Is the Lead Applicant required to submit an official statement regarding the confirmation of the 10% co-financing?

No, it is sufficient to foresee and correctly report the requested co-financing in the Budget (Annex D) as an essential document of the  2nd Call for Proposals. No other declarations are requested.

Is the 10% of the co-financing calculated within or outside the awarded amount?

The 10% of the co-financing is calculated outside the awarded amount, for example: 340.000 Euro total – 300.000 Euro awarded IADSA + 40.000 Euro co-financed Lead Applicant.

Is it possible to use a verified signature and digital stamp in the Second Call of IADSA II?

Yes, the verified signature and digital stamp of the partner/s are acceptable in the Second Call for Proposals of IADSA II.

Does the planned evaluation of Section 1 'Applicant and Partners consistency, effectiveness and operational capacity' of the Evaluation Grid of the 2nd Call imply the necessary presence of a/some partner/s in the project proposal submitted?

No, this section assesses the specific management skills of the participating applicant regarding the implementation of the project it proposes. The evaluation is carried out for the applicant when it participates alone and together with the partner when it has one. Therefore, the assessment focuses on management skills, regardless of whether the applicant is present alone or in partnership.

The deadline specified in the Guidelines of the Call for Proposals to submit the Application is the deadline for receiving or shipping?

The Application complete of the “Grant Application Form” and all the Annexes and required attachments must be received at the Office of the TSU in Tirana no later than 12.00 (midday) May 22, 2023. Incomplete Applications or those received late will be automatically rejected. Please, check paragraphs 3.2.2. "How and where to send the Proposals" and 3.2.3. "Deadline for receipt of Proposals" of the Guidelines.

Must the Grant Application Form be submitted in original and in which language?

The Grant Application Form and its Annexes must be submitted in ENGLISH, one original dossier and two hard copies in A4 size, each bound. Supporting documents for Applicant (listed in Annex G) and for Partners (listed in Annex H) can be submitted in their original language. The complete Grant Application Form, Budget and Action Plan must also be supplied in electronic format (USB device). Please check the paragraph 3.2.2. "How and where to send the Proposals" of the Guidelines.

May the overhead costs include the remuneration of staff purposely employed by the partner in relation to the proposed project?

The overhead costs may include the remuneration of staff employed by the partner to monitor the proposed project as well as to ensure effective partnership during the entire duration of the project. The remuneration shall not exceed those normally borne by the partner for its staff and it could be also calculated in percentage on the basis of effective workload of such staff in relation to the proposed project. Furthermore, overheads must be verifiable and related expenses be backed up by originals of supporting documents.

Has the budget be detailed for each activity? In the Budget, where to detail the costs for human resources or equipment needed for a specific activity?

In Annex D, the costs under each activity must be specifically listed and detailed under the Chapter 4. "Activities of the project" of the Budget. Each activity should include the different items of expenditure as necessary to implement the activity itself. While those human resources and associated costs and those for equipment needed to implement more activities and/or useful to the project as a whole, will be detailed to chapters from 1. to 3. and 4. of the Budget, respectively.

Is the co-financing by the Applicant or its partner institution a prerequisite?

Yes, in this Call for Proposal the co-financing is a mandatory requisite. The Lead Applicant must co-finance with its own funds and not in kind, at least 10% of the requested fund in the submitted Project Proposal. Moreover, any effective co-financing by its possible partner/s will be positively evaluated as indicated in the Evaluation Grid (see Section 2 “Relevance of the Project” and Section 5 “Budget and cost-effectiveness of the project”) shown in the same Guidelines.

Are micro-credit activities subject to be financed by the IADSA II?

No, the IADSA II may finance only grants “una tantum” (matching grants) aimed at favouring the achievement of the objectives subject to monitor closely their effective and efficient utilization by the target group.

Which is the difference between the beneficiaries and the target groups?

The beneficiaries are the Albanian institutions and/or authorities, including local governments, service providers (e.g. social centres, health care, schools, etc.) and local communities which will benefit from the IADSA II financing. The target groups are those individuals and / or groups of population on which the proposed project will have a direct impact in terms of better living conditions. The indirect beneficiaries are all those individuals and/or institutions and/or organizations that will benefit somehow from the project although not directly involved in the Project

Could a partner be partner in more than one Project Proposal within the same Call?

No, any eligible partner may be partner only in 1 (one) Project Proposals within the same Call.


 

May a Project Proposal include the payment for salaries of the staff and/or cover the running costs for the functioning of a Service under the responsibility of an Albanian Public Entity?

No, the proposed activities must ensure the sustainability of any supported Service in the medium and long terms, even after the completion of the Project. It is possible to sustain a Service during its start up to support its organization and the training of the staff employed by the concerned Albanian Public Entity to provide such a Service, at its own expense at the end of the Project. Moreover, it can be financed the support for the strengthening and / or improvement of a service already provided by public entities

May the Project Proposals include the construction and/or rehabilitation of infrastructures?

Only if these activities are unequivocally beneficial to the achievement of one or more of the specific objectives of the Call for Proposals (please, refer to paragraph 2.2. of the Guidelines) and they are in line with the strategy of the IADSA II as described at the paragraph 2.3. of the Guidelines (relevance, effectiveness and sustainability)

Will the Second Call refer to the same specific objectives?

Under this Call for Proposals projects that relate to the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans, to gender equality and to environmental sustainability will be considered as very important during the evaluation of project proposals. For detailed information regarding the specific objectives please check the paragraph 2.2. “The specific objectives of this 2nd Call for Proposals” of the Guidelines.
 

Applicable exchange rate EUR/ALL for the 2nd Call for Proposals IADSA II

The exchange rate EUR/ALL for the 2nd Call for Proposals of IADSA II is the one indicated by the Bank of Albania on the date of launching of the Call (March, 20, 2023), equal to 1 EURO = 114.40 ALL.  With regard to the exchange rate please refer to the English version of the Call for Proposals.