Archives: December 2009

Lappeenranta University of Technology, Lahti School of Innovation (LUT LSI) is a research unit located in the city of Lahti in Southern Finland. In its operations, the unit combines different viewpoints and approaches from various research fields - such as innovation systems management, and organization and performance management - in the development and research of companies and other organizations.

The research centre is now searching for other universities or research institutions from Netherlands, Ireland, UK, Denmark or Sweden to participate in the submission of FP7-SSH - project proposal ''Innovativeness and social networks as a vehicle for favoring social cohesion in regional welfare systems''. The project partners (4-5) should represent areas with population between 200,000 and 800,000.

The project proposals, in response to the FP7-SSH-2010-2 call, should be submitted by 2.2.2010.

Please contact, Suvi Konsti-Laakso, Lahti School of Innovation

The City of Teramo is carrying out 2 LIFELONG LEARNING PROGRAMME partner searches

Project-titles are:
1) EARLY LEARNING OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE (Comenius Sub-programme)
2) COMPUTER LITERACY OF ADULTS (Grundtvig Sub-programme)

For any further details, contact leo.grassi@regione.abruzzo.it or alessandro.perfetti@libero.it.

The PROVINCE OF TERAMO wish to put together a LIFELONG LEARNING PROGRAMME project entitled NEW SKILLS FOR NEW JOBS (Leonardo da Vinci sub-programme)

For any further details, contact leo.grassi@regione.abruzzo.it or alessandro.perfetti@libero.it

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The 2010 calls for proposals for transnational projects (grants to support one-off actions which are over and above an organisation’s normal activities) under the DAPHNE III, Drug Prevention & Information and Fundamental Rights & Citizenship programmes are all to be published in late January. Deadlines for submitting applications are likely to be set for April.

The next call for proposal under the ICT Policy Support Programme is due to be launched at the beginning of January with a likely closure in June. Six themes will be covered with the emphasis being on the needs of public entities. An Information Day is scheduled for Brussels on 14 January.

Draft 2010 Work Programme

A Commission plan to create a micro-finance facility to help people at risk of losing their jobs to start their own micro-enterprises has been backed in principle by the European Parliament although the funding arrangements remain undecided. Under this initiative, the Commission had proposed to make EUR100m in support available to provide eligible candidates with loans of up to EUR25,000. This budget was to be sourced from a reallocation from the Progress fund for employment, social affairs and equal opportunities.

The Parliament Employment and Social Affairs Committee's (who has wanted to grant an extra EUR50m increase to the venture) have given their agreement but are holding off on any definitive decision in regard to the use of the Progress fund, pending investigation of the possibility of establishing a separate budget line for these purposes. MEPs have also called for clarification that the future fund would not replicate existing SME liquidity initiatives such as Jeremie and Jasmine at EU-level, or indeed, national, regional and local level equivalents.

QeC-ERAN (European Regeneration Areas Network) an NGO based in Brussels is currently developing three INTERREG IVC bids under the third call for Capitalisation projects.

They are looking for possible partners who would be interested in joining an exchange, sharing and transfer of policy experience, knowledge and good practices on the following projects proposals:

1. Social Economy and micro-financial services to support the development of local/regional strategies for strategies for employment and enterprise development in European regions.
2. Tackling young people's welfare in Europe, looking for ways to enhance their inclusion into the labour market and wider social participation.
3. Beyond GDP: Measuring the impact of Operational Programmes in relation to economic growth and sustainable development at local/regional level.

Please note that only public bodies are eligible for this programme.

Due to the characteristics of the Capitalisation projects, the involvement of the relevant bodies responsible for monitoring the Operational Programmes (Managing Authorities) is a prerequisite for every partner wishing to participate.

Deadline for submission is March 5th 2010.

Contact mebragaglia@qec-eran.org by 20 January in order to complete the partnership by the end of January.

The City of Aarhus, Denmark, is looking for partners to join a 'Learning partnership' under the EU Grundtvig Programme.
Two partners are already involved - from Denmark and Italy – and they are looking for at least two more partners.

Contact information:
The Department of Employment in the City of Aarhus, Denmark (coordinator)
Senior Consultant Poul-Erik Tindbæk, AMCMidt, Fredens Torv 6, 8000 Århus C. Denmark,
mail: pti@aarhus.dk

The University of Sevilla wants to participate in a project called EUROEMPLYMENT. It is a proposal included in the Andalusia operational programme from the European Social Fund 2007-2013.

