Contracting Authority: Deutsche Gesellschaft fr Internationale

Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH

Upgrading Informal Areas in Cairo, Giza and Qalyubeya Governorate
For improved socio-economic conditions, increased service delivery and
enhanced environmental protection in informal areas
Guidelines
for grant applicants
Budget Line(s) numbers ENPI 2013/335-490
European Neighbourhood and Partnership Financial Cooperation with
Mediterranean Countries
Reference: 3rd Call for Proposals
Deadline for submission of the Concept Note: 31/03/2016
Deadline for submission of the Full Application Form: 26/06/2016

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NOTICE
This is a restricted call for proposals. In the first instance, only concept notes (Part A of the grant application
form) must be submitted for evaluation. Thereafter, lead applicants who have been pre-selected will be
invited to submit a full application. After the evaluation of the full applications, an eligibility check will be
performed for those which have been provisionally selected. Eligibility will be checked on the basis of the
supporting documents requested by the contracting authority and the signed declaration by the lead
applicant sent together with the full application.

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Table of contents
1. FOR IMPROVED SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONDITIONS, INCREASED SERVICE DELIVERY
AND ENHANCED ENVIRONMETAL PROTECTION IN INFORMAL AREAS
4
1.1. Background..........................................................................................................................................4
1.2. Objectives of the programme and priority issues.................................................................................4
1.3. Financial allocation provided by the contracting authority..................................................................6
2. RULES FOR THIS CALL FOR PROPOSALS

2.1. Eligibility criteria.................................................................................................................................7

2.1.1.
2.1.2.
2.1.3.
2.1.4.
2.1.5.

Eligibility of applicants (i.e. lead applicant and co-applicant(s)).......................................................7

Affiliated entities................................................................................................................................9
Associates and Contractors..............................................................................................................10
Eligible actions: actions for which an application may be made.....................................................11
Eligibility of costs: costs that can be included.................................................................................23

2.2. How to apply and the procedures to follow........................................................................................26

2.2.1.
2.2.2.
2.2.3.
2.2.4.
2.2.5.
2.2.6.
2.2.7.
2.2.8.

Concept note content........................................................................................................................26

Where and how to send concept notes.............................................................................................27
Deadline for submission of concept notes........................................................................................28
Further information about concept notes..........................................................................................28
Full applications...............................................................................................................................29
Where and how to send full applications.........................................................................................29
Deadline for submission of full applications....................................................................................30
Further information about full applications......................................................................................30

2.3. Evaluation and selection of applications............................................................................................31

2.4. Submission of supporting documents for provisionally selected applications....................................34
2.5. Notification of the Contracting Authoritys decision..........................................................................37
2.5.1.
2.5.2.

Content of the decision.....................................................................................................................37

Indicative timetable..........................................................................................................................37

2.6. Conditions for implementation after the Contracting Authoritys decision to award a grant..............38
3. LIST OF ANNEXES

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1.

FOR IMPROVED SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONDITIONS, INCREASED SERVICE DELIVERY

AND ENHANCED ENVIRONMETAL PROTECTION IN INFORMAL AREAS

2.

BACKGROUND

Informal areas in Egypt, known also as unplanned areas, are in need of development and improvements in
living conditions. The challenge is not only the size of the task, but also the approach: sectoral, top-down
upgrading does not respond to needs of the residents of these areas. The promotion of participatory,
integrated urban development measures for informal areas has the potential to improve the service delivery
and enable residents to play a pivotal role in the development of their own areas.
The GIZ Participatory Development Programme in Urban Areas (PDP) is an international development
cooperation programme working on improving and developing informal areas in Egypt for more than a
decade. Since October 2015 the political partner and Beneficiary is the Ministry of Minister of Housing,
Utilities and Urban Communities1.
The current phase of the PDP, under which this Call for Proposals is being implemented, is funded primarily
by the European Union. The PDP is carried out in nine informal areas of Greater Cairo. The following five
of these nine informal areas are targeted by this Call for Proposals: one from Cairo Governorate, namely ElMatareya, one from Giza Governorate, namely Boualq El Dakrour, and three from Qalyubeya
Governorate, namely Qalyub, Shubra El Kheima and El Khosoos. The focus of this Call lies in the
development of these five informal areas. Together with public administration and civil society
organizations, the PDP is introducing and supporting the implementation of participatory methodologies for
urban upgrading in order to improve service provision and thus living conditions in an integrated manner.
As part of these participatory methodologies a Participatory Needs Assessment (PNA) that indicates priority
needs of the residents was conducted by the PDP in the above-mentioned five informal areas in March April 2015.
Two Calls for Proposals were successfully launched in November 2013 2 and August 20143. This Third Call
for Proposals has an overall funding of 6.65 million and is designed to address the improvement of living
conditions within selected urban thematic sectors which should have a direct relation to deficiencies
identified by the needs assessment (PNA).

3.

OBJECTIVES

OF THE PROGRAMME AND PRIORITY ISSUES

The overall objective of this Call for Proposals is better living conditions of the poor urban population
living in deprived informal areas - especially for youth and women - through improved socio-economic
conditions, increased service delivery as well as enhanced environmental protection (incl. solid waste
management, climate change adaptation and mitigation) through civil society organizations, supported by the
local community.
The specific objective(s) of this call for proposals are:
Improved Socio-economic Conditions:
1. improved employability, income generation and employment services;
Increased Service Delivery:
1

Between 2004 and early 2014 the Ministry of Planning was the Beneficiary Ministry of the PDP subsided by the
Ministry of Urban Renewal and Informal Settlements until September 2015 when it merged with MoHUUC.

The 1st Call for Proposals had an overall funding of 1.45 million and was focusing on employability, income
generating activities and small measures to improve service delivery.

The 2nd Call for Proposals had an overall funding of 10 million and was focusing mainly on improved service
delivery and environmental conditions (from this funding approx. 4.2 million were actually granted to successful
applicants).
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2. increased and improved local health care services and increased overall health awareness of local
community;
3. increased and improved education services, especially for children and youth and people with special
needs in educational services;
4. increased and improved recreation opportunities for all residents and increased availability and
utilisation of diversified community assets and services for youth;
5. increased and improved mobility and traffic safety, including safety of pedestrians and other road
users;
Enhanced Environmental Protection:
6. enhanced solid waste management;
7. enhanced environmental conditions, including climate change effects.

Priority will be given to:

Sustainable4 Actions that have been prepared based on findings emerging from an assessment of the
respective situation in the target area(s). These field visits should be carried out by the applicant (or project
partners) prior to its application5.
In addition, all actions have to consider the PNA published by the Contracting Authority (see supporting
documents published on the website of the Contracting Authority: http://egypt-urban.net/grants/third-callfor-proposals/)
The following points constitute additional "added value" elements (assessed in section 1.4 of the
concept note evaluation grid):
actions that were designed with the support of the local communities of the respective target area(s),
especially with the youth;
actions with a strong community participation component (with a focus on youth and women) 6;
actions that indicate a clear methodology on how the action will be made sustainable after completion;
actions that clearly take into consideration environmental sustainability 7;
gender equality measures8.

4.

FINANCIAL

ALLOCATION PROVIDED BY THE CONTRACTING AUTHORITY

It is a requirement that projects have to be sustainable, meaning the residents can still use the services after project
completion.

In the unlikely case the nature of the project does not require any visits to the target area(s) before applying the
applicant has to explicitly mention this under section 1.2 Description of the Action (i).

According to the grant contract all community activities will be the subject of prior notice/request for approval from
the District Authority Chief before implementation by the grant beneficiary.

Guidelines
for
environmental
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/integration/integration.htm

integration

are

available

at:

http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/sp/gender-toolkit/index.htm
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The overall indicative amount made available under this Call for Proposals is EUR 6.65 million. The
Contracting Authority reserves the right not to award all available funds.
Indicative allocation of funds by lot/geographical distribution:
STEP 1: Indicative allocation of funds by Governorates and target Districts:
Under this step, from the available funds a maximum amount of EUR 1.33 million has been allocated to each
of the five target areas (totalling EUR 6.65 million). This equals to EUR 1.33 million for Cairo Governorate,
EUR 1.33 million for Giza Governorate and EUR 3.99 million for Qalyubeya Governorate.
STEP 2: Indicative allocation of funds by thematic areas (lots):
Based on the findings of the Participatory Needs Assessment (PNA) and the experience from previous calls
for proposals indicative amounts have been allocated for the following thematic areas (lots):

A total of EUR 1 million has been ring-fenced for socio-economic projects (lots 1).

The remaining funds of EUR 5.65 million have been ring-fenced for all other thematic areas (lots 2
to 7) for increasing the service delivery and/or enhancing the environmental protection.

Note: The maximum funds provided for projects under lot 1 is EUR 300,000 per District.
Note: If the allocation as indicated above cannot be used due to insufficient quality or number of proposals
received, the Contracting Authority reserves the right to reallocate the remaining funds.

Size of grants
Any grant requested under this Call for Proposals must fall between the following minimum and maximum
amounts:
For lot 1:

Minimum amount: EUR 10,000

Maximum amount: EUR 100,000

For lot 2 to 7:

Minimum amount: EUR 10,000

Maximum amount: EUR 500,000

Any grant requested under this Call for Proposals must fall between the following minimum and maximum
percentages of total eligible costs of the action:

Minimum percentage: 50 % of the total eligible costs of the action.

Maximum percentage: 90 % of the total eligible costs of the action (see also section 2.1.5).

Note: The balance (i.e. the difference between the total cost of the action and the amount requested from the
Contracting Authority) must be financed from sources other than the European Union Budget or the
European Development Fund9.

Where a grant is financed by the European Development Fund, any mention of European Union financing must be
understood as referring to European Development Fund financing.
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5.

RULES FOR THIS CALL FOR PROPOSALS

These guidelines set out the rules for the submission, selection and implementation of the actions financed
under this call, in conformity with the Practical Guide, which is applicable to the present call (available on
the Internet at this address http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/prag/document.do?locale=en).10

6.

ELIGIBILITY

CRITERIA

There are three sets of eligibility criteria, relating to:

(1) the actors:

The 'lead applicant', i.e. the entity submitting the application form (2.1.1),

if any, its co-applicant(s) (where it is not specified otherwise the lead applicant and its coapplicant(s) are hereinafter jointly referred as "applicant(s)") (2.1.1),

and, if any, affiliated entity(ies) to the lead applicant and/or to a co-applicant(s). (2.1.2);

(2) the actions:

Actions for which a grant may be awarded (2.1.4);
(3) the costs:

types of cost that may be taken into account in setting the amount of the grant (2.1.5).

