EU Grant Scheme for Sustainable
Tourism Projects by Enterprises:
The Evaluation Procedure
Cora Vella Laurenti
Contact Person
Tourism and Sustainable Development Unit
Office of the Prime Minister
Operational Programme I – Cohesion Policy 2007-2013
Investing in Competitiveness for a Better Quality of Life
Aid Schemes part-financed by the European Union
European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)
Co-financing: 85% EU Funds; 15% National Funds
Investing in your future
Introduction
The Evaluation Procedure consists of 3 phases:
1. Eligibility Criteria
2. Preliminary Evaluation
3. Strategic Evaluation
Strategic
Evaluation
Preliminary
Evaluation
Ranking
Total Marks
Thematic Priorities
Horizontal Priorities
No. of intervention areas
Extent of Need for Support
Yes/No
Risk Appraisal
Project Implemented within
eligible period
Yes/No
Yes/No
Yes/No
Eligible Applicant
Within State Aid Regime
Compliance Issues
Fits in with one or more of the
intervention areas
Yes/No
Yes/No
Pending Issues related to IB or its Yes/No
agencies
Complete Submission
Project
Code
20% 10% 5% 10% 55% 100%
Marks
Selection Criteria
Eligibility Criteria
Priority
Phase 1
Eligibility Criteria
In order to pass on to the other phases of the
process, applicants must conform to all of the
following Eligibility Criteria.
Eligibility Criteria: Complete Submission

Applicants must present a complete application
form, including any necessary supporting
documents (e.g. MEPA Application & VAT
Certificate)

All signatures must be in blue ink
Eligibility Criteria: Intervention Areas

It is imperative that any proposed project
addresses one or more of the 5 intervention
areas
Eligibility Criteria: Pending Issues

Pending Issues refer to issues which fall
within the remit of the IB (TSDU) & MTA.

The Evaluation & Decisions Committee will
check with the Licensing Department within
MTA for any pending issues up to the date of
submission.

Pending issues which have not been resolved
by 14th January 2011 will not be eligible to
move on to the 2nd phase of evaluation.
Eligibility Criteria: Compliance Issues

Activities proposed for funding must go beyond
that which is required by law

Therefore activities complying with the law will
NOT be eligible for funding

Project proposals must consist of the
enhancement of the laws which are in force
Eligibility Criteria: Within State Aid Regime

Applicants must comply to one of the
applicable state aid regimes.

Applicants falling under the De Minimis Block
Exemption including proposed activities falling
under the Marketing Intervention must not
have received over €150,000 over a 3 year
rolling period.
Eligibility Criteria: Eligible Applicant

All enterprises aiming to implement a tourism project
are eligible to apply.

Documentation confirming the applicants’ belonging to
the eligible target group such as trading license, SME
declaration, or VAT certificate must be presented as an
attachment to the application form.

Applicants forming part of a group of companies will be
evaluated in accordance with principles of the SME
Recommendation, through the SME declaration attached
in the application form.
Eligibility Criteria:
Project implemented within Eligible Period

Applicants may start the proposed project
activities as from February 2011 after receiving
a written permission by the IB and must be
completed by December 2013.

This however does not mean that the applicant
has passed the evaluation process and any
costs incurred throughout this period are at the
applicant’s own risk.
Phase 2
Preliminary Evaluation
This second phase has a weighting of 35% and is
made up of the following stages.
Risk Appraisal
20%
Risk will be assessed on:




