COLABs - Questions and Answers
Some questions and answers related to the COLABs Call and specific criteria are available here. The list of answered questions will grow. Please check this page before inquiring by email to BAC to see if your particular question has already been addressed.
GEOGRAPHIC SCOPE / ELIGIBLE COUNTRIES
Q. Can we apply to the BAC Call for Collaboration Projects if our organisation is from another country than the focus-countries Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro or Serbia?
A. Organisations coming from other countries than the 6 focus-countries are welcomed as partners in a project proposal, but they cannot be the applicant organisation. The applying organisation has to be from one of the focus-countries. Besides the applying organisation, one more organisation has to be from a focus-country, and from a different one than the applying organisation.
Q. We have a project-idea which would involve a large number of partners from the focus-countries and EU-countries. Are there any limitations as to the number of partners and countries involved?
A. In principle, number of partners and countries, if they meet the general conditions and criteria of the Call, are not limited. BAC welcomes the participation of countries and partners from the wider Balkans region, especially from Bulgaria, Greece, Romania and Turkey. BAC would also welcome new partnerships and country-combinations which are not primarily based on geographic convenience or shared culture/language/history.
Q. Does the project have to take place/be implemented in all the countries where partners come from?
A. The project must be implemented in all focus-countries of the participating partner-organisations. As for activities in partner-countries outside the focus-countries, they are eligible for funding through BAC only if they reasonably contribute to the project objectives.
Q. Can a project be realized in a country where we do not have a project partner?
A. Yes, but only in the focus countries, and in instance that project proves the reasoning behind the activity, as well as the capacity for implementation in a country where there is no project partner.
Q. Can more than one partner-organisation from the same country participate in a project?
A. Yes, this is possible. The project-idea should make clear though, why two partners from the same country are involved. You still need a third partner coming from another focus-country participating in the project in order to be eligible.
Q. Our organisation is a branch-office of an organisation registered in EU, based in Serbia. Do we qualify as an applicant organisation or not?
A. The applicant-organisation must be registered in one of the focus-countries. If the branch-office is registered locally in Serbia, it qualifies as an applicant organisation. It is expected though that the branch has full capacities to manage a project independently, and not to be a front cover for the headquarters.
Q. Can we include a non-Europe-based partner into our project-application?
A. This is possible only if the partners come from a Mediterranean Non-European country. Both African and Asian Mediterranean countries are eligible as partners.
APPLICANT ORGANISATION
Q. I am an individual artist and part of an informal group of artists. Can we apply or be one of the partners in a project-submission to the BAC Call?
A. No, this call is for organisations only. Individuals and informal groups can be participants in the project activities, but they cannot be the applicant or a partner in the project-submission.
Q. We are a public theatre supported by the Ministry of Culture in one of the focus-countries. Can we apply to the call?
A. Your organization/institution cannot be the applicant organization, but you can be one of the partner-organisations. Please take careful note of the financial conditions for employees of public administration in the Guidelines.
Q. We are a young organisation established in 2014, active in the field of contemporary literature. Can we apply to this BAC Call?
A. Your organisation can apply, but the applicant-organisation has to have proven record of carrying out related activities successfully in the past. This not necessarily needs to be organisational experience, but could also be proven record of staff. Prior experience in mid-size grant-management is required, at minimum for the applicant organisation.
Q. We would like to build up a new network. Can we apply with such a project-idea?
A. Networks are eligible applicants. As to the establishment of a new network, you would need to have at least one partner from another focus-country identified and the statement on partnership signed before you submit the application.
FINANCES
Q. Do we need to have co-financing secured when submitting our project-idea?
A. No, this is not a condition, but of course it is welcomed. However you must have a clear financing plan prepared with the donors and expected amounts listed. Equally you should indicate to which donors you have already applied, to which you are planning to apply and when the results are expected.
Q. In the Application and Guidelines you state that BAC covers maximum 80% of the total project-budget. At least 20% have to be financed from other sources. Does this mean, that each of the partner-organizations involved in the project has to secure 20% co-financing?
