“Local Development, Poverty Reduction and Enhanced Roma Inclusion” Programme financed by EEA and Norway Grants 2014-2021

Fondul Român de Dezvoltare Socială (FRDS) Strada Eugeniu Carada nr. 1, et.3, sector 3, București, România

Tel/Fax: (0040) 021 315 34 15; E-mail: office@frds.ro; Web: www.frds.ro

CALL NO. 2

“INCLUSIVE EDUCATION

FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH AT RISK”

- OPEN CALL FOR PROPOSALS -

Launched on December 12th, 2018

Deadline for projects submission: May 28th, 2019

BUCHAREST, 2019

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CONTENTS

1. General information on the Programme .................................................................... 2

2. Open call for proposals “Inclusive Education for Children and Youth at Risk” .... 3

2.1 Expected results ...................................................................................................... 4

2.2 Financial allocation .................................................................................................. 7

2.3 Grant rate and private contribution .......................................................................... 7

2.4 Project duration and implementation period ............................................................ 8

2.5 Eligible Project Promoters ....................................................................................... 8

2.6 Eligible partners ....................................................................................................... 9

2.7 Eligibility of target groups and beneficiaries .......................................................... 11

2.8 Eligible activities .................................................................................................... 13

2.9 Eligible costs ......................................................................................................... 16

2.10 Excluded costs ................................................................................................... 17

2.11 Durability of projects ........................................................................................... 18

3. Projects verification, evaluation, selection and contracting ................................. 18

3.1 Formal verification ................................................................................................. 18

3.2 Content evaluation................................................................................................. 19

3.3 Projects selection and approval ............................................................................. 23

3.4 Applicants notification ............................................................................................ 24

3.5 Appeals procedure ................................................................................................ 24

3.6 Projects contracting ............................................................................................... 24

3.7 Reporting and payment system ............................................................................. 24

4. Preparation and submission of the project proposal ............................................. 24

4.1 Help-desk services and information seminars ....................................................... 24

4.2 Project proposal file preparation ............................................................................ 25

4.3 Project proposal submission .................................................................................. 25

5. Further useful information ........................................................................................ 26

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Preamble

This document aims to provide the necessary information for potential applicants (Project Promoters – PP) under the call for proposals “Inclusive Education for Children and Youth at Risk”, a call launched on December 12th, 2018, by the Romanian Social Development Fund (RSDF), under the Programme “Local Development, Poverty Reduction and Enhanced Roma Inclusion” (hereinafter referred to as the Programme).

Before filling-in your application, we recommend that you make sure you have gone through all the information presented in this document and in the Guide for Applicants, and that you have understood all the aspects related to the specificity of the projects financed by EEA and Norway Grants 2014-2021 and the manner of their implementation1.

1. General information on the Programme

The Programme is financed by means of EEA and Norway Grants 2014-2021 and is implemented by the Romanian Social Development Fund - RSDF (as Programme Operator – PO) in partnership with the Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities (KS), as Donor Project Partner and with the Council of Europe (CoE), as International Partner Organization.

The objectives of the EEA and Norway Grants 2014-2021 are to contribute to the reduction of economic and social disparities in the European Economic Area and to strengthen the bilateral relations between the Donor States (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) and the beneficiary states by financing five priority areas:

1. Innovation, research, education and competitiveness

2. Social inclusion, youth employment and poverty reduction

3. Environment, energy, climate changes and an economy with low carbon emissions

4. Culture, civil society, good governance and fundamental rights and

5. Justice and home affairs

The programme covers 5 of the 23 Programme areas covered by the EEA and Norway Grants 2014-2021, respectively:

Area no 7 Roma Inclusion and Empowerment

Area no 8 Children and Youth at Risk

Area no 10 Local Development and Poverty Reduction

Area no 16 Good Governance, Accountable Institutions, Transparency

Aria no 17 Human Rights –National Implementation

The overall objective of the programme is to actively contribute to strengthening the economic and social cohesion at national and local level in Romania and to strengthening the bilateral relations with the Donor States. In this respect, the PO facilitates and encourages the establishment of partnerships between entities from Romania and the Donor States Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.

The Programme has a total value of 82,352,941 Euro, out of which:

- 25,000,000 Euro financing from EEA Grants 2014-2021 - 45,000,000 Euro financing from Norway Grants 2014-2021

1 An indicative list of documents is presented at the end of this call text, as well as the addresses of the web pages where these documents can be consulted.

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- 12,352,941 Euro financing from the Romanian state budget (15% co-financing)

During the implementation of the programme, the principles of cost-effectiveness, transparency and responsibility in the management of the funds should be observed to the highest degree, and also the principles of good governance, sustainability of results, ensuring equal opportunities and of gender, must be observed. All the projects shall apply the values and fundamental principles of the European Union and the Council of Europe (e.g.: respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, respect for the rule of law and human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities etc.). The programme will be conducted in accordance with applicable national and European law, as well as the specific rules applicable to the EEA and Norway Grants 2014-2021.

2. Open call for proposals “Inclusive Education for Children and Youth at Risk”

This call for project proposals falls under the programme area no. 8 “Children and Youth at Risk” and contributes to the achievement of the Programme outcome “enhanced social inclusion of children and youth” in Romania.

The projects will promote inclusive education, defined as “the permanent process of improvement of the educational institutions, with the aim to use the existing resources, especially the human resources, in order to support the participation in education of all the persons within a community”.2

The projects will contribute to ensuring the access of children and youth at risk to an inclusive and equitable quality education, according to their individual needs. According to the Recommendation CM/Rec(2012)13 of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers3, “quality education” is defined as an education which:

a. gives access to learning to all pupils and students, particularly those in vulnerable or disadvantaged groups, adapted to their needs as appropriate;

b. provides a secure and non-violent learning environment in which the rights of all are respected;

c. develops each pupil’s and student’s personality, talents and mental and physical abilities to their fullest potential and encourages them to complete the educational programmes in which they enrol;

d. promotes democracy, respect for human rights and social justice in a learning environment which recognises everyone’s learning and social needs;

e. enables pupils and students to develop appropriate competences, self-confidence and critical thinking to help them become responsible citizens and improve their employability;

f. passes on universal and local cultural values to pupils and students while equipping them also to make their own decisions;

g. certifies outcomes of formal and non-formal learning in a transparent way based on fair assessment enabling acquired knowledge and competences to be recognised for further study, employment and other purposes;

h. relies on qualified teachers who are committed to continuous professional development;

i. is free of corruption.

2 Development of inclusive practices in schools. Managerial guide, UNICEF-MEN, Bucharest, 1999; HG no. 1251/2005; Order no. 5573/2016 of MENCS 3 Available at: https://search.coe.int/cm/Pages/result_details.aspx?ObjectID=09000016805c94fb

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2.1 Expected results

The projects funded under this call shall contribute to achieving the following programme results4:

No Expected programme

results

Indicator Unit of measure-

ment

Source of verificatio

n

Target value at

programme level

Target value at

call level

Outcome 2

Enhanced social inclusion of children and youth

Number of children or youth with special education needs that have received support services (during project implementation, data will be reported disaggregated by Roma, gender)

Number PP’s records

700 440

Number of children or youth at risk of early-school leaving that have received support services (during project implementation, data will be reported disaggregated by Roma, gender)

Number PP’s records

7.000 4400

Number of children or youth that have improved their school attendance by at least 10% (during project implementation, data will be reported disaggregated by Roma, gender)

Number School records

2.800 1800

Rate of transition to lower secondary education (ISCED 2) in supported schools

Percentage

School records

PP’s records

(+1%) (+1%)

Rate of transition to higher secondary education (IXth grade) (ISCED 3) in supported schools

Percentage

School records

PP’s records

(+1%) (+1%)

Output 2.1

Support services provided to

Number of counties where educational or social services were provided to children

