MASOPHRD has updated on February 16th the Calendar of new requests for proposals SOPHRD for 2011.
Compared to the latest version of the timetable published by MASOPHRD in December 2010, calls release dates have been postponed for a short period of time.
Therefore, the first call for project proposals will open in April – May, which means more time to develop your projects proposals ideas.
For more information click here.
Calls for grant projects proposals:
Main characteristics of grant type projects:
Value of project: 50,000 – 499,000 euro
Implementation level – Local, Regional
Project duration: 6 to 18 months
KAI 1.1: Access to quality education and initial VET
This key area of intervention will support actions for restructuring and improving the preuniversity education system (according to the structure of the educational system, in force) with a view to increase access to quality education and key competencies for all.
Financed activities – examples:
• Develop/ update/ review/ testing/ implementation of tools and procedures for evaluation and assessment of students, including organizing and conducting professional examinations for certification of skills for professional qualification of all levels, assessment of key skills in all education institutions, recognition/ validation/certification of prior learning;
• Development/ implementation/ integration of tools and practices of inclusive education, elaboration/ development of support mechanisms to increase access and participation in initial vocational education and training;
• Elaboration/ development/ revision/ testing and implementation of skills and professional standards in initial vocational training;
• Developing/ updating/ improving/ testing and implementation of guidance and counseling tools, and services;
• Improvement/ provision of guidance and counseling in education institution.
Eligible applicants: public and private providers of guidance, counseling, mediation services and alternative school, social partners in education, NGO’s (foundations and associations) acting in initial vocational education and training or related.
KAI 1.2: Quality in higher education
This key area of intervention will support actions for restructuring and improving the higher education system.
Financed activities – examples:
• Drafting/ updating/ revising/ testing/ implementing/ transposing the methodologies, tools, benchmarks, procedures and mechanisms for quality assurance and management, university management, evaluation and accreditation etc.;
• Drafting/ updating/ revising/ implementing/ describing/ validating the qualifications in higher education, including elaboration of terms of reference for the definition of the qualifications, as well as procedures for their validation;
• Drafting/ updating/ revising/ testing/ implementing, procedures, tools for managing and implementing the NQF in higher education, at system level and in universities;
• Defining and adapting study programs to the qualifications in higher education, including elaboration of learning materials and tools;
• Improving integrated library and scientific documentation services in higher education.
Eligible applicants: Ministry of Education, Research and Youth, NGOs, accredited higher education institutions, both public and private, NGOs, foundations and associations acting in the field of higher education or related to it, including students’ unions.
KAI. 1.4: Quality in continuing vocational training (CVT)
This key area of intervention is aiming at increasing the public and private CVT system’s capacity of providing quality training in order to ensure grounds for raising the participation in CVT.
Financed activities – examples:
• Developing/ updating/ description/ validation of professional qualifications and competencies in CVT national and sectoral level, including development and updating of the terms of reference for defining the qualifications, standards and occupational profiles, as well as procedures for validation;
• Developing/ updating/ reviewing/ testing/ implementing procedures, methodologies and mechanisms for training, evaluation and certification of competences and qualifications;
• Developing/ updating / improving/ testing/ implementing management tools for National Qualification Framework (NQF);
• Support for sectoral committees, including staff training, in order to strengthen their capacity to engage actively in quality assurance in CVT;
• Developing/ updating/ reviewing/ testing/ implementation of methodologies and procedures for validation/ recognition of prior learning and certification;
• Drafting/updating/revising/testing/implementing methodologies and procedures for transposing quality assurance at CVT providers level.
Eligible applicants: trade unions, Employers, National Agency for Employment, public or private centers validation / certification of prior learning
KAI 2.2: Preventing and correcting early school leaving
This key area will aim at preventing and correcting early school leaving, by maintaining/ reintegrating the potential early school leavers in education and training.
Financed activities – examples:
• Promotion of awareness raising campaigns aiming at preventing and reducing early school leavers;
• Development and provision of guidance, counseling and educational assistance to prevent early school leaving (for people at risk of early school leaving and their families);
• Activities adaptation/ development of curriculum for the training of preschool education core competencies, including the development of teaching and learning materials and adaptation to the specific needs of preschoolers;
• Development and delivery activities such as “family kindergarten”;
• Elaboration/ development/ testing/ implementation of educational methodologies and alternative solutions in order to prepare for entering the educational system.
