EEA Scholarship Programme Slovakia

Inter-institutional cooperation projects in upper secondary education/training

This Measure supports bilateral or multilateral institutional cooperation primarily among upper secondary schools in Slovakia and in Donor states (Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein). The objective is to support balanced partnerships based on reciprocity of activities performed and bilateral or multilateral interest and benefit from cooperation.

Eligible activities

Various types of activities may be combined to form a comprehensive project proposal.

Minimum 2 teachers/staff mobilities must take place within every project. However, the mobility is only a tool for achieving deeper objectives and long-term cooperation

a) Support for inter-institutional cooperation in education among upper secondary schools in Slovakia and in the Donor States including activities focusing on students, teachers, staff

b) Support for inter-institutional cooperation in education among upper secondary schools in Slovakia and in the Donor States on the joint implementation of topics of common interests

c) Development or preparation of new teaching aids and methods, with special focus on ICT-based learning

d) Organising knowledge contests for students (on a distance basis and/or by a mutual visit lasting for 3 – 13 days)

e) Organising of summer environmental schools lasting for 1 – 3 weeks

f)  Organising of excursions and intensive courses for students related to the teaching-learning process lasting for 6 – 13 days

g) Professional stays and practice for student groups or teachers in hospitals, companies, non-profit organisations and in other organisations cooperating with educational institutions. A mobility may take 1 – 3 weeks. A condition is an international mobility between Slovakia and the Donor States or vice versa

h) Mobility of students with the aim to take part in one of the activities proposed above (a, d - g)

i) Distance cooperation of students on common assignments among partner organisations, using ICT, on topics related to the teaching-learning process and/or interdisciplinary topics

j) Organising and participating in professional seminars focusing on issues linked to the teaching-learning process and education of secondary-school students for school staff of 6 – 13 days

k) Mobility of teachers to develop professional teaching of subjects, including the preparation of teaching aids and ICT-based tools lasting for 2 – 4 weeks

l) Mobility of school staff focusing on improvement of upper secondary schools management lasting for 6 - 13 days

Every project must involve at least 1 of the activities a) – c) and 3 of the activities a) – l)

The partner visits and distance cooperation may also include the presentation of national habits and culture of the countries involved as a tool for strengthening the national identity in the context of multiculturalism and acquaintance with new countries. The main topic of students´ cooperation should be the development of knowledge and skills in study subjects, in interdisciplinary relations with the aim of improving the perspective of their further education and success on the labour market. The teachers´ cooperation should focus on professional growth by means of experience sharing and good practice examples with the aim to improve the quality of the teaching-learning process.

Duration of projects is 9 months minimum, 16/12 months maximum (depending on respective call for proposals).

Eligible applicant and partner

The eligible applicant is an organisation (not an individual), namely upper secondary school with the seat Slovakia. An eligible applicant must have at least one partner from at least one Donor State – Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein.

An eligible partner

  • from the Donor States may be an upper secondary school and/or another organisation authorised to provide education at the secondary school level, a HEI and/or another organisation authorised to provide education at the higher education level
  • from Slovakia may be an upper secondary school or HEI with the seat in Slovakia and/or external educational institution with the seat in Slovakia authorised to train PhD students

Associated partners may be

  • upper secondary school from other countries within the EEA Scholarship Programme area recognised by the relevant country according to its legislation.
  • research organisation, hospital, company, non-profit organisation or another organisation of practic

It is possible to establish a consortium of at least 3 members: eligible applicant, eligible partner from Donor State and another eligible or associated partner organisation.

Funding

The calls for Measures of Inter-institutional cooperation project in HEI and upper secondary schools will be launched jointly. There shall be two calls for proposals, making available €1,357,176 (jointly). Contribution from EEA Grants represents 85% and contribution from the state budget of the Slovak Republic is 15% of the total amount.

Grants from the Programme will cover 90% of total eligible project costs. The remaining costs of the project (10% of total eligible project costs) shall be provided or obtained by the Project Promoters.

Eligibe expenditures

The minimum amount of grant assistance applied for per project is €30,000; the maximum amount is €100,000.

Eligible direct expenditures of the project are the expenditures identified by the Project Promoter as special expenditures directly linked to the project implementation.

Eligible expenditures related to mobility activities are:

a) Travel expenses and insurance

Travel expenses up to 700 EUR per person both ways. Travel expenses and travel insurance are covered based on actual incurred expenditures (invoices and bills documenting travel costs are required).

b) Scholarships and daily allowances (per diems, accommodation, local travel, necessary additional expenses)

For mobility participants the following monthly scholarships apply:

  • From Donor States to Slovakia
    • Staff: €1,000/month
  • From Slovakia to Donor States
    • Staff: €2,100/month

For shorter mobility periods rates of daily subsistence allowances apply:

  • From Donor States to Slovakia
    • Staff: €100/day
  •  From Slovakia to Donor States
    • Staff: €210/day

For people holding a disability certificate, scholarships may be increased by up to 40%, however the maximum amount of grant assistance applied for per project shall not be exceeded.

Indirect costs are all the eligible costs which cannot be identified by the Project Promoter and/or by the Project Partner as being directly attributed to the project, but which can be identified and justified by its accounting system as expenses being incurred in direct relationship with the eligible direct costs attributed to the project. They may not include eligible direct costs. Indirect costs of the project shall represent a fair apportionment of the overall overheads of the Project Promoter or the Project Partner. They may be identified according to one of the following methods:

a) based on actual indirect costs for those Project Promoters and Project Partners that have an analytical accounting system to identify their indirect costs as indicated above;

b) a Project Promoter and Project Partners may opt for a flat rate up to 20% of its total direct eligible costs, excluding its direct eligible costs for subcontracting and the costs of resources made available by third parties, not used on the Project Promoter's premises.

 

How to apply?

Submission of the grant application

The completed application form with uploaded electronic version of all annexes must be submitted electronically via on-line application system accessible from this webpage, and its signed version must be sent in 1 original and 1 copy latest on the day of deadline of the respective call for proposals. The hardcopy must be delivered (post, courier, personally) to the seat of Programme Operator latest 5 working days after the deadline of the call for proposals. The stamp is decisive.

Selection process

Every application will be assessed in terms of formal requirements based on the administrative compliance criteria and the applicant's eligibility criteria. Subsequently, each project application is assessed on the basis of the expert criteria by two independent and impartial evaluators (experts). A decision on awarding the grant to the individual projects will be taken by the Selection Committee. Specific selection criteria will be annexed to the relevant call for proposals.

There exists no legal entitlement for the applicant to be awarded the grant applied for.

Payment of the grant and reporting

Grant beneficiary will be provided with an advance payment in the amount of 80% of the total approved funds after signing the contract. The Project Promoter may receive additional interim payments which combined do not exceed 90% of the grant awarded, provided that at least 40% of the total project costs have been incurred. The remaining 10% of the contribution will be paid to the Project Promoter after the approval of the final balance report by the Programme Operator.

 

when to apply?

There are planned two calls for proposals, one will be launched no later than in the second quarter of 2014 and one in the first quarter of 2015.

For detailed information see the section Calls for propsals.

Last modified: 2014-02-27