6.1.1. Eligibility of applicants (i.e. lead applicant and co-applicant(s))

Lead applicant
(1) In order to be eligible for a grant, the lead applicant must:

be a legal person and

be non-profit-making and

be a specific type of organisation such as: non-governmental organisation, public sector

operator11, international (inter-governmental) organisation as defined by Article 43 of the Rules
of application of the EU Financial Regulation12 and

10

Note that a lead applicant (i.e. a Coordinator) whose pillars have been positively assessed by the European
Commission and who is awarded a grant will not sign the standard grant contract published with these guidelines but
a PA Grant Agreement based on the PAGoDA template. All references in these guidelines and other documents
related to this call to the standard grant contract shall in this case be understood as referring to the relevant
provisions of the PAGoDA template.

11

Public Sector Operators refers to entities with own legal personality that are created through a governmental
or public sector decree (e.g. Universities). Note: Governmental bodies as well as its public utilities are not
eligible applicants, co-applicants or affiliated entities.

12

International organisations are international public-sector organisations set up by intergovernmental agreements as

well as specialised agencies set up by them; the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the
International Federation of National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies are also recognised as international
organisations.
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be established in13 a Member State of the European Union or in a country covered by the
European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI) 14. This obligation does not apply
to international organisations and

be directly responsible15 for the preparation and management of the action with the coapplicant(s) and affiliated entity(ies), not acting as an intermediary and

Note: Applicant organisations that are categorised as non-governmental organisations must be

registered in Egypt (e.g. with the Ministry of Social Solidarity, MOSS) prior to the launch for
this Call for Proposals. Proof of registration will be requested prior to contract signing. In
addition, such organisations, if awarded funding under this Call for Proposals, must obtain the
needed approvals from the respective authorities (e.g. MOSS) to receive an external fund;

Note: Applicant organisations categorised as international (inter-governmental) organisations

have to have permission to work in Egypt.

Note: Applicant organisations categorised as public sector operator must provide proof of
having own legal entity as well as a proof of their legal independence.

Note: Any registered cooperative has to confirm that its proposed activities are part of the
cooperative objectives and that it is allowed under Egyptian Law to receive EU-funds.

(2) Potential applicants may not participate in calls for proposals or be awarded grants if they are in any of
the situations listed in section 2.3.3 of the Practical Guide;
In Part A, section 3 of the grant application form (declaration by the lead applicant), the lead applicant
must declare that the lead applicant himself, the co-applicant(s) and affiliated entity(ies) are not in any
of these situations.
The lead applicant must act with a co-applicant as specified hereafter.
If awarded the grant contract, the lead applicant will become the beneficiary identified as the
Coordinator in Annex E3h1 (Special Conditions). The Coordinator is the main interlocutor of the
Contracting Authority. It represents and acts on behalf of any other co-beneficiary (if any) and
coordinate the design and implementation of the action.
Co-applicant(s)

The lead applicant requesting a grant between EUR 50,000 up to EUR 300,000 must have at
least one local co-applicant who is familiar with the target area(s) and urban development
challenges of Egypt. It is preferable (not a must) that this co-applicant is a local NGO from the
target area itself.

The lead applicant requesting a grant above EUR 300,000 up to EUR 500,000 must have at
least two local co-applicants who are familiar with the target area(s) and urban development

13

To be determined on the basis of the organisations statutes, which should demonstrate that it has been established
by an instrument governed by the national law of the country concerned and that its head office is located in an
eligible country. In this respect, any legal entity whose statutes have been established in another country cannot be
considered an eligible local organisation, even if the statutes are registered locally or a Memorandum of
Understanding has been concluded.

14

To be determined on the basis of the organisations statutes, which should demonstrate that it has been established
by an instrument governed by the national law of the country concerned and that its head office is located in an
eligible country. In this respect, any legal entity whose statutes have been established in another country cannot be
considered an eligible local organisation, even if the statutes are registered locally or a Memorandum of
Understanding has been concluded.

15

Responsibility includes i.a. the right and power to carry out the action independently and not subject to
directives, to have a separate Egyptian bank account for the action managed independently and not subject to
directives, and the duty to assume total liability for the action.
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challenges of Egypt. It is preferable (not a must) that these co-applicants are local NGOs from
the target area itself.
NOTE: Local co-applicant is defined as a legal entity with a head-quarter in Egypt.
Co-applicants participate in designing and implementing the action, and the costs they incur are eligible
in the same way as those incurred by the lead applicant.
Co-applicants must satisfy the eligibility criteria as applicable to the lead applicant himself.
Co-applicants must sign the mandate in Part B section 4 of the grant application form.
If awarded the grant contract, the co-applicant(s) (if any) will become beneficiary(ies) in the action
(together with the Coordinator).

6.1.2. Affiliated entities

The lead applicant and its co-applicant(s) may act with affiliated entity(ies).
Only the following entities may be considered as affiliated entities to the lead applicant and/or to coapplicant(s):
Only entities having a structural link with the applicants (i.e. the lead applicant or a co-applicant), in
particular a legal or capital link.
This structural link encompasses mainly two notions:
(i)

Control, as defined in Directive 2013/34/EU on the annual financial statements, consolidated

financial statements and related reports of certain types of undertakings:
Entities affiliated to an applicant may hence be:

(ii)

- Entities directly or indirectly controlled by the applicant (daughter companies or first-tier

subsidiaries). They may also be entities controlled by an entity controlled by the applicant
(granddaughter companies or second-tier subsidiaries) and the same applies to further tiers of
control;
- Entities directly or indirectly controlling the applicant (parent companies). Likewise, they may
be entities controlling an entity controlling the applicant;
- Entities under the same direct or indirect control as the applicant (sister companies).
Membership, i.e. the applicant is legally defined as a e.g. network, federation, association in which
the proposed affiliated entities also participate or the applicant participates in the same entity (e.g.
network, federation, association) as the proposed affiliated entities.

The structural link shall as a general rule be neither limited to the action nor established for the sole purpose
of its implementation. This means that the link would exist independently of the award of the grant; it should
exist before the call for proposals and remain valid after the end of the action.
By way of exception, an entity may be considered as affiliated to an applicant even if it has a structural link
specifically established for the sole purpose of the implementation of the action in the case of so-called sole
applicants or sole beneficiaries. A sole applicant or a sole beneficiary is a legal entity formed by several
entities (a group of entities) which together comply with the criteria for being awarded the grant. For
example, an association is formed by its members.
0

What is not an affiliated entity?

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The following are not considered entities affiliated to an applicant:

-

Entities that have entered into a (procurement) contract or subcontract with an applicant, act as
concessionaires or delegatees for public services for an applicant,
Entities that receive financial support from the applicant,
Entities that cooperate on a regular basis with an applicant on the basis of a memorandum of
understanding or share some assets,
Entities that have signed a consortium agreement under the grant contract (unless this consortium
agreement leads to the creation of a "sole applicant" as described above).

How to verify the existence of the required link with an applicant?

The affiliation resulting from control may in particular be proved on the basis of the consolidated accounts of
the group of entities the applicant and its proposed affiliates belong to.
The affiliation resulting from membership may in particular be proved on the basis of the statutes or
equivalent act establishing the entity (network, federation, association) which the applicant constitutes or in
which the applicant participates.
If the applicants are awarded a grant contract, their affiliated entity(ies) will not become beneficiary(ies) of
the action and signatory(ies) of the grant contract. However, they will participate in the design and in the
implementation of the action and the costs they incur (including those incurred for implementation contracts
and financial support to third parties) may be accepted as eligible costs, provided they comply with all the
relevant rules already applicable to the beneficiary(ies) under the grant contract.
Affiliated entity(ies) must satisfy the same eligibility criteria as the lead applicant and the co-applicant(s).
They must sign the affiliated entity(ies) statement in Part B section 5 of the grant application form.

6.1.3. Associates and Contractors

The following entities are not applicants nor affiliated entities and do not have to sign the "mandate for coapplicant(s)" or "affiliated entities' statement":

Associates

Other organisations or individuals may be involved in the action. Such associates play a real role in the
action but may not receive funding from the grant, with the exception of per diem or travel costs. Associates
do not have to meet the eligibility criteria referred to in section 2.1.1. Associates must be mentioned in Part B
section 6 Associates participating in the action of the grant application form.

Contractors

The beneficiaries and their affiliated entities are permitted to award contracts. Associates or affiliated
entity(ies) cannot be also contractors in the project. Contractors are subject to the procurement rules set out
in Annex IV to the standard grant contract.

6.1.4. Eligible actions: actions for which an application may be made

Definition:
An action is composed of a set of activities.
Duration:
The initial planned duration of an action may not be lower than 6 months nor exceed 14 months.
Sectors or themes:
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Specific sectors or themes to which the actions must relate to:

Lot 1: Employability & Income Generation & Employment Services
employability measures for the unemployed or poor residents, with an emphasis on women and
youth;
actions generating income for the unemployed or improving the conditions of low-income selfemployed residents, with an emphasis on women and youth;
actions improving the employment services provided within the target area(s);
Lot 2: Health
health facilities and services based on the main needs of the residents;
residents awareness of important health-related issues.
Lot 3: Education
educational facilities and services, especially for children, youth and people with special needs in
educational services.
Lot 4: Recreation and Youth
infrastructure, standards and range of recreation facilities (e.g. local recreation centres, youth
centres);
range, accessibility and quality of recreation services and activities, especially for women;
Lot 5: Mobility

transportation services;

traffic safety and safety of pedestrians and other road users.

Lot 6: Solid Waste Management
solid waste management in terms of separation, collection, transportation, recycling and disposal;
Lot 7: Environment (incl. Climate Change Effects)
actions improving the environmental conditions (soil, vegetation, water, air), including other small
scale beautification measures, cleanliness measures and open green spaces;
actions increasing the adaptive capacities and resilience of the informal urban area(s) towards the
impacts of climate change (climate change adaptation) 16.
actions reducing greenhouse gas emissions through renewable energies and energy efficiency for
a low-carbon local economy (climate change mitigation) 17.
residents awareness of the importance of environmental protection, incl. climate change effects.

16

Def.: Climate adaptation refers to the ability of a system to adjust to climate change (including climate variability
and extremes) to moderate potential damage, to take advantage of opportunities, or to cope with the consequences.

17

Def.: Climate Change Mitigation refers to efforts to reduce or prevent emission of greenhouse gases. Mitigation can
mean using new technologies and renewable energies, making older equipment more energy efficient, or changing
management practices or consumer behavior.
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Note: We welcome integrated projects that include activities from different thematic areas (lots).
However, each proposal can only be assigned to the lot according to its main focus.
Location:
Actions must take place in Egypt for the benefit of the residents of the following five informal target areas
located in Greater Cairo Region:
One area in the Cairo Governorate: within the District of El-Matareya
One area in the Giza Governorate: within the District of Boulaq El Dakrour
Three areas in the Qalyubeya Governorate: within the Districts of Qalyub, Shubra El Kheima and El
Khosoos

The precise boundary lines of these areas are shown on the maps attached at - Annex X. All actions
should target the residents in one or more of these areas. For detailed information on the areas please
refer to the atlases produced by the Contracting Authority (see supporting documents below).