Number PP’s records

10 10

4 The pre-defined project “Sustainable social and education integration through sport activities”, to be implemented by the Bucharest National University for Physical Education and Sports (UNEFS), in partnership with the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences (NIH), will also contribute to these expected results

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No Expected programme

results

Indicator Unit of measure-

ment

Source of verificatio

n

Target value at

programme level

Target value at

call level

children or youth at risk

or youth with special education needs

Number of counties where support services were provided to children or youth at risk of early-school leaving

Number PP’s records

30 30

Output 2.2

Teachers trained in providing education services to children and youth at risk

Number of teachers trained in working with children and youth at risk of early-school leaving (during project implementation, data will be reported disaggregated by gender, Roma)

Number List of training

participants

1.400 860

Number of teachers trained in working with children and youth with special education needs (during project implementation, data will be reported disaggregated by gender, Roma)

Number List of training

participants

460 400

Output 2.3

Outreach provided to parents of children or youth at risk

Number of parents of children or youth at risk of early-school leaving reached

Number PP’s records

2.000 1460

Number of parents of children or youth with special education needs reached

Number PP’s records

400 140

Bilateral outcome

Enhanced collaboration between Beneficiary and Donor States entities involved in the programme

Level of satisfaction with the partnership (data reported disaggregated by Beneficiary State, Donor State)

Scale 1-7 Survey results made by FMO

≥ 4.5, and an increase

in the baseline

≥ 4.5, and an

increase in the

baseline

Level of trust between cooperating entities in Beneficiary State and Donor States (data reported disaggregated by Beneficiary State, Donor State)

Scale 1-7 Survey results made by FMO

≥ 4.5, and an increase

in the baseline

≥ 4.5, and an

increase in the

baseline

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Share of cooperating organizations that apply the knowledge acquired from bilateral partnership (data reported disaggregated by Beneficiary State, Donor State)

Percentage

Survey results made by FMO

60% 60%

Number of letters of intent on future collaboration

Number PP’s records

25 -

Bilateral output 1

Exchanges5 between Beneficiary and Donor States entities supported

Number of participants from Beneficiary States in exchanges6 (data reported disaggregated by gender, Donor State)

Number List of participants

200 -

Bilateral output 2

Professional exchanges with representatives of relevant entities from Romania and Donor States supported

Number of participants from Donors States involved in exchanges7 (data reported disaggregated by gender, Donor State)

Number List of participants

30 -

The methodology for measuring the programme result indicators (outcome și outputs) is presented in the Guide for Applicants.

The Call supports large-scale projects, developed at regional (at least two counties from the same development region), multi-regional (at least two counties from different development regions) or national level, targeting a high number of beneficiaries. The proposed measures and actions have to be adapted to the existing specific conditions in the implementation area, to take into account the provisions of European and national strategic documents relevant for the inclusive education field and to be developed in a participatory and integrated manner, with the aim to achieve concrete results at the level of the final beneficiaries, both during the project implementation and on medium and long term (depending on the size and complexity of the project).

The projects shall be in compliance with the non-segregation principle, meaning that the grant can not be used for creating new, segregated services, or for developing/maintaining existing segregated services, that separate/isolate the vulnerable target groups from the rest of the community, with the exception of situations in which the project proposal demonstrates that the desegregation measures are not possible for objective reasons and the proposed actions, of enhancing the educational

5 See the provisions of the FMO Guide “Core indicators 2014-2021” regarding the programmes/activities considered to be “exchanges”. 6. Individuals from Beneficiary State who participated in exchange programmes/activities between the Beneficiary State and a Donor State and completed such programmes/activities. 7 Individuals from Donors States (Norway, in this case) who participated in exchange programmes/activities between the Donor State and the Beneficiary State and completed such programmes/activities.

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services, are accompanied by measures that will lead to creating or consolidating the relations between the vulnerable group and the rest of the community.

Moreover, the present Call encourages projects that promote the desegregation principle, i.e. measures that lead to the integration in community of children and youth from vulnerable groups. These projects will receive specific points in evaluation.

Considering the significant funding available for an individual project, the proposals submitted/funded under this Call and addressing the main target group “children and youth at risk of school dropout/early-school leaving” shall mandatorily contribute to increasing with at least 1% at least one of the following programme outcome indicators:

rate of transition to lower secondary education (ISCED 2) in supported schools8;

rate of transition to higher secondary education (IXth grade) (ISCED 3) in supported schools9.

Projects implementedin communities from rural areas, with at least 75% of the main target group(s) members living in rural areas, will receive specific points in evaluation.

The contribution of each project to achieving the other expected results must be proportional with the requested grant, the average cost per beneficiary from the main target groups being estimated at 1,770 Euro10.

The minimum number of beneficiaries from the main target groups is of 285 persons per project.

In determining the number of project beneficiaries, the PP shall take into account that the project must have a reasonable balance between the expected results and the estimated costs, aspect which will be considered in evaluation. Therefore, it is recommended that PP pursues a proper balance between the number and complexity of interventions, the type/complexity and the length of an intervention for the same beneficiary, the expected impact, in correlation with the requested budget and the contribution to the expected results of the programme.

2.2 Financial allocation

The total amount allocated to this call is 8,581,978 Euro, including Norway Grants 2014-2021 (85%) and public co-financing (15%).

The minimum amount that can be requested for the implementation of one project is 500,000 Euro, and the maximum amount is 1,500,000 Euro.

2.3 Grant rate and private contribution

The grant rate shall normally be 100% of the project eligible expenses except where the PP is a non-governmental organization11 (NGO), when the grant rate is maximum 90% of the project eligible

8 The rate of transition to lower secondary education (ISCED 2) in supported schools is defined as the number of graduates of the IVth grade in supported schools enrolled in the Vth grade in a given year, expressed as a percentage of the number of students enrolled in the IVth grade in supported schools in the previous year. 9 The rate of transition to higher secondary education (IXth grade) (ISCED 3) in supported schools is defined as the number of graduates of the VIIIth grade in supported schools enrolled in the first grade of higher secondary education/IXth grade (high school and vocational education) in a given year, expressed as a percentage of the number of students enrolled in the VIIIth grade in supported schools in the previous year. 10 Taking into account the present call’s estimated number of beneficiaries from the main target groups (4,840) and the allocated costs (8,581,978 Euro), an average cost per beneficiary of ~1,770 Euro results. As a result, for example, a 500,000 Euro project should target at least 285 beneficiaries from the main target groups. 11 According to Art. 1.6.1 (n) of the applicable Regulation, a non-governmental organization is a legal, voluntary, non-profit, non-commercial entity, independent of local, regional and central government, public

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expenses (minimum 10% to be provided by the applicant and/or partners, in accordance with the Partnership Agreement concluded).

In compliance with Art. 6.4.5 of the Regulation on the Implementation of the Norwegian Financial Mechanism 2014-2021 (Regulation), contribution in kind in the form of voluntary work is possible for the projects implemented by NGOs. This contribution may not exceed 50% of the co-financing the PP and/or partners have to provide (for further details on the basis for calculating the unit prices for voluntary work, please refer to the Guide for Applicants). The rest of the contribution is in cash.

2.4 Project duration and implementation period

In determining the duration of the project, the PP shall take into account the limits set by the programme (the minimum and/or maximum duration of a project, the latest date for finalizing the implementation of the project), the application of procurement procedures, the specificity of the reporting and payment system, but also the individual aspects of the project (types of activities and impact on target groups, types and level of estimated costs).

The recommended date for finalizing the implementation of projects financed under the programme is March 31, 2023 and the recommended duration of a project is between 18 and 36 months.

2.5 Eligible Project Promoters

In compliance with the provisions of the Programme Agreement, under the call for proposals “Inclusive Education for Children and Youth at Risk” the eligible project promoters are legal persons established in Romania, according to applicable national legislation:

1. public entities (for ex., central and local public authorities, including agencies, structures/other bodies in their subordination/coordination and other public bodies with responsibilities in the project field, educational institutions).

2. nongovernmental organisations12 (NGOs).