In line with this, under the umbrella of the Andalusian ESF OP 2007-2013, the Regional Government of Andalusia has decided to encourage interregional and transnational cooperation through a priority axis.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES
• Exchanging of knowledge, information and experiences and sharing of good practices among member States and regions in order to improve the labour market dynamic.
• Learning from other experiences with the aim of achieving a more inclusive society. In this regard, special attention to disadvantaged people will be placed.
• Looking for and researching innovative methods together towards common solutions with the goal to respond to new social and economic challenges and to tackle labour market discrimination and inequality.

In this framework the University of Sevilla, wants to share ''good practices''with other European universities in the employability field. It intends to bring the experiences about employment policies used within the University (mobility exchange of the students, policies for help the student to find a job...) to a wider audience.

Regarding the financial issues, there is no co-financed budget needed only the Universities collaboration.

Contact: Inmaculada García Raya, sacutecna@us.es
WWW.sacu.us.es

Interreg IVC has opened a call restricted to Capitalisation Projects, including Fast Track Projects, only. This will require applications based on the transfer of recognised good practices into Structural Funds programmes - therefore requiring that they are put together in consultation with the relevant Managing Authority (BMW/S&E Regional Assembly or Dept. of Enterprise, Trade & Employment). A minimum of 6 partners from different countries is required. Project budgets should range from EUR1-2 million.

It is felt that applications dealing with natural & technological risks; climate change; water management; biodiversity & natural heritage; air quality; energy and sustainable transport; or cultural heritage & landscape may receive preference.

The IRO has received partner search requests relating to:
-Social Economy and micro-financial services to support the development of local/regional strategies for employment and enterprise development;
-Tackling young people’s welfare by looking for ways to enhance their inclusion into the labour market and wider social participation; and
-Beyond GDP: Measuring the sustainable development impact of Operational Programmes at local/regional level.
Please notify us of your interest in pursuing these requests by 20 January.

Further information
Deadline: 5 March 2010.

The Pays des Six Vallees, a Local Action Group (LAG) located in the Poitou-Charentes Region, is currently looking for another LAG in Europe to set up a bilateral cooperation project on Arts in rural areas in the framework of the LEADER programme.

As you will see in the attached document, the purpose of this cooperation would be to involve the local population in contemporary Art projects to increase environmental awareness.

Contact: Sandra BEUCHER, culture@pays6vallees.com

www.pays6vallees.com

A ‘'post-crisis'' pan-European infrastructure fund backed by an alliance of some of Europe's leading public financial institutions was unveiled on 4 December. Marguerite aims to offer capital of EUR1.5 billion to act as a catalyst for infrastructure investments implementing key EU policies in the areas of climate change, energy security, and trans-European networks (TENs).

The new fund, which includes EUR80 million in European Commission support, was initiated last year as part of the European Economic Recovery Plan's drive to reinforce Europe's long term competitiveness by combining EU policies and funds to help Member States bring forward investments in energy and priority infrastructure. The approach should serve as a model for the establishment of other similar funds in the EU wishing to combine a market-based principle of return to investors with the pursuit of public policy objectives.

The Fund will focus on greenfield investments within its target sectors: TENs energy or transport infrastructure, sustainable energy production, clean transport infrastructure, energy distribution and systems for hybrid transport (e.g. wind, solar), geothermal, biomass, biogas, hydro, and waste-to-energy projects.

Further information

The London Borough of Ealing are searching for partners for a European Refugee Fund project. The general objective of the European Refugee Fund is to support and improve the efforts of Member States to grant reception conditions to refugees, displaced persons and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection; to apply fair and effective asylum procedures and to promote good practices in the field of asylum.

Ealing's project will focus on drug and alcohol abuse as barriers to the integration of asylum seekers and refugees into European societies. Ealing will lead the project, but is looking for European partners in order to be able to compare experiences and share knowledge.

For more information on the project, or if you are interested in being involved as partners, please contact Syed Mazhar (email: MazharS@ealing.gov.uk).

www.gle.co.uk

QeC- European Regeneration Areas Network are looking for a partnership of 6 cities/regions LINKED to 6 universities. The aim is that the work package will bring together 6 localities and 6 transnational and multi disciplinary research teams under the 7th Framework Programme.

The proposed work packages will form part of an overall project on Addictions and Lifestyles led by the university of Leeds, UK. The key characteristics of the proposal are:
• a focus on the IPOD generation (those who are now 26 years old). This is a generation which is living lifestyles and developing wider forms of addiction, or rather ''excessive appetites''. It is also a generation which''lives''diversity rather than previous generations which essentially ''consumed'' diversity. It is also a generation which is experiencing very different paths in terms of "transition". It is also a generation which is largely focused on ''me''.
• A focus on new forms of ''addiction'' in terms of research
• A focus on drugs BUT from a new focus in which certain drugs have become far more commonly consumed and a consumption that is linked to lifestyle.
• A focus on "action research". Our overall goal is to generate new research, new studies etc, but linked to informing and improving local/regional /national policy and actions relating to these new addictions and new patterns of drug consumption.