All activities carried out under the Actions should, primarily, take place in, or within a travel-to-work
location of one or more of the five informal areas, in order to facilitate participation by the target
groups in the action. There should be sound practical reasons for situations in which activities are not
implemented in the eligible areas.

Applicants should clearly indicate the location of the targeted services or intervention (incl. the
names of the utilities, e.g. schools, hospital, youth centre).

Types of action:
Types of action which may be financed under this call:
Actions must be in line with the objectives indicated in section 1.2. In addition, they have to be sustainable
and improve at least one of the seven sectors/themes as listed in section 2.1.4.
Actions should be designed in response to the specific situation of the five target areas and to the specific
needs of the target groups18 and/or final beneficiaries19. This requires a needs assessment of the respective
target area(s) that has to be carried by the applicant (or its project partners) prior to application 20.
Proposed action may follow an integrated approach in order to reach the greatest impact on the ground.
Actions therefore can comprise activities that fall under different lots 21.
Actions should be complementary to and coherent with Egypts urban upgrading endeavours (be it on a local,
regional or national level) and legislation to form an integral part of this approach.
In addition, actions should be self-contained operations, with a coherent set of activities including clearly
defined target groups and final beneficiaries as well as expected results, specific and overall objectives 22
within the given time frame.
18

Target groups are the groups/entities who will be directly positively affected by the project at the project
purpose level.
19
Final beneficiaries are those who will benefit from the project in the long term at the level of the society or
sector at large.
20
Applicants have to demonstrate that they visited the area(s).
21
In this case and as mentioned above in section 1.4 the action should be assigned to only one lot according to its
main focus.
22
Beneficiaries will be asked to carry out a survey of target groups and final beneficiaries on their degree of
satisfaction with the improved infrastructure/services.
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The Contracting Authority welcomes innovative actions and with a high degree of replicability in other
informal urban areas of Greater Cairo Region and other Egyptian cities alike.
Applicants might link their action (or part of their action) to ongoing or planned infrastructure measures
carried out by the authorities in the target areas in order to allow a more comprehensive urban upgrading
approach. In this case the respective authorities (e.g. Governorates) could even become an Associate of the
Applicant as mentioned above under section 2.1.3.
Note: PDP is about to provide funding to Cairo, Giza and Qalyubeya Governorates for infrastructure projects
in the five target areas, too. More information on the nature of these infrastructure projects will be published
on the website of PDP soon: http://egypt-urban.net/grants/third-call-for-proposals/ (under supporting
documents).
Definitions:
-

The term children refers to residents between birth to adolescence (0-18 years);
The term youth refers to male and female residents between the ages of 18 and 35.
The term poor refers to residents with a monthly income lower than declared by the Egyptian
government (currently 1.200 EGP).

Specific information on the types of action per lot:

Lot 1: Action on Employability & Income Generation & Employment Services
As indicated in the PNA the most pressing challenges of the targeted informal area(s) are the
weaknesses and shortcomings of municipal utilities (in particular maintenance of electricity, gas,
sanitation, sewage, solid waste management, water). Against this backdrop Actions under lot 1
tackling these challenges - e.g. through better skilled and more inclusive residents - are most
welcomed.
Actions under lot 1 should - though not exclusively - address the needs of unemployed, poor or lowincome self-employed women and youth to improve their socio-economic conditions.
Eligible types of actions are:
a) Actions on employability:
(1) Actions directly resulting in higher employment of target groups will be given priority!
In this case the Applicant has to indicate the minimum number of targeted residents that will
be employed by the end of the project. This minimum number of employed residents has to
be reached by the Grant Beneficiary to consider the project to be successful.
(2) The provision of technical trainings (e.g. in the areas of IT, plumbing, construction) to
prepare the resident for available positions within the target area(s) and/or the adjacent
neighbourhoods (a travel to work distance). Projects can only be funded if there is
demonstrable evidence of demand in the labour market for persons with such skills and
knowledge.
(3) Employability measures on soft skills (e.g. career guidance, how to write a curriculum
vitae, how to prepare and perform in a job interview) are eligible for university graduates
only.
Note: Before applying Applicants have to thoroughly analyse the labour market
situation of the target area(s) and the surrounding neighbourhood to guarantee that
the Action meets the needs of the unemployed and/or poor residents as well as the needs
of the potential employers looking for sufficiently skilled and qualified personnel.

b) Actions on Income Generation:

(1) Income generation actions that directly result in self-employment poor residents will be
given priority! In this case the Applicant has to indicate the minimum number of targeted
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residents that will be running self-employed activities by the end of the project. This
minimum number of employed residents has to be reached to consider the project to be
successful. For income generating projects, the applicant should demonstrate a
comprehensive, innovative approach (i.e. soft skills and business modelling should be
considered).
Note: Before applying the Applicant should carry out a solid analysis of the local
economy to identify in which areas self-employment can be successful.
(2) Actions that improve the situation of self-employed but low-income residents.
Note: Before applying the Applicant should thoroughly analyse the respective low
income self-employed sector that should be promoted for a positive and lasting effect in
the respective target area(s).
c) Employment Services:
Actions that are focusing on the improvement of employment services have to clearly
demonstrate its positive and lasting effect for the job market of the target area(s).
Note: Before applying the Applicant has to thoroughly analyse of the labour market
structure of the target area(s) and the surrounding neighbourhood to guarantee that
the Action meets the needs of the unemployed and/or poor residents as well as the needs
of the potential employers looking for adequately skilled personnel.
Lot 2: Action on Health
Actions should secure and enhance the quality of basic medical care, where appropriate, rather than
focus on advanced levels of medicine which are highly specialized and not widely accessed.
Any awareness raising activities on health issues should include a behaviour change component to
ensure that awareness generated leads to the desired change in behaviour pattern of the local
population.
Note: The purchasing of technical equipment (e.g. water filter, medical devices) is eligible, provided
that it is not the sole activity of the action.
Lot 3: Action on Education
Priority will be given to actions focusing on children, youth and people with special educational
needs (e.g. disabled and illiterate citizens).
Note: The purchasing of technical equipment (e.g. books, computers) is eligible, provided that it is
not the sole activity of the action.
Lot 4: Action on Recreation & Youth
Actions under this lot should improve the leisure and recreation situation for all residents (especially
women and youth) by providing better recreation offers (infrastructure and activities/services) which
contribute to active utilization of recreational facilities. Where appropriate, youth should be involved
in the design and implementation of the action. Where appropriate, Actions should identify a clear
sustainability plan outlining the involvement of target groups in the maintenance of the actions.
Note: The purchasing of technical equipment (e.g. toys, sports equipment, computers) is eligible,
provided that it is not the sole activity of the action.
Lot 5: Action on Mobility
Actions under this lot should be related to improving mobility within the target areas. This includes
better public services as well as traffic safety and security for pedestrians.

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Actions have to be sustainable as well as coherent with existing services and should form an integral
part of the transportation system. Sustainability includes the power or right to enforce the action,
where appropriate (e.g. legally installed parking spaces and meters are controlled and maintained
according to its purpose during and after the implementation period).
Where appropriate, actions should be carried out in consultation with the Central Organisation of
Transport for Greater Cairo Region.
Note: Actions on paving streets and sidewalks are not eligible!
Lot 6: Action on Solid Waste Management (incl. Beautification)
Actions under this lot should in particular improve the cleanliness and beautification of the living
space of the informal area(s) caused by uncontrolled dumping of solid waste (e.g. household waste,
construction waste, health care waste, waste from street markets). Actions have to be sustainable and
coherent with the existing solid waste management and beautification plans (incl. the existing legal
and administrative frameworks) in the respective informal area (e.g. inclusion in full system like
collection to disposal). Income generating activities for unemployed residents of the target area(s)
may form part of the action.
Actions under this lot are also eligible if they raise residents and/or public authorities awareness on
and knowledge about solid waste management issues (e.g. how to avoid, recycle and treat garbage).
Knowledge transfer about environmental challenges must ensure the broadest possible impact 23.
Awareness raising should include a behaviour change component to ensure that awareness generated
leads to the desired change in behaviour pattern of the local population and decision-makers.
Note: The purchasing of technical equipment (e.g. bins, garbage collection vehicles) is eligible,
provided that it is not the sole activity of the action.

Lot 7: Action on Environment (incl. Climate Change Effects)

Actions under this lot should improve environmental conditions of the polluted target area(s) through
sustainable measures (relating to soil, vegetation, water, air and noise levels) and/or mitigate
greenhouse gas emissions (e.g. promote renewable energies, energy efficiency).
In addition, actions under this lot could also focus on the reduction of the areas vulnerability, i.a.
enhance adaptation to heat stress and other impacts of climate change on public health, housing, food
security, environment, water provision, local economy and transport infrastructure.
Actions under this lot are also eligible if they raise residents and/or public authorities awareness on
and knowledge about environmental challenges as well as climate change mitigation and adaptation
measures. Knowledge transfer about environmental challenges must ensure the broadest possible
impact24.
Awareness raising should include a behaviour change component to ensure that awareness generated
leads to the desired change in behaviour pattern of the local population and decision-makers.
Note: The purchasing of technical equipment (e.g. solar panels, garden tools, filter systems) is
eligible, provided it is not the sole activity of the action.
All Actions mentioned in the lots should:

23

16

Grant Beneficiaries have to measure the number of residents and/or employees of public authorities (be it
target groups or final beneficiaries) whose knowledge on environmental challenges has increased.
24 16
Grant Beneficiaries have to measure the number of residents and/or employees of public authorities (be it
target groups or final beneficiaries) whose knowledge on environmental challenges has increased.
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be designed on the findings of field visits to the target area(s) that had been carried out by the
applicant or its partner within the respective target area(s), incl. consultations with the residents
(male and female) of the target area(s);
be complimentary to governmental programmes and actions in line with governmental
policy;
directly or indirectly improve the living conditions (including environmental conditions) of
the poor residents living in the five target areas;
promote active participation of the different community groups - especially women and
youth - during project design and implementing, where appropriate;
be gender-sensitive in the appraisal phase and in implementation;

be sustainable (to guarantee lasting impact after its implementation period);

include adequate enforcement mechanisms, where appropriate;

be coherent with existing public and/or private services;

establish links and networks with similar service providers to create synergies in the area of
intervention, where appropriate;
engage relevant public authorities or partner institutions.

