HOW TO
This leaflet was developed as an instrument meant to help the beneficiaries and potential beneficiaries in the Bucharest-Ilfov Region in order to draw in as many funds as possible for projects with non-reimbursable financing from the Regional Operational Programme (ROP).
The leaflet briefly presents the main aspects to be considered in the preparation, elaboration and implementation of a project.
01. PROJECT PREPARATION
In order to achieve the success criteria proposed by the project, the following factors must be taken into account:
Feasibility
The objectives proposed by the project must be realistic and take into account the economic, financial and social factors of the environment in which it will be implemented.
Relevance
A project must meet the real needs of the beneficiaries and its results will lead to a positive change.
Financing sources
In order to support a project, sufficient financial resources must be provided from different sources of funding:
- funds from the financing programmes suitable for the idea of the project;
- co-financing (loans, guarantees);
- own funds to provide the cash needed for the performance of the project’s activities until the reimbursement and the covering of the percentage of own expenses.
Sustainability
The impact of the project must be considered starting from the project preparation phase.
The consequences of the implementation of the project must continue after its completion, with notable positive effects on the beneficiaries and on the environment where it was implemented.
Partners identification
The partners have the same rights and obligations as the beneficiary.
02. ELABORATION OF THE PROJECTS
1. Strict compliance with the requirements specified by the financier
The applicants and the partners should be eligible;
The project falls under the categories of related operations;
The activities and the expenses should be eligible according to the legislation in force;
The rights over the infrastructure, if it represents an investment objective within the project;
Consultation of the relevant legislation.
3. Elaboration of the technical and economical documentation (according to GD no. 907/2016), if applicable
4. Elaboration of the plan of the activities within the project
The plan of the activities within the project is carried out in accordance with the provisions of the financing programme, following its specific objective, the intended use of the funds provided and the direct beneficiaries of the investments made. All the activities included in the activity plan should take into account the contractual conditions, both general for accessing EU funds and those specific to the programme.
Characteristics:
5. The elaboration of the promotion and advertising plan, part of the general plan of activities
Information and promotion of financing from European funds is an important and mandatory component in the implementation of the projects benefiting from these funds.
Financing applicants must develop a series of information and communication activities, in accordance with the provisions of the Applicant Guide (general/specific) and the Visual Identity Manual. In order to carry out these activities, both the human resources with clearly defined responsibilities, and the sufficient financial resources will be established.
Firstly, the activities indicated as mandatory for information and promotion, by the financier, will be planned. Depending on the budget and the promotional needs of the project, other activities with impact on target groups will be planned.
ADVERTISING ACTIVITIES
Planning of the information and promotional activities is part of the entire project planning activity.
The activities calendar will take into account the deadlines provided by the financier and the way the project is developed.
The activities will be carried out by persons with distinct responsibilities in the information and promotional activity.
BUDGET & FINANCING
Funding request (Annex 2 to the financing contract)
Transposition of the data developed on the structure of the funding request;
Correlation of the information presented in the Funding Request with the ones presented in the annexes;
Numbering the funding request and the attached documents;
Verification of the quality of the project (the use of the evaluation grids).
Mistakes made during the elaboration of the projects
Unrealistic planning of the activities;
The team members do not have clearly defined responsibilities in order to fully cover the activities of the project;
Not clear definition of the potential beneficiaries of the project’s results;
Failure to comply with the stages specified in the public procurement legislation;
Unrealistic allocation of the financial resources for each activity (overvaluation/undervaluation)
Submission of the projects
The Funding Request (FR) is filled in directly online on My SMIS 2014. The filling in instructions are found in the FR, Annex to the Specific Guide.
The MySMIS2014 information and data exchange system facilitates the electronic exchange of information between the potential beneficiaries, the beneficiaries and the authorities responsible for managing the European structural and investment funds.
Mistakes made when submitting and filling in the funding request
Instructions for filling in the sections from the funding request
03. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROJECTS
Project Team
Clear duties in the project management (job descriptions) based on relevant experience in project management
by correlating the responsibilities with the activities of the project.
