Practical Note:

The RCC official language is English. The prepared FAQs respond to the questions submitted in English. Also, please be advised that some questions relating to same/similar topics have been merged.

For questions regarding the eligibility of Applicants, please refer to Guidelines for Applicants section 3. Eligibility of Applicants, Partnerships; for questions regarding the eligibility of actions please refer to Guidelines for Applicants section 4. Eligibility of actions: Duration, location(s) and type of activities; for questions regarding eligible costs please refer to Guidelines for Applicants section 5. Eligible costs.

The RCC does not provide any assessment concerning eligibility of the applicant or the action in the FAQ phase. Therefore, please be advised that the only option for official response from the RCC Secretariat on the eligibility of the applicant and/or action may be issued after administrative check of applications and/or evaluation.

Please also note that it is applicant’s sole responsibility to provide adequate and sufficient evidence as proof of eligibility. Inadequate or insufficient evidence accompanying Concept Note will lead to exclusion of applicants from the rest of evaluation process.

1. 1Q: Does the applicant need to open a specific bank account for the contract?
   A: It is a specific requirement that the funds received from the RCC are clearly identified and segregated from the general account of the Beneficiary so as to ensure clarity in case of audit and that any interest accrued is reflected accurately. It is preferable that a separate bank account is opened specifically for the action.
2. 2Q: Does a "copy of a valid certificate of registration of the entity in eligible country (for the project applicant)" need to be translated to English or a scan of the original in local language is enough for an electronic application? Also, our organization has just re-registered in January, but the operational activities are in continuation since 2005. Would it be OK for us to submit old registration and a brief explanation about re-registration, to justify experience, existence and relevance of the organization?
   A: The original registration documents need to be scanned, no translation into English is required. For purposes of proving organizational experience, submitted evidence (scanned originals) needs to inevitably show that the organization succeeds with new information concerning its registration.
3. 3Q: Should the costs of experts assigned to execution of specific services/activities (honoraria) fall under the budget line “Human resources” or under the budget line “Other costs, services” in the budget template? Can a same person be at the same time Project manager (dealing with the smooth operation of all project activities, reporting etc.) and act as a Professional expert (producing an expert paper-work, doing analytical work related to the theme of the project)? Can this person be paid separately for both his tasks?
   A: Human Resources budget line relates solely to the staff engaged in project management/implementation. Any externally hired experts may be allocated to procurement of services and undergo procedure relating to the procurement of goods, works and services.
4. 4Q: Is local economic development agency eligible applicant for this CfP, if it is registered as ltd., established as a non-profit legal person by local authorities, and recognized by EU for trilateral cross border project cooperation to be non-profit?
   A: For questions regarding the eligibility of Applicants, please refer to Guidelines for Applicants section 3. Eligibility of Applicants, Partnerships.
5. 5Q: How is financing of the Pilot Project envisioned? Will the grant beneficiaries receive pre-financing, or they need to implement the activities, and afterwards the means will be refunded?
   A: Grant beneficiaries will receive a pre-financing instalment.
6. 6Q: Can Partners be funded through the grant?
   A: Yes, Partner organisations can receive funds from the grant in line with the proposed and approved grant budget, meaning in line with the amounts and activities approved as Partner’s responsibility in the overall grant implementation.
7. 7Q: Is it possible to procure the equipment through the project and after its implementation, to give it to a club with which there was a type of cooperation during the project implementation.
   A: Concerning the regulation relating to transfer of ownership over equipment procured please find further guidance in General Terms and Conditions, Article 20.
8. 8Q: In the framework of the Via Dinarica and adventure tourism, is it acceptable to propose other related activities that are not strictly related to active tourism, such as rural tourism for example? Within the portion dedicated to storytelling is it acceptable to include traditional music and dance?
   A: The tentative list of activities considered eligible under this CfP is provided in Guidelines for Applicants, paragraph 4.2. However, the evaluation of applications will include assessing the proposed activities against priorities (relevance) and how these activities will contribute to achieving CfP targets (effectiveness).
9. 9Q: Are salaries accepted as eligible cost within the 10% co-financing? Is it acceptable to have Short-term Contract showed in the budget and accepted as eligible cost?
   A: Please refer to section 5. Eligible costs of the Guidelines for Applicants. The 70:30% rule must be followed. The way how staff is employed is guided by and depends on the practices of the Applicant.
10. 10Q: Are in-kind contributions eligible?
    A: In-kind contributions are not considered eligible cost under this CfP.
11. 11Q: Are infrastructural activities eligible in this Call?
    A: To be considered eligible, activity needs to meet all eligibility criteria (cumulative) set in Guidelines for Applicants, be relevant in priority areas and contribute to the set targets.