Isabella Haaf, QeC- European Regeneration Areas Network
: isabellahaaf@qec-eran.org

The 2010 annual priorities of the Youth in Action programme were published on 8 December. Next year, on top of the rolling priorities (European citizenship; participation; cultural diversity; and inclusion ), an emphasis will be placed on projects focusing on the following themes: i) 2010 the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion; ii) Youth unemployment and promotion of young unemployed people's active participation in society; and iii) Awareness-raising and mobilisation of young people around global challenges, such as sustainable development, climate change, migration, and the Millennium Development Goals.

Further information

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The shape of the ELENA (European Local ENergy Assistance) facility has been clarified. This joint European Commission and European Investment Bank (EIB) initiative is to provide EUR15 million in 2010 (through the Intelligent Energy-Europe programme) for technical assistance actions associated with local authority undertakings which lay the groundwork for and mobilise further investment in large-scale sustainable energy activities.

ELENA support is intended to partly cover the costs necessary in preparing for viable long-term investment projects and programmes relating to the upgrading of public and private buildings, district heating networks, and environmentally-friendly transport. The support is especially intended to help local authorities to realise the ambitions underpinning their own Sustainable Energy Action Plans - a prerequisite for membership of the Covenant of Mayors which recently welcomed its 1000th signatory.

Eligible actions which may be supported may include energy audits, investment identification (and bundling for reduced transaction costs), feasibility and market studies, business plans, programme/plan development, and assembling suitable external financing arrangements. The ultimate large-scale investments that emerge may possibly be financed by loans from the EIB or other sources.

Further information
Brochure

The Association Columbares, a NGO located in the Region of Murcia (Spain), is looking for partners in order to address a proposal to the Youth in Action Programme – Next call for proposals 2010 - Action 1.1 – Youth exchange.

The project aims to share different environmental problems common to all the Eu countries, taking into consideration especially the effects ofclimate change and the irrational use of natural and energy resources. The objective is to put in common experiences and solutions in order to fight this problem, thanks to cizitens’initiative.

For more than 20 years Columbares has been working for the integration of people and groups at risk of social exclusion. They develop and promote projects in educational, social and cultural areas. Also, they carry out European projects such as European Voluntary Service (Youth in Action Programme) and Grundtvig projects.

The deadline of the call for proposal is on the 1st of February so an answer is required before7 January.

Contact Ms. Paola Garbari, paola@columbares.org

A call for proposals was opened on 1 December for European local and regional authorities to involve themselves in international development issues. This may include actions taking place within the EU (public awareness initiatives on development issues and development education; or coordination and networking activities) as well as in the Developing World. Approximately EUR27.3 million in support is available. A two-stage selection process applies: firstly applicants will need to send a concept note by 25 February 2010, successful projects will then be requested to submit a full application package.

Further information

The entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty has given the EU a formal competence in sport. This allows for better promotion of the benefits of sport in other EU policy areas and programmes, including health and education. The Commission will launch a wide stakeholder consultation in the first half of 2010 to prepare for the first EU Sports Programme, which should be launched in 2012. The inaugural meeting of EU Sports Ministers in the Council is scheduled for May 2010.

The future programme is likely to be designed to encompass aspects including sport's cultural, social and educational function; its contribution to the promotion of a physically-active lifestyle; as well as promoting the transfer of knowledge, innovation, dialogue and good governance including wiith third countries.

Further information

The new ISA (Interoperability solutions for European public administrations) programme came into force in November. This successor to the IDABC (Interoperable Delivery of European eGovernment services to public Administrations, Businesses and Citizens) programme is intended to facilitate practical electronic cross-border and cross-sector interaction between administrations - notably local and regional government - across Europe, enabling the delivery of common public services and solutions.

The programme priorities will relate to four areas of activity:
- Common frameworks (policies, strategies, specifications, methodologies, guidelines);
- Reusable generic tools (demonstrators, shared and collaborative platforms, common components to meet user needs across policy fields);
- Common services (generic operational applications and infrastructures); and
- Analysis of ICT implications in the implementation of new EU legislation.

ISA will run from 2010-2015 with a budget of EUR164 million.

Further information