The following types of action are ineligible:

actions concerned only or mainly with individual sponsorships for participation in

workshops, seminars, conferences and congresses;
actions concerned only or mainly with individual scholarships for studies or training
courses;
one-time actions such as conferences, round tables, seminars or similar events. These
actions can only be funded if they form part of a wider project. For this purpose, preparatory
activities for a conference and the publication of proceedings do not in themselves constitute such a
wider project;
actions for which the applicant is already receiving funding e.g. from the governmental
budget;
actions consisting solely of research;

actions including commercial activities;

actions which are ideologically biased or partisan in nature;

actions focusing solely on the purchase of equipment;

actions focusing solely on awareness campaigns 25;

actions consisting solely of the development of strategies, plans, surveys or other similar
documents;
infrastructure construction which might damage sites of special scientific and archaeological
interest or other areas protected by Government legislation;
general/periodic maintenance of services and works projects;
actions that rely on the input of an Associate (e.g. Community Based Organisation) that does
not possess the required knowledge and capacities26.

Types of activity
25

This means that awareness activities have to be accompanied by more tangible project activities like small scale
infrastructure activities and/or capacity building activities.

26

Note: Applicants are allowed to capacitate CBOs during implementation in order to provide them with the relevant
knowledge and skills needed to actively and successfully support the projects activities.
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Some indicative/example activities are provided below. The purpose of these lists is to provide guidance as to
the type of activities which can be supported but it is not meant to be exhaustive. Additional and innovative
activities are encouraged provided they are consistent with the description of the respective Lots as set out in
Section 2.1.4 above.
Lot 1: Employability & Income Generation & Employment Services

o
o

o
o

o
o

Employability activities:
provide measures that connect unemployed residents and companies located in the area(s) and/or
surrounding neighbourhoods resulting in employment, e.g. triggered by on-job training
programmes (duration of 3 to 6 month) in local companies for high school or university
graduates of both sexes;
provide technical training for unemployed residents on technical skills needed to get formally
employed in the private sector located in the target area(s) and/or surrounding neighbourhoods,
e.g. in the areas of IT, computer skills, plumbing, electricity, construction, specialized
technicians (fixing solar water heaters, gas home appliances);
provide technical retraining to unemployed university graduates willing to start a career in a
different field;
provide soft skills (e.g. career guidance, how to write a curriculum vitae, how to prepare and
perform in a job interview) to university graduates.
Income Generating activities:
organise business start-up courses for motivated women and youth interested in entrepreneurial
opportunities (e.g. how to install or fix installations in buildings, urban agriculture, early
childhood care) and guide them during the initial phase of their newly established business (e.g.
connect them with the relevant financial service providers that could provide them with
sufficient external financial means);
provide guidance and advice to individuals who are establishing an income generating activity,
(e.g. repairs and maintenance of electronic installations or white goods);
establish networks between self-employed but low-income residents working in the same
thematic area and teach them on how to learn from each other to run a more efficient and better
tailored business (incl. joint initiatives where appropriate);
show self-employed but low-income residents ways and methods how to better connect their
businesses to existing markets;
identify and support applications for external finance to support self-employed low-income
residents (in the case of women applicants, conduct background checks that the finance support
actually is in the hands of the women themselves and not appropriated or used by their male
family members);
Employment Services activities:
establish or improve the existing networks of local actors providing employment services (e.g.
training centres, companies, technical schools, labour market directorates, recruiting agencies,
ITC, local civil society organisations) and/or capacity these local actors so that they are better
equipped to identify and integrate the needs of informal workers and vulnerable groups;
provide support to organisations of informal workers to address needs and challenges of informal
workers' access to better and more productive employment.

Lot 2: Health activities

renovate, refurbish and equip public health facilities (including adequate sanitation) based
on needs analysis of the communitys health concerns and train nurses and doctors on pressing health
issues;

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increase access to health services by making health service facilities physically and
otherwise accessible to disabled residents (e.g. ramps) and provide appropriate space for women and
children;
establish sustainable health cooperatives and use synergies to broaden the scale of local
health care services;
provide mobile ambulance units including training on equipment and coordination;
provide mobile, affordable, basic health services (medical convoys), especially to those who
cannot afford to pay hospital or clinic fees;
improve sanitation facilities in public buildings, in particular those that are free, and
accessible to the local community (incl. physical rehabilitation of facilities for residents with special
needs);
improve the quality of potable water in kindergartens and/or schools and/or hospitals (e.g. by
fixing furred and/or exchanging rusted tubes) and raise awareness among residence of the health
effects of water pollutants and show adequate protection measures;
increase primary and secondary health care services based on needs analysis of the
communitys health concerns e.g. by providing special health care services to women, children,
elderly and people with special needs that are lacking in the areas;
provide first aid trainings to local residents;
design and implement female only fitness and recreational programmes (e.g. awareness
campaigns on good nutrition and exercise);
carry out innovative awareness raising campaigns to inform citizens of important health care
and/or hygienic issues, such as
o good nutrition and exercise;
o mother-child nutrition;
o health effects of water pollutants and the use of filters to improve the quality of potable
water;
o personal and general hygiene;
o handling and reusing solid waste;
o diseases and other themes that can negatively affect peoples health;
Increase the preparedness to heat (e.g. supplying ice packs in health facilities, care homes and public
buildings and/or provide air-conditioning or ventilation to patient rooms and wards) and provide
trainings for health professionals and public health authorities about heat related health issues (incl.
an awareness raising campaign to inform citizens of heat-related health risks/health impacts of
climate change and adequate adaptation/prevention measures).

Note: The purchasing of medical equipment is only eligible when it forms an integral part of a broader
action.
Lot 3: Educational activities

renovate nurseries and/or schools and/or provide suitable school equipment along with
relevant training;
make educational services physically and otherwise accessible to residents with special
needs, e.g. ramps;
provide libraries where residents have little or no access to public libraries;
provide mobile libraries and/or a mobile garage equipped with tools and managed by at least
one instructor;
provide facilities/equipment for the disabled and elderly to improve their living and mobility
conditions complemented by the provision of home care to the residents with special needs, elderly,
parents with children;
promote educational programmes for community schools;

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provide refresher courses for teachers;

upgrade students programmes;

decrease the level of school dropouts through an innovative and comprehensive educational
programme, for example by establishing community schools;
plan and establish adult literacy programmes (with a focus on women as the highest number
of illiterate in Informal areas) and increase the chances that people with reading, writing, or
mathematical problems will be able to take advantage of these services in order to enhance their
roles as parents and family members, and encourage their participation as citizens;
develop parenting and child-care services;

establish sustained youth to youth and/or youth to adults literacy programs;

establish assistance for citizens, especially for women and youth, in obtaining governmental
administrative documents;
carry out awareness campaigns and workshops that foster interest in education among
children and youth (e.g. reading awareness campaigns that are creative and engaging, and led by an
assigned person);
carry out awareness campaigns, workshops and seminars, related to improving the
educational standard of citizens (e.g. literacy and reading);
carry out awareness campaigns targeting male youth to combat sexual harassment of
women;
measures targeting harmful traditional practices.

Lot 4: Youth and recreation activities

upgrade open spaces (e.g. seating accommodation in public gardens, parks or play grounds
and/or install adequate but low consumption lighting) - ensure sustainability by clarifying long-term
use and maintenance of the open spaces;
renovate and upgrade youth centers, community or cultural centers (physical structures,
sanitary facilities, greening, furniture and the provision of learning material) to improve the quality
of leisure time (ensure gender parity in benefits);
construct outdoor recreation facilities for use by local population (e.g. playgrounds geared
towards children, green and open spaces geared towards youth, gardens geared generally towards
citizens);
provide innovative participatory activities for children and youth, (e.g. establish small
aquaponic farms) and ensure a cost benefit analysis is conducted prior to the start of work;
develop culture centres and services (e.g. the provision of cultural programs including places
where public performances of theatre, music, dance, art installations or sports activities can be held);
establish a library or provide mobile library services to the local community (note: a mobile
library could be used in one or more of the five target areas);
develop the capacity of talented female and male youth in sports, art and music;

revitalise inactive youth and community centres (e.g. diversification of activities);

provide programmes that actively target female participation in youth centres;

provide gender awareness programmes and promotion campaigns of gender equality in

youth and community centres;
design and implement female only recreational programs (e.g. female sport team, female art
groups);
involve youth in the management of youth centres to build up ownership;

contact social workers to help street children;

establish child and youth helplines (anonymous telephone hotlines, best with a toll-free
telephone number) and train interlocutor who can give adequate advice;

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establish and provide elderly care services (e.g. one day care, nursing);
establish community-based mentorship programs for children and youth at risk (e.g. Big
Brothers, Big Sisters model that relies on creating supportive and caring relationship through making
monitored matches between adult volunteers and children/youth);
carry out capacity development activities for trainers in youth clubs;

provide a one-stop-shop for youth related administrative services.

Lot 5: Mobility activities

increase walkability of the neighbourhood through marking the cross-roads at selected

locations, signage (especially street names);
enhance bus shelters and/or minibus stops - where needed - i.e. seats for users, lights, bus
stop shades (take into consideration environmental issues);
implement pedestrian bridges - where needed - (coordinate with local authorities the
implementation of such activity);
provide traffic education programmes to beginners and/or creative awareness campaign
contributing to a more responsible behaviour in the traffic;
provide capacity building for the respective public authorities (i.e. local actors such as
Districts) on
o improve traffic management (e.g. conduct traffic survey, traffic circulation plan, re-design of
main intersection, install necessary control devices);
o

better services coordination.

Note: Applicants who want to provide such capacity building activities need to sign a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the public authorities prior to application.

Lot 6: Solid Waste Management (incl. Beautification)

provide (environmentally friendly) waste collection systems (e.g. improvement of container

places / installation of bins where door-to-door collection services are missing) and combine the
establishment of waste collection infrastructure with community organization to ensure long-term
use and maintenance.
encourage recycling opportunities and establish recycling facilities which could increase
employment and income generation;
improve recycling value chain;
ensure a regular garbage collection system to avoid its accumulation on the sidewalk of
pedestrians;
provide pilot activities on composting organic waste (e.g. in schools as integrated teaching
programme and awareness activities on separation and composting);
improve hazardous health-care waste collection (e.g. collection bins in health units),
treatment, transport and disposal from health units, clinics and hospitals (e.g. based on an autoclave
type of medical waste treatment system);
educate children about environmental pollution from waste accumulation through workshops
designed to their age range;
carry out innovative workshops and seminars, to alter residents negative behaviours
associated with waste handling;
carry out innovative community awareness (e.g. in schools) on health and hygiene issues
related to ill practices of waste management;

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promote awareness raising activities and campaigns for waste avoidance, waste reduction,
waste storage and waste separation which will contribute to more environmentally friendly and
hygienic behaviour.
cleaning-up campaigns;

Note: The purchasing of waste collection equipment (e.g. collection vehicles) is only eligible when it
forms an integral part of a broader action.

