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List with the current public
tenders.
EU-10
By June 2012, 210 definitive project applications for CHF 950 million have been approved. In other words, 100% of the budget for projects in the ten new Member States has been definitively approved.
Romania und Bulgaria
By the end of 2012, five project proposals for CHF 54.2 million have been provisonally approved. Moreover, 13 thematic funds and eleven individual project applications for CHF 133.6 million have
received definitive approval. In other words, CHF 187.8 million, i.e. 77% of the budget for projects in Romania and Bulgaria, has been either provisionally earmarked or definitively
approved.
List of all approved projects
List of all planned
Projects
List with the current Call
for Proposals.
Project proposal selection and contract awarding procedures
A clear distinction needs to be made between the process of selecting project proposals and the awarding of a contract for supplies and services. These two procedures are totally independent of one another and unrestrictedly apply to the twelve states that became members of the EU since 2004.
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How are projects selected?
As a rule, the National Coordination Unit (NCU) is responsible for selecting suitable projects in the corresponding country. Generally, the following procedures are used:
- Project designs are submitted for consideration in general in response to a call for proposals.
List with the current Call for
Proposals - Project proposals are examined on the basis of selection criteria, which are described on the National Coordination Unit's Website.
The National Coordination Unit examines incoming project proposals on the basis of the established selection criteria, checking the accuracy and completeness of project proposals and making sure that they match the terms and thematic priorities agreed upon in the bilateral framework agreement with Switzerland.
As a rule, an advisory committee supports the National Coordination Unit in the selection of project proposals, based on previously established criteria. Project proposals approved by the National Coordination Unit will be forwarded to the Swiss Agency for Development SDC or the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs SECO, depending on the theme of the project. The SDC or SECO will examine the proposals, make a definitive selection, and decide on the financing of the projects. During this process they are supported, if necessary, by external experts. The SDC and SECO can only accept project proposals that have been submitted to them by the National Coordination Unit.
In Romania and Bulgaria, the SDC works with thematic funds. As a rule, these are managed by Swiss Intermediary Bodies which have been selected by a public tendering process.
Project applications are to be addressed to these fund administrators, who analyse them on behalf of the National Coordination Unit and the SDC. The criteria to be met are announced in local calls
for the subsmission of project ideas, which will be published on this website for both programme countries, probably in late autumn 2010. The purpose of these calls for project ideas is to invite
requests for support in the framework of the individual thematic funds.
Linklist of the twelve NCU’s Websites
What basic criteria should be met by project proposals?
In order to be considered for funding earmarked for Swiss contribution to EU enlargement, project proposals must be submitted in accordance with the procedures established in the
bilateral Framework Agreement signed with each country and must match the thematic priorities. The National Coordination Unit (NCU) provides timely information regarding
the various project proposal options.
Only projects that are in the public interest will be financed through the Contribution to enlargement. No support will be given to commercial projects.
Thematic Funds
List with the thematic priorities of the twelve partner states (27 KB) Bilateral Framework Agreements of the twelve partner
statesWhere can project proposals be submitted?
As a rule, only the National Coordination Unit (NCU) in each of the twelve partner countries may select project proposals. The SDC and SECO can consider only project proposals that are referred to them by the National Coordination Unit. In most partner countries, the National Coordination Unit is the same government office that is also responsible for the EU Structural and Cohesion Funds and the EEA/Norwegian Finance Mechanism. Special rules apply to the thematic funds for Romania and Bulgaria.
Thematic Funds
Contacts of the twelve NCU's
Who can submit project proposals to the National Coordination Unit (NCU) ?
Generally speaking project proposals may be submitted to the National Coordination Unit's by public bodies and institutions in a partner country, such as communes and regional and national
authorities (e.g. individual, competent ministries), international organizations, and non-governmental organisations. An National Coordination Unit may also consider project proposals from national
or community enterprises or proposals from private institutions that have a public mandate.
Thematic Funds
For specific details, visit the National Coordination Unit’s Websites: Linklist of the twelve NCU's Websites
How long will National Coordination Units (NCUs) continue to examine project proposals?
