Through Grant Fund Facility (GFF) under entrepreneurship related activities which contributes the development and expansion of inclusive entrepreneurship models and aims the improvement of competitiveness on local (municipal) level, International Labour Organisation (ILO), responsible for the entrepreneurship development within EU4Business project which is funded by the European Union (EU) Calls for Proposals in the sector of entrepreneurship development.

Call for Proposal aims to accelerate MSMEs and start-ups development, through creation of mechanisms that will enable provision of financial and non-financial (technical) assistance to end users (new or existing entrepreneurs from target categories) and creation or further development of entrepreneurial infrastructure on local or inter-municipal level.

Project priority sectors and target groups are divided in two LOTs as follows:

1. LOT1 will be provided to promote entrepreneurship within the export sector, focusing on young entrepreneurs and creation of innovative start-ups (including digital solutions);
2. LOT2 will be provided to promote entrepreneurship within agro-rural and tourism sector, focusing on entrepreneurs from vulnerable categories (unemployed and inactive women, persons with disabilities, ethnic minorities, persons over 50 years of age).

The overall indicative budget outline under this Call amount to EUR 1,000,000 (EURO one million), distributed between two LOTs.

Projects eligible for this Call for Proposal are those whose requested grant contribution falls between the following amounts:

• Minimal amount: EUR 150,000
• Maximal amount: EUR 200,000.

Distribution between LOTs:

1. For LOT 1 – total of EUR 600,000 available
2. For LOT 2 – total of EUR 400,000 available.

Participation in this call is open to qualified institutions as defined in the Local Employment Partnerships methodology (LEP), i.e. applicants MUST apply in partnerships (more about Partnership concept read in Guidelines for Applicants).

The proposed projects are to be implemented on territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina only. Project implemented within inter-municipal cooperation is eligible for funding.

In the first instance, Concept Notes and requested Annexes (Declaration of the Lead Applicant, Letter(s) of Understanding and registration document) must be submitted for evaluation and eligibility check. After the evaluation of the Concept Notes, eligible Applicants who have been pre-selected will be invited to submit a Full Application Form.

Info sessions related to the Call for Proposals will be held at five different locations as follows:

• BANJA LUKA, hotel Jelena – 16.04.2019. (11.00 – 14.00)
• BRČKO, hotel Jelena – 17.04.2019. (11.00 – 14.00)
• VITEZ, hotel Central –  18.04.2019. (11.00 – 14.00)
• SARAJEVO, UN House – 19.04.2019. (10.00 – 13.00)
• TREBINJE, hotel Leotar – 24.04.2019. (11.00 – 14.00)
• MOSTAR, hotel Bristol – 25.04.2019. (11.00 – 14.00)

 All interested to take participation on these days should send an e-mail to: eu4business@ilo.org

Workshop for shortlisted applicants will be held before the submission of the Full Application. All Applicants will be informed on the evaluation results of both Concept Note and Full Application.

The deadline for the submission of Concept Note is 17 May 2019, by 17:00, local time. Date and time considered as evidenced will be the date of email received by the ILO.

Any Concept Note submitted after the deadline, not prepared in accordance with these Guidelines or being incomplete will be rejected. The Applicants are advised not to wait the last day for the submission.

Clarification questions may be sent by e-mail no later than 30 April 2019 to the e-mail address eu4business@ilo.org.

The ILO has no obligation to provide clarifications to questions received after this date. Replies will be given no later than 06 May 2019. Questions from Applicants, together with answers and other important notices in the course of the evaluation procedure, will be published on the EU4Busniness web site www.eu4business.ba, social media channels ILO_EU4Business and web site www.partnerstvo.ba

LIST OF ANNEXES

• Guidelines for Applications (integral text)
• Concept Note Application (Annex 1)
• Declaration by the Lead Applicant for the Concept Note Proposal (Annex 2)
• Letter(s) of Understanding (Annex 3)
• Full Application Form (Annex 4)
• Budget Template (Annex 5)
• Grant Contract – Implementation Agreement with the ILO with Annexes (Annex 6)
• Terms and Conditions applicable to ILO implementation agreements (Annex 6a)

Terms and Conditions for implementation agreements funded by ILO donor(s) (EU) (Annex 6b).