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Reference
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S26
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last
modified
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07.04.2003
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Title
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Socrates:
activities of observation, analysis and innovation (actions
6.1.2 and 6.2 of the Socrates programme) EAC/87/02
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JO/budget
line
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(2003/C
81/07)
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Directorate
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Education
and culture
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General
objectives
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1.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
On the basis of the Decision of the European Parliament
and the Council adopting the second phase of the Community
programme Socrates the Commission is inviting proposals
for the implementation of both ‘General activities of
observation and analysis’ (sub-action 6.1.2 points (c)
and (d) and ‘innovatory initiatives responding to emerging
needs’ (action 6.2).
Sub-action 6.1 is part of the action ‘Observation of
education systems, policies and innovation’ and provides
for a series of steps to improve and facilitate the
exchange of information and experience in education
among the countries participating in the Socrates programme.
The action 6.2 supports transnational projects and studies
aimed at helping to develop innovations in one or more
specific sectors of education.
For the period between 2000-2006 participation in the
Socrates programme is open to the Member States, the
EFTA/EEA countries under the Agreement on the European
Economic Area (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. )
and the applicant countries (Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech
Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta,
Poland, Romania, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia and Turkey).
Applications for support may include, or be made by,
establishments in any of these countries. In the case
of countries outside the European Union, financial support
for the participation of these establishments will be
granted providing that national contributions have been
settled.
With this in mind, this call for proposals, has as its
objectives:
1. to facilitate the implementation of the ‘Report on
the future objectives of education and of training systems’
according to the conclusions of the Education Council
and of the ‘Detailed work programme on the follow-up
of the objectives of education and training systems
in Europe’ . This could be done by using, in particular,
the exchange of experience between establishments working
on the priority themes (see point 2 below) as well as
other methods generally applied within the framework
of international cooperation;
2. to give financial support to educational, lifelong
learning and research institutions that mobilise their
innovation potential around the key issues related to
the implementation of the abovementioned ‘Detailed work
programme on the follow-up of the objectives of education
and training systems in Europe’. In this context, the
participation of institutions from the candidate countries
will make it possible not only to widen the European
dimension of the activities concerned, but also to prepare
the future association of these countries with the open
method of coordination and the application of measuring
instruments for its implementation.
2. PRIORITY THEMES
The three priority themes for this call for proposals
have been determined by the Council on the basis of
the Commission's proposal. They are therefore considered
as ‘matters of common policy interest’ in accordance
with the Decision adopting the Socrates programme. The
three priority themes are:
- making best use of resources,
- opening up the education and training systems to the
wider world,
- education and training for teachers and trainers.
These
priorities themes coincide with the areas specified
in the Council conclusions of 13 July 2001 with a view
to beginning the implementation of the Objectives Report.
Innovative proposals in other areas of the ‘Detailed
work programme on the follow-up of the objectives of
education and training systems in Europe’ as well as
proposals concerning the development of methodologies
in view of improving the quality of comparative studies
in the field of education and training can however also
be considered for funding.
2.1. Making best use of resources
The European Commission recently adopted a Communication
on Education and Training Benchmarks . It also adopted
a Communication on ‘investing efficiently in education
and training’ . Both documents are underlining the need
of investment in education as a prominent issue, as
stated by the ‘Report on the future objectives of education
and training’. In order to support European policies
on making best use of resources in the field of education
and training the activities supported under this priority
theme will focus on the following main aspects:
- optimal allocation of resources: identification of
good examples and innovative ideas for monitoring resource
needs and for flexible reallocation of resources to
areas where they are most needed,
- analysis of examples of private — public co-financing
schemes in the field of education,
- analyses of social and economic returns to investment
(especially in lifelong learning) on different levels
(individual, company, national and European level),
- private funding: identification of innovative ideas
and good practices for providing incentives for private
funding in key areas of the knowledge economy such as
higher education, adult education and vocational training,
- application of methodologies that could compare input
of financial resources to output from the system/impact
on growth.
The activities supported under this priority theme will
be followed by the working groups on ‘making best use
of resources’ and on ‘indicators’ recently set up by
the Commission in the frame of the follow-up of the
objectives of education and training systems in Europe.
2.2. Opening up the education and training systems
to the wider world
The activities supported under this priority theme will
encourage a comparative analysis, where relevant based
on indicators, in the following fields:
- establishing partnerships between all types of education
and training institutions, firms and research facilities
for their mutual benefit,
- promoting the role for stakeholders in developing
training, including initial training, and learning at
the work place,
- monitoring the volume, directions, participation rates
as well as qualitative aspects of mobility flows across
Europe.
The activities supported under this priority theme will
especially be followed by the working groups on ‘making
learning attractive, strengthening links with working
life and society’ on ‘indicators’, and on ‘mobility’
recently set up by the Commission in the frame of the
follow-up of the objectives of education and training
systems in Europe.
