The implementation of green and blue infrastructure in cities

ANNOUNCEMENT OF A CALL FOR PROPOSALS

The Minister of Climate, as the Operator of the Programme

“Environment, Energy and Climate Change”

announces a call for proposals for co-financing of projects aimed at

“The implementation of green and blue infrastructure in cities”
to be financed from the European Economic Area Financial Mechanism 2014-2021 with an amount of
EUR 23,029,413, i.e. PLN 99 392 643,57^{^[1]}

Aim of the Call for Proposals

The main aim of the Call for Proposals[2], intended to co-finance projects in the programme area Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation shall be to enhance the resilience of cities to the adverse impacts of climate change and adaptation to climate change by implementing investment projects in the scope of green and blue infrastructure^{^[3]} in cities with fewer than 90,000 inhabitants.

The implementation of the projects shall contribute to strengthening the resilience of cities to the adverse impacts of climate change, raising the public awareness of climate change issues and reducing greenhouse gas emissions at the level of local communities.

Type of projects

The call shall support municipalities’ implementation of strategies to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Applicants may apply for funding for measures to increase resilience to climate change and measures to reduce emissions from e.g. transport or other sectors, including revitalisation and creation of green areas and improved water management such as water retention. A project application shall contain educational and awareness measures as integrated parts of the project proposal.

The projects selected within the scope of this call will contribute to achieving the Programme’s Outcome 1: “Ability of local communities to reduce emissions and adapt to a changing climate increased” and Output 1.1 “Measures for climate change mitigation and adaptation on municipal level implemented” which indicators and targets are listed on the table below, in accordance with Annex I to the Programme Agreement, signed in Warsaw on 7^th February 2020.

Table 1 Expected outcome and output from the programme area Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation.

PA	Outcome/ Output	Expected programme results	Indicator	Unit of measurement	Target value
PA13	Outcome 1	Ability of local communities to reduce emissions and adapt to a changing climate increased	Number of inhabitants benefitting from adaptation and mitigation measures	Number	250000
	Outcome 1		Number of municipal action plans for mitigation and adaptation supported	Number	10
	Output 1.1	Measures for climate change mitigation and adaptation on municipal level implemented	Number of green-blue infrastructure investments supported[4]	Number	120
			Number of professional staff trained	Number	50
			Number of people reached by awareness-raising campaigns	Number	200000

The prerequisite for the implementation of a project shall be consistent with the plan “The Adaptation Guide for Cities – Guidelines for the Preparation of an Urban Climate Change Adaptation Plan”[5].

Measures under strategic documents other than an urban climate change adaptation plan may also be considered eligible[6], where they are consistent with the aim of the Call for Proposals.

Projects eligible for co-financing must have a comprehensive character, i.e. include  adaptation and mitigation measures as well as education and information measures^{^[7]}, and indicate their mutual linkages. The comprehensiveness of the project will be verified in the process of its evaluation.

The objective scope of projects may include the implementation of measures related to:

increasing the surface of green areas in cities (including the so-called green infrastructure), which support the city ventilation processes, promote green corridors, prevent fragmentation of cities, improve ecosystem functions and their services and enhance the surface of biologically active areas in cities;
capturing and managing rainwater on the site where it falls or in its close vicinity, the so-called green and blue infrastructure, which promote a network of natural and semi-natural solutions increasing retention, including small water retention, reduce local inundations and minimise the flood risk;
reducing the impact of the urban heat island effect[8] and improving the microclimate in cities by expanding green areas which contribute to lower temperatures and reduced energy consumption in buildings, e.g., by using collected rainwater to irrigate green roofs and walls;
eliminating soil compacting and sealing by using water permeable surfaces;
countering threats posed by flood and drought, mitigating the impacts of heat waves and the urban heat island effect in cities and/or taking action to minimise threats caused in urban areas by extreme weather events;
reducing emissions of greenhouse gases such as transition e.g. towards electromobility, development of sustainable means of transport, enhancement of the role of cities in reducing food waste.

The activities indicated above shall be accompanied by educational and awareness-raising measures to change behavior into more climate-friendly.

Illustrative examples of measures falling within the above scope can be found in the Guide for Applicants.

Eligible Applicants

The following entities are eligible applicants and may apply for grants as part of the Call for Proposals:

local government units with population below 90 000 inhabitants, (as well as their unions, entities providing public services as part of the implementation of territorial government units' own tasks)
non-governmental organisations (NGOs) as defined in Article 1.6(n) of the Regulation[9] on the implementation of the EEA Financial Mechanism 2014-2021.

