Applying for SOLID funding in the UK
An Overview
London, 25th May 2012
Andrea Quattrin
EU Funding Project Liaison Manager
AGENDA
 Overview of the Funds
• Context
• What does it mean in practice?
EIF & ERF in the UK
 Applying
 What makes a good application
 Q&A?
12.500.000
extra-EU passengers
210.000
25.500 Asylum applications
£154.000.000
Allocated to the UK from ERF and EIF since 2007
Visas
CONTEXT
•
•
Part of the EU SOLIDARITY MECHANISM , the EU Framework
Programme that provides financial support to Member States to help
them deliver a consistent approach on migration issues.
Comprises 4 funds:
European Integration Fund (EIF)
2. European Refugee Fund III (ERF)
3. European Return Fund (RF)
4. External Border Fund (n.b. UK does not participate)
1.
•
From 2014 plans to merge EIF, ERF and RF into 1: the Asylum and
Migration Fund (AMF)
Solidarity Funds Management in the UK
Brief Overview
Apportionment Board
DCLG, UNHCR, UKBA
HR,UKREP, DWP
Home
UK Border Agency
Responsible Authority
European Funding Team
EIF – ERF – RF
Certifying Authority
National Audit Office
Audit Authority
Assurance & Audit Unit
Finance and Payments
Corporate Finance Dept
RESPONSIBLE AUTHORITY (RA)

Link between projects and Commission

Submit multi-annual and annual programmes to the Commission

Complete progress and final reports for the Commission

Organise selection and award procedures

Ensure the fund is administered correctly

Produce Grant Agreements/ Service Level Agreements

Undertake financial and non-financial monitoring of projects (both RA
team members and professional auditors)