type of organisation & how long the organisation has
been established
project duration
ratio of total project value to net assets of the
undertaking
level of commitment & capacity of applicant to
implement the project
Risk Appraisal: Type/Age of Organisation
The longer an enterprise has been established is inversely
proportionate to the level of risk involved in co-financing
Scoring
Type/Age of Organisation
5%
weighting
Established 0-2 years
1
Established 2-5 years
3
Established for over 5 years
5
Hence scoring increases as years of being established grows
Risk Appraisal: Project Duration
Projects with a longer duration involve higher risk levels as their
project would be closer to the 3 year deadline. In fact, scoring
increases as the duration shortens.
Scoring
Time Critical – Project Duration
5%
weighting
Over 24 months
1
12-24 months
3
0-12 months
5
Note: project duration refers to the time between project commencement
and the submission of the last receipt.
Risk Appraisal: Ratio of total project value to net
assets of the undertaking
If total project value is nearly as costly as the net assets of the
applicant, the higher the risk involved in co-financing such a
project.
Scoring
Project investment costs vis-à-vis applicant net assets
% of project investment costs vis-à-vis
net assets
5%
weighting
More than 10%
1
5% - 10% inclusive
3
Less than 5%
5
Consequently, closer ratios will generate lower scores.
Risk Appraisal: Level of Commitment &
Capacity to Implement Project
This is assessed on the basis of how the applicant demonstrates
and determines the level of preparatory work that has been
invested in designing the project such as:
 the carrying out of a feasibility study
 a cost-benefit analysis
 in-depth research
The applicant must show the structure it has put in place to
implement and administer the proposed project. Such structure
should at least indicate who will carry out project management,
the financial and administrative procedures.
Risk Appraisal: Level of Commitment &
Capacity to Implement Project
Scoring
Commitment & Capacity to Implement Project
5%
weighting
No background reports related to project
0
Background report/s presented
2
Allocated responsibility for project management
and financial reporting and appointed project
manager & accountant
1
Additional support responsible for implementation
of project (besides accounting & PM)
+2
Need for Support
10%
Evaluation of this criterion will be based on its size, the degree of
networking, and whether the applicant is a start-up.
The scoring would proceed as follows:
Scoring
Need for Support
10%
weighting
Micro & Small & Self-employed (<50 AWU employees)
7
Medium (more than 50 FTE inclusive but below 250
AWU employees)
5
Large (more than 250 AWU employees)
3
Forms part of a Network or Start-up
+3
Number of Eligible Intervention areas
Implemented in the Project
5%
Scoring
Number of Eligible Intervention Areas implemented in Project
5%
weighting
One intervention in line with guidelines
1
Two interventions in line with guidelines
2
Three interventions in line with guidelines
3
Four interventions in line with guidelines
4
Five interventions in line with guidelines
5
The IB encourages projects which are holistic in nature, and
therefore projects involving activities that relate to more
than one of the intervention areas will be awarded more
marks.
Phase 3
Strategic Evaluation
The applicant must ensure that the project
proposal is in line with a number of
strategic priorities.
Strategic Evaluation
65%
The third phase carries the most weighting and
will be assessed upon:
- Horizontal Priorities
- Thematic Priorities
Horizontal Priorities
Environmental
Sustainability
Equal
Opportunity
Environmental Sustainability & Equal Opportunity will
be assessed on the extent to which applicants integrate
these horizontal priorities into their project activities.
Applications which demonstrate a genuine effort to
effectively impact the horizontal priorities will be
awarded marks accordingly.
These two horizontal priorities each carry a 5%
weighting in the Evaluation process.
ICT
5%
National Tourism
Policy
30%
Seasonality
General
Policy
Thematic
Priorities
55%
Employment
10%
Innovation
10%
National Tourism Policy
30%
Seasonality
10%
General Policy
20%
Thematic Priorities
1. Impact on Information & Communication
Technology
5%
2. Impact on Innovation
10%
3. Impact on Employment
10%
4. Compliance with National Tourism
Policy
30%
In Conclusion…
• The Evaluation procedure will start soon after the deadline of 14th
January 2011 and ends approximately after six months;
• Applicants will be kept informed on the progress of their application
form;
• Applicants have the right to appeal after each stage of the
evaluation. In this case, the unsuccessful applicant must follow the
Appeals Procedure which can be found in the Guidance Notes to the
Application Form provided by the IB;
• Once the final ranking is issued, a Grant Agreement will be signed by
both parties involved, this is a binding contract between the IB and
the applicant to:
–
uphold all that has been stipulated in the approved application form;
– follow all the necessary procedures and regulations with respect to Grant
Scheme.