Eligible PPs can submit in this capacity one single proposal under this Call. At the level of the entire Programme, one PP can receive funding for maximum two projects13.

The entities in one of the following situations are not entitled to receive a project grant:

o are bankrupt, are under the administration of a judicial authority or under liquidation procedures, have suspended their business activities, are the subject of proceedings concerning the above mentioned matters, or are in any similar situation arising from a similar procedure applied under the provisions of the national legislation or regulations;

o are guilty of serious professional misconduct proven by any means, which the PO can reasonably justify;

o have not fulfilled its obligations relating to the payment of social security contributions or payment of taxes to the state budget, in accordance with the legal provisions of the country in witch they are registered/established;

o are subject to a final legal judgment “res judicata”, for fraud, corruption, involvement in a criminal organization or any other illegal activity affecting the financial interests, without any evidence that they have taken in recent years corrective measures in this regard;

entities, political parties and trade organizations. Religious institutions and political parties are not considered as NGOs. 12 Under the present Call, an NGO is an entity established as a legal person in Romania that fulfills the conditions of the previously mentioned definition. 13 Projects submitted under the small grant scheme „Access to Funding”, in the framework of the Programme, are not considered.

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o they have been declared to be in a serious breach of the contractual obligations regarding procurement procedures or procedures for the award of grants;

o they are in a situation of a conflict of interest with the organization or persons directly or indirectly involved in the grant award procedure, regardless the moment when the PO ascertains this situation;

o they are guilty of serious misrepresentation occurred in the process of supplying the information required by the PO or fail to provide the requested information, regardless the moment when this situation occurs.

2.6 Eligible partners

The programme aims to support initiatives to strengthen the cooperation at different levels between public entities and the civil society, between entities in Romania and Donor States (Norway in this case). In this respect, partnership projects with entities from Romania and/or Norway are encouraged and will receive specific points in evaluation.

The Partners (from Romania and/or Norway) shall be actively involved and shall effectively contribute to the implementation of the project, sharing with PP the joint goal which is to be achieved through the implementation of the project. In this respect, it is recommended that partners have the capacity to act in the project's area, in accordance with the role assumed and in accordance with their legal responsibilities or status.

Under this Call, the following public or private legal entities are eligible as partners:

a. from Romania: public entities, associations of local authorities14 and nongovernmental organisations, established as Romanian legal persons, including local action groups (GAL)

b. from Norway: any public or private entity, for profit or not-for-profit, as well as nongovernmental organisations established as legal persons in Norway.

In case of partners from Romania, the same entity can be project partner in maximum two projects submitted under this call (in case it has submitted one project as PP, it can act as project partner in only one other project) and in up to three projects submitted under this programme15 (in these cases, it must prove that it has the necessary capacity to carry out the assumed tasks, with the available resources).

The entities in one of the following situations are not entitled to be partners in the project:

o are bankrupt, are under the administration of a judicial authority or under liquidation procedures, have suspended their business activities, are the subject of proceedings concerning the above mentioned matters, or are in any similar situation arising from a similar procedure applied under the provisions of the national legislation or regulations;

o are guilty of serious professional misconduct proven by any means, which the PO can identify or reasonable justify;

o have not fulfilled its obligations relating to the payment of social security contributions or payment of taxes to the state budget, in accordance with the legal provisions of the country in witch they are registered/established;

14 Under the present Call, the associations of local authorities fulfill the same conditions as the previously defined NGOs, except the fact that they are not independent from local, regional or central authorities. 15 Projects submitted under the small grant scheme „Access to Funding”, in the framework of the Programme, are not considered.

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o are subject to a final legal judgment “res judicata”, for fraud, corruption, involvement in a criminal organization or any other illegal activity affecting the financial interests, without any evidence that they have taken in recent years corrective measures in this regard;

o they have been declared to be in a serious breach of the contractual obligations regarding procurement procedures or procedures for the award of grants;

o they are in a situation of a conflict of interest with the organization or persons directly or indirectly involved in the grant award procedure, regardless the moment when the PO ascertains this situation;

o they are guilty of serious misrepresentation occurred in the process of supplying the information required by the PO or fail to provide the requested information, regardless the moment when this situation occurs.

Selection of partners

The creation and implementation of the partnership will comply with the applicable national and EU legislation on public procurement, Article 8.15 of the Regulation, as well as the provisions of Chapter V, Article 14 of Government Emergency Ordinance No. 34/2017.

Article 14 of Government Emergency Ordinance No. 34/2017 foresees that Romanian public entities acting as PPs must, when selecting Romanian NGOs to act as project partners, apply a transparent and non-discriminatory partner selection procedure. The selection methodology has to be prepared by the PP and approved by the legal representative of the PP. The PP is entirely responsible for the partner selection process and will have to declare to the PO that it has complied with the applicable legal provisions.

Partnership agreement

The PP will sign a Partnership Agreement with the project partners (recommended template provided in the Guide for Applicants). The Partnership Agreement must clearly set out the roles, responsibilities and budget of the parties, coordinating bodies, financial arrangements between the parties etc. (see Article 7.7 of the Regulation). The Partnership Agreement will be submitted in draft as an appendix to the project proposal and will be finalized and signed by the partners before signing the project financing contract. For partners from Norway, a letter of intent is also required when submitting the application (see the recommended template provided by PO in the Guide for Applicants).

Collaboration agreement

If there are other entities that do not have the status of partners and do not receive a budget from the project grant but support the project and are to be involved in the implementation (e.g. schools, local or central public authorities, decentralized public services etc.), the PO recommends the conclusion of a Collaboration agreement, either prior to submitting the application (to be annexed to the application) or during the project, after identifying/selecting them. However, in case of projects addressing the main target group „children and youth at risk of school dropout/early school living”, Collaboration agreements with targeted schools, who are not partners in the project and in which at least one of the “rate of transition” type programme indicators will be measured, is mandatory to be submitted with the application.

Funds for bilateral relations

During the project proposal preparation period, the PO can provide to entities from Norway and Romania that are eligible under the call, in the framework of a call for bilateral activities proposals, funds for the organization of bilateral activities with the purpose to facilitate partnership relations, respectively to prepare and/or conclude a partnership agreement for the project, and to effectively and jointly prepare the project application. The bilateral activities may be organized in Norway or in

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Romania. The maximum amount that may be claimed by an applicant for a bilateral initiative is 5,000 Euro. More details on how to access these funds can be found on PO’s website: http://frds.ro/index.php?id=126

2.7 Eligibility of target groups and beneficiaries

The projects submitted under the present call for proposals shall mandatorily address the needs of at least one of the following main target groups:

children and youth at risk of school dropout/early-school leaving, aged 3 to 2416;

children and youth with special education needs, aged 3 to 2417.

The following secondary target groups may also benefit from project activities:

parents/tutors and family members of children and youth from the main target groups;

staff from the educational system (teaching staff, auxiliary staff, managers and administrative staff, school counsellors etc.), working with children and youth from the main target groups;

specialists/volunteers from the field of social services, involved in the provision of social services to children and youth from the main target groups.

In order to promote inclusive education and social inclusion, and to increase the impact of support measures addressed to children and youth from the main target groups, the following other secondary target groups can benefit from specific project activities, from case to case:

children aged 3-15 and youth aged 15-24 who are not in the above mentioned at risk situations, but interact with children and youth from the main target groups (attend the same school or the same service, live in the same community);

parents of children and youth who are not in the above mentioned at risk situations, but interact with the children and youth from the main target groups;

other community members.

PP will describe in the project proposal the criteria and the selection process of the persons composing the target groups, in compliance with the equal opportunities principle. Projects addressing the needs of both main target groups, as well as projects addressing the needs of secondary target groups, will receive specific points in evaluation.

