The European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI) promotes enhanced co-operation and progressive economic integration between the European Union and its neighbouring partner countries.  Information on how to apply is compiled on this webpage and can be downloaded here.

Background	Project Duration
Types of Grant	Deadline
Grant Size	Application Forms
Own Contribution	Application & Procedures
Funding Priorities	Languages
Grantmaking Criteria	Tips
Guidelines	Pdf Download

Over time, the European Union (EU) has developed a broad spectrum of external aid programmes, which resulted in a complex set of more than 30 different legal instruments. The need to facilitate coherence and improve consistency of the Union’s action, and achieve better results and a higher impact with the resources available, led the Commission to propose a simplified framework for external actions over the 2007-2013 period.
New (and fewer) external relations instruments have therefore been designed to cover in particular the EU co-operation, respectively with developing countries and industrialised countries, the EU neighbourhood policy, enlargement and other specific themes.
The European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI) is in place from 1 January 2007 onwards. It replaces the MEDA and TACIS programmes.
The overall goal of the instrument is to promote enhanced co-operation and progressive economic integration between the European Union and its neighbouring partner countries. Particularly, this is an instrument for assistance to those countries which will not accede to the European Union in the next future. It also encourages partner countries’ efforts aimed at promoting good governance and equitable social and economic development.
The overall ENPI budget for the period of 2007 to 2013 is € 11,181 billion. 95% are allocated to country and multi-country programmes, i.e. € 10,621 billion.

Grants and tenders. The instrument finances programmes, projects and any types of measure contributing to the objectives of the ENPI.

To be defined in the annual action plans 

To be defined in the annual action plans

Priorities are country-specific. Funds are allocated following country and multi-country strategy papers which include multi-annual indicative programmes specifying the priority objectives for each country and the indicative multi-annual financial allocations. Further, the European Commission prepares annual action plans describing the objectives pursued, the fields of intervention, the expected results, the management procedures and the total amount of financing planned. They contain a description of the operations to be financed, an indication of the amounts allocated for each operation and an indicative implementation timetable. In the future, these documents will be available on the ENPI website or on the EC’s respective delegation website. Most probably, ENPI funds can be contracted only towards the end of the year 2007 or in 2008, pending adoption of these country strategy papers and financial allocations.

The regulation establishing the instrument provides a non exhaustive list of 29 different types of measures which can be funded by the ENPI. The measures relevant for NGOs working in the field of SRH and population programmes are the following:

• Measures aiming at poverty reduction, to help achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs);
• Measures promoting social development, social inclusion, gender equality, non-discrimination, employment and social protection, including protection of migrant workers, social dialogues, and respect for trade union rights and core labour standards, including on child labour;
• Measures promoting health, education and training, including not only measures to combat the major communicable diseases and non-communicable diseases and disorders but also access to services and education for good health, including reproductive and infant health for girls and women;
• Measures promoting and protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms, including women's rights and children's rights;
• Measures fostering the development of civil society and of non-governmental organisations.

The regulation establishing the ENPI allows a broad range of actors to access the ENPI funds:
With regard to non-state actors, they can be: non governmental organisations; organisations representing national and/or ethnic minorities; local citizens' groups and traders' associations; co-operatives, trade unions, organisations representing economic and social interests; local organisations (including networks) involved in decentralised regional co-operation and integration; consumer organisations, women's and youth organisations, teaching, cultural, research and scientific organisations; universities; churches and religious associations and communities; the media; cross-border associations, non-governmental associations and independent foundations.
The annual action plans determine how assistance is provided. It also gives details on eligibility restrictions when applying for funding.

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The practical implementation of the ENPI is regulated by two documents:
1 “Rules and Procedures”
This document explains the basic principles the implementation of an action, which is supported by a grant from the Community.
2 “Practical Guide to Contract Procedures for EC External Actions” (PRAG)
The purpose of the PRAG is to provide users with all the information necessary to undertake procurement or a grant procedure from the very first steps to the award of contracts. The annexes cover both the procurement phase and the execution of contracts. The Guide provides the procedures to be used in centralised systems (centralised and indirect centralised) and de-centralised systems with ex-ante approval or with ex-post controls by the European Commission.

To be defined in the annual action plans

To be defined in the annual action plans

The annexes of the Practical Guide to Contract Procedures for EC External Actions” (PRAG) (see below) include standard forms used in calls for proposals. For each call for proposal, they are provided together with the guidelines setting out the objectives of the call.

The European Commission has increasingly decentralised the management of external assistance. Some partner countries have established managing units within national ministries. In some cases the ministries themselves or their agencies publish the opportunities. Notwithstanding, many calls are still managed by the European Commission, either in Brussels or in the EC delegations. A non-exhaustive list of calls is published on the EuropeAid website. This website has just been reviewed in order to make it more user-friendly.

Most of the funds are awarded via building, supply and service contracts. As the main focus of the ENPI lies on technical assistance, the majority of funds flow into service contracts. In addition to that, it is possible to apply for grants. Both tenders and grants are awarded following strict rules. These rules apply to the management and nature of calls for proposals/tenders. All EC external assistance follows the same set of rules (EC management procedure). 

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In order to succeed in accessing EC funds, a good understanding of the rules and procedures of the calls are crucial. Little administrative mistakes, such as submission after the deadline or missing documents lead to an immediate rejection. NGOs considering responding to a call should carefully read the guidelines. Project objectives should directly be linked to the objectives of the call. Applicants should also read the relevant policy papers and refer to them, when appropriate.

EC officials use an EC handbook explaining how to draft and manage a proposal. This document can also be useful for NGOs especially part 2 on the logical framework approach. It is called “Aid Delivery methods – Volume 1 – Project Cycle Management Guidelines”.

NGOs with little experience in applying for EC funding should consider participating in other NGOs’ projects funded by the EC. As a junior partner they can build their capacity and get acquainted to EC requirements without taking full responsibility for a project. Consult and liaise with both the EC Delegation in the beneficiary country and the Brussels-based officials. Another information source is CONCORD Europe, the European confederation of relief and development NGOs (contact details below). You also might get support from your national NGO platform.

CONCORD Secretariat aisbl
10 Sq. Ambiorix
1000 Brussels
Belgium
Phone: +32 2 743 87 60
Fax: +32 2 732 19 34
secretariat@concordeurope.org
http://www.concordeurope.org/

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