Lot 7: Environment (incl. Climate Change Effects)

establish filter systems (e.g. in local industries emitting harmful substances) to reduce
environmentally damaging emissions and to reduce disturbing smells and sounds;
establish open spaces with greenery;
improve micro-climatic conditions of open spaces and buildings surfaces providing
greenery & planting;
provide plantation of trees including irrigation systems in main streets and corridors;

provide measures concerning the use of open spaces for public green including tree planting
campaigns to tackle urban heat island effects;

provide rooftop planting, aquaponic farms and/or bio-organic farming on public buildings 27
and/or community gardening (open spaces) for jointly improving micro-climatic conditions and local
residents food security and awareness on bio-organic food:
promote green and climate-sensitive working environments in public buildings, public class
rooms and kinder-gardens;
improve ventilation inside public buildings and insulation of public housing facades for
passive cooling;
carry out informational and awareness campaigns (and behaviour change communication)
related to the impacts of climate change with a focus on heat stress induced hazards and possible
adaptation measures;
reduce energy consumption in public buildings through passive cooling of facades;

develop and implement Heat Wave Action Plan and/or Heat Wave Warning System
considering public/ human health aspects and residents access to drinking water and/or medical
attendance;
install renewable electricity supply systems and/or solar water heating systems in public
building (e.g. public schools);
provide wind/solar equipment tools such as photovoltaic/solar panels (for the production of
electricity for public external lighting and public energy needs);
promote local entrepreneurship in the renewable energy sector in the areas (e.g. solar panel
installation and repair, etc.) and provide technical assistance with the set-up of small production
units;
provide training to local workshop owners on how to better use resources and decrease
polluting activities;
Train housewives in environmental friendly household, water and waste management (i.e.
disposing cooking oil as solid waste and not into the drain; water and energy saving techniques etc.)
train relevant public authorities on renewable energy supplies (e.g. solar equipment tools for
the production of electricity for public external lighting);

27

Note: In previous calls permits for roof top farming on public buildings were not always provided by the respective
authorities. Therefore it is highly recommended that Applicants consult the relevant authorities before submitting
applications.
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promote awareness on environmental energy conservation among residents (incl. children

and teenagers), e.g. with the help of business brand sponsorship and/or through local celebrities as
good will ambassadors;

Note: When submitting the Concept Note applicants should clearly indicate under section 1.2 Description
of the Action (i)

that the project designed is based on visits of the area(s) that had been carried out by the
applicant (or its partner) within the respective target area(s)
how residents have been involved in the preparation of the action.

Note: Applicants should include in the full application form i.e.:

a clear methodology that guarantees a transparent and fair selection process of target groups
participating in and benefiting from the action, where appropriate;
a clear methodology on how to carry out a baseline study as well as the final evaluation
survey;
a clear indication of gender related aspects that have been considered in the design of their
project and how they will be monitored during implementation (incl. gender desegregated data);
a clear indication of how the action is complementary to and coherent with the existing
public urban upgrading approach as well as existing private initiative (synergy effects);
a description of all permits and authorizations required to legally implement the project (to
be issued by whom, when, for what) and a clear indication what has been done in the preparation
phase to guarantee that the respective authorities will issue these permits;

Financial support to third parties28:

Applicants may not propose financial support (e.g. sub-granting) to third parties.

Visibility
The applicants must take all necessary steps to publicise the fact that the European Union has financed or cofinanced the action. As far as possible, actions that are wholly or partially funded by the European Union
must incorporate information and communication activities designed to raise the awareness of specific or
general audiences of the reasons for the action and the EU support for the action in the country or region
concerned, as well as the results and the impact of this support.
Applicants must comply with the objectives and priorities and guarantee the visibility of the EU financing
(see the Communication and Visibility Manual for EU external actions specified and published by the
European Commission at http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/funding/communication-and-visibility-manual-euexternal-actions_en).
Number of applications and grants per applicants / affiliated entities
The lead applicant may not submit more than one (1) application(s) per lot under this Call for Proposals.
The lead applicant may not be awarded more than two (2) grant(s) under this Call for Proposals.
The lead applicant may be a co-applicant or an affiliated entity in another application of the same lot at the
same time.
28

These third parties are neither affiliated entity(ies) nor associates nor contractors.
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A co-applicant/affiliated entity may be the co-applicant or affiliated entity in more than one (1) application(s)
under this Call for Proposals.
A co-applicant/affiliated entity may not be awarded more than two (2) grant(s) under this Call for Proposals.

6.1.5. Eligibility of costs: costs that can be included

Only eligible costs can be covered by a grant. The categories of costs that are eligible and non-eligible are
indicated below. The budget is both a cost estimate and an overall ceiling for eligible costs.
The reimbursement of eligible costs may be based on any or a combination of the following forms:

actual costs incurred by the beneficiary(ies) and affiliated entity(ies)

one or more simplified cost options.

Simplified cost options may take the form of:

unit costs: covering all or certain specific categories of eligible costs which are clearly identified in
advance by reference to an amount per unit.

lump sums: covering in global terms all or certain specific categories of eligible costs which are
clearly identified in advance.

flat-rate financing: covering specific categories of eligible costs which are clearly identified in
advance by applying a percentage fixed ex ante.

The amounts or rates have to be based on estimates using objective data such as statistical data or any other
objective means or with reference to certified or auditable historical data of the applicants or the affiliated
entity(ies). The methods used to determine the amounts or rates of unit costs, lump sums or flat-rates must
comply with the criteria established in Annex K, and especially ensure that the costs correspond fairly to the
actual costs incurred by the beneficiary(ies) and affiliated entity(ies), are in line with their accounting
practices, no profit is made and the costs are not already covered by other sources of funding (no double
funding). Refer to Annex K for directions and a checklist of controls to assess the minimum necessary
conditions that provide reasonable assurance for the acceptance of the proposed amounts.
Applicants proposing this form of reimbursement, must clearly indicate in worksheet no.1 of Annex B, each
heading/item of eligible costs concerned by this type of financing, i.e. add the reference in capital letters to
"UNIT COST" (per month/flight etc), "LUMPSUM", "FLAT RATE" in the Unit column. (see example in
Annex K)
Additionally in Annex B, in the second column of worksheet no.2, "Justification of the estimated costs" per
each of the corresponding budget item or heading applicants must:

describe the information and methods used to establish the amounts of unit costs, lump sums and/or
flat-rates, to which costs they refer, etc.

clearly explain the formulas for calculation of the final eligible amount 29

identify the beneficiary who will use the simplified cost option (in case of affiliated entity, specify
first the beneficiary), in order to verify the maximum amount per each beneficiary (which includes if
applicable simplified cost options of its affiliated entity(ies))

29

Examples:- for staff costs: number of hours or days of work * hourly or daily rate pre-set according to the category
of personnel concerned;- for travel expenses: distance in km * pre-set cost of transport per km; number of days *
daily allowance pre-set according to the country;- for specific costs arising from the organization of an event:
number of participants at the event * pre-set total cost per participant etc.
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At contracting phase, the Contracting Authority decides whether to accept the proposed amounts or rates on
the basis of the provisional budget submitted by the applicants, by analysing factual data of grants carried out
by the applicants or of similar actions and by performing checks established by Annex K.
The total amount of financing on the basis of simplified cost options that can be authorised by the
Contracting Authority for any of the applicants individually (including simplified cost options proposed by
their own affiliated entities) cannot exceed EUR 60 000 (the indirect costs are not taken into account).
Recommendations to award a grant are always subject to the condition that the checks preceding the signing
of the grant contract do not reveal problems requiring changes to the budget (such as arithmetical errors,
inaccuracies, unrealistic costs and ineligible costs). The checks may give rise to requests for clarification and
may lead the Contracting Authority to impose modifications or reductions to address such mistakes or
inaccuracies. It is not possible to increase the grant or the percentage of EU co-financing as a result of these
corrections.
It is therefore in the applicants' interest to provide a realistic and cost-effective budget.

The simplified cost option may also take the form of an apportionment of Field Office's costs.
Field Office means a local infrastructure set up in one of the countries where the action is implemented or a
nearby country. (Where the action is implemented in several third countries there can be more than one Field
Office). That may consist of costs for local office as well as human resources.
A Field Office may be exclusively dedicated to the action financed (or co-financed) by the EU or may be
used for other projects implemented in the partner country. When the Field Office is used for other projects,
only the portion of capitalised and operating costs which corresponds to the duration of the action and the
rate of actual use of the field office for the purpose of the action may be declared as eligible direct costs .
The portion of costs attributable to the action can be declared as actual costs or determined by the
beneficiary(ies) on the basis of a simplified allocation method (apportionment).
The method of allocation has to be:
1. Compliant with the beneficiary's usual accounting and management practices and applied in a consistent
manner regardless of the source of funding and
2. Based on an objective, fair and reliable allocation keys. (Please refer to Annex K to have examples of
acceptable allocation keys).
A description prepared by the entity of the allocation method used to determine Field Office's costs in
accordance with the entity's usual cost accounting and management practices and explaining how the method
satisfy condition 1 and 2 indicated above, has to be presented in a separate sheet and annexed to the Budget.
The method will be assessed and accepted by the evaluation committee and the Contracting Authority at
contracting phase. The applicant is invited to submit (where relevant) the list of contracts to which the
methodology proposed had been already applied and for which proper application was confirmed by an
expenditure verification.
At the time of carrying out the expenditure verifications, the auditors will check if the costs reported are
compliant with the method described by the beneficiary(ies) and accepted by the Contracting Authority.
Adequate record and documentation must be kept by the beneficiary(ies) to prove the compliance of the
simplified allocation method used with the conditions set out above. Upon request of the beneficiary(ies),
this compliance can be assessed and approved ex-ante by an independent external auditor. In such a case, the
simplified allocation method will be automatically accepted by the evaluation committee and it will not be
challenged ex post.

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When costs are declared on the basis of such allocation method the amount charged to the action is to be
indicated in the column "TOTAL COSTS" and the mention "APPORTIONMENT" is to be indicated in the
column "units" (under budget heading 1 (Human resources) and 4 (Local Office) of the Budget).
Eligible direct costs
To be eligible under this call for proposals, costs must comply with the provisions of Article 14 of the
General Conditions to the standard grant contract (see Annex G of the guidelines).
Furthermore, limitations apply in relation to some specific budget lines:
In the case the applicant applies for a grant of more than 100 000 an amount of 2% of the total
value of the budget has to be indicated in the Budget (ANNEX B) to cover the costs for expenditure
verification(s) referred to in Article 15.7 of the General Conditions to the Standard Grant Contract.