Children and youth at risk of school dropout/early school leaving, from the main target group, may be found, in one of the following indicative vulnerable situations:

- children of preschool age, who have not been enrolled in kindergarten or who need support for being retained in the educational system;

- children and youth of school age, from the primary, lower and upper secondary education, including from vocational education, who are at risk of school dropout, as well as children and youth who have prematurely left the educational system;

- children and youth from families with a low socioeconomic status (poor), especially from rural

16 Maximum age up to which a person can be a member of the target group of the project.

17 In case of youth with SEN who have reduced mobility and are home-schooled during the compulsory education, according to Order no 5573/2011 of MECTS regarding the approval of the Regulation of organisation and functioning of special and special-integrated education, the maximum age of eligibility for project services is 30 years old.

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areas;

- Roma children and youth;

- children who have one or both parents abroad for work or remigrated children, who need support for school and social reintegration after they have returned from abroad;

- children from disorganised and single parent families;

- children from protection institutions or who benefit from another protection measure;

- children of migrants/refugees in Romania.

Children and youth with special education needs (SEN) from the main target group may be found in one of the following indicative vulnerable situations:

- children and youth with SEN and/or disabilities not participating in education;

- children and youth certified with a disability degree and possessing a certificate of educational/vocational guidance issued by the Commissions for educational and vocational guidance (COSP) under the county/Bucharest resource and educational assistance centres (CJRAE/CMBRAE), these children having both disability and SEN;

- children and youth certified with a disability degree and not possessing a certificate of educational/vocational guidance issued by the COSP, these being either children who have both disability and SEN and for which the parents/tutors do not request educational guidance, or children and youth with a severe disability, in relation with which the educational support is mainly directed to the full development of their human potential, of their mental and physical abilities, of their personality, talents and creativity;

- children and youth not certified with a disability degree and possessing a certificate of educational/vocational guidance issued by the COSP, these being either children who have both disability and SEN and for which the parents/tutors do not request disability certification, or children having only SEN;

- children not certified with a disability and not possessing a certificate of educational/vocational guidance issued by the COSP, these being children with both disability and SEN, for which the parents/tutors do not request neither educational guidance, nor disability certification;

- other children and youth whose development of their personal competences is at risk, with learning, development or school adaptation difficulties, who may face at a certain point a situation of school failure or dropout risk, identified as such by specialised staff (teachers, school counsellors, speech therapists etc.), but who are not yet certified with SEN and/or disability, therefore not benefitting yet from specialised support;

- children and youth capable of high performance (overgifted), who demonstrate potential gains and/or abilities (for ex., general intellectual capacity, specific academic aptitudes, creative or productive thinking, leadership capacity, visual and representative arts capacities, psycho-motric capacities), who do not benefit from a favourable social-family-cultural environment, who have special needs in terms of information, social interaction, social integration, expressing their potential, who need educational alternatives that match their learning style, their way of social interaction and personality traits (different/specialised curriculum, individualised learning paths, trained teachers, mentoring and tutoring programmes, differentiated education centres).

From the participation in the educational system point of view, children and youth at risk may be found in one of the following situations: integrated in mainstream education; attending special education, including special vocational education; attending non-typical education forms (homeschooling, hospital schools etc); or not participating in education.

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2.8 Eligible activities

The project activities will contribute to achieving programme and specific project level indicators, according to a methodology that will be described in the project proposal.

The projects will mandatorily include activities from at least one of the first two categories mentioned below (Support measures for combating and preventing school dropout/early school leaving, Support measures for children and youth with SEN and/or disabilities), depending on the main target group(s) that it addresses, along with complementary activities, from the other categories, justified in relation with the needs of the main and secondary target groups.

The projects may also propose other types of activities, with the condition that they are justified in relation with the target groups needs and that they contribute to achieving the project indicators.

Support measures for combating and preventing school dropout/early school leaving and improving retention in the educational system, from the categories of prevention, intervention and compensation measures, centered on school, as vector of a equitable and inclusive quality education:

identification and monitoring children and youth at risk of school dropout/early school leaving and of those who have prematurely left school, based on specific methodologies, recognised in the field or developed by project partners;

educational support services for stimulating school participation and preventing dropout/early school leaving in preschool, primary and secondary education, both during the school programme and after school, as well as for school reintegration, such as: school mediation, educational and vocational counselling and guidance; activities for development of socio-emotional skills, including by promotion of success models and self-esteem; literacy, remedial activities, “school after school” type activities, ”second chance” type activities etc;

innovative non-formal education and leisure activities: preventing school dropout/early school leaving through sport; creativity activities; anti-discrimination education, education for active citizenship, education for health, hygiene and nutrition, education for protection of the environment; excursions and thematic camps etc;

social services: social counselling, psychological counselling and emotional support etc;

basic medical services: school based medical/dental cabinet, activities for promoting basic hygiene rules, of increasing access to the minimum healthcare services for persons not included in the healthcare insurance system;

incentives for increasing the motivation and mobilisation of children and youth to participate in project activities (non-financial benefits for beneficiaries that participate in certain activities or for those with a constant participation in project activities, payment of transport expenses for attending school and non-formal education activities);

provision of information and counselling services to parents, parental education programmes, for raising awareness regarding their role in the education of the child etc.

Support measures for children and youth with SEN and/or disabilities:

activities that facilitate the identification and remediation of possible learning and psycho-behavioural difficulties, as a basis for providing required support measures;

care, assistance and abilitation/rehabilitation activities for children and youth with SEN and/or disabilities: medical recovery, kinetic therapy, speech therapy, psychological counselling/therapy, alternative therapies etc, as basis for increasing the quality of life and maximising child and youth potential;

educational support services, services complementary to education, social services and social interaction services for children and youth with SEN and/or disabilities, carried out in mainstream education, in non-typical contexts (homeschool, in hospitals etc), in special education environments or in relation with these (including provision of support teachers,

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speech therapists and other types of specialists involved in providing support services);

training of competences in the field of inclusive education and SEN/disability, including regarding the early detection, for teaching staff involved in various education forms for children and youth with SEN and/or disabilities, as well as for specialists/volunteers providing social services to these children and youth;

providing transport to school and to service provision facilities for children and youth with SEN and/or disabilities;

information and counselling for parents of children and youth with SEN and/or disabilities;

support for accommodation of parents/tutors with low incomes, who need to accompany their child in rehabilitation centres or hospice, respite care centres;

activities for children and youth capable of high performance (overgifted): development/review of curricula; selection of children and youth; activities in differentiated learning centres, mentoring and tutoring programmes, week-end schools, education camps, summer camps; trening programmes for specialists regarding specific teaching methods for youth capable of high performance etc.

Specific activities of improving the quality, relevance and accessibility of vocational and technical education, with the goal of preventing school dropout/early school leaving:

correlation of the educational offer with the demands of the labour market: updating programmes and curricula, developing new auxiliary training materials, adequate continous training of the teaching staff etc;

provision of services complementary to education: vocational information, counselling and guidance; non-formal education activities to develop soft skills, such as communication and assertiveness, team work, learning to learn, problem solving, coping with stress, self-confidence etc.

activities of developing sustainable partnerships between schools and the business environment, including for the set up of dual educational programmes, in order to increase the relevance of the educational system (including training managers of vocational and technical education institutions).

Activities of improving the educational and/or social infrastructure, justified in relation with the needs in the implementation area and the support measures provided to the main target groups:

ensuring or improving the basic conditions for the provision of the educational and/or social services in the project: construction, rehabilitation, extension and refurbishment of educational/social facilities: facilities for the prevention of school dropout/early school leaving through sport; practical workshops of the vocational and technical education institutions; student board/lodging facilities in school campuses; provision of utilities, sanitary conditions and heating etc. In well justified situations, procurement of buildings and land with the above mentioned destinations is also eligible;

procurement of furniture, equipments, didactic aids, devices and materials, vehicles for facilitating the participation of children and youth in project activities;

support measures to prevent and fight against environmental barriers: accessibility of the physical, informational and communication environment in the educational institutions and facilities where project services are provided to the target groups;

procurement of assistive technologies and devices - hardware (Braille devices, computer use devices for persons with reduced mobility etc) and software (voice recognition, website accessibility applications etc.) – and other types of equipment for facilitating the education process for children and youth with SEN and/or disabilities and the development of their authonomy and personal well-being.