Liaise with the auditing and evaluating bodies

Maintain central records
WHAT DOES IT MEAN IN PRACTICE?
EIF and ERF: eligibility
EIF
ERF
UK allocation
Target Group
Eligible actions
Around £97m between
2007 and 2013
Newly arrived TCNs* legally
resident in the UK for up to 10 years
Pre and Post arrival
introductory programmes
(language, citizenship)
14% of the total EU
Fund
OR
TCNs* in the Third Country,
awaiting travel to the UK with a
view to settlement
Intercultural dialogue
Excludes: Visitors, Students
Research and evaluation
Around £57m between
2008 and 2013
Refugees
Reception
Humanitarian Protection
Integration
11% of the total EU
Fund
Resettled persons
Resettlement
Asylum seekers (for reception
projects only)
Capacity building
Integration
Capacity building
Research and evaluation
Excludes: DL
* Third Country Nationals (i.e. Non EU/EEA nationals)
NB: ONLY costs that meet the eligibility rules can be match-funded by the Funds
IN PRACTICE:
EIF projects in the UK: an overview
Average funding to awarding body mode project of
over £115K per annum
Funding allocation 2007-2011
Executing
body
mode
Language classes
Citizenship classes
Awarding
body
mode
Cultural visits
Signposting
Private
Company
Volunteering/work experience/further learning
Partnership
Vocational/entrepreneurship training
Private
Voluntary
Sector
Local
Authority
E-learning
Pre-travel element
University/
College
Survey
0%
20%
Executing body mode - PBS and Integration for “Big Society”
40%
60%
80%
100%
IN PRACTICE:
ERF projects in the UK: an overview
Average funding to awarding body mode project of
over £60K per annum
Funding allocation 2007-2011
Aw arding
body m ode
Executing
body m ode
Social and personal development
Progress into employment/further learning
Work experience/placement
Local
Authority
Language support/courses
Achieve Sector-specific qualifications
Private
Voluntary
Sector
Private
Company
Increase understanidng of Asylum procedures
0%
20%
40%
60%
Executing body mode – Gateway resettlement project, COI service and Italian Asylum Liaison Officer
80%
APPLICATION PROCESS
SOLID calling!
Calls for proposals are NOW open for the
EUROPEAN INTEGRATION FUNDS 2011 AND 2012
The deadline for bids: 4pm on Monday 28 May 2012
For more details go to:
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/newsfragments/61-eif
The application pack is available via the Home Office's Emptoris eprocurement site: https://sourcing.homeoffice.gov.uk/sso/jsp/login.jsp
Future calls?
Future calls for the ERF and EIF may be held in the Autumn, but details are
not yet available.
We will publicise through stakeholder letters, grantfinder.co.uk , dsc.org.uk,
email signatures…Or monitor the UKBA website at:
EIF:
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/aboutus/workingwithus/workingwithasylum/int
egrating_other_migrants/
ERF:
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/aboutus/workingwithus/workingwithasylum/int
egration/
Pre-application workshop are organised by the RA shortly after the call opens
MATCH-FUNDING: HOW DOES IT WORK?
From the Funds…
•
•
Maximum of 50% of the total eligible cost of the project will be funded by the Fund
…unless you exactly match one of the specific priorities of the Fund, in which case
75% co-financing may be available
The rest…
•
•
•
•
Can come from:
• Beneficiary/Partners’ own reserves (balancing figure)
• Third Party co-financing
• Project generated income
Cannot come from any other EU source (e.g. ESF, ERDF, etc.)
Evidence of ring-fenced matched-funding must be provided
Contributions in kind are not eligible as match funding – it must be ‘hard’ cash
evidenced as coming into the project
WHO CAN APPLY?
•
Central Government departments
•
Government Agencies
•
Local authorities or organisations running under their auspices
•
Academic institutions
•
Limited companies (although no profit can be made from the EU grant)
•
Non-Governmental Organisations
•
International Governmental Organisations
•
Partnerships of any of the above organisations
NOTE:
•
Organisations MUST be registered in an EU Member State
•
Individuals cannot apply
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO PROVIDE
The following documents must be submitted:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Completed application form
Scanned, signed copy of declaration (final page of application form)
Completed project business plan – all templates completed
Completed Management & Control Systems (MCS) Questionnaire including
one from each partner in the case of a partnership bid
Set of last two years’ accounts
CVs/Job Descriptions of key staff
Forward Budget Toolkits – one for each year of the project
Signed partner declaration (where applicable)
If possible:
9. Letter from your match-funder confirming that funding is ring-fenced. If not
possible, this will be requested as a pre-requisite to finalise your Grant
Agreement. Indicate in the business plan (Template I) where you expect the
match-funding to come from
WHAT MAKES A GOOD
APPLICATION
COMPLETE THE APPLICATION YOURSELF
AND BE HONEST
•
Complete the Bid yourself.
• From experience we have had several Applications submitted by projects who have
employed a professional consultant to write the bid only for the project to fold very
quickly as it was clear the Organisation either didn’t understand what the consultant
had committed them to or were not in a position to operate within the sometimes
complex structure of EU Funding requirements.
•
Know what your Bid is about and exactly what you are signing up to.
SUITABLE TARGETS
Targets should be:
• Consistent and transparent: the targets set at the beginning should be the targets reported
on all the way through
•Grounded in realism, evidence or logical thinking
– What basis have you got for thinking the target is realistic?
– What evidence can you use to back it up?
– Is it measurable?
Don’t fall into the trap of thinking the RA will be more likely to support projects with high,
overly ambitious targets (but don’t set the bar too low either)
RELEVANCE
Eligible actions and beneficiaries
•
Are the relevant target group(s) addressed?
– How have you identified and how are you going to reach your target
group?
•
•
•
•
•
– Have you made realistic estimates of the number of people from within
the target group you will reach? (i.e. can you provide evidence of
researching an identified need?)
Are all actions identified by the project eligible?
Is the project based on a well identified researched need?
