Deadline: 8 May 2015
The European Union and the Government of Republic of Turkey is currently accepting proposals for its Human Resources Development Operational programme promoting the development and implementation of coherent and comprehensive strategies for lifelong learning.
The overall indicative amount made available under this call for proposals is EUR 4,500,000.
Sectors or themes of Action
Under this Call for Proposals, support will be provided to the institutions that will establish testing and certification systems in Agriculture, Hunting and Fishery; Business and Management; Culture and Art; Education; Electric and Electronics; Environment; Finance; Food; Glass, Cement, and Soil; Health and Social Services; Justice and Security; Mining; Social and Personal Services; Trade (Sales and Marketing); Woodworking, Paper and Paper Products sectors.
Duration
The initial planned duration of an action may not be lower than 12 months nor exceed 18 months.
Programme Objectives
The global objective of this Call for Proposals is developing qualified and certified labour force, ensuring an efficient formal and non-formal vocational education and training system by strengthening the link between education and employment, promoting recognition of prior learning, supporting lifelong learning process, and facilitating the harmonization of the National Qualifications Framework with European Qualifications Framework.
The specific objectives of this Call for Proposals are:
- To establish and/or develop and operationalize Occupational Standards Development Vocational Knowledge and Skills Testing and Certification Centres (VOC-TEST Centres) in 15 sectors which are Agriculture, Hunting and Fishery; Business and Management; Culture and Art; Education; Electric and Electronics; Environment; Finance; Food; Glass, Cement, and Soil; Health and Social Services; Justice and Security; Mining; Social and Personal Services; Trade (Sales and Marketing); Woodworking, Paper and Paper Products sectors
- To establish and initiate an efficient, sustainable and reliable National Vocational Qualifications System (NVQS) by enabling an appropriate, transparent and quality assured assessment and certification structure.
Size of grants
Grant requested under this Call for Proposals must fall between EUR 150,000 to EUR 250,000.
Eligibility Criteria
- The main target groups of this Call for Proposals are: Occupational Standards Setting Bodies, Qualification developers, Employers’ and employees’ associations and professional organizations, Individuals to be certified, etc.
- In addition to the above mentioned, the applications have to address cover one and/or more of the specific added-value elements of the HRD OP (Human Resources Development Operational Programme), as follows:
- Gender equality,
- Participation of civil society,
- Concerns of disadvantaged persons,
- Sustainable development and environmental protection,
- Good governance.
- In order to be eligible for a grant, the applicant must:
- be a legal person and
- be non profit making and
- be established in a Member State of the European Union or in a country that is a beneficiary of the Council Regulation (EC) No 1085/2006 of 17 July 2006 establishing an Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA), or in a country that is a beneficiary of the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument, or in a Member State of the European Economic Area. This obligation does not apply to international organisations and
- be a specific type of organisation such as: non-governmental organizations (NGOs ) , professional/ vocational associations/ foundations/ federations/ confederations, employers’ and employees’ organizations/ institutions, chambers of commerce and/ or industry, chambers and unions, international (inter-governmental) organisation as defined by Article 43 of the Rules of application of the EU Financial Regulation and
- be directly responsible for the preparation and management of the action with the co-applicant(s) and affiliated entity(ies), not acting as an intermediary and
- demonstrate that the area of the submitted project is within its working field as mentioned in its statues/law/etc. (umbrella organizations can apply if one of their members functions in the field of relevant occupation(s) and provides the conditions stated heretofore) and
- demonstrate that it has been operating for at least 2 (two) years in the subsector which is specified in the application.
- Individual commercial enterprises or groups of enterprises are not eligible applicants/co-applicant(s) under this Call for Proposals. However, where relevant, they are encouraged to participate as associates.
- An educational institution affiliated to Ministry of National Education or Council of Higher Education are not eligible under this Call for Proposals.
- The applicant may act individually or with co-applicant(s). There is no minimum number of co-applicant(s).
- In case the applicant is not established in Turkey, it must act with at least one co-applicant that is established in Turkey.
- Co-applicant(s) must satisfy the eligibility criteria as applicable to the applicant himself.
- The applicant and its co-applicant(s) can act with affiliated entity(ies). Only the following entities may be considered as affiliated entities to the applicant and/or to co-applicant(s):
- Entities directly or indirectly controlled by the beneficiary (daughter companies or first-tier subsidiaries). They may also be entities controlled by an entity controlled by the beneficiary (granddaughter companies or second-tier subsidiaries) and the same applies to further tiers of control;
- Entities directly or indirectly controlling the beneficiary (parent companies). Likewise, they may be entities controlling an entity controlling the beneficiary;
- Entities under the same direct or indirect control as the beneficiary (sister companies)
- The beneficiary is legally defined as a e.g. network, federation, association in which the proposed affiliated entities also participate or the beneficiary participates in the same entity (e.g. network, federation, association) as the proposed affiliated entities.
How to apply?
- Applicants can submit all documents together (Concept Note and Full Application Form).
- In the first instance, only the Concept Notes will be evaluated.
- Thereafter, for the applicants who have been pre-selected, the full proposal will be evaluated.
For more information, please visit Test Centers Turkey.