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Material support for improving school participation and performance, health and nutrition of children and youth: school supplies, clothing and footwear, medical tests, vitamins, hygiene products, food etc. Meals offered to children and youth will meet the minimal legal provisions regarding the caloric content and health benefits.

PP will describe in the project the methodology for delivery of material support (selection criteria, conditions for continued aid provision etc) and will condition its delivery, in implementation, on school participation and performance indicators. Activities for development of human resources in educational institutions and in social service providers, aiming at increasing professional competences and educational-social intersectoral collaboration, with the final goal of reducing/prevention of school dropout/early school leaving and/or promoting inclusive education:

development of competences, such as training courses designed to contribute to reducing/prevention of early school leaving and/or promotion of inclusive education; development of curricula on recovery education and inclusive education, of innovative teaching methods and new learning materials that take into account the particular needs of children and youth from the target group and promote the principle of child participation; training courses on developing abilities of communication with children and youth and/or development of social-emotional abilities of children and youth, on monitoring the risk of school dropout/early school leaving, identification and referral to competent authorities of extra-school problems originating in the child family environment (domestic violence, neglect, abuse, labour exploitation etc.), with negative impact on school participation and performance, community involvement in school life, parental education etc;

creation and development of professional support networks, such as support networks, mentoring activities, experience exchanges and other best practice exchange activities for staff from the educational system and staff from the field of social services;

training of management staff from educational institutions in underpriviledged areas or special/special integrated educational system on how to implement and ensure sustainability of early school leaving prevention measures and promotion of inclusive education (review of school institutional development plans/operational plans aimed at improving quality in education and design of inclusive education measures, implementation of such measures etc).

Activities in this category are eligible only if they include both theoretical and practical activities, which are monitored by trainers or mentors along their implementation and whose contribution to achieving project indicators is demonstrated.

Projects that include the activity package for development of human resources will receive extra points in the evaluation phase. Information and awareness raising actions and campaigns on promoting inclusive education:

fighting against and prevention of discrimination based on race, nationality, ethnicity, disability, language, religion, belonging to a underpriviledged social category, as well as on any other criterion, fighting against violence in schools, including against speech violence;

information and awarenes campaigns regarding the need for education (family and community involvement will be encouraged);

support measures for fighting against attitude barriers regarding the school and social integration of children and youth with SEN and/or disabilities: information/training of students and their parents in inclusive education, in order to increase their capacity to understand and accept students with a different learning pace; information/training the teaching staff, auxiliary staff, managers and staff of social service providers on how to

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ensure an inclusive environment;

community information and awareness raising actions and campaigns regarding accepting diversity, social inclusion of children and youth with SEN and/or disabilities, promotion of social solidarity;

Studies, analyses, strategies, action plans etc. for designing and/or evaluating the impact of measures for combating and prevention of school dropout/early school leaving and/or promoting inclusive education.

Best practice exchange activities with entities from Norway in any of the above mentioned intervention areas.

Depending on their specificity, each service provided by the project will comply with the applicable legislation regarding accreditation/licensing/authorisation of its provider, responsibility which belongs to the providing institution. Meeting this criterion is an eligibility condition for project costs during implementation.

It is recommended that partners develop the project proposals, in a consultative manner, with potential beneficiaries and stakeholders from each field, aspect which will be described in the application.

In activities and methodologies, the projects will valorize potential sinergies with other EEA and Norway Grants 2014-2021 Programmes, in particular with Programme “European Public Health Challenges” (Programme Operator – Ministry of Health) and Programme “Active Citizens Fund” (Fund Administrator – Civil Society Development Foundation).

In order to avoid double funding, there are not eligible, under the present call, activities which fall under the PP/partners obligation to ensure sustainability of projects previously funded under RO10 Programme „Children and Youth at Risk and Local and Regional Initiatives to Reduce National Inequalities and to Promote Social Inclusion”, funded by EEA Grants 2009-2014.

2.9 Eligible costs

As a general implementation rule, the costs are eligible if they were made from the start date of the project (the date of signing the project financing contract) to the date of its closure (as defined in the financing contract, with the subsequent amendments and additions, as might be the case). At the end of the project, all the project activities will be completed and all the expenses will be incurred / committed. Further information on the general eligibility of costs can be found in the Regulation on the implementation of the Norwegian Financial Mechanism 2014-2021 (Chapter 8) and the Guide for Applicants.

The same rules on eligibility of costs apply to both PP and partner. All non-eligible costs shall be borne by the PP and/or its partners, as the case may be.

The budget of the project will be expressed in LEI with reference to the Infor Euro rate from the date of budget preparation and will include only eligible costs (direct costs, indirect costs and contingency costs).

The main categories of eligible costs are:

Direct costs

- The cost of staff assigned to the project, comprising actual salaries plus social security charges and other statutory costs included in the remuneration, provided that this corresponds to the Project Promoter’s and project partner’s usual policy on remuneration. The corresponding salary costs of staff of national administrations are eligible to the extent

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that they relate to the cost of activities which the relevant public authority would not carry out if the project concerned were not undertaken;

- Travel and subsistence allowances for staff taking part in the project. Having regard to the principle of proportionality, travel costs, including subsistence allowance, may be calculated as a lump sum, on the basis of defined rules approved by the Programme Operator;

- Cost of new or second hand equipment. In case the Programme Operator determines that the equipment is an integral and necessary component for achieving the outcomes of the project, the entire purchase price of that equipment may, by way of exception from the rule contained in paragraph 4 of Article 8.2, be eligible;

- Purchase of land and real estate under the conditions set in Article 8.6;

- Costs of consumables and supplies, provided that they are identifiable and assigned to the project;

- Costs entailed by other contracts awarded by a Project Promoter for the purposes of carrying out the project, provided that the awarding complies with the applicable rules on public procurement and this Regulation; and

- Costs arising directly from requirements imposed by the project contract for each project.

The investment costs include equipment costs, construction works costs, land and real estate purchasing costs. Depending on the objectives and complexity of each project, the investment costs shall be reasonable and proportionate to the effectiveness of objectives achievement, not exceeding 40% of the project total value. Purchase of real estate and/or land shall not exceed 10% of the total eligible expenditure of the project.

In the project budget, it is recommended to include proportionate, necessary and accurate costs in relation with its planned objectives, activities and results. In this respect, in support of the project proposed budget, the PP shall mandatorily present a justification of the estimated costs (detailed by type of costs and unit prices – see the annexes). The manner of drawing-up the budget shall be subject of the project evaluation and, if they deem as necessary, the evaluators may propose a budget revision.

Indirect costs18

For entities from Romania, the indirect costs of the project shall be determined either on the basis actual costs and shall be justified by the analytical accounting system (Art. 8.5, lit. a) of the Regulation), or on the basis of a flat rate calculation (Art. 8.5, lit. c). The indirect costs calculation method shall be stipulated in the project financing contract and in the Partnership agreement (if applicable). The entities from Norway may identify their indirect costs according to one of the methods mentioned in the Regulation (Article 8.5 Indirect costs in projects - overheads). The indirect costs calculating method cannot be changed during the project implementation.

Contingency

The maximum amount for these costs is 5% of the eligible direct costs. The contingency can only be used with the prior approval of the PO, and the available amounts shall be re-distributed to the other budget headings as their utilization is approved.

2.10 Excluded costs

Costs such as the following are not considered eligible:

18 Costs that cannot be directly attributed to the project and cannot be identified by the PP and/or project partners as directly attributable to the project but can be identified and justified by the accounting system as being committed in direct relation with the eligible direct costs of the project.

