CALL FOR PROJECT PROPOSALS FOR Strengthening Innovation and Digitalisation in SMEs in BiH /EU4DigitalSME: EU support for digitalisation of Small and Medium Size Enterprises (SMEs) in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Deadline for application to the public call is expired

Project “Innovation and digitalization of small and medium-sized enterprises in Bosnia and Herzegovina”, which includes the EU4DigitalSME project is co-financed by the European Union and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development of the Federal Republic of Germany (BMZ). Project aims to increasing BiH’s capacity to support private-sector development through innovation and digitalisation.

To succeed in local, regional and international markets, SMEs have to increasingly introduce innovations and digital solutions in order to improve productivity, increase efficiency, lower costs, and overcome information asymmetries. In this context, the digital transformation of small businesses based on Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) is a key enabler for economic growth and development.

In order to applicate to public call (deadline: by March 10.), you need to:

Download Application package

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Cooperation between private sector and research and development institutions (R&D) is vital for achieving a higher level of innovation. By expanding knowledge transfer between the international academic community and industry we can innovate the technology industry focused on the capacities of small and medium enterprises. With the public call for legal entities, we encourage collaboration of scientific and research institutions to create solutions for the private sector, so we invite legal entities, public and private research and development institutions and educational institutions, as well as business support organizations and development bodies (agencies) to apply together.

Technology Industry Innovation focuses on the capacities of private sector through collaboration based on transfer of knowledge and experience between academia and industry is relevant for this Call.

The application for public call will be closed for

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This is how, we provide support to innovative technology projects applicable in the industry through public-private and private-private partnerships between industry, associations, business network R&D in the implementation of measures focused on technological transformation of SMEs in order to support SMEs to grow their innovative solutions and/or reach new markets.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

The Deadline for submitting/uploading applications is 10th of March, 16:00:00 hours (Sarajevo time). You won’t be able to upload application nor other supporting documents after the set deadline.

No, all manufacturing sectors are eligible.

Lead Applicant may not submit more than 1 (one) Project Proposals under this Call.

A Lead Applicant receiving a grant may act as a Co-applicant in one (1) other Project Proposals at the same time.

A Co-applicant may not be the Co-applicant in more than 2 (two) Project Proposals under this Call.

The submitted Project proposals will be reviewed and evaluated by the Contracting Authority, assisted by external assessors working in pairs (pair of assessors for one proposal).

No, the Lead Applicants must apply in partnerships, with at least one (1) partner(co-applicant). Maximum allowed number of partners(co-applicants) is three (3).

To be eligible, Lead Applicant in the partnership must:

be a legal person
be established in Bosnia and Herzegovina
be registered at the latest by 31 December 2018
be directly responsible for the preparation and management of the project with the Co-applicant(s), not acting as an intermediary
belong to a specific type of organisation:
- Research and Development (R&D) institution (public or private)
- Educational institution (public and private)
- Business support organisation (Chambers of commerce, business centres, sectoral and professional associations, clusters, etc.) with verifiable experience in the private sector development
- Local/regional development body/agency

Please note that all applicants (Lead Applicant and Co-applicant(s)) must have verifiable experience implementation of EU funded project related to the Private Sector Development and/or Research, Development, and Innovation (RD&I).

To be eligible, Co-applicant(s) in the partnership must:

be a legal person
be established in Bosnia and Herzegovina or other Western Balkan countries (Republic of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo*, Republic of North Macedonia, and Republic of Serbia) be registered at the latest by 31 December 2018
be directly responsible for the preparation and management of the project with the Co-applicant(s), not acting as an intermediary
be a specific type of organisation:
- R&D institution (public and private)
- Educational institution (public and private)
- Business support organisation (chamber of commerce, business centre, sectoral and professional association, clusters, etc.) with verifiable experience in the private sector development
- Local/regional development body/agency

in All applicants (Lead Applicant and Co-applicant(s)) must have verifiable experience implementation of EU funded project related to the Private Sector Development and/or Research, Development, and Innovation (RD&I).