The applicants (and where applicable their affiliated entities) agree that the expenditure verification(s)
referred to in Article 15.7 of the General Conditions to the standard grant contract (see Annex G of the
guidelines) will be carried out by the Contracting Authority and/or any external body authorised by the
Contracting Authority. Therefore, the applicants (and where applicable its affiliated entities) agree to
delegate to the Contracting Authority the right i.a. to choose and contract the external auditor, to deduct the
necessary financial means from the Beneficiary(ies) Budget (2% of the total value of the budget) and to pay
the external auditor on behalf of the Beneficiary(ies).
Note: The applicants (and where applicable its affiliated entities) agree that the Contracting
Authority or any external body authorised by the Contracting Authority has the right to carry out
interim monitoring mission and/or ex post evaluation. In this case the Coordinator shall undertake to
provide it and/or the persons authorised by it with the documents or information necessary for the
evaluation or monitoring mission.
Contingency reserve
The budget may include a contingency reserve not exceeding 5 % of the estimated direct eligible costs. It can
only be used with the prior written authorisation of the Contracting Authority.
Eligible indirect costs
The indirect costs incurred in carrying out the action may be eligible for flat-rate funding, but the total must
not exceed 7 % of the estimated total eligible direct costs . Indirect costs are eligible provided that they do not
include costs assigned to another budget heading in the standard grant contract. The lead applicant may be
asked to justify the percentage requested before the grant contract is signed. However, once the flat rate has
been fixed in the Special Conditions of the grant contract, no supporting documents need to be provided.
If any of the applicants or affiliated entity(ies) is in receipt of an operating grant financed by the EU, it may
not claim indirect costs on its incurred costs within the proposed budget for the action.
Contributions in kind
Contributions in kind mean the provision of goods or services to beneficiaries or affiliated entities free of
charge by a third party. As contributions in kind do not involve any expenditure for beneficiaries or affiliated
entities, they are not eligible costs.
Contributions in kind may not be treated as co-financing. However, if the description of the action as
proposed includes contributions in kind, the contributions have to be made.

Ineligible costs
The following costs are not eligible:
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7.

debts and debt service charges (interest);

provisions for losses or potential future liabilities;

costs declared by the beneficiary(ies) and financed by another action or work programme receiving a
European Union (including through EDF) grant;

purchases of land or buildings, except where necessary for the direct implementation of the action, in
which case ownership must be transferred in accordance with Article 7.5 of the General Conditions
of the standard grant contract, at the latest at the end of the action;

currency exchange losses;

credit to third parties;

salary costs of the personnel of national administrations;

taxes30, duties and charges.

HOW

TO APPLY AND THE PROCEDURES TO FOLLOW

Information in PADOR will not be drawn upon in the present call.

7.1.1. Concept note content

Applications must be submitted in accordance with the concept note instructions in the grant application
form annexed to these guidelines (Annex A).
Applicants must apply in English.
Please note that:
1. In the concept note, lead applicants must only provide an estimate of the requested EU contribution
as well as an indicative percentage of that contribution in relation to the eligible costs of the action.
A detailed budget is to be submitted only by the lead applicants invited to submit a full application in
the second phase.
2. The elements outlined in the concept note may not be modified in the full application. The EU
contribution may not vary from the initial estimate by more than 20 %. Lead applicants are free
to adapt the percentage of co-financing required within the minimum and maximum amount and
percentages of co-financing, as laid down in these guidelines in section 1.3. The lead applicant may
replace a co-applicant or an affiliated entity only in duly justified cases (e.g. bankruptcy of initial coapplicant or affiliated entity). In this case the new co-applicant/affiliated entity must be of a similar
nature as the initial one. The lead applicant may adjust the duration of the action if unforeseen
circumstances outside the scope of the applicants have taken place following the submission of the
concept note and require such adaptation (risk of action not being carried out). In such cases the
duration must remain within the limits imposed by the guidelines for applicants. An
explanation/justification of the relevant replacement/adjustment shall be included in an
accompanying letter or email.
Own contributions by the applicants can be replaced by other donors' contributions at any time.
3. Only the concept note form will be evaluated. It is therefore of utmost importance that this
document contains ALL relevant information concerning the action. No additional annexes
should be sent.

30

The Contracting Authority will provide the Beneficiary(ies) with an official letter that exempt actions under
this Call for Proposals from paying tax.
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Any error or major discrepancy related to the concept note instructions may lead to the rejection of the
concept note.
Clarifications will only be requested when information provided is not sufficient to conduct an objective
assessment.
Hand-written concept notes will not be accepted.

7.1.2. Where and how to send concept notes

The concept note together with its relating checklist 31 and declaration by the lead applicant (to be found in
Part A sections 2 and 3 of the grant application form) must be submitted in one (1) original and three (3)
copies in A4 size, each bound.
An electronic version of the concept note must also be submitted. A CD-Rom with the concept note in
electronic format (scanned version of the signed original and one word-file) will be included, along with the
paper version, in a sealed envelope as described below. The electronic file must contain exactly the same
application as the paper version enclosed.
Where lead applicants send several different concept notes (if allowed to do so by the guidelines of the
call), each one must be sent separately.
The envelope must bear the reference number and the title of the call for proposals, together with [the lot
number and title] the full name and address of the lead applicant, and the words Not to be opened before the
opening session and .
Concept notes must be submitted in a sealed envelope by registered mail, private courier service or by handdelivery (a signed and dated certificate of receipt will be given to the deliverer) to the address below:
Postal address
GIZ
Participatory Development Programme
1 Saleh Ayoub Str., 4th floor, app. 43
Zamalek, Cairo
Address for hand delivery or by private courier service
GIZ
Participatory Development Programme
1 Saleh Ayoub Str., 4th floor, app. 43
Zamalek, Cairo
Concept notes sent by any other means (e.g. by fax or by e-mail) or delivered to other addresses will be
rejected.
Lead applicants must verify that their concept note is complete using the checklist for concept note
(Part A section 2 of the grant application form). Incomplete concept notes may be rejected.

7.1.3. Deadline for submission of concept notes

The deadline for the submission of concept notes is March 31st, 2016 as evidenced by the date of dispatch,
the postmark or the date of the deposit slip. In the case of hand-deliveries, the deadline for receipt is at
4 p.m. local time as evidenced by the signed and dated receipt. Any concept note submitted after the
deadline will be rejected.
31

Please note that the concept note / full application should not be rejected only because the lead applicant did not
submit the checklist or the information in the checklist is not correct.
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However, for reasons of administrative efficiency, the Contracting Authority may reject any concept note
sent in due time but received after the effective date of approval of the concept note evaluation (see
indicative calendar under section 2.5.2).

7.1.4. Further information about concept notes

An information session on this call for proposals will be held on March 8 th, 2016 at 10:30 am.32
Questions may be sent by e-mail no later than 21 days before the deadline for the submission of concept
notes to the address(es) below, indicating clearly the reference of the call for proposals:
E-mail address: cfp3.queries@gizeg.com
The Contracting Authority has no obligation to provide clarifications to questions received after this date.
Replies will be given no later than 11 days before the deadline for submission of concept notes.
To ensure equal treatment of applicants, the contracting authority cannot give a prior opinion on the
eligibility of lead applicants, co-applicants, affiliated entity(ies), an action or specific activities.
No individual replies will be given to questions. All questions and answers as well as other important notices
to applicants during the course of the evaluation procedure will be published on the
European Delegation to the Arab Republic of Egypt website:
http://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/egypt/grants_tenders/grants/index_en.htm
Contracting Authority website: http://egypt-urban.net/grants/third-call-for-proposals/
as the need arises. It is therefore advisable to consult the abovementioned website regularly in order to be
informed of the questions and answers published.

7.1.5. Full applications

Lead applicants invited to submit a full application following pre-selection of their concept note must do so
using Part B of the grant application form annexed to these guidelines (Annex A). Lead applicants should
then keep strictly to the format of the grant application form and fill in the paragraphs and pages in order.
The elements outlined in the concept note cannot be modified by the lead applicant in the full application.
The EU contribution may not vary from the initial estimate by more than 20 %, although lead applicants are
free to adapt the percentage of co-financing required within the minimum and maximum amount and
percentages of co-financing, as laid down in these guidelines under section 1.3.
The lead applicant may replace a co-applicant or an affiliated entity only in duly justified cases (e.g.
bankruptcy of initial co-applicant or affiliated entity). In this case the new co-applicant/affiliated entity must
be of a similar nature as the initial one. The lead applicant may adjust the duration of the action if unforeseen
circumstances outside the scope of the applicants have taken place following the submission of the concept
note and require such adaptation (risk of action not being carried out). In such cases the duration must remain
within the limits imposed by the guidelines for applicants. An explanation/justification of the relevant
replacement/adjustment shall be included in an accompanying letter or email.
Lead applicants must submit their full applications in the same language as their concept notes.

32

This is an indicative date and the location, date and time will be announced on the following web-sites:
http://egypt-urban.net/
http://egypt-urban.net/grants/third-call-for-proposals/
http://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/egypt/grants_tenders/grants/index_en.htm
http://ww.facebook.com/EUDelegationegypt

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Please complete the full application form carefully and as clearly as possible so that it can be assessed
properly.
Any error related to the points listed in the checklist (Part B, section 7 of the grant application form) or any
major inconsistency in the full application (e.g. if the amounts in the budget worksheets are inconsistent)
may lead to the rejection of the application.
Clarifications will only be requested when information provided is unclear and thus prevents the Contracting
Authority from conducting an objective assessment.
Hand-written applications will not be accepted.
Please note that only the full application form and the published annexes which have to be filled in (budget,
logical framework) will be transmitted to the evaluators (and assessors, if used). It is therefore of utmost
importance that these documents contain ALL the relevant information concerning the action. No additional
annexes should be sent.

