1.2 Wh can participate The Alpine Space prgramme welcmes the participatin f rganisatins frm the public and private sectr that bring added value t the preparatin and implementatin f an Alpine Space prject. Such rganisatins may participate as prject participants, bservers r external experts. These rles are described belw as well as the specific requirements that apply. Prject participants Prject participants are thse rganisatins that are invlved in the preparatin and implementatin f an Alpine Space prject. They may act as lead partner r prject partner as described belw (see sectin structure f the partnership). They are fficially listed in the expressin f interest (EI) and in the applicatin frm (AF), sectin B. They may be: public bdies and bdies gverned by public law; private rganisatins. Versin 03 as f 30.03.2016
Public bdies and bdies gverned by public law are defined in the Directive 2014/24/EU, article 2 1, n public prcurement as: the State, reginal r lcal authrities, assciatins frmed by such authrities; bdies gverned by public law and their assciatins. Accrding t this Directive, a bdy gverned by public law is anybdy: a) established fr the specific purpse f meeting needs in the general interest, nt having an industrial r cmmercial character; b) having legal persnality; and c) being: - financed, fr the mst part, by the State, reginal r lcal authrities, r ther bdies gverned by public law; - r subject t management supervisin by thse bdies; - r having an administrative, managerial r supervisry bard, mre than half f whse members are appinted by the State, reginal r lcal authrities, r by ther bdies gverned by public law. Private rganisatins are thse rganisatins having legal capacity and that are nt included in the definitin f public bdies and bdies gverned by public law as set ut abve. A nn-exhaustive list f pssible prject participants (beneficiaries) can be fund in sectin 2 f the cperatin prgramme fr each thematic pririty. The list is indicative. Therefre, even bdies nt listed in the cperatin prgramme may apply fr c-financing as lng as they are nt explicitly excluded in the terms f reference f the respective call fr prject prpsals. Partnership requirements Transnatinality The transnatinal dimensin f a prject shuld be reflected in the cmpsitin f the partnership. Therefre, the prgramme has set the fllwing minimum requirement: any prject must invlve at least 4 prject participants frm 4 different ASP cuntries. 1 Directive 2014/24/EU is applicable frm 18 April 2016 and replaces Directive 2004/18/EC. 2
Gegraphical lcatin As a general rule, prject participants have t be lcated inside the cperatin area (see als sectin 1.1.1 f the cperatin prgramme): Austria: whle cuntry; France: Rhône-Alpes, Prvence-Alpes-Côte d Azur, Franche-Cmté, Alsace; Germany: districts f Oberbayern and Schwaben (in Bayern), Tübingen and Freiburg (in Baden- Württemberg); Italy: Lmbardia, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Venet, Trentin-Alt Adige, Valle d Asta, Piemnte and Liguria; Liechtenstein: whle cuntry; Slvenia: whle cuntry; Switzerland: whle cuntry. In additin, t receive the ERDF c-financing prject participants have t be lcated in the territry f an EU Member State. Partners frm Liechtenstein and Switzerland are nt entitled t receive ERDF; they may hwever receive natinal public cntributins. Applicants are invited t cntact in due time the relevant Alpine Space cntact pint (ACP) fr infrmatin hw t receive natinal public cntributin. Further details are available n the factsheet Funding principle. 3
Cnsidering that the cperatin area is nly partially cvering the territry f France, Germany and Italy, there are tw pssible exceptins t the rule n the gegraphical lcatin f prject participants. They cncern thse cases where a participant is lcated utside the cperatin area but still n the territry f a Member State invlved in the Alpine Space prgramme; in these cases the fllwing rules apply: The prject participant has a cmpetence cvering the whle cuntry r participating regin (e.g. natinal/ reginal ministries lcated in the capitals/ reginal capitals f France, Germany and Italy) and this is demnstrated in the relevant sectins f the EI and AF. They may request ERDF cfinancing, even thugh they are nt lcated in the cperatin area. There are n specific restrictins t the participatin f these partners. The cntributin f the prject participant is fr the benefit f the cperatin area and this is demnstrated in the relevant sectins f the EI and AF. In line with the EU Regulatin 1299/2013, art. 20, ERDF c-financing fr these partners is limited t 20% f the ttal ERDF budget apprved fr the prject. Structure f the partnership The prject participants have the fllwing functins and respnsibilities: lead partner (LP): takes the verall respnsibility fr the preparatin f the prject and its implementatin accrding t the AF. The lead partner crrespnds t the term "lead beneficiary" used in the EUregulatins n structural funds. Only public bdies and bdies gverned by public law may act as lead partner; prject partners (PP): participate in the preparatin f the prject and its implementatin accrding t the AF. They crrespnd t the term "beneficiary" used in the EU-regulatins n structural funds. The lead partner and prject partners have t be listed in the relevant sectins f the EI and AF. Their rle and respnsibilities are set in the AF and in the partnership agreement (PA) (see annexes). Fr guidance n hw t structure a gd partnership please refer t the terms f reference fr each call fr prject prpsals. Observers Observers are usually institutins with a multiplier functin, i.e. with the cmmitment and capacity t prmte the prject results amng target grups and/r t supprt their uptake at the plicy level. Prjects may grant the bserver status and enable these actrs t take part in the prject s activities. Observers have a limited 4
functin in the partnership and are nt respnsible fr the day-t-day preparatin and implementatin f the prject. They prvide an external supprt. Requirements fr bservers The rle f bservers has t be described in the relevant sectin f the AF. Prject participants may plan budget fr the reimbursement f travel and accmmdatin csts fr the invlvement f bservers t prject meetings and events (see sectin n external expertise and services in factsheet What can be c-financed ). External experts When prject participants lack the internal resurces fr the perfrmance f certain prject tasks they may sub-cntract these tasks t external prviders f services, gds r (where relevant) wrks. Requirements fr external experts The relevant partner is respnsible fr ensuring that the invlvement f external prviders in the prject cmplies with the applicable public prcurement rules (see sectin n external experts and services in factsheet What can be c-financed). Reference Dcuments Directive 2014/24/EU n public prcurement (replacing Directive 2004/18/EC) EU Regulatin 1303/2013 n cmmn prvisins n ESI funds, art. 2 EU Regulatin 1299/2013, art. 20 Cperatin prgramme "Alpine Space Prgramme 2014-2020", sectin 1.1.1.and sectin 2 Factsheet and templates f partnership agreement 5