12. 12Q: Does the application have to be only Adventure Tourism / Via Dinarica or we can integrate cultural aspects along the route as well?
    A: Applications need to target a specific priority. However, those proposals targeting cross- sectional among two or more priorities are welcome.
13. 13Q: Is it possible for applicant to hire staff member under Service Contract during implementation of Pilot Project within this CfP, and record this cost under Budget line: Staff Costs?
    A: Grants allocated within this CfP may finance administrative costs and staff costs to a maximum of 30% of the requested amount. Eligible staff cost refers to the disclosure of adequate allocation of applicant’s employee(s) time/resources in administering project implementation, tentatively but not exclusively to manage activities relating to implementation of the project, communication with the RCC (monitoring, contracting, reporting, etc.) and any activities arising from the Grant Contract implementation.
14. 14Q: Are the eligible costs of the Pilot Projects within this CfP subject to VAT exemption, if the Applicant is established in Bosnia and Herzegovina? Are the eligible costs of the Pilot Projects within this CfP subject to VAT exemption, if the Applicant is established in other WB5 economies?
    A: The VAT is an ineligible cost as stated in Guidelines for Applicants, Section 5. Eligible of costs. The Triple P Tourism in SEE project is financed from IPA II funds and each economy has a different approach for VAT exemption for IPA II funds. It is the responsibility of the Grant Beneficiary to familiarise themselves with the relevant VAT procedures in their own economy and pursue the way to achieve the VAT exemption.
15. 15Q: Duties, taxes and charges, including VAT, paid and not recoverable by the Beneficiary. Are the social charges and income taxes on wages of employees acceptable as the project costs?
    A: For further guidance please see Guidelines for Applicants, section 5, Administrative costs.
16. 16Q: Logical Frame is notified to be submitted both within CN and FA. To which extent Logical Frame need to be filled in CN and/or could it be modified when submitted with FA?
    A: The content of the concept note and application form is under sole applicant’s responsibility, however this is restricted CfP where only applicants with those concept notes achieving minimum threshold in the evaluation will be invited to submit a full application.
17. 17Q: In the Grant Application Form, Chapter 2.4. Applicant's Operational Capability, in the Headcount table, it is requested to give information on staff – our NGO has members not staff and we all work on voluntary bases or receive fees from different project management activities. Is that acceptable?
    A: For further guidance please see Section 5: Administrative costs.
18. 18Q: Shall costs for audit for expenditures verification be included in the project budget? Or the audit will be performed by RCC?
    A: As per General Terms and Conditions, the RCC will, as a rule, appoint an external auditor to conduct the expenditure verification of the grant in case of a grant exceeding EUR 100,000. In such cases, the cost of external audit should be planned in the Application Budget. In most cases, audit of grants will be performed by RCC.
19. 19Q: Can the office rental costs and the related utility costs and office supplies be considered as a financial contribution (within the 10% participation) by the Applicant?
    A: The cost eligibility rules apply to total cost of the action.
20. 20Q: Can my organisation apply with the same project that it applied with for the IPA CB Call?
    A: The tentative list of activities considered eligible under this CfP is provided in Guidelines for Applicants, Section 4.2. The received applications and related proposed activities will be assessed against priorities (relevance) and how these activities will contribute to achieving CfP targets (effectiveness).
    Costs declared by the Beneficiary(ies) and financed by another action or work programme will not be considered as eligible costs.
21. 21Q: Are vocational institutions and higher educational institutions eligible to apply for the grant?
    A: For the eligibility of applicants please refer to the Guidelines for Applicants, Section 3, Eligibility of Applicants, Partnerships.
22. 22Q: Are the 30% of eligible cost for HR and administration referred to the lead applicant or also to the partners in the project?
    A: Grants allocated within this call may finance administrative costs and staff costs to a maximum of 30% of the total requested amount. The 30:70% rule should be respected in Joint Budget and individual budgets of Applicant and all Partners.
23. 23Q: Is a National Park eligible to apply?
    A: For the eligibility of applicants please refer to the Guidelines for Applicants, Section 3, Eligibility of Applicants, Partnerships.
24. 24Q: If the partners are from other economies, are they VAT exempted for the project activities? How we may deal with VAT as that it is ineligible cost? Is the VAT exemption registration within each economy considered and how?
    A: VAT exemption is based on the rules and regulations concerning EU financing in each individual economy. Please also see answer provided for question 14.
25. 25Q: Can we allocate the funds to a partner in other economy?
    A: The 3rd CfP puts the same eligibility requirements to Partner organisations as are valid for the Applicant. There are no additional restrictions for Partners, while the selection of partners is solely a choice made by the Applicant.