Eligible applicants: Institutes/ centers of research and development in education, NGO’s working in education, social inclusion, improve the situation of vulnerable groups in education and related services, guidance and counseling providers, accredited school, public and private.
KAI 6.2: Improving the access and participation for vulnerable groups on the labour market
The Key area focuses on facilitating the access to employment for people belonging to vulnerable groups, with the aim of avoiding social exclusion, marginalization, discrimination and the poverty trap.
Financed activities – examples:
• Training programmes addressed to specific needs of vulnerable groups, including basic skills and certified training programmes;
• Motivating programmes for vulnerable groups to get integrated/reintegrated on the labour market, assisting them with effective job search;
• Activities addressed to the conversion of redundant and neglected industrial workshops;
• Counseling for the development of new sheltered jobs in enterprises;
• Activities for setting up of care/assistance services for family dependents to enable participation in the labour market of people at risk of social exclusion;
• Assistance in organisation of support groups and selfhelp groups
• Development of service quality standards for services leading to integration with the labour market and delivered by social services providers;
• Studies and expertise aimed at evaluating the impact and effectiveness of forms of support offered to persons threatened with social exclusion;
• Training for employees of social services providers (including NGO’s and volunteers) working with persons from high risk groups.
Eligible applicants: social cooperatives, NGOs, accredited providers of social services, employment and continuous vocational learning, institutions and member organizations of Regional Pacts and Local Partnerships for Employment and Social Inclusion, Ministry of Labour, Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Interior and coordinated structures.
Evaluation and approval of grant project proposals are carried out in compliance with “first come -first served” principle, NOW is the time to start working on your project ideas!
Calls for strategic project proposals
Main characteristics of strategic type projects:
Value of project: 500,000 – 5,000,000 euro
Implementation level – National, Multi-Regional
KAI 2.3 – Access and participation in CVT (Continuous Vocational Training)
In this call for project proposals are funded: Continuous Vocational Training programs (CVT) in order to facilitate full qualification and requalification of employees, activities to facilitate access of employees to services for validation and certification of professional competences achieved in informal or/ and nonformal contexts, and activities for training providers to diversify and encourage flexible training programs.
Financed activities – examples:
• Participation to courses for qualification, certification or/ and improving skills training;
• Certification of professional competences;
• Rising employees awareness and informing regarding qualification opportunities;
• Support for CVT providers in development of training programs (CVT) for qualification and/ or requalification of employees;
• Authorization and certification in order to provide continuous professional training programs for qualification and/ or requalification of employees;
• Developing professional and career guidance and counseling services for employees: developing materials for counseling and guidance activities, providing information, counseling and guidance services;
• Information/ awareness/ media campaigns on human resource development opportunities, information on qualification or requalification possibilities for employees, etc.
Eligible applicants: Authorized training providers, NGO-s and institutions (associations and foundations) specialized in human resources development, members of the sectoral committees and Sectoral Committees with juridical personality, Professional associations, Chambers of commerce and industry etc.
KAI 6.4: Transnational initiatives on inclusive labour market
The Key area focuses on transnational initiatives as a part of a strategy to share information and innovation on an inclusive labour market with other EU Member States, supporting transnational initiatives and partnerships at European level aiming to develop human resources and create an inclusive labour market.
Financed activities – examples:
• Transnational projects aimed at HRD in the framework of social inclusion policies and practices;
• Setting-up partnerships at European level for HRD and social inclusion;
• Exchange of experience and transfer of expertise about successful methodologies developed for social inclusion, including mentoring.
Eligible applicants: NGO-s (associations and foundations), authorized training providers, public or private, SME`s associations, Professional Associations, Accredited public or private Universities etc.
Looking forward to be your business partner!
The MASOPHRD has published the draft version of the applicant’s guideline- specific conditions, for projects related to the Key Area of Intervention (KAI) 5.2 – “Promoting long-term sustainability of rural areas in terms of human resources development and employment ”
Categories of eligible beneficiaries for this call for proposals:
– NGO’s, training providers, enterprises, public institutions, etc.
