The South East Europe (SEE) Programme 2007 – 2013 aims at improving the territorial, economic and social integration process and contribution to cohesion, stability and competitiveness through the development of transnational partnerships and joint actions on matters of strategic importance.
The Managing Authority of the SEE Programme (Hungarian National Development Agency) and the partner states (Albania, Austria, Bosnia- Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Republic of Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Ukraine) are launching the first call for projects for transnational cooperation in the South Eastern area of Europe to be co-financed by ERDF and IPA under this programme.

In the first step, applicants are requested to submit an Expression of Interest (EoI) based on a short form. Applicants have to describe the problem or the challenge the project wants to address, the envisaged objectives and results, the foreseen budget and partnership. In the second step, pre-selected project ideas will be invited to submit an Application Form (AF) which will be the basis for the selection of projects. If appropriate, applicants will be given recommendations on how to further elaborate the project proposal to shape it to the expectations of the programme.

Priorities
Under the present call, projects can be submitted under all programme Priorities and Areas of Intervention.

The minimum amount of IPA funding that can be requested by Project Partners from an IPA beneficiary country is EUR 50,000. The maximum amount of IPA funding that can be requested by Project Partners from an IPA beneficiary country is EUR 300,000.
The co-funding rate of both ERDF and IPA funds is 85%.

The duration of projects must not exceed 36 months. This limit applies for the operative phase of the project and does not comprise of the preparation phase of the project.

Time schedule
The call is open from 05.05.2008.
The EoI has to be submitted to the Joint Technical Secretariat by 4 am Central European time on 13.06.08.
The Application Form has to be submitted to the Joint Technical Secretariat between the beginning of August 2008 and 10.10.2008.

For this call the following bodies are eligible for ERDF funding:
- Public bodies
- Bodies governed by public law
- Bodies governed by private law

All types of eligible partners can act as Lead Partner in a particular project. In all cases the outcome and results of the projects must be made available for the general public free of charge.

In order to be eligible for a IPA funds grant, applicants must:
- be legal persons and
- be non profit making and
- be specific types of organisations such as:
o Associations: non-governmental organisations, trade unions, employers’ associations, professional associations etc.
o Institutions: public sector operators, educational and research institutions, etc.
o Foundations;
o Chambers of Commerce, Chambers of Crafts and Trade, public employment services
o Canton, municipalities/towns and the district
o Regional development agencies, business incubators, entrepreneurship centres, research and development Institutes and other business support institutions.
- be nationals of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia; a Member State of the European Union or Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein, Turkey, and;
- be directly responsible for the preparation and management of the action with their partners, not acting as an intermediary and
- have stable and sufficient sources of finance to ensure the continuity of their organisation throughout the lifespan of the project and whose financial resources are not exclusively made up of subsidies and grants from the European Union or other foreign donor organisations.

Projects should clearly consider the following aims:
- contribution to sustainable territorial development;
- leverage effect on investment, development perspectives and policy development;
- facilitation of innovation, entrepreneurship, knowledge economy and information society by concrete cooperation action and visible results (creation of new products, services, development of new markets and the improvement of human resources based on the principles of sustainability);
- contribution to integration by supporting balanced capacities for transnational territorial cooperation at all levels (systems building and governance).

The orientation on research, technology and innovation involves a significant entrepreneurial development aspect. Hence pure academic research activities cannot be supported under this programme.

Projects could include activities such as studies and operational plans, capacity building activities, promotion actions, set-up of services, preparation and conduction of investments proposed by transnational strategic concepts, including infrastructure investment if appropriate and justifiable. Additional activities could include networking and exchange of information, but not as stand alone purely networking activities, as these will NOT be supported.

The participation is limited to Project Partners located within the programme area.

Please consult the Application Pack and the guidelines of the programme in detail!

Source: SEE-Programme website 1st Call Announcement