26. 26Q: Will we be allowed to apply for the 3rd Call if we are implementing the project awarded in the 2nd CfP?
    A: All organisations that meet the requirements for the eligible organisations (Section 3.1 of the Guidelines for Applicants) are free to apply. Grants are awarded based on the relevance of proposed actions in view of the priority areas and eligibility of actions (Section 4.2).
27. 27Q: Can staff costs be considered as co-financing for the employees in the Municipality?
    A: Yes as long as the Applicant can show that the costs are not double charged.
28. 28Q: Is it obligatory to have partners?
    A: No, the 3rd CfP does not foresee partnership as obligatory.
29. 29Q: Are the costs for Equipment purchase eligible? If yes, how much we can spend, are there any limitations in the budget?
    A: For questions regarding eligible costs please refer to Guidelines for Applicants section 5. Eligible costs.
30. 30Q: Paying for land or building rents for project activities is eligible cost?
    A: For questions regarding eligible costs please refer to Guidelines for Applicants section 5. Eligible costs.
31. 31Q: We are planning to apply individually, without a partner and we need to know if this means that we can promote only one area out of the listed areas: Apolonia, Butrint, Gjirokastra, Berat, Shkodra, Tirana, or at least two of the listed areas in Albania. We wanted to be sure that given that we want to apply individually if we can focus only in Albania, or maybe we still have to include another area from the other regions (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, Republic of North Macedonia, Serbia.) without a partner but just with collaborators from these countries?
    A: The projects need to be implemented in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, Republic of North Macedonia and/or Serbia. Regional projects implemented on territories of 3 and more economies will be considered an asset, but it is not mandatory.
32. 32Q: I have an idea for adventure tourism, from one of Municipalities of Kosovo. I want to know if it is necessary to apply with at least 2 partners from other economies, or we can have only one partner. Or is possible to apply alone? Can the partner from another economy be a CSO, or should be local authority too?
    A: Regional projects implemented on territories of 3 and more economies will be considered an asset. Partner organisations need to meet the same eligibility criteria as the Applicants.
33. 33Q: About co financing, min 10% of total project, does include all partners? For example if project is 40000 EUR, 4000EUR co financing is for all partners together?
    A: For co-financing requirements please refer to Section 2 Funds available for projects under this Call for Proposals. The minimum co-financing is 10% of the total budget.
34. 34Q: We are interested regarding the eligibility of actions for RCC mini grants that you announced in Podgorica on 13th June 2019. Is creating joint tourism offer between three countries (all tours will be part of defined priority areas: cultural or adventure tourism) which will be latter promoted in a brochure an eligible action?
    A: For information on eligible activities, please refer to section 4.2. Type of eligible activities.
35. 35Q: Is possible to apply like start-up? I have a guesthouse in north Albania exactly at Tamare village and I'm interested for grant to expand the guesthouse, does this cover by grant?
    A: For information on eligible activities, please refer to section 4.2. Type of eligible activities.
36. 36Q: Is the preliminary list Illiricum Trail – Archaeological sites from the Roma period includes the only sites that we can focus upon preparing our proposal or we can consider other sites such as Viminatium in Serbia or Ilidza in BiH.
    A: The evaluation of applications will include assessing the proposed activities against priorities (relevance) and how these activities will contribute to achieving CfP targets (effectiveness).
37. 37Q: Regional as cooperation between few regions within the same country, or you mean regional on state of cooperation (e.g. Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia)?
    A: Regional projects implemented on territories of 3 or more economies will be considered an asset. The economies eligible under the 3rd CfP are Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, Republic of North Macedonia and Serbia.
38. 38Q: Is partnership considered an asset?
    A: It is applicant’s discretion to determine the need for partners. The evaluation of applications will include assessing the proposed activities against priorities (relevance) and how these activities will contribute to achieving CfP targets (effectiveness).
39. 39Q: What does it mean 5x2 in the evaluation grid?
    A: Some subsections in the evaluation grid are of particular importance for the project evaluation. While the scoring for these subsections is the same as for the others (between 1 and 5 (not 0)), their overall score will be doubled. These subsections bear the mark “5x2” under the column Maximum Score.
40. 40Q: How relevant is the project compared to the goal and one or more priorities defined in the public call? What do you mean under more proprieties? For example: Combining Balkan Monumental Trail and Illyricum Trail or you mean to combine Promotion, Policy and Pilot Projects?