Does the project address a recognised gap in services in a known
area/location?
Is the project innovative (if relevant)?
Does the project quantify how the outputs will impact the UK/EU
priorities?
EFFICIENCY
Value for Money
•
•
•
•
•
•
Match funding in place and evidenced?
Ratio of target group to funding (Value for Money)
Are costs justifiable, reasonable and correctly allocated?
Did the project provide a realistic budget for the entire project?
Are the costs stated in the budget and application form consistent?
Is the project description clear (showing added value)?
CAPACITY
Capacity to Deliver
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Experience in delivering similar projects/ working with target groups/
dealing with EU funding
Is the information provided consistent throughout?
Experience / skills of staff involved
Is the organisation structure appropriate?
Is the partnership based on an existing relationship?
Is implementation plan detailed and realistic?
Have risks been identified with contingencies in place?
Are the targets realistic?
EFFECTIVENESS
Capacity to Monitor
•
•
•
•
•
•
Relevant systems in place e.g. accounting/HR systems
Are financial and other recording systems robust?
Are project outcomes and impacts quantifiable and measurable?
Are monitoring activities specified?
Is the project sustainable?
What monitoring systems/resources are in place?
USEFUL LINKS
UKBA Website
EIF:
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/aboutus/workingwith
us/workingwithasylum/integrating_other_migrants/
ERF:
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/aboutus/workingwith
us/workingwithasylum/integration/
?
?
?
Q&A
?
?
Thank you for your attention!
Andrea Quattrin
EU Funding Team:
EuropeanSolidFundsEnquiries@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
…SOME ADDITIONAL USEFUL INFORMATION:
WHAT EVIDENCE DO YOU NEED?
EXPENDITURE: WHAT ARE THE LIMITS?
•
Expenditure must be
– ELIGIBLE: only costs in line with the rules and forecasted in the
Budget can be co-financed by the Funds,
– DIRECTLY RELEVANT to the project
– FINANCIAL (cash) transactions – no contributions in kind
– justified by official invoices
– identifiable and verifiable
– recorded in accounting records
– incurred during project year - anything outside the project year will
be ineligible
Eligible costs without adequate supporting documentation = ineligible cost
DOCUMENT RETENTION: HOW LONG DO YOU NEED TO
KEEP EVIDENCE?
•
“All documents regarding expenditure and audits on the programmes
concerned are kept available for the Commission and the Court of Auditors
for a period of five years following the closure of the programmes”
•
Closure of the programmes = date that the European Commission ‘signs off’
the UK’s account for the programming year. Note this may be several years
after the completion of your project not simply 5 years immediately after the
completion.
What does this mean for projects?
•
Keep all documentation regarding your project for five years after the RA
informs you that the Commission has closed the programme to which the
final year of your project relates
•
E.g. a project running from 2011-2012 would have to keep documents for five
years after the closure of the 2012 programme
•
Likely to be retention period of at least 8 years
•
Ensure organisation’s normal document retention policies are superseded by
the EU rules
MONITORING: WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
When? Continuous
Why?
Ensure performance against targets,
Ensure solid financial and project management
Provide support
Key tools:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Monitoring forms
Interim and final reports and financial toolkit
In-year monitoring visits: Two or more per year
Desktop checks
Interim and final audit: conducted by auditors on behalf of RA.
Workshops: up to two technical workshops each year
Continuous communication
Final ≤ 20%
balance
Payment /
Recovery
Signature
of Grant
Agreement
Final
audit
Final desktop
checks RA
Initial 50%
payment
THE
FUNDING
CYCLE
Final report and
toolkit
Possible
monitoring
visit
Possible
monitoring visit
Interim report
and toolkit
Second
payment
≤ 30%*
Interim desktop
checks RA
*To be eligible for interim payments, the beneficiary should evidence that at least 60% or 50% of the total
budgeted costs (respectively for projects match-funded 50% and 75% by the Funds) has been spent on
eligible actions. Interim payments will be assessed on a case by cases basis.
FINANCIAL MONITORING REQUIREMENTS
Evidence - 1
Staff costs
Staff working Full-time on the project
• Job description or contract confirming duties and contractual hours
• Evidence of total salary and on costs (eg. Salary slip or payroll)
Staff working a proportion of their time on the project
• Timesheets (MUST provide details of tasks performed, signed by the member
of staff and countersigned by line-manager)
• Evidence supporting daily/hourly rate (eg. evidence supporting the calculation
of the rate or official evidence stating the rate.
Support staff not working directly on the project (cost apportioned to project)
• Evidence of total salary and on costs (eg. Salary slip or payroll)
• Evidence supporting apportionment ratio
FINANCIAL MONITORING REQUIREMENTS
Evidence - 2
Subcontracting
•
•
Evidence of procurement exercise compliant with EU funding eligibility rules:
e.g. if above €5K, then you need to show that at least 3 quotes have been
considered.
Copy of the subcontracting contract stating costs, tasks required reporting and
monitoring activities performed by the lead beneficiary  these should provide
evidence that the subcontractors are abiding by the same eligibility rules
applied to the lead beneficiary
FINANCIAL MONITORING REQUIREMENTS
Evidence - 3
Consumables and supplies
• Invoices, receipts
• Evidence to confirm the relevance to the project.
Travel and subsistence
• Evidence of tickets, boarding passes confirming costs of travel, dates and
destination
• Evidence supporting relevance to the project (meeting notes, agendas, emails)
• Evidence supporting subsistence rates and practices
FINANCIAL MONITORING REQUIREMENTS
Evidence - 5
Specific expenses relating to the target group
•
•
•
Evidence that the beneficiaries fall within the Fund eligible target group
Evidence of the support provided – invoices, receipts etc.
Evidence that the beneficiary received the assistance - e.g. signed statement,
receipt