A. No, the 20% co-financing refers to the total project-budget. But all partner-organizations are obliged to contribute to the project, be it monetary, be it in-kind (the latter can make up maximum 10% of the requested co-financing). As to the division among partners, BAC recommends a balanced as possible distribution of the co-financing amounts among the partner-organisations. Please note that EU-based organisations are expected to contribute with a minimum of 20% monetary co-financing to their own share in the project-budget.
OTHER
Q. Our organisation has applied to your last call, but was not selected for a grant. Can we apply with the same project again?
A. You can re-apply, provided your project meets the conditions and criteria of the current Call and under the condition that you have not started with the project. Furthermore, BAC expects an updated and actualized project-idea and you must submit the new application package (including the new application form and signed and stamped statement on partnership).
Q. Why introducing the statement of partnership in this early stage of application process? And why is a stamp of each participating partner-organisation requested?
A. As an organization can only be involved in one project-application, it is particularly important for partner organizations to be consulted and to contribute already in the early stages of project idea development and therefore to explicitly consent to their participation and their role in the potential project. That is why the statement of partnership, which is now an integral part of the application submission pack, has been introduced. Submissions without properly filled partnership statement will not be considered.
Since this call is intended for organizations only, the stamp is one of the proofs that a partner is not a private entity.
Q. We are a group of 4 partners of different profile, size and experiences, working in different focus-countries. Do you recommend a specific management structure for the project-idea? Should the most experienced organization be the applicant?
A. BAC does not offer or impose any particular type of management structure or internal partnership relations. It is up to you to agree and decide on which organisation will be the applicant, and on the roles of each partner-organisation. The applicant organisation is expected to have a proven record in mid-size grant-management.
Q. Is it possible to integrate new partners or change partners after the submission of the project-idea?
A. In the period between submitting of the project-idea and the pre-selection, it is not possible to add or change partners. In case your project-idea is pre-selected and an unforeseen change of partners occurs prior to the final selection, you must inform BAC management. Changes of a partner or adding a new one would only be accepted, if clearly justified and if these changes don’t influence the original project-idea as it was submitted to BAC.
Similar procedures are valid for selected project-ideas.
GEOGRAPHIC SCOPE / ELIGIBLE COUNTRIES
Q. Can we apply to the BAC Call for Collaboration Projects if our organisation is from another country than the focus-countries Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro or Serbia?
A. Organisations coming from other countries than the 6 focus-countries are welcomed as partners in a project proposal, but they cannot be the applicant organisation. The applying organisation has to be from one of the focus-countries. Besides the applying organisation, one more organisation has to be from a focus-country, and from a different one than the applying organisation.
Q. We have a project-idea which would involve a large number of partners from the focus-countries and EU-countries. Are there any limitations as to the number of partners and countries involved?
A. In principle, number of partners and countries, if they meet the general conditions and criteria of the Call, are not limited. BAC welcomes the participation of countries and partners from the wider Balkans region, especially from Bulgaria, Greece, Romania and Turkey. BAC would also welcome new partnerships and country-combinations which are not primarily based on geographic convenience or shared culture/language/history.
Q. Does the project have to take place/be implemented in all the countries where partners come from?
A. The project must be implemented in all focus-countries of the participating partner-organisations. As for activities in partner-countries outside the focus-countries, they are eligible for funding through BAC only if they reasonably contribute to the project objectives.
Q. Can a project be realized in a country where we do not have a project partner?
A. Yes, but only in the focus countries, and in instance that project proves the reasoning behind the activity, as well as the capacity for implementation in a country where there is no project partner.
Q. Can more than one partner-organisation from the same country participate in a project?
A. Yes, this is possible. The project-idea should make clear though, why two partners from the same country are involved. You still need a third partner coming from another focus-country participating in the project in order to be eligible.
Q. Our organisation is a branch-office of an organisation registered in EU, based in Serbia. Do we qualify as an applicant organisation or not?
A. The applicant-organisation must be registered in one of the focus-countries. If the branch-office is registered locally in Serbia, it qualifies as an applicant organisation. It is expected though that the branch has full capacities to manage a project independently, and not to be a front cover for the headquarters.