Donor partnership projects

In accordance with art. 7.2.2 of the Regulation, any public or private entity, commercial or non-commercial, as well as non-governmental organizations established as a legal person either in the Donor States, Beneficiary States[10]. or a country outside the European Economic Area that has a common border with Poland or any international organization or body of agency thereof, actively involved in, effectively contributing to, the implementation of a project, are considered eligible project partners.

Projects submitted in partnership with an entity from the Donor States (Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein) will receive additional points in accordance with the merit criteria.

In the case of a donor partnership project submitted in a partnership with an entity from the Donor States, the provision of a letter of intent, a partnership agreement or other evidence to confirm the cooperation with the Project Partner from the Donor States shall be required at the stage of the submission of an application for a grant. Prior to the conclusion of a project agreement on the implementation of a project submitted in partnership with a partner from the Donor States, the submission of a signed partnership agreement in the English language and its translation into the Polish language shall be required.

In order to support the process of establishing partnerships with partners from the Donor States, the Programme Operator encourages Applicants to consult the information provided on the EEA Grants website and in the Partnership Guide, which is an attachment to the present Announcement.

Amount allocated to the Call for Proposals

EUR 23,029,413 euro, i.e. PLN 99 392 643,57[11]

Grant rate

The grant rate of the requested co-financing shall be up to 85% of eligible expenditures.

Minimum grant amount

EUR 500,000, i.e. PLN 2 157 950,00[12]

Maximum grant amount

EUR 2,300,000, i.e. PLN 9 926 570,00[13]

Period of eligibility of expenditures in projects

The period of eligibility of expenditures in projects shall start on the day that the Programme Operator (the Ministry of Climate) decides to award the project grant.

The period of eligibility of expenditures in projects shall expire on 30 April 2024.

Evaluation and selection process

The Applicant shall fill in an application for the award of a grant and, subsequently, submit it to the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management (hereinafter the National Fund) in the manner described in Section 13 of the Announcement of the Call for Proposals.

The evaluation of a project shall consist of an administrative evaluation (based on administrative and eligibility criteria) as well as a merit evaluation comprised of stage one and stage two (based on merit criteria).

An administrative evaluation of projects shall consist in verifying a project to determine whether it meets or fails to meet the administrative and eligibility criteria (the so-called yes-no evaluation).

The administrative evaluation lasts up to 4 weeks counted from the date of the submission of the application, excluding the time needed for the appeal procedure.

If even one administrative/eligibility criterion is not met, the Applicant shall be invited to correct or improve it or to provide an explanation. Failure to submit an application within the period specified in the announcement, can not be improved / supplemented and thus results in application’s rejection.

The Applicants whose applications will be rated negatively or left without consideration at this stage shall be informed in writing of the reasons for negative evaluation or leaving without consideration and should be able to appeal the decision to the National Focal Point via the Programme Operator.

A merit evaluation shall consist of two stages:

Stage one of the evaluation: covering compliance with the applicable rules for the award of state aid, the principles of equal opportunity and non-discrimination, an assessment of the financial condition of the Applicant and an assessment of the eligibility of the project. This shall be a yes or no evaluation.

The Applicants whose applications are rejected at this stage shall be informed in writing of the reasons for rejection.

There is no possibility to appeal at this stage.

Stage two of the evaluation: consisting in points-based scoring of a project by at least two external and independent experts designated by the National Fund which shall be selected in a competition procedure. The experts shall evaluate a project separately in accordance with the stage two merit criteria as published in the Announcement of the Call for Proposals. The Applicants who do not accept the score which they are given shall be able to appeal it to the Programme Operator.

The merit evaluation (stage I and stage II) lasts up to 9 weeks counted from the day of the notification about the positive results of the formal evaluation, excluding the time needed for the appeal procedure.

At each stage of the merit evaluation, the Applicant may be asked once and in writing for clarifications on the application submitted.

The National Fund shall draw up a draft ranking list of positively evaluated projects, taking into account the results of assessments delivered by external experts. Applications shall be ranked in order of decreasing scores. The ranking of projects shall be based on the average of the scores given by experts. In case of a discrepancy between the experts’ scores exceeding 30% of the higher score, the National Fund shall commission an independent evaluation of the application to a third external expert. In such cases, for the purpose of preparing the ranking list of projects, the average of the numbers of points in the two closest scores shall be used.