18

Interest on debt, debt service charges and late payment charges;

Charges for financial transactions and other purely financial costs, except costs related to accounts required by the FMC, the National Focal Point or the applicable law and costs of financial services imposed by the project contract;

Provisions for losses or potential future liabilities;

Exchange losses;

Recoverable VAT;

Costs that are covered by other sources;

Fines, penalties and costs of litigation, except where litigation is an integral and necessary component for achieving the outcomes of the project; and

Excessive or reckless expenditures.

2.11 Durability of projects

PP/partners will have to demonstrate the capacity to use the results also after the financing closing and to bear the cost of support services created/ developed by the project. In this regard, a plan on the sustainability of the project results shall be developed, according to the specific of the project. PP shall be guided by the aim of promoting sustainability of ensuring that the financial support provided to the project generates the maximum benefits to its target group and final beneficiaries. PP will also take into account the requirements of the Regulation (Art. 8.6 and 8.14).

The minimum post-completion operation for projects that involve investment in real estate and/or land (including renovation) and projects involving the purchase of equipment is of at least five years after the Programme Operator’s approval of the project completion report, period in which the real estate, land and/or equipment shall be used for the purpose of the project as described in the project contract. For the other projects, the minimum post-completion operation period is of three years.

Details on durability of projects and applicable conditions are provided in the Guide for Applicants.

3. Projects verification, evaluation, selection and contracting

As PO, RSDF is responsible for collecting applications, selecting projects to be funded and signing project contracts.

All projects selection and approval operations shall observe the principles of confidentiality and impartiality.

Project proposals received during the call will be analysed against specific criteria, following two steps: formal (administrative) verification and content evaluation.

3.1 Formal verification

At the formal verification stage, it is checked:

a) Administrative compliance Compliance criteria19 refer to:

compliance with the announced deadline

compliance with the required submission method;

all requested documents are attached and comply with the form requirements.

19 The first criterion is eliminatory, without the PO asking for clarification.

19

b) Compliance with eligibility criteria

The eligibility criteria20 refer to:

eligibility of the PP;

eligibility of the partners;

the requested amount falls within the set limits;

the duration and implementation period of the project is within the established limits (it does not exceed August 31st, 2022);

the number of beneficiaries from the main target groups meets the minimum level set by the call;

the number of counties where project is implemented meets the minimum level set by the call;

the projects addressing the main target group “children and youth at risk of school dropout/early-school leaving” contribute to increasing with at least 1% at least one of the following indicators: rate of transition to lower secondary education (ISCED 2) in supported schools or rate of transition to higher secondary education (IXth grade) (ISCED 3) in supported schools ;

the project includes activities from at least one of the first two mandatory categories mentioned in the call, according to the main target group(s) that it addresses;

project activities are in compliance with the non-segregation principle (according to Statement of compliance with the non-segregation principle);

project activities do not fall under the PP/partners obligation to ensure sustainability of projects previously funded under RO10 Programme „Children and Youth at Risk and Local and Regional Initiatives to Reduce National Inequalities and to Promote Social Inclusion”, funded by EEA Grants 2009-2014.

The projects proposals must fulfil all administrative and eligibility criteria in order to pass to the contents evaluation stage.

In case the provided information is not sufficient and clear enough to be able to make an objective decision as to whether a certain administrative conformity or eligibility criterion is fulfilled or not, the PO may send the PP requests for clarification and/or submission of additional documents. The PP will respond within 5 days of receipt of the PO (any document / clarification arriving after this deadline cannot be considered).

If one or more of the above criteria have not been met, the project proposal is rejected (either as administrative non-compliant or ineligible) being excluded from subsequent stages of the selection. The applicants of these projects proposals shall be notified within maximum 30 working days after the deadline for projects submission with regard to the results of the formal evaluation. The project proposals and all the documents related to the verification/clarifications shall be kept by the PO and some of the relevant data shall be recorded in the database (SMI).

The formal evaluation is performed by the PO’s specialists.

3.2 Content evaluation

The content evaluation is performed by independent experts, selected and contracted by the PO. The selection of these experts shall be performed based on criteria related to their qualification, competence and expertise in the social-educational field and in projects evaluation.Each project proposal that fulfils the administrative and eligibility criteria is evaluated by two independent and impartial experts. If the difference between the scores given by the two evaluators is more than 30% of the highest score, a third evaluator shall be appointed by the PO to perform an independent evaluation of the project. In such cases, the average of the nearest scores shall be considered for ranking the projects.

20 Idem.

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The main criteria on which the projects shall be evaluated are:

No Evaluation criteria Maximum score

1. Relevance of the project 25

1.1 Relevance to the programme The project is relevant to the objectives of the call/programme area and to the European and national strategic documents in the field21 – max. 3 points Project activities lead to the enforcement of the desegregation in education principle –2 points

5

1.2 Contribution to achieving the programme’s results The project addresses the main target group directly and has a significant number of beneficiaries from this group, contributing to the achievement of the quantitative indicators of the programme – max. 3 points The project contributes to achieving the programme indicator “Number of children or youth that have improved their school attendance by at least 10%” and the target for this indicator is of at least 40% of the number of children or youth from the main target group(s) – 2 points

5

1.3 The need for the project implementation The proposal clearly explains and proves the need for the project implementation and the emergency in intervention; the main target group(s) and its/their needs are clearly identified, defined, described and quantified. – max. 3 points At least 75% of the main target group(s) members live in rural areas –. 2 points

5

1.4 Relevance of the project to the needs of the target group/groups The project explains and argues the proposed approach (strategy, methodologies etc.), demonstrating the integrated and systemic character of the intervention Complementary activities are provided for the secondary target groups. The proposed activities/services are easily accessible to the target groups – max. 3 points The project addresses the needs of both main target groups – 2 points

5

1.5 Context/coherence/synergy with other initiatives The project identifies and describes other initiatives in the field, addressing the target groups in the implementation area, clearly demonstrates their correlation and complementarity and proves that there are no overlaps

5

2 Technical consistency/methodology 35

2.1 Project objectives The project objectives are properly identified and stated (SMART)

5

2.2 Project activities The activities are well chosen, realistic, feasible and contribute to the achievement of the project objectives, are clearly described in detail, and their planning is logical/adequate; the working methodologies are clear and coherent – max. 3 points The project includes the activity package for development of human resources – 2 points

5

21 See also the strategic and legislative framework applicable to the call, available on PO’s website www.frds.ro

21

2.3 Project results The outcomes are quantified and measurable through the provided indicators, the targets are realistic and describe real and achievable benefits during the project implementation; are correlated with both project objectives and activities, as well as programme indicators – max. 2 points The project achieves results in relation with the secondary target groups „parents” and „staff from the educational system”– 3 points

5

2.4 Stakeholders consultation The project demonstrates that it was developed in consultation with relevant stakeholders (e.g. members of the target groups, specialists,experts in inclusive education, community members) and envisages a consultation / information plan of these stakeholders for the implementation period – max. 3 points The project promotes the principle of „child participation” – 2 points

5

2.5 Visibility of the project The promotion and visibility activities are clearly described, adapted to the specificity of the target audience, project objectives and programme requirements

5

2.6 Innovation and added value The project contains elements of new and/or innovative approaches and clearly demonstrates the added value that it brings (the extent to which the project contributes to improving the access to services/measures corresponding to the needs of the target groups and produces effects on medium and long term)

5

2.7 Risks The project contains a pertinent risk analysis (determined by the organization’s external or internal environment – e.g. technical, financial, managerial, etc.) and the risks do not jeopardize the achievement of the project’s estimated results (the measures to prevent or mitigate their impact are appropriate)

5

3 Economic efficiency and sustainability 25

3.1 Budget justification and correlation with the planned activities The proposed costs are directly related to the activities and outcomes – it clearly and explicitly presents how the expenditure is calculated (unit costs and number of units, frequency and total expenditure are mentioned, there are no calculation mistakes etc.); complies with the applicable rules on wage policy, indirect costs, depreciation etc.