Public Procurement Procedure
Compliance with the legal provisions:
Law no. 98/2016 as subsequently amended and supplemented (if applicable) and GD no. 394/2016 and GD no. 395/2016 (implementing rules)
Conditions specific to the funding scheme
Plan of Activities
Compliance with the legislation regarding quality in construction (for infrastructure investments)
Compliance with the schedule of the public procurement and activities;
The duration of the implementation of the activities of the project must not exceed the programme’s end date.
Promotion and advertising activities
Carrying out information and publicity activities related to the non-reimbursable financial assistance obtained through the Regional Operational Programme, in accordance with those declared in the funding request;
Use of the technical information comprised in the Visual Identity Manual for all the communication products developed during the European funded projects;
Submitting to the Intermediate Body for approval the information and advertising materials developed for the implementation of the information and publicity measures undertaken through the financing contract, at least 15 business days before their launch and utilization;
Archiving in a file (printed and/or electronic) where there shall be registered all the documents and products related to the information and publicity activities performed;
Informing through the media the start of the activities of the project;
Upon completion of the project, the beneficiary will publish a report on the project and its results in the local newspaper with the largest audience, except for tabloids.
Target groups
Maintaining good relationships with various types of audience, by transmitting appropriate messages and direct actions of information and promotion.
The users/the beneficiaries of the project carried out (priority audience)
Mass media (mass media facilitates the flow of information)
The general public
Messages of the programme
Creating a harmonious visual identity in order to ensure the coherence and the stability of the programme over time;
Customization through the beneficiary’s logo (pictographic element in its visual identity).
Messages for the promotion of the project
Through a creative approach of the messages, it is aimed at efficiently transmitting to the target groups the information about the objectives pursued and the results achieved in the implementation of the projects.
Visual identity manual
System of instructions, rules and recommendations for the application of the fundamental visual identity elements:
Financial management
The Beneficiary has the obligation to provide the resources necessary for carrying out the activities of the project, and to pay the amounts necessary to ensure the eligible co-financing and the financing of the non-eligible expenditures for the implementation of the project.
The beneficiary must keep an analytical accounts of the project, keep accurate and periodic records, as well as separate and transparent accounting records of the implementation of the project.
Reimbursement of expenditures /
payment requests
The eligible expenditures must comply with the legislation in force (GD no. 399/2015)
Funding will be granted based on pre-financing/reimbursement/payment requests, prepared in accordance with the relevant annexes to the financing contract
The mechanism of the payment requests – regulated by GEO no. 40/2015 on the financial management of the European funds for the 2014-2020 programming period and the implementing rules of GEO no. 40/2015 approved by GD no. 93/2016.
Reports on the activities carried out and the expenditures incurred:
Progress report (implementation stage and results obtained)
Reimbursement request (detailing the expenditures and annexing supporting documents) :
- Annex 4 RF Schedule of Reimbursement /payment of expenditures
- Annex 6 RF Conditions for reimbursement/payment of expenditures
Control
WARNING!
THE EXPENDITURES ARE IDENTIFIED THROUGH INVOICES!
Monitoring and reporting
Continuously collecting the information about the stage of the implementation of the project in order to correct the deficiencies;
Evaluation of the interim progress and providing the information related to the evolution of the performance indicators;
The way the resources allocated and the services provided have reached their target.
The beneficiaries have the obligation:
to keep and make available to the competent bodies the inventory of the assets acquired through the ROP;
to grant the access right to the sites and areas where the project is being implemented or was implemented, including access to the computer information systems, as well as all the documents and computer files regarding the technical and financial management of the project.
Mistakes made during the implementation of the project
non-compliance with the deadlines and conditions agreed upon;
failure to meet the objectives of the projects, provided for in the request for financing and the indicators initially established;
failure to use the financing for the purpose for which it was granted;
the attempt and the act of fraud in tenders and contracting;
the use of some inadequate financial, accounting and monitoring systems within the projects.
04. POST IMPLEMENTATION
Ensuring the sustainability of the project after the end of the non-reimbursable financing!
The beneficiary must maintain the investment made from the ERDF for a period of five years as of the final payment or within the deadline provided for by the rules regarding state aid.
The previously mentioned deadline is reduced to three years if by the project it is aimed to maintain the investments or the jobs created by SMEs.