANT(S) 5 AFFILIATED ENTITY(IES) 6 ASSOCIATES 7 CHECKLIST FOR FULL APPLICATION FORM 8 DECLARATION BY THE APPLICANT ANNEXES toapplication 1 Budget fortheAction (guidelinesAnnex B) 2 Logical Framework (guidelinesAnnex C)

36. Concept note- Relevance 1.2 Relevance of the action (max 3 pp) (30/50) 1.2.1 Relevance to the objectives/specific priorities of the call for proposals 1.2.2 Relevance to the particular needs and constraints of the country, region(s) and/or sector 1.2.3 Target groups and final beneficiaries, their needs and constraints and how the action will address these needs 1.2.4. Particular added-value elements (environment, rights, gender, disability, innovation, best practice)

37. Concept note- Design 1.3 Description of the action (max 1 pp) (20/50) • Background to overall design of the action • Objectives • Key stakeholder groups, their attitudes towards the action, and any consultation undertaken with them • Type of activities foreseen and related outputs and results • Broad timeframe for the action

38. Concept note (2) • To respond in the same sequence as the headings in concept note structure • Not to exceed 5 A4 pages of Arial 10 characters with 2 cm margins with single line spacing • Evaluation grid shows importance of relevance (30) and description of action (20) • Evaluation based solely on the information provided in concept note. Be clear and complete.

39. Concept note (3) Not to be under-estimated • Competitive: only the best go through • Objectives cannot change • Score for relevance carries forward into full evaluation • Evaluation based solely on its content.

40. Full Application (1) 1GENERAL INFORMATION 2 THE ACTION 2.1 Description of theaction (max 13 pages) 2.2 Methodology (max 5 pages) 2.3 Duration and Action Plan (max 4 pages) 2.4 Sustainability of theAction (max 3 pages) 2.5 Logical Framework (Annex C)

41. Full Application (1) continue.. 2.6 Budget (Annex B) -Budget fortheAction -Justification (foritems and cost ) -Amountrequested & sourcesfunding 2.7 Applicant'sexperience of similar actions 2.8 Co-Applicant(s)’s Experience (ifapplicable) 2.9 Affiliatedentity(ies) experience (ifapplicable)

42. Full Application (2) 3 THE APPLICANT 3.1. Identity 3.2.Profile 3.3. Capacitytomanage and implementactions List of themanagementboard/ committee of organisation 4 CO-APPLICANT (S) of theapplicantparticipating in theaction 4.1. Description of theco-applicant(s) 4.2. Mandate (for co-applicant(s))

43. Full Application (3) 5AFFILIATED ENTITY (IES) PARTICIPATING IN THE ACTION 5.1 Description of theAffiliatedEntity (ies) 5.2 AffiliatedEntity(ies)’s statement 6 ASSOCIATES OF THE APPLICANT PARTICIPATING IN THE ACTION 7CHECKLIST FOR THE FULL APPLICATION FORM 8DECLARATION BY THE APPLICANT 9 Assessment Grid for the Full Application Form (To be used by the DCP only)

44. Full Application (4) ANNEX : Budget for the Action (3 worksheets) 1 : Budget items, # units, unit rate, cost 2 : Justification of items and cost estimate 3 : Expected sources of funds and Summary of costs ANNEX : Logical Framework

47. The procedures (continued)… • Applications must be completed in English using a computer • Hand-written / fax /email applications notacceptable • Original + 4 copies and an electronic copy should be sent by the DCP in a sealed envelope to DCP 9th floor EAB or Citronelle. • Either by hand before 14.00 pm on 21st January 2014 . Will be rejected if received later. • Or by courier, registered mail as long as it is posted on 21st January 2014 or earlier.

48. How to submit applications? • The sealed envelope should be addressed to : Programme Coordinator DCP 9th Floor E. Anquetil Building Cnr SSR and Pope Henessy Streets Port Louis. • Should be marked with: <Name and address of applicant organisation> <title of proposal> and the following: “Direct Support for Micro-projects for Poverty Alleviation” “Not to be opened before the opening session”

49. How will the DCP evaluate applications? After deadline date: • DCP team will : • open and register all applications • carry out an administrative check for those received on time • Assessors will assess the compliant Concept Notes (Part A), using a standard evaluation grid [See next slide] • Evaluation Committee will consider and finalise list that pass the Concept Note stage

50. The Evaluation Grid for Concept Note