2.3. Teachers and trainers educationImproving education
and training for teachers and trainers is one of
the key objectives of education and training systems
in Europe. This applies both at the level of school
education and in higher education. The objective of
the projects in this field is to highlight innovative
initiatives, on the basis of comparative and prospective
studies which can contribute to a reflection on policy
development, covering in particular the following aspects
where relevant:
- projects focusing on the continuum of teacher education
– initial training, induction and inservice education
and the linkages between each phase of career development,
in a context of lifelong learning,
- projects focusing on the attractiveness of the teaching
profession (addressing issues such as recruitment, retention,
diversity of intake, multicultural working environments),
- projects which examine the role of the teacher in
promoting the European dimension and increasing learners'
sense of themselves as Europeans,
- projects which examine the development of appropriate
indicators relating to quality of teacher education,
teacher competence and professional development which
are relevant across a number of education systems.
The activities supported under this priority theme will
be followed by the working group recently set up by
the Commission on ‘teachers and trainers education’.
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Target
group
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3.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
3.1. Eligible activities
The following activities will be considered eligible under
this call for proposals: studies, analyses, pilot projects,
seminars, exchanges of experts and other appropriate actions
aimed at improving knowledge and facilitating an innovative
exchange of expertise and experience relating to the priority
themes listed.
3.2. Eligible establishments
Organisations and institutions from within the participating
countries with the qualifications and experience needed
to carry out the proposed action are eligible under this
call for proposals. For this purpose, application forms
should include detailed information on previous experience
in the fields necessary for the implementation of the
project.
3.3. Eligible proposals
To be considered eligible under this call for proposals,
proposals must:
- use the application forms specifically designed for
this action ,
- respect the deadline established for this call for proposals
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- relate to the priority themes described ,
- actively involve establishments from at least five countries
taking part in Socrates and at least one institution from
a Member State,
- include a balanced budget that respects the maximum
percentage of community cofinancing established
to 75 % of the total amount of eligible expenditure.
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Geographical
area
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Finance
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6.
CONTRACTS AND FINANCIAL AID
Applicants may propose projects lasting one or two years.
Payment shall be made on production of proof that the
relevant action is in accordance with the provisions of
the basic act or the contract and shall cover payment
of the amount due in any of the following ways:
- pre-financing, which may be divided into a number of
payments,
- one or more interim payments and payments of the balance
of the amounts due on the condition of receipt and approval
of interim reports and final report and financial statement.
The Commission's financial support may be up to EUR
200 000 yearly. This ceiling will nevertheless be
reached only in exceptional circumstances. The amounts
paid will be calculated so that they cover a maximum of
75 % of eligible expenditure.
If, under exceptional circumstances, pre-financing is
more than 80 %, then the authorising officer responsible
may require the beneficiary to lodge a guarantee in advance
in order to limit the financial risks connected with the
payment of pre-financing.
A grant may be awarded for an action, which has already
begun only when where the applicant can demonstrate the
need to start the action before the agreement is signed.
In such cases, expenditure eligible for financing may
not have been incurred prior to the date of submission
of the grant application.
The award of grants shall be subject to the principle
of transparency and equal treatment. They may not be cumulative
or awarded retrospectively and they must involve co-financing.
The beneficiary shall supply evidence of the co-financing
provided, either by way of own resources, or in the form
of financial transfers from third parties. One action
may give rise to the award of only one grant from the
budget to any one beneficiary.
The grant may not have the purpose or effect of producing
a profit for the beneficiary.
Applications shall be made on the form distributed by
the authorising officers responsible and in accordance
with the criteria laid down in the basic act and the call
for proposals.
The application shall show that the applicant exists as
a legal person and has the financial and operational capacity
to complete the proposed action or work programme. For
that purpose the authorising officer shall request a declaration
from potential beneficiaries on their honour. The profit
and loss account, the balance sheet for the last financial
year for which the accounts have been closed and any other
supporting documents requested in the call for proposals
shall, depending on the analysis of management risks conducted
by the authorising officer responsible on his own responsibility,
also be attached to the application.
The budget for the action or the operating budget attached
to the application must have revenue and expenditure in
balance and show clearly the costs which are eligible
for financing from the Community budget given that general
expenditures (office supplies, photocopies, telephone,
fax, post and telecommunication charges, data processing)
must not exceed 7 % of the total cost.
The applicant shall indicate the sources and amounts of
any other funding received or applied for in the same
financial year for the same action or for any other action
and for routine activities.
For eligible cost see the general conditions for grants
annexed to the model agreement.
The total available budget for activities covered by this
call for proposals is approximately EUR 1 700 000.
As an indication, in 2002, financial support was given
to 6 projects.
In the event of the Commission's approving a proposal,
a funding agreement in Euro setting out the conditions
and the level of funding will be signed by the Commission
and the beneficiary. |
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Duration
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Deadline
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May 2003 |
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Contact/Address
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Mr
Anders Hingel
European Commission
DG Education and Culture, Unit A4
Office: B-7 07/24 B-1049 Brussels.
Fax (32-2) 299 22 31
e-mail: UNITE-A4@cec.eu.int
The request for an information pack must contain the
following details: name, full address, post code and
language version desired. The request must refer explicitly
to this call for proposals and to Actions 6.1 and 6.2
of the Socrates programme. Only one copy of this information
package per request will be sent. The information pack,
along with this call for proposals and other information,
is also obtainable from the following Internet address:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/education/socrates/
observation/call.html
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