5

3.2 Costs proportionality and necessity The proposed costs are realistic, not excessive in relation to the objectives, are indispensable for the achievement of the estimated results and the cost/benefit ratio is positive (there are no cost over- or under-evaluation and the unit costs/budget prices are within reasonable limits for the profile market at the time, but also for the project specificity)

5

3.3 Material resources/spaces The allocated material resources and spaces are appropriate as nature, structure and size relative to the proposed activities and outcomes.

5

3.4 Sustainability of the results/project The project describes how the results shall be maintained (eg. identifies which activities will continue, mentionsthe capacity of the service after the end of the financing etc.); the sustainability plan is

5

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satisfactory (proportionality, feasibility, credibility) and is supported by documents

3.5 Development/multiplication of the results In addition to maintaining project results, the project's sustainability plan identifies and describes opportunities for developing and / or multiplying these outcomes after funding has ended (e.g. offers feasible / realistic solutions to broaden the sphere of intervention in terms of target groups, number of beneficiaries, geographical area, proposal for public policies at local/county/national level etc.)

5

4. Implementation capacity and partnership 15

4.1 Qualification and experience of specialised project staff The structure of the specialists team is appropriate for project implementation (number, types of jobs, functional relationships), with clearly defined responsibilities for each position, satisfactorily describing each role, and the allocated working time is appropriate; the specialized staff proposed for the project has the qualification/competencies and experience required for the activity to be carried out

5

4.2 Management experience and capacity in the call area PP has solid experience in project management. The structure of the management team is described; clear responsibilities are identified for each coordination team member, satisfactorily describing their role, and the allocated working time is appropriate; The proposed persons have relevant training and experience for the respective positions; There is a feasible plan for the financial management of the project, as well as for activities monitoring and reporting

5

4.3 Added value of the partnership The project is implemented in partnership and the partner/partners significantly contribute to the implementation, proving relevant experience and/or expertise in the project area in relation with the role undertaken (e.g.: have carried out similar activities and projects with external funding, have involved experts with relevant competencies and experience, each one acts in complementary areas and in synergy with the other partners). The role, responsibilities and budget of each partner are clearly specified in the Partnership Agreement – max 3 points The partnership includes public entities from the national education system, relevant for the project objectives – max. 2 points

5

Scor total 100

Each criterion is divided into sub-criteria. For each sub-criterion, the independent expert will award a score between 0 and 5 points, corresponding to degree of meeting the respective sub-criterion. In order to be eligible for funding, the project proposal must meet cumulatively the following conditions:

- to obtain, under criterion no. 1 Relevance of the project, minimum 3 points to each sub-criterion22; - obtain at least 3 points to each sub-criterion under criterion no. 3 Economic efficiency and

sustainability;

22 If, after verifying the first Criterion Relevance of the project, the funding proposal does not meet the requirement, then the project is rejected at this stage.

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- obtain at least 4 points for sub-criteria 4.1 and 4.2 under criterion no. 4 Implementation capacity and partnership;

- obtain a total score23 of at least 65 points of the 100 possible.

For ease of use, the final score obtained by each project shall be divided by 10.

After finalizing the desk evaluation, the List of projects (outlined in descending order of final scores), together with the most relevant evaluators' observations, will be drawn up. The PO will transmit the list to the Selection Committee (SC)24 members and they will decide on the on-site verification strategy. Depending on this decision, the PO will organize on-the-spot verification of the projects on behalf of the SC. The field verification may be performed either for all or for some of the projects proposed for financing. During the on-site visit, an independent evaluator will check the compliance between the information provided in the project file and the field reality. If deemed necessary, a technical expert will be involved to review the construction component.

Upon completion of the on-site verification, the List of projects is supplemented with the most relevant observations of field appraisers and is made available to SC members.

3.3 Projects selection and approval

The SC recommends to the PO the projects to be financed based on the conclusions of evaluation carried out by the independent evaluators and may modify the projects ranking in justified cases. The justification for the change shall be detailed in the minutes of the meetings and all the affected applicants shall be informed in writing on the justification for the change. The SC shall act if the field verification report reveals important inconsistencies between the information provided in the file and the reality in the field, shall aim to avoid overlaps with other financing programmes/double funding, shall avoid duplication of the projects under different calls by the same PP etc.

The PO shall verify that the selection process has been carried out in compliance with the provisions in Regulation and the SC recommendations and complies with the programme’s rules and objectives.

After these verifications, the Board25 of the PO, based on the SC selection, will make a decision

regarding the projects that will be funded/rejected/put on the reserve list, depending the available funds. The PO will subsequently sign funding contracts with the PP.

The list of the projects selected for funding will be also sent to the EEA Financial Mechanism Office (FMO).

Until the final decision is taken, all the documents related to the projects evaluation shall be confidential.

All persons involved in the evaluation process shall sign confidentiality and conflict of interest statements.

23 The average of the two independent evaluators’ scores. 24 The Selection Committee (SC) consists of three persons with relevant experience in the field (out of which at least one is external in relation to the PO and its Board). Representatives of the National Focal Point (NFP) within the Ministry of European Funding, of FMO, of Norway Embassy in Romania and of programme partners (KS and CoE) are invited to attend the SC meetings CS. 25 The Board is the governing body of the PO. According to Law no 129/1998, the Board consists of 11 members (one representative appointed by the Prime Minister, one representative from the Ministry of Labour, Social Solidarity and Family, Ministry of Transport, Construction and Tourism. Ministry of Public Finance, Ministry of Administration and Internal Affairs, Ministry of European Integration and the National Agency for Roma, appointed by the managers of the respective institutions and four public personalities of the civil society sector, who are not part of the NGOs in relation with the Fund, appointed by the President of Romania).

24

3.4 Applicants notification

All the applicants (except for those who submitted projects that were rejected during the formal verification stage and who have already received notifications) shall be notified on the results of the projects evaluation within maximum 15 working days after the final decision of the PO. In the case of projects approved for financing, the notification shall also comprise the conditions to be fulfilled for signing the project financing contract. If there are projects rejected as a result of SC’s decision to change the initial or final ranking of the projects, the applicants affected by this change shall be informed in writing on the justification.

After finalizing the contracting stage, the final list of projects to be financed shall be published on RSDF’s website at http://www.frds.ro.

3.5 Appeals procedure

The applicants may appeal the rejection of their project proposal only during the formal evaluation stage, in which case they may file an appeal within maximum 30 days from the date of receiving the notification. There is no appeal procedure as concerns the SC’s decision.

3.6 Projects contracting

For each project approved for funding, the PO will conclude a project financing contract.

During the project implementation, if necessary, the provisions of the financing contract/its annexes may be mutually amended (without causing substantial changes to the initially approved proposal). The amendments might be subject of addendums to the financing contract, as the case may be.

3.7 Reporting and payment system

As a rule, the PP shall submit interim reports to the PO, twice a year (for a period of 6-8 months). After finishing the project implementation period, the PP shall send the final report. For each project, the reporting planning shall be mentioned in the project financing contract.

The programme applies the pre-financing system. The payments to the PPs shall be made by the PO in the form of advance payments, interim payments and payment of the final balance. Depending on the duration of the project, the PP may require an advance between 20 and 40% of the project grant. The following payments shall be performed after the approval of the interim reports based on the supporting documents submitted by the PP (technical and financial), based on the estimate of expenses for the following period. The project funds (in Lei) shall be transferred to the accounts specifically opened by the PP for the project at the local treasury (in the case of public entities) or at a commercial bank (for NGOs).

4. Preparation and submission of the project proposal

If the PP calls on the services of a consultant for the preparation of the application/preparation of the application file, the consultant’s name shall be mentioned in the application form, in the specific field of the form.

4.1 Help-desk services and information seminars

During the period when the call for project proposals is open, the PO provides the PPs and their partners, upon request, with help-desk services (information and clarifications). These services are provided in the main office and in the two branch offices.