Q. Can we include a non-Europe-based partner into our project-application?
A. This is possible only if the partners come from a Mediterranean Non-European country. Both African and Asian Mediterranean countries are eligible as partners.
APPLICANT ORGANISATION
Q. I am an individual artist and part of an informal group of artists. Can we apply or be one of the partners in a project-submission to the BAC Call?
A. No, this call is for organisations only. Individuals and informal groups can be participants in the project activities, but they cannot be the applicant or a partner in the project-submission.
Q. We are a public theatre supported by the Ministry of Culture in one of the focus-countries. Can we apply to the call?
A. Your organization/institution cannot be the applicant organization, but you can be one of the partner-organisations. Please take careful note of the financial conditions for employees of public administration in the Guidelines.
Q. We are a young organisation established in 2014, active in the field of contemporary literature. Can we apply to this BAC Call?
A. Your organisation can apply, but the applicant-organisation has to have proven record of carrying out related activities successfully in the past. This not necessarily needs to be organisational experience, but could also be proven record of staff. Prior experience in mid-size grant-management is required, at minimum for the applicant organisation.
Q. We would like to build up a new network. Can we apply with such a project-idea?
A. Networks are eligible applicants. As to the establishment of a new network, you would need to have at least one partner from another focus-country identified and the statement on partnership signed before you submit the application.
FINANCES
Q. Do we need to have co-financing secured when submitting our project-idea?
A. No, this is not a condition, but of course it is welcomed. However you must have a clear financing plan prepared with the donors and expected amounts listed. Equally you should indicate to which donors you have already applied, to which you are planning to apply and when the results are expected.
Q. In the Application and Guidelines you state that BAC covers maximum 80% of the total project-budget. At least 20% have to be financed from other sources. Does this mean, that each of the partner-organizations involved in the project has to secure 20% co-financing?
A. No, the 20% co-financing refers to the total project-budget. But all partner-organizations are obliged to contribute to the project, be it monetary, be it in-kind (the latter can make up maximum 10% of the requested co-financing). As to the division among partners, BAC recommends a balanced as possible distribution of the co-financing amounts among the partner-organisations. Please note that EU-based organisations are expected to contribute with a minimum of 20% monetary co-financing to their own share in the project-budget.
OTHER
Q. Our organisation has applied to your last call, but was not selected for a grant. Can we apply with the same project again?
A. You can re-apply, provided your project meets the conditions and criteria of the current Call and under the condition that you have not started with the project. Furthermore, BAC expects an updated and actualized project-idea and you must submit the new application package (including the new application form and signed and stamped statement on partnership).
Q. Why introducing the statement of partnership in this early stage of application process? And why is a stamp of each participating partner-organisation requested?
A. As an organization can only be involved in one project-application, it is particularly important for partner organizations to be consulted and to contribute already in the early stages of project idea development and therefore to explicitly consent to their participation and their role in the potential project. That is why the statement of partnership, which is now an integral part of the application submission pack, has been introduced. Submissions without properly filled partnership statement will not be considered.
Since this call is intended for organizations only, the stamp is one of the proofs that a partner is not a private entity.
Q. We are a group of 4 partners of different profile, size and experiences, working in different focus-countries. Do you recommend a specific management structure for the project-idea? Should the most experienced organization be the applicant?
A. BAC does not offer or impose any particular type of management structure or internal partnership relations. It is up to you to agree and decide on which organisation will be the applicant, and on the roles of each partner-organisation. The applicant organisation is expected to have a proven record in mid-size grant-management.
Q. Is it possible to integrate new partners or change partners after the submission of the project-idea?
A. In the period between submitting of the project-idea and the pre-selection, it is not possible to add or change partners. In case your project-idea is pre-selected and an unforeseen change of partners occurs prior to the final selection, you must inform BAC management. Changes of a partner or adding a new one would only be accepted, if clearly justified and if these changes don’t influence the original project-idea as it was submitted to BAC.
Similar procedures are valid for selected project-ideas.