The Applicants whose applications are rejected after stage two of the merit evaluation shall be informed in writing of the reasons for rejection and their right to appeal the decision to the Programme Operator.

A draft ranking list shall be submitted for review at a session of the Selection Committee. In justified cases, the Selection Committee may modify the ranking list. The Chairperson shall submit a list of recommended projects with justification for modifications to the Programme Operator, along with a reserve list and a list of rejected projects, as well as the reasons for their rejection.

The final decision on the award of a grant shall be taken by the Programme Operator.

Payment scheme

Each Project Promoter may receive payments to the project in the form of:

advance payments

The amount of a single advance payment may not exceed 40% of the total grant amount. The first advance payment shall be made to the Project Promoter within 30 days of the date of submission of the request for an advance payment.[14]

Subsequent advance payments shall be made on the condition that 70% of all the previously made advance payments is settled in payment requests or returned as an unused advance payment.

Detailed obligations and restrictions for the use and settlement of advance payments are specified in the Guide for Applicants.

reimbursement

Payments to the Project Promoter shall be made on the basis of approved payment requests.

The total amount of advance payments and reimbursements may not exceed 90% of the total grant amount.

final payment.

The final payment representing 10% of the total project grant amount shall be made after the final project report is approved.

Eligible expenditures, excluded costs, in-kind contribution, cost documentation

12.1 Expenditures are eligible in accordance with the general rules laid in Article 8 of the Regulation on the implementation of the EEA Grants 2014-2021, with the following exceptions:

Direct expenditures:

Equipment:

The purchase of used equipment shall not be eligible.

Educational activities:

Pursuant to Article 8.4 of the Regulation and provisions of the Programme Agreement the expenditures on educational activities in case of non-investment projects shall be established in accordance with the standard scales of unit, based on the catalogue of expenditures which can be downloaded below.

The rules for the settlement of expenditures shall be laid down by the Programme Operator in the project contract.

Indirect costs:

Indirect costs shall be all eligible costs which cannot be identified by the Project Promoter and/or the Project Partner as directly attributable to the project.

The only allowable method for identifying indirect costs shall be a flat rate of up to 25% of total direct eligible costs, excluding the direct eligible costs of subcontracting and the costs of resources made available by third parties which are not used on the premises of the Project Promoter or Project Partner, in accordance with Article 8.5(1)(b) of the Regulation.

The detailed method for calculating indirect costs has been developed by the Programme Operator and can be downloaded below.

The method for calculating the indirect costs and their maximum amount shall be determined in the project contract. The method for calculating the indirect costs of a Project Partner shall be stipulated in the partnership agreement between the Project Promoter and the Project Partner.

12.2 Excluded costs are specified in Article 8.7 of the Regulation.

12.3 Own contribution:

In principle, the own contribution shall be made in cash.

It is only in projects where the Project Promoter is a non-governmental organisation that the in-kind contribution in the form of voluntary work may represent up to 50% of the own contribution required for a project under the programme.

In such a case, the Applicant shall calculate the value of the in-kind contribution taking into account:

- the amount of time worked on a voluntary and unpaid basis for the project, expressed in the number of hours,

- the standard hourly and daily rates for a given type of work performed in accordance with the rates normally paid for such work.

Due to the wide variety of types of work that the volunteer can carry out in the project, the size of rates proposed by the Applicant for individual works will be verified by an expert at the stage of merit evaluation of the grant application The accepted amount of the above rates will be recorded in the project agreement.

12.4 Cost documentation

The costs incurred under the project should be documented with the help of received invoices or accounting documents of equivalent probative value. The specific obligations of the beneficiary in this respect are specified in the project agreement.

In the case of donor partnership projects, the Project Partner whose primary location is in one of the Donor States may provide proof of expenditures incurred in the form of a report of an independent auditor or a competent and independent public officer, certifying that the claimed costs have been incurred in accordance with the Regulation, the relevant law and national accounting practice.

Date and manner of the submission of grant applications

The date of the notice of the call for proposal – 13.03.2020

The opening date for receiving applications from Applicants – 03.04.2020

The closing date for receiving applications from Applicants – 15.06.2020; 3 pm

The manner of submitting applications

A grant application shall be prepared using only the Grant Application Generator (GAG). The detailed rules for the submission of a grant application using the GAG are laid down in the Competition Rules.