The deadline runs up until 14 June 2012 for: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Cyprus.
The deadline is 4 December 2014 for Bulgaria and Romania.
What is the composition of the advisory committee that helps the NCU examine project proposals?
The advisory committee that helps the National Coordination Unit (NCU) examine project proposals is comprised of representatives from specialised ministries, non-governmental organisations, regions,
social partners and the NCU. Switzerland may hold observer status on these committees.
Is Switzerland supported in the assessment of projects?
Yes, there are external experts (‘Backstoppers’) who support SECO and SDC in the examination and monitoring of the projects in the partner states. The choice of these external experts took place mostly in 2008, in respect of the public procurement rules of Switzerland.
The awarding of contracts for supplies and services is an independent process downstream of the selection and authorisation of a proposal.
As part of project implementation and in accordance with applicable law (national, EU and WTO regulations), calls for bids for supplies, as well as for construction and other services required for
projects that fall under the Contribution to EU enlargement, will be publicly advertised by those responsible for a project in the twelve partner states. Where EU guidelines apply, the entire bidding
process will take place according to public procurement rules and in a transparent manner. In such cases, calls for bids will be publicised not only in the twelve partner states, but also throughout
the EU.
The following EU website can be consulted in the latter case: 
http://ted.europa.eu/.
Information about public awarding of contracts in the EU can be found at http://simap.europa.eu/.
Information about public awarding of contracts in the twelve partner states can be found at the NCU Webistes
The Executing Agency responsible for conducting the project is also responsible for tendering the contracts. On completion of the tendering procedure, the Executing Agency signs the supply and
service contracts with the selected service providers.
Information sheet - The government procurement of the EU [en] [de] [fr] [it] (241 KB)
List with the current
public tenders
Programme implementation in Bulgaria and Romania –the SDC Thematic Funds
In Bulgaria and Romania the SDC is implementing what are termed thematic funds. These are managed by Swiss Intermediate Bodies who have previously been selected by public tender. The SDC makes its contribution in the fields of security, educational grants, health, research,civil society, partnerships and the minorities fundvia these thematic funds. Compared with the system used in the other ten recently acceded EU countries, the SDC sees this as a more efficient method of implementing its enlargement contribution in the countries concerned.
Bulgaria and Romania: Submission of requests for financial support from the thematic funds
Project applications are to be addressed to the fund administrators, who analyse them on behalf of the National Coordination Unit (NCU), the SDC, as well as Bulgarian/Romanian institutions with responsibility for the given thematic area. The application is then sent to SDC headquarters for final approval. If successful, the Swiss intermediate body will conclude a project contract with the institution, or “executing agency”, in charge of managing the project.
Public calls to tender projects will be published on our website in due course.
You will find further information on the fund administrators’ respective websites (approx. in june 2011, from KEK approx. in January 2012)
| Thematic Funds Romania | ||
| Thematic Funds | Fund administrators | Contact person |
| Security | Team Consult | Mr. Blaise Bonvin |
| Research Grants | CRUS | Ms. Aude Pacton |
| Research | SNF | Ms. Gillian Olivieri |
| Civil Society | KEK Consultants | Mr. Dieter Zürcher |
| Partnership | KEK Consultants | Mr. Dieter Zürcher |
| Health | Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute | Mr. Manfred Zahorka |
| Fund for Roma and other vulnerable groups | SDC | Mr. Thomas Krajnik |
| Thematic Funds Bulgaria | ||
| Thematic Funds | Fund administrators | Contact person |
| Security | Team Consult | Mr. Victor Prestel |
| Research Grants | CRUS | Ms. Aude Pacton |
| Research | SNF | Ms. Evelyne Glättli |
| Civil Society | InnovaBridge Foundation | Mr. Markus Reichmuth |
| Partnership | InnovaBridge Foundation | Mr. Markus Reichmuth |
| Home Care | Swiss Red Cross |
Ms. Christine Rutschmann |