    A: The priorities of the 3rd CfP are:
    1. Cultural tourism, and in particular the themes of:
       • Western Balkans Crossroads of Civilizations as joint regional identity
       • Illyricum Trail – as sub-trail of the Roman Emperors and Danube Wine Route focusing on archaeological sites from the Roman period
       • Balkan Monumental Trail – art and design of the World War II monuments
    2. Adventure tourism:
       • Via Dinarica regional adventure and its cultural corridor
       • Other regional offers and regional thematic trails focusing on full adventure
41. 41Q: Can you please give us some examples on those activities: "Improving visitors flow management, including interpretational, directional and promotional signage, as well as educational infrastructure and other small-scale tourism infrastructural works delivered through environmentally friendly interventions and supporting safe delivery of traveller experience
    A: For information on eligible activities, please refer to section 4.2. Type of eligible activities.
42. 42Q: I am writing on behalf of municipality of Tetovo, North Macedonia, to check whether our municipality is eligible to apply to the call of RCC?
    A: For questions regarding the eligibility of Applicants, please refer to Guidelines for Applicants, section 3. Eligibility of Applicants, Partnerships.
43. 43Q: I would like to apply for Tourism Grants for Albania. And I have 2 questions so far, should it be a registered and experienced organisation or I can also apply as I will start operating on 1st July as a non for profit making organization. And another question as a Solo Trader is it possible to apply or not allowed?
    A: For questions regarding the eligibility of Applicants, please refer to Guidelines for Applicants, section 3. Eligibility of Applicants, Partnerships.
44. 44Q: As beneficiary of the grant with 1st call, would it be possible to apply for grant with the 2nd call?
    A: All organisations that meet the requirements for the eligible organisations (Section 3.1 of the Guidelines for Applicants) are free to apply. Grants are awarded based on the relevance of proposed actions in view of the priority areas and eligibility of actions (Section 4.2).
45. 45Q: What kind of technical documentation is necessary (obligatory) during the application process so the application is considered valid and complete?
    A: For documentation that needs to be submitted for an application to be valid please refer to the Section 6 – Submission of concept notes and applications.
46. 46Q: Is the applicant allowed to spend part of the 30% of the administrative expenses for preparation of the technical documentation?
    A: Grants allocated within this call may finance administrative costs and staff costs to a maximum of 30% of the requested amount. For eligibility of costs please refer to Section 5. Eligible Costs.
47. 47Q: Salary costs of the personnel of national administrations is NOT consider as eligible cost - can they (national administrations) be engaged as external consultants, lecturers etc., and BE paid for that kind of service? Are the employees in local self- government administration (municipality museums) considered as members of national administration?
    A: For eligible costs please refer to Section 5. Eligible Costs.
48. 48Q: I have a question about concept note submission, one of the documents to submit is Annual Financial Report Certified by responsible agency and authorised accountant for grant applications above 30,000 euro. We are an NGO, we are established in 2018, and based on Albanian law our NGO does not comply with any condition to be subject of a certification of annual statements as mandatory. Based on these conditions, for concept notes submission is it necessary or mandatory that we do the certification of financial statements?
    A: For documentation that needs to be submitted for an application to be valid please refer to Section 6 – Submission of concept notes and applications. “5. Copy of the final annual financial report for the previous year (balance sheet and income statement) certified by a responsible agency for financial operations and licensed and authorised accountant, unless the organisation is established in the current year (for Grant Applications above EUR 30,000).”
49. 49Q: Can the grant amount be Euro 59,000 and above. Can the proposed activity be address two themes – cultural and adventure tourism? Can one applicant apply for two themes? Does applicant have to be from the same location where the activities are located?
    A: The estimated total cost of the Action can be EUR 59,000 or higher under the condition that the maximum RCC participation is EUR 54.000 or 90% of the estimated total cost of the Action. Please refer to section 2. Funds available for projects under this call for proposals.
    A proposed activity can address both project priorities. For eligibility of applicants please refer to section 3.1. Also please refer to the section 3.3. Number of Concept Notes/Full Applications per applicant: “An applicant can submit maximum one application under this Call for Proposals.” The applicant must fulfil conditions as stated in section 3. Eligibility of Applicants, Partnerships of the Guidelines for Applicants and section 4. Eligibility of actions: duration, location(s) and type of activities.
50. 50Q: In guidelines is written that local authorities are eligible, but does it mean that LOCAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCY established by the city and fully financed by the city, nonprofit, is eligible as applicant or formally it must be the city AS THE APPLICANT.
    A: The applicant can be either of these organisations provided that it fulfils the conditions for the eligibility of Applicants.
    Please refer to Guidelines for Applicants, section 3. Eligibility of Applicants, Partnerships.
    The documentation submitted needs to undoubtedly prove that the applicant’s organisation meets the eligibility criteria.

* This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.