Grant applications, along with attachments, shall be submitted to the National Fund in electronic form via the GAG available on the National Fund website [15]:

The grant application form is available along with instructions for filling in the application at the following address: https://gwd.nfosigw.gov.pl

Two options for signing an electronic application shall be allowed:

using a certified electronic signature which produces legal effects equivalent to those of a handwritten signature;
using a trusted profile on the Electronic Platform for Public Administration Services (ePUAP).

Application submission date

The prepared applications shall be submitted in electronic form using the GAG.

The date of submission of the application is the date and time of receipt of the application at the inbox of the National Fund on the ePUAP Platform, confirmation of which is the Applicant's receipt of an electronic confirmation of submission of the application (e-mail containing the date and time of receipt of the application on the National Fund inbox).

Applications submitted after the deadline shall not be considered.

The Programme Operator shall allow one Applicant to submit more than one application under the same call but in different project scope. If two applications are submitted for the same material scope, the application previously submitted will be assessed. The Program Operator does not allow the possibility of self-correction of the application submitted.

Legal framework and programme documents

Programme Agreement for the EEA Grants Programme for “Environment, Energy and Climate Change” in Poland;
Memorandum of Understanding on the Implementation of the EEA Financial Mechanism 2014-2021 between Iceland, the Principality of Lichtenstein, the Kingdom of Norway and the Republic of Poland on 20.12.2017;
Regulation on the implementation of the European Economic Area Financial Mechanism 2014-2021;
Procurement Guidelines for the EEA Grants 2014-2021 and the Norway Grants 2014-2021;
Guidelines on the Information and Visual Identification for the EEA Grants 2014–2021and the Norway Grants 2014–2021;
Guidelines on Appeals and any other guidelines governing fulfilling tasks connected with EEA Financial Mechanism 2014-2021 implementation adopted by the Financial Mechanism Committee (FMC) or National Focal Point (NFP) published on the EEA Grants website

List of attachments to the call for applications

Competition Rules;
Administrative and eligibility criteria; merit criteria;
Checklist’s template;
Partnership Guide;
Methodology for calculating indirect costs;
Catalogue of standard unit costs for educational activities;
Guide for Applicants;
Project Agreement template.

List of attachments required for a grant application

The following attachments shall be enclosed with a grant application;

Documents determining the legal status of the Applicant;
Mandate to sign the application (where applicable);
Permits and administrative decisions determining the possibility of implementing the project or the schedule for obtaining them;
Consent of the owner, manager or perpetual usufructuary of the area on which the Project is to be implemented, if the applicant is not the owner, manager or perpetual usufructuary of the abovementioned terrain - if applicable;
Communication Plan prepared in accordance with Annex 3 to the Regulations on the implementation of the EEA FM and NMF for 2014-2021;
Calculation of indirect costs based on the Methodology for calculating indirect costs as an attachment to the announcement of a call for proposals - if applicable;
Documents confirming a project partnership – a letter of intent with an entity from the Donor States, a partnership agreement with an entity from the Donor States or other proof of cooperation between partners;
Opinion and / or consent of the competent nature protection authority for the implementation of the project or confirmation of request for the abovementioned opinion / consent (applies to entities outside the nature protection authority) - if applicable;
Declaration on the compliance of project tasks with ecosystem management plans - if applicable;
Website / portal / vortal - graphic assumptions with a navigation scheme;
Competition rules, agendas of training courses, workshops, seminars, conferences, events and festivals, defining their duration and thematic scope, etc.;
Outlines of planned campaigns, publications, brochures, films, TV/radio programmes (including technical parameters) etc.;
Assumptions for the script of the TV / radio program / film / spot (including technical parameters and cost estimate of one episode), etc. - if applicable;
Educational competition regulations,
Assumptions for the design of interactive teaching aids;
Sketch of the object, location of the object (map), if the project concerns the retrofitting of field infrastructure - if applicable;
Climate change adaptation plan for a city with less than 90,000 inhabitants or other strategic document such as the Low Emission Reduction Programme (LERP), the Low Emission Economy Plan (LEEP), the Heat, Electricity and Gaseous Fuels Supply Plan, the Air Protection Programme (APP);
Map / diagram showing the location of the task and its most important elements / objects on a scale enabling analysis of the project (recommended scale from 1:50,000 to 1:25 000) - if applicable;
Statement that the project is reflected in the programming or planning documents of the national, local level or other strategic documents (e.g. urban plans for adaptation to climate change adopted by the resolution of the city or commune council) - if applicable;
Other documents the submission of which by the Applicant is deemed necessary.