Examples of activities that can be financed:
• Research activities and field studies on the unemployment situation in rural areas;
• Development and implementation of information and awareness campaigns;
• Providing information and counseling services;
• Providing training programs for people in rural areas;
• Providing placement services;
• Accreditation / approval of training programs / education.
Projects can be of maximum value 500,000 euros with a grant of up to 98%.
Project evaluation takes about 30 days, so if you have ideas for projects that are seeking financing, please contact us.
The Management Authority of SOPHRD published a series of updated instructions, very important in the implementation of projects financed through SOPHRD.
In the section “project implementation” on the ESF Romania website you can find more information regarding:
– Instruction for running the public procurement procedures in ESF SOPHRD projects.
– Instruction regarding the changes in the standard format of the budgets
– Instruction regarding the pre-financing – for state aid projects
– Instruction regarding the reimbursement claim, the changes in the format and in its annexes.
For more details, click here.
MASOPHRD has launched the call for proposals related to the Major Domain of Intervention (MDI) 5.1 – “Development and implementation of active measures of employment”. Evaluation will be done on the criteria first-come, first-served, so that the period between submission of the draft and the assessment is estimated at about 30 days. This allows those whose grant applications were rejected to take note of the reasons for rejection, to reformulate the request and submit it again. When the sum value of approved projects will be eligible to equal financial allocation, funding line will be closed.
For more information click here.
The Management Authority of SOPHRD has announced the approval and publication in the Official Monitor, Part I, no.596/23 August 2010, of the Common Order of the Minister of Labour, Family and Social Welfare and Minister of Public Finances no.1117 /2170/august 2010, regarding the settlement of eligibility rules and of the list of eligible expenses in the operations financed by the Sectoral Operational Programme “Human Resources Development.” Once the order mentioned above is published in the Official Monitor, the provisions of the order no.3/185/2008 are repealed.
The Management Authority will issue a set of instructions to all beneficiaries of projects financed by SOPHRD.
For more details, click here.
The Management Authority of SOPHRD published the Lists with the strategic projects submitted and approved in 2009 within the Human Resources Development Operational Programme. These lists include also projects on the reserve list, which will be contracted only after the supplementary financial allocation for the related calls for proposals. Also, the lists include the projects that have been rejected initially, but which have been approved after the resolution of the complaints received.
MASOPHRD will propose to the Extraordinary Monitoring Committee SOPHRD to approve a reallocation between axes that allows extensive financial allocation for Major Domain of Intervention (MDI) 3.2. and MDI 3.1. After the vote of the Monitoring Committee, the proposal will have to be approved by the European Commission. If the reallocation is approved, MASOPHRD reserves the right to initiate a contract for part of the projects that are on the reserve list, for the calls for proposals no. 81 (MDI 3.1) and no. 92 (MDI 3.2). The order in which projects will be contracted will be based on points awareded.
For more details, click here.
In order to support project beneficiaries and applicants, the management of AMPOSDRU has taken some measures that aim the following:
– ensuring the cash-flow in project implementation by changing the way the pre financing is given;
– changing the Applicant Guide: eliminating the uncertainties of the previous version of this document and decreasing dramatically the evaluation period by simplifying the evaluation mechanism.
For more information click here.
The European Commission decided to unblock payments within SOPHRD/POSDRU following the audit mission carried out last week. The follow-up mission of the European Commission has examined how the Management Authority of SOPHRD has eliminated deficiencies encountered on the previous audit. The decision of temporarily suspending the payments did not affect the SOPHRD project beneficiaries that have received, from December until now, the amounts requested in the pre-financing or reimbursement requests.
For more information regarding the measures taken by Management Authority of SOPHRD in order to improve the internal system of management and administration of the program, click here.
AMPOSDRU supports the beneficiaries by publishing for consulting the new Beneficiary Guide General conditions for grant and strategic projects. May you have any suggestions or recommendations regarding the draft version of the applicant guide, please address them by e-mail, no later than July 2nd, to Cristina.georgescu@fseromania.ro
Also, for those of you who already have projects under implementation, AMPOSDRU has published an instruction regarding the format for notifications and additional papers necessary when you want to modify your contracts financed through POSDRU.
In order to have a clearer image of the status regarding the absorption of the funds but also a list with all projects contracted within POSDRU you can view these information on the ACIS website. Click here.