7.1.6. Where and how to send full applications

Full applications (i.e. the full application form, the budget, the logical framework and the declaration by the
lead applicant) must be submitted in a sealed envelope by registered mail, private courier service or by handdelivery (a signed and dated certificate of receipt will be given to the deliverer) to the address below:
Postal address
GIZ
Participatory Development Programme
1 Saleh Ayoub Str., 4th floor, app. 43
Zamalek, Cairo
Address for hand delivery or by private courier service
GIZ
Participatory Development Programme
1 Saleh Ayoub Str., 4th floor, app. 43
Zamalek, Cairo
Applications sent by any other means (e.g. by fax or by e-mail) or delivered to other addresses will be
rejected.
Applications must be submitted in one (1) original and three (3) copies in A4 size, each bound. The full
application form, budget and logical framework must also be supplied in electronic format (CD-Rom with a
scanned version of the signed original and one word-file in a separate and single file (i.e. the full application
must not be split into several different files). The electronic file must contain exactly the same application as
the paper version.
The checklist (section 7 of Part B of the grant application form) and the declaration by the lead applicant
(section 8 of Part B of the grant application form) must be stapled separately and enclosed in the envelope
Where lead applicants send several different applications (if allowed to do so by the guidelines of the call),
each one must be sent separately.
The envelope must bear the reference number and the title of the call for proposals, together with the
number and title of the lot, the full name and address of the lead applicant, and the words Not to be opened
before the opening session and .
Applicants must verify that their application is complete using the checklist (section 7 of Part B of the
grant application form). Incomplete applications may be rejected.

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7.1.7. Deadline for submission of full applications

The deadline for the submission of full applications will be indicated in the letter sent to the lead applicants
whose application has been pre-selected.
However, for reasons of administrative efficiency, the Contracting Authority may reject any full application
sent in due time but received after the effective date of approval of the full application evaluation (see
indicative calendar under section 2.5.2).

7.1.8. Further information about full applications

Questions may be sent by e-mail [or by fax] no later than 21 days before the deadline for the submission of
full applications to the addresses listed below, indicating clearly the reference of the call for proposals:
E-mail address: cfp3.queries@gizeg.com
The Contracting Authority has no obligation to provide clarifications to questions received after this date.
Replies will be given no later than 11 days before the deadline for the submission of full applications.
To ensure equal treatment of applicants, the Contracting Authority cannot give a prior opinion on the
eligibility of lead applicants, co-applicants, affiliated entity(ies), or an action.
No individual replies will be given to questions. All questions and answers as well as other important notices
to applicants during the course of the evaluation procedure, will be published on the
European Delegation to the Arab Republic of Egypt website:
http://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/egypt/grants_tenders/grants/index_en.htm
http://ww.facebook.com/EUDelegationegypt
Contracting Authority website: http://egypt-urban.net/grants/third-call-for-proposals/
as the need arises. It is therefore advisable to consult the abovementioned website regularly in order to be
informed of the questions and answers published.

8.

EVALUATION

AND SELECTION OF APPLICATIONS

Applications will be examined and evaluated by the Contracting Authority with the possible assistance of
external assessors. All applications will be assessed according to the following steps and criteria.
If the examination of the application reveals that the proposed action does not meet the eligibility criteria
stated in section 2.1, the application will be rejected on this sole basis.

STEP 1:
OPENING & ADMINISTRATIVE CHECKS AND CONCEPT NOTE
EVALUATION
During the opening and administrative check the following will be assessed:

If the deadline has been met. Otherwise, the application will be automatically rejected.

If the concept note satisfies all the criteria specified in the checklist in section 2 of Part A of the grant
application form. This includes also an assessment of the eligibility of the action. If any of the

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requested information is missing or is incorrect, the application may be rejected on that sole basis
and the application will not be evaluated further.
The concept notes that pass this check will be evaluated on the relevance and design of the proposed action.
The concept notes will receive an overall score out of 50 using the breakdown in the evaluation grid below.
The evaluation will also check on compliance with the instructions on how to complete the concept note,
which can be found in Part A of the grant application form.
The evaluation criteria are divided into headings and subheadings. Each subheading will be given a score
between 1 and 5 as follows: 1 = very poor; 2 = poor; 3 = adequate; 4 = good; 5 = very good.

Scores
1. Relevance of the action

Sub-score

1.1 How relevant is the proposal to the objectives and priorities of the call for proposals?*

5x2**

1.2 How relevant to the particular needs and constraints of the target country(ies) or
region(s) is the proposal (including synergy with other EU initiatives and avoidance of
duplication)?

5x2**

1.3 How clearly defined and strategically chosen are those involved (final beneficiaries,
target groups)? Have their needs been clearly defined and does the proposal address
them appropriately?

1.4 Does the proposal contain specific added-value elements, such as environmental
issues, promotion of gender equality and equal opportunities, needs of disabled
people, rights of minorities and rights of indigenous peoples, or innovation and best
practices [and the other additional elements indicated under 1.2. of the guidelines for
applicants]?

2. Design of the action

Sub-score

2.1 How coherent is the overall design of the action?

30

20

5x2**

In particular, does it reflect the analysis of the problems involved, take into account
external factors and relevant stakeholders?
2.2 Is the action feasible and consistent in relation to the objectives and expected results?
TOTAL SCORE

5x2**
50

* Note: A score of 5 (very good) will only be allocated if the proposal specifically addresses more than the
required minimum number of priorities as indicated in Section 1.2 (objectives of the programme) of these
guidelines.
**these scores are multiplied by 2 because of their importance
Once all concept notes have been assessed, a list will be drawn up with the proposed actions ranked
according to their total score.
Firstly, only the concept notes with a score of at least 30 will be considered for pre-selection.
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Secondly, the number of concept notes will be reduced, taking account of the ranking, to the number of
concept notes whose total aggregate amount of requested contributions is equal to at least 200% of the
available budget for this call for proposals. The amount of requested contributions of each concept note will
be based on the indicative financial envelopes for each lot, where relevant.
After the evaluation of concept notes, the Contracting Authority will send letters to all lead applicants,
indicating whether their application was submitted by the deadline, informing them of the reference number
they have been allocated, whether the concept note was evaluated and the results of that evaluation. The preselected lead applicants will subsequently be invited to submit full applications.

STEP 2: EVALUATION OF THE FULL APPLICATION

Firstly, the following will be assessed:

If the submission deadline has been met. Otherwise, the application will automatically be rejected.]

If the full application satisfies all the criteria specified in the checklist (section 7 of Part B of the
grant application form). This includes also an assessment of the eligibility of the action. If any of the
requested information is missing or is incorrect, the application may be rejected on that sole basis
and the application will not be evaluated further.

The full applications that pass this check will be further evaluated on their quality, including the proposed
budget and capacity of the applicants and affiliated entity(ies). They will be evaluated using the evaluation
criteria in the evaluation grid below. There are two types of evaluation criteria: selection and award criteria.
The selection criteria help to evaluate the applicant(s)'s and affiliated entity(ies)'s operational capacity and
the lead applicant's financial capacity and are used to verify that they:

have stable and sufficient sources of finance to maintain their activity throughout the proposed
action and, where appropriate, to participate in its funding (this only applies to lead applicants);

have the management capacity, professional competencies and qualifications required to successfully
complete the proposed action. This applies to applicants and any affiliated entity(ies).

The award criteria help to evaluate the quality of the applications in relation to the objectives and priorities
set forth in the guidelines, and to award grants to projects which maximise the overall effectiveness of the
call for proposals. They help to select applications which the Contracting Authority can be confident will
comply with its objectives and priorities. They cover the relevance of the action, its consistency with the
objectives of the call for proposals, quality, expected impact, sustainability and cost-effectiveness.
Scoring:
The evaluation grid is divided into sections and subsections. Each subsection will be given a score between 1
and 5 as follows: 1 = very poor; 2 = poor; 3 = adequate; 4 = good; 5 = very good.
Evaluation Grid
Section

Maximum
Score

1. Financial and operational capacity

20

1.1 Do the applicants and, if applicable, their affiliated entity(ies) have sufficient experience
of project management?

1.2 Do the applicants and, if applicable, their affiliated entity(ies) have sufficient technical
expertise? (especially knowledge of the issues to be addressed)

1.3 Do the applicants and, if applicable, their affiliated entity(ies) have sufficient

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management capacity?
(Including staff, equipment and ability to handle the budget for the action)?
1.4 Does the lead applicant have stable and sufficient sources of finance?

2. Relevance of the action

30

Score transferred from the Concept Note evaluation

3. Effectiveness and feasibility of the action

20

3.1 Are the activities proposed appropriate, practical, and consistent with the objectives and
expected results?

3.2 Is the action plan clear and feasible?

3.3 Does the proposal contain objectively verifiable indicators for the outcome of the action?
Is any evaluation planned?

3.4 Is the co-applicant(s)'s and affiliated entity(ies)'s level of involvement and participation in
the action satisfactory?

4. Sustainability of the action

15

4.1 Is the action likely to have a tangible impact on its target groups?

4.2 Is the proposal likely to have multiplier effects? (Including scope for replication,
extension and information sharing.)

4.3 Are the expected results of the proposed action sustainable?:

- financially (how will the activities be financed after the funding ends?)
- institutionally (will structures allowing the activities to continue be in place at the end
of the action? Will there be local ownership of the results of the action?)
- at policy level (where applicable) (what will be the structural impact of the action
e.g. will it lead to improved legislation, codes of conduct, methods, etc?)
- environmentally (if applicable) (will the action have a negative/positive environmental
impact?)
5. Budget and cost-effectiveness of the action

15

5.1 Are the activities appropriately reflected in the budget?

/5

5.2 Is the ratio between the estimated costs and the expected results satisfactory?

/ 10

Maximum total score

100

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If the total score for section 1 (financial and operational capacity) is less than 12 points, the application will
be rejected. If the score for at least one of the subsections under section 1 is 1, the application will also be
rejected.
If the lead applicant applies without co-applicants or affiliated entities the score for point 3.4 shall be 5
unless the involvement of co-applicants or affiliated entities is mandatory according to these guidelines for
applicants.
Provisional selection
After the evaluation, a table will be drawn up listing the applications ranked according to their score. The
highest scoring applications will be provisionally selected until the available budget for this call for
proposals is reached. In addition, a reserve list will be drawn up following the same criteria. This list will be
used if more funds become available during the validity period of the reserve list.

(1) STEP 3: VERIFICATION OF ELIGIBILITY OF THE APPLICANTS AND

AFFILIATED ENTITY(IES)
The eligibility verification will be performed on the basis of the supporting documents requested by the
Contracting Authority (see section 2.4). It will only be performed for the applications that have been
provisionally selected according to their score and within the available budget for this call for proposals.

The declaration by the lead applicant (section 8 of Part B of the grant application form) will be
cross-checked with the supporting documents provided by the lead applicant. Any missing
supporting document or any incoherence between the declaration by the lead applicant and the
supporting documents may lead to the rejection of the application on that sole basis.

The eligibility of applicants and the affiliated entity(ies) will be verified according to the criteria set
out in sections 2.1.1, 2.1.2 and 2.1.3.

Any rejected application will be replaced by the next best placed application on the reserve list that falls
within the available budget for this call for proposals.

9.