In accordance with Article 7.3 of the Regulation on the implementation of the EEA Financial Mechanism 2014-2021, the grant application should include information regarding all consultants involved in the preparation of the application.

Language of an application grant

Grant applications, along with attachments, shall be submitted in the Polish language. In addition, the following shall be submitted in the English language:

a letter of intent, a partnership agreement or other proof of cooperation between partners (in the case of partnership projects with foreign entities, particularly, those from the Donor States);
a brief summary description of the project, along with the justification of the need to implement the project and the roles of partners (included in a grant application - in the Summary tab).

Contact with the Programme Operator

Any queries about the Call for Proposals shall be sent to the following e-mail address:

National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management

e-mail: mfeog_klimat@nfosigw.gov.pl

Ministry of Climate

e-mail: mfeog@klimat.gov.pl

Questions shall be answered as soon as possible, but at the latest within 7 working days.

Reporting irregularities:

Citizens who have had suspicions of maladministration and corruption in relation to the Financial Mechanisms may report them to the Financial Mechanism Office, the National Focal Point and other relevant institutions listed on the EEA Grants website.

[1] The amount of the allocation to the Call for Proposals given in EUR and subsequently recalculated into the national currency and expressed in PLN, using an average monthly currency exchange rate as published in the Official Journal of the European Union (the C series), counted for the last six months preceding the month when the call is announced, where EUR 1= PLN 4,3159 Grant amount in PLN is indicative. The grant shall be awarded in EUR, but the funds shall be paid in PLN, based on the European Commission’s monthly accounting exchange rate of the Euro (EUR/PLN) for the month in which the payment of the funds will be made.

[2] In line with the Programme Agreement for the EEA Grants Programme for “Environment, Energy and Climate Change” in Poland

^{^[3]} The definitions of green and blue infrastructures are provided in the Guide for Applicants.

[4] Investments can be in areas such as (but not limited to): green roofs, green walls, rainwater capture measures, water management measures, investments related to flood or drought management.

[5] The document prepared as part of the project “Guidelines for the Preparation of an Urban Adaptation Strategy”, implemented on commission form the Ministry of the Environment in 2014 and evaluated by JASPERS (Joint Assistance to Support Projects in European Regions); http://44mpa.pl/adaptation-manual/?lang=en

[6] E.g. the Low Emission Reduction Programme (LERP), the Low Emission Economy Plan (LEEP), the Heat, Electricity and Gaseous Fuels Supply Plan, the Air Protection Programme (APP).

[7] Education and information measures shall be understood to mean activities aimed at enhancing the knowledge of the public in respect of climate change, inter alia, through campaigns in the traditional media and on the Internet, activities to activate communities, e.g. education events and competitions, as well as through education and transfer of knowledge in the form of profiled education, e.g. conferences, training courses and workshops, the preparation and publication of interactive teaching aids.

[8] The urban heat island is an effect of disturbances caused by artificial surfaces (asphalt, concrete, roof covers etc.) in the heat transfer processes between the ground and the atmosphere. Moreover, it is strengthened by growing temperatures which contribute to thermal stress, the air stagnation over the city and increased concentrations of air pollutants, including particulate matter and smog. In the case of higher temperatures, it can be expected that this will lead to higher energy consumption to cool buildings, which has been the subject matter of research on other countries.

[9] Non-governmental organizations understood as voluntary non-profit organizations established as legal entitles with non-commercial purposes independent of local authorities, regional and central, public entities, political parties and economic entities. Religious institutions and political parties are not considered as NGOs.

[10] Beneficiary States: Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Malta, Cyprus, Croatia, Slovenia, Portugal.

[11] Amount in PLN is indicative. The grant shall be awarded in EUR, but the funds shall be paid in PLN, based on the European Commission’s monthly accounting exchange rate of the Euro (EUR/PLN) for the month in which the payment of the funds will be made.

[12] As above

[13] As above

[14] In case of this call the interim payments in pre financing instalments are also considered advance payments.

[15] Preparing the application in the GAG will be possible from the opening date for receiving applications.