The applicants can send questions and requests by phone (available telephone lines can be found at http://frds.ro/index.php?id=136), by e-mail (info@frds.ro) or in direct meetings with PO representatives agreed upon in advance with help-desk operators.

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Requests for information and clarifications related to the call may be submitted to the PO no later than 10 working days before the deadline for submission of projects within the call. Subsequent requests will no longer be considered for settlement.

Answers to questions received by the PO can be provided immediately (in the case of a telephone conversation) or within 3 working days after receiving the message if the question is received by e-mail or on the site or if the question received over the phone requires a more elaborate response.

The most frequent and relevant Questions and Answers on the call papers shall be published on the PO’s website at http://frds.ro/index.php?id=136. These shall be updated periodically, depending on the questions received from potential applicants. We also recommend periodic consultation of RSDF’s site in order to provide access to additional and/or updated information.

Also, after launching the call, PO will organize three information sessions at national level (Cluj, Craiova and Iasi) for potential applicants to this call and their partners. The estimated timetable for the organization of the seminars is Jan-Febr 2019. The PO will also organise a match-making seminar, with the goal to identify possible partners from Norway for development and implementation of projects to be submitted under this call. Information on the date and place will be published on the OP's website at http://www.frds.ro and on the Facebook page of the Programme, https://www.facebook.com/dezvoltare.locala/?ref=bookmarks.

4.2 Project proposal file preparation

The application form must be filled in according to the requirements described in the Guide for Applicants (both documents are published at the following address: www.frds.ro).

The application and the annexes26 will be drafted in Romanian, on the template provided by the PO. Where applicable, a Romanian translation of the English language documents shall be provided (ex. letter of intent signed by the partner from Norway).

The application will be accompanied by a package of additional documents (e.g.: activities implementation schedule, partnership agreement, communication and promotion plan, PP’s and project partners’ eligibility statements, documents proving the legal status of PP and partners, staff CVs). The list of documents to be submitted together with the application is available in the Guide for Applicants.

4.3 Project proposal submission

The project proposal file (respectively a hard copy and an identical copy in electronic format) shall be sent to the PO’s office in Bucharest, the deadline being May 28th, 2019, 16:00, either personally or by courier / mail (with receipt acknowledgment).

In case the project proposal is submitted by mail or courier services, the postal date or date of takeover by the courier service must be the announced deadline at the latest.

The files submitted by fax or e-mail, as well as files sent at addresses other than the mentioned one or after the announced deadline, shall be rejected.

After the deadline for submitting the projects, the PP can no longer request to make corrections or revisions of the project proposal file.

The documents for the project proposal and the electronic copy of the file will be presented in a sealed envelope / package, and the envelope / package shall bear the following information:

26 The Partnership Agreement with entities from Norway shall be drafted both in Romanian and English.

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Norway Grants 2014-2021

Programme “Local Development, Poverty Reduction and Enhanced Roma Inclusion"

Call for proposals: “Inclusive education for children and youth at risk”

Project title:.....

Name of applicant:.....

The envelope / package will be sent to the PO’s office at the address below:

Romanian Social Development Fund Mailing address: Bucharest, sector 3, no 1 Eugeniu Carada Street, 3rd floor Telephone: 021 315 34 40; 021 315 34 15 E-mail: office@frds.ro Webpage: www.frds.ro

At any time before the PO’s approval, the PP may choose to withdraw the project proposal from the competition. In this case, the PO shall return, upon request, the original file of the financing application and keep the electronic copy.

5. Further useful information

For a better understanding of the specificities of the EEA and Norway Grants 2014-2021 and the overall project framework, we recommend consulting the following documents (the list is not limited):

- Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Kingdom of Norway and the Government of Romania on the implementation of the Norwegian Financial Mechanism 2014-2021 https://eeagrants.org/Results-data/Documents/Legal-documents/Memoranda-of-Understanding-with-beneficiary-countries/Romania;

- Regulation on the implementation of the Norwegian Financial Mechanism 2014-2021 https://eeagrants.org/Results-data/Documents/Legal-documents/Regulations-with-annexes/Norway-Grants-2014-2021;

- Program Agreement signed between the NFP and the donor states' representatives for the implementation of the programme http://www.eeagrants.ro/acorduri-de-program;

- Regulation (EU) 2016/679 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data https://publications.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/3e485e15-11bd-11e6-ba9a-01aa75ed71a1/language-en;

- Government Emergency Ordinance no. 34/2017 on the Financial Management of the Non-Reimbursable External Funds related to the EEA Financial Mechanism 2014-2021 and the Norwegian Financial Mechanism 2014-2021, as subsequently amended and supplemented http://www.frds.ro/uploads/files/RO99_LEGISLATIE/7.OUG%2034.2017.pdf;

- Law 98/2016 on public procurement published in the Official Monitor no. 390 of 23 May 2016, as subsequently amended and supplemented http://www.frds.ro/uploads/files/RO99_LEGISLATIE/8.L98_2016.pdf;

- Government Decision 395/2016 for the approval of the Methodological Norms for the application of the provisions regarding the award of the public procurement contract / the framework agreement in Law 98/2016, as subsequently amended and supplemented http://www.frds.ro/uploads/files/RO99_LEGISLATIE/9.%20HG%20395%20din%202016.pdf;

- Law 101/2016 on remedies and remedies in connection with the award of public procurement contracts, sectoral contracts and works concession and services concessions contracts, as

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well as for the organization and operation of CNSC, as subsequently amended and supplemented http://www.frds.ro/uploads/files/RO99_LEGISLATIE/10.Legea%20101%20pe%202016.pdf;

- Order of the Minister of European Funds no. 1284 regarding the approval of the competitive procedure applicable to the private applicants / beneficiaries for the award of services or works supply contracts, financed from European funds, published in the Official Monitor no. 618 of August 12, 2016, as subsequently amended and supplemented http://www.frds.ro/uploads/files/RO99_LEGISLATIE/11.Ordin_MFE_1284.pdf;

- Order MDRAPFE / ANAP no. 6.712 / 890/2017 regarding the approval of the procurement procedures for the projects with European financing implemented in partnership http://www.frds.ro/uploads/files/RO99_LEGISLATIE/17.%20Ordin%206712%20MDRAPFE%20ANAP.pdf;

- Order No 348/2018 on the approval of the rules for the application of lump sums for travel expenses financed from the Bilateral Relations Fund and Technical Assistance Fund of the EEA and the Norwegian Financial Mechanisms 2014-2021 http://www.frds.ro/uploads/files/RO99_LEGISLATIE/12.%20Ordinul%20384%20privind%20sumele%20forfetare%20.pdf;

- Decision no 4/X/ST/26.10.2018 of the PO Steering Committee regarding the approval of methodology for the calculation and payment of lump sums for travel expenses in Romania and abroad, at programme and projects level, financed from the EEA and the Norwegian Financial Mechanisms 2014-2021 http://www.frds.ro/uploads/files/RO99_LEGISLATIE/HCD_oct%20.pdf;

- Government Emergency Ordinance 66/2011 on the prevention, detection and sanctioning of irregularities in the obtaining and use of European funds and / or related national public funds, as subsequently amended and supplemented http://www.frds.ro/uploads/files/RO99_LEGISLATIE/14.%20OUG%20nr.%2066-2011.pdf;

- Government Decision 875/2011 for approving the Methodological Norms for the application of the provisions of Government Emergency Ordinance no. 66/2011 on the prevention, detection and sanctioning of the irregularities in obtaining and using the European funds and / or the related national public funds;

- Government Decision 519/2014 regarding the setting of the rates related to the percentage cuts / financial corrections applicable for the deviations provided in the Annex to GEO 66/2011, as subsequently amended and supplemented http://www.frds.ro/uploads/files/RO99_LEGISLATIE/15.%20HG-519-din-2014.pdf;

- Guides adopted by FMC / NMFA in accordance with applicable Regulations https://eeagrants.org/Results-data/Toolbox-for-programmes/Toolbox-2014-2021/Guidelines-and-Manuals.