SUBMISSION

OF

SUPPORTING

DOCUMENTS

FOR

PROVISIONALLY

SELECTED

APPLICATIONS

A lead applicant whose application has been provisionally selected or placed on the reserve list will be
informed in writing by the Contracting Authority. It will be requested to supply the following documents in
order to allow the Contracting Authority to verify the eligibility of the lead applicant, (if any) of the coapplicant(s) and (if any) of their affiliated entity(ies) 33:
1. The statutes or articles of association of the lead applicant, (if any) of each co-applicant and (if any) of
each affiliated entity34. Where the Contracting Authority has recognised the lead applicants, or the coapplicant(s)s, or their affiliated entity(ies)s eligibility for another call for proposals under the same
budget line within 2 years before the deadline for receipt of applications, it should be submitted,
instead of the statutes or articles of association, a copy of the document proving their eligibility in a
former call (e.g. a copy of the Special Conditions of a grant contract received during the reference
period), unless a change in legal status has occurred in the meantime 35. This obligation does not apply
to international organisations which have signed a framework agreement with the European
Commission.

33

No supporting document will be requested for applications for a grant not exceeding EUR 60 000.

34

Where the lead applicant and/or a co-applicant(s) and or an affiliated entity(ies) is a public body created by a law, a
copy of the said law must be provided.

35

To be inserted only where the eligibility conditions have not changed from one call for proposals to the other.
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2. An external audit report produced by an approved auditor, certifying the lead applicant's accounts (i.a.
the financial statements) for the last financial year available where the total amount of the requested
EU contribution exceeds EUR 100 000. The external audit report is not required from (if any) the coapplicant(s) unless requested by the Contracting Authority.
This obligation does not apply to public bodies and international organisations provided that the
international organisation in question offers the guarantees provided for in the applicable Financial
Regulation, as described in chapter 6 of the Practical Guide.
3. A copy of the lead applicants latest accounts (the profit and loss account and the balance sheet for the
last financial year for which the accounts have been closed) 36. A copy of the latest account is neither
required from (if any) the co-applicant(s) nor from (if any) affiliated entity(ies)).
4. Legal entity sheet (see Annex D of these guidelines) duly completed and signed by each of the
applicants (i.e. by the lead applicant and (if any) by each co-applicant), accompanied by the justifying
documents requested there. If the applicants have already signed a contract with the Contracting
Authority, instead of the legal entity sheet and supporting documents, the legal entity number may be
provided, unless a change in legal status occurred in the meantime.
5. A financial identification form of the lead applicant (not from co-applicant(s)) conforming to the
model attached as Annex E of these guidelines, certified by the bank to which the payments will be
made. This bank should be located in the country where the lead applicant is established. If the lead
applicant has already submitted a financial identification form in the past for a contract where the
European Commission was in charge of the payments and intends to use the same bank account, a
copy of the previous financial identification form may be provided instead.
6. Document/s from the relevant authorities that the applicant/co-applicants is not in any of the
conditions in Section 2.3.3 of the Practical Guide.
7. A document from the applicants managing body confirming the name of the authorized legal
representative of the organisation with the power of attorney to sign the grant contract and decision to
co-finance the implementation of the Action.
8. Where the applicants/co-applicants and affiliated entities are Egyptian non-governmental
organisations, documentary proof that the organisations are registered with the Ministry of Social
Solidarity and have permissions to receive the grant.
9. A plan of all permits and authorization needed to legally implement the project.
10. A permit from the owners of premises and/or land allowing the use of lands/premises for the
implementation of the proposed action.
11. All official permits/approvals (e.g. from the ministries, directorates) required for the implementation 37.
12. In case the action is co-financed by a third party a legally binding co-financing agreement has to be
submitted, too. The co-financing agreement should contain the following conditional clause: The cofinancing agreement is subject to the condition that the applicant will be awarded a grant by the
Contracting Authority.
36

This obligation does not apply to natural persons who have received a scholarship or that are in most need in
receipt of direct support, nor to public bodies and to international organisations. It does not apply either when the
accounts are in practice the same documents as the external audit report already provided pursuant to section 2.4.2.

37

In the case that official permits/approvals have not been granted by the respective authorities the Applicant need to
provide a risk analyses on the likeliness of receiving the necessary permits/approvals once the Grant Contract has
been signed.
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13. A partnership agreement signed between the lead applicant and the project partners involved in the
action (i.e. the co-applicants and associates).
Note: The Contracting Authority may request further information and/or documentation during any stage of
the call for proposals.
Documents must be supplied in the form of originals, photocopies or scanned versions (i.e. showing legible
stamps, signatures and dates) of the said originals.
Where such documents are not in one of the official languages of the European Union or in the language of
the country where the action is implemented, a translation into the language of the call for proposals of the
relevant parts of these documents proving the lead applicant's and, where applicable, co-applicants' and
affiliated entity(ies)' eligibility, must be attached for the purpose of analysing the application.
Where these documents are in an official language of the European Union other than the language of the Call
for Proposals, it is strongly recommended, in order to facilitate the evaluation, to provide a translation of the
relevant parts of the documents, proving the lead applicant's and, where applicable, co-applicants' and
affiliated entity(ies)' eligibility, into the language of the Call for Proposals.
If the abovementioned supporting documents are not provided before the deadline indicated in the request for
supporting documents sent to the lead applicant by the Contracting Authority, the application may be
rejected.
After verifying the supporting documents, the evaluation committee will make a final recommendation to the
Contracting Authority, which will decide on the award of grants.
NB: In the eventuality that the Contracting Authority is not satisfied with the strength, solidity, and
guarantee offered by the structural link between one of the applicants and its affiliated entity, it can
require the submission of the missing documents allowing for its conversion into co-applicant. If all
the missing documents for co-applicants are submitted, and provided all necessary eligibility criteria
are fulfilled, the above mentioned entity becomes a co-applicant for all purposes. The lead applicant
has to submit the application form revised accordingly.

10. NOTIFICATION
10.1.1.

OF THE

CONTRACTING AUTHORITYS

DECISION

Content of the decision

The lead applicants will be informed in writing of the Contracting Authoritys decision concerning their
application and, if rejected, the reasons for the negative decision.
An applicant believing that it has been harmed by an error or irregularity during the award process may
lodge a complaint. See further section 2.4.15 of the Practical Guide.

10.1.2.

Indicative timetable

DATE

TIME

1. Information meeting (if any)

08. March 2016

10:30 a.m.

2. Deadline for requesting any clarifications

from the Contracting Authority

10. March 2016

4.00 p.m.

3. Last date on which clarifications are issued

by the Contracting Authority

20. March 2016

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4. Deadline for submission of Concept Notes

31. March 2016

4.00 p.m.

5. Information to lead applicants on opening,

administrative checks and concept note
evaluation (Step 1)

10. May 2016

6. Invitations to submit full applications

10. May 2016

7. Deadline for submission of full applications

26. June 2016

4.00 p.m.

8. Information to lead applicants on the

evaluation of the full applications (Step 2)

04. Sept. 2016

9. Notification of award (after the eligibility

check) (Step 3)

25. Sept. 2016

10.Contract signature

25. Oct. 2016

All times are in the time zone of the country of the Contracting Authority.
This indicative timetable refers to provisional dates (except for dates 2, 3, and 4) and may be updated by the
Contracting Authority during the procedure. In such cases, the updated timetable will be published on the
website of the European Delegation to the Arab Republic of Egypt:
http://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/egypt/grants_tenders/grants/index_en.htm,
http://ww.facebook.com/EUDelegationegypt
Contracting Authority website: http://egypt-urban.net/grants-calls-for-proposals

11. CONDITIONS

FOR IMPLEMENTATION AFTER THE

DECISION TO AWARD A GRANT

CONTRACTING AUTHORITYS

Following the decision to award a grant, the beneficiary(ies) will be offered a contract based on the standard
grant contract (see Annex G of these guidelines). By signing the application form (Annex A of these
guidelines), the applicants agree, if awarded a grant, to accept the contractual conditions of the standard grant
contract. Where the Coordinator is an organisation whose pillars have been positively assessed, it will sign a
PA Grant Agreement based on the PAGoDA template. In this case references to provisions of the standard
grant contract and its annexes shall not apply. References in these guidelines to the grant contract shall be
understood as references to the relevant provisions of the PA Grant Agreement.
Implementation contracts
Where implementation of the action requires the beneficiary(ies) and its affiliated entity(ies) (if any) to
award procurement contracts, those contracts must be awarded in accordance with Annex IV to the standard
grant contract.

12. LIST OF ANNEXES

DOCUMENTS TO BE COMPLETED
Annex A:

Grant Application Form (Word format)

Annex B:

Budget (Excel format)

Annex C:

Logical Framework

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Annex D:

Legal Entity Sheet38

Annex E:

Financial identification form

DOCUMENTS FOR INFORMATION39

Annex G:

Standard Grant Contract

- Annex II:
- Annex IV:
- Annex V:
- Annex VI(i):
- Annex VI(ii):
- Annex VI(iii):
- Annex VI(iv):
- Annex VII:
- Annex VIII:
- Annex IX:
- Annex X:

General Conditions
Contract Award Procedures
Standard Request for Payment
Tri-monthly Progress Report (report needs to be filled in the MIS)*
Interim Narrative Report (report needs to be filled in the MIS)*
Final Narrative Report (report needs to be filled in the MIS)*
Interim and Final Financial Report
Terms of reference for an expenditure verification of an EU financed grant contract
for external action
Pre-financing Guarantee Form
Standard Template for Transfer of Ownership of Assets
Maps of Boundaries of the Target Areas

* Reports (i.e. tri-monthly, interim and final report) need to be filled in the electronic Management
Information System and the electronic Financial Management Information System provided by
the Contracting Authority for selected Grant Beneficiaries.
Annex H:

Daily allowance rates (Per diem), available at the following address:

http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/funding/about-procurement-contracts/procedures-and-practicalguide-prag/diems_en

Annex J:

Information on the tax regime applicable to grant contracts signed under the call.

Annex K:

Guidelines and Checklist for assessing Budget and Simplified cost options.

Useful links:
Supporting Documents
http://egypt-urban.net/grants/third-call-for-proposals/
Project Cycle Management Guidelines
http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/aid-delivery-methods-project-cycle-management-guidelines-vol-1_en
The implementation of grant contracts
A Users' Guide
http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/companion/document.do?nodeNumber=19&locale=en
Financial Toolkit
http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/funding/procedures-beneficiary-countries-and-partners/financial-managementtoolkit_en
Please note: The toolkit is not part of the grant contract and has no legal value. It merely provides general
guidance and may in some details differ from the signed grant contract. In order to ensure compliance with
their contractual obligations beneficiaries should not exclusively rely on the toolkit but always consult their
individual contract documents.
38

Only applicable where the European Commission will make the payments under the contracts to be signed.
These documents should also be published by the Contracting Authority.
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