Maximum project duration is 10 months.

It means that if the total value of your project is 100.000 EUR, you can ask for the amount between 30.000 EUR (30%) and 80.000 EUR (80%).

Considering the absolute and percentual limitations of the granted amount, maximum project value depends on the requested grant contribution.

In the case that you are asking for the 30% of the grant contribution, the maximum total project value is 333.333,33EUR (333.333,34 EUR x 30%= 100.000 EUR)

If you are asking for the 50.000 EUR of the grant, minimal total project value has to be 62.500 EUR (62.500EUR x 80%=50.000 EUR)

In that case, please upload statement and prof that the request for issuing of documents/certificates is submitted to the relevant authority.

Considering the deadline for submission of applications and having in mind that certificates cannot be older than 3 months from the deadline for submission of applications, certificates issued on 07/02/2022 won’t be valid.

Application form, budget, Logframe and other documents for filling have to be in English language. In this phase, supporting documents doesn’t have to be translated into English language. Projects recommended for funding will be asked to provide translated supporting document. Official translation wont be needed.

Yes, salaries of employed project staff can be treated as own contribution.

MSP cannot be Lead Applicant nor Co-applicant in this call.

Lead applicants are in charge for the own contribution. As it is stated in the Guidelines for Applicants “The balance (i.e., the difference between the total cost of the project and the amount requested from the Contracting Authority – GIZ GmbH) must be financed from sources other than the budget of the German Government, the European Union Budget and that of the European Development Fund”.

To be eligible, Lead Applicants and C-applicants have to be legal entities registered before 31.12.2018. Please check if the DIHs are registered before this date. Regarding preferential treatment, there is no preferential treatment for current beneficiaries of EU4DIgitalSME project, or other project implemented by GIZ.

In addition to that, I would like to emphasise following:

“To be eligible, Lead Applicant in the partnership must:

be a legal person
be established in Bosnia and Herzegovina
be registered at the latest by 31 December 2018
be directly responsible for the preparation and management of the project with the Co-applicant(s), not acting as an intermediary
be a specific type of organisation:
R&D institution (public and private)
Educational institution (public and private)
Business support organisation (chamber of commerce, business centre, sectoral and professional association, clusters, etc.) with verifiable experience in the private sector development
Local/regional development body/agency

As it is stated in the Guidelines, Funds may be forwarded to partners (co-applicants) only if this is contractually agreed and the funds are budgeted in the budget line ‘Funds for direct support to third-party recipients’.

If the study tour will enable transfer of knowledge, costs are eligible, otherwise, if it is touristic visit, they are not eligible.

As is stated in the Guidelines for applicants “to ensure equal treatment of all applicants, the Contracting Authority cannot issue a prior opinion regarding the eligibility of an application, the proposed project, or any specific activities.” In addition to that, “All applicants (Lead Applicant and Co-applicant(s)) must have verifiable experience in implementation of EU funded project related to the Private Sector Development and/or Research, Development, and Innovation.

Yes, all requested documents issued by relevant authority are eligible.

In general, GIZ will provide advance payments on a quarterly bases (after applicant submits requests for advance payment and reports), but will also 10% of the grant amount shall be retained from the Grant as security deposit. GIZ reserves the right to retain 20% of the security retention amount until the external audit report has been handed over to GIZ. Further details on contracts may be found under the Procurement and Financing section of GIZ GmbH’s official website (https://www.giz.de/en/workingwithgiz/34529.html ).

Nažalost, nemamo tekst poziva na bosanskom jeziku, obzirom da je jezik EU4DigitalSME projekta engleski, te da se aplicira I izvještava na engleskom.

Regrettably, we in inform you that we don’t have text of the Call in Bosnian language, considering that the language of the EU4DIgitalSME project is English language. Applying, as well as reporting have to be in English.

The same eligibility criteria applies for the own contribution.

Along with the costs of staff, eligible costs are:

− Other costs of service awarded by the Beneficiary(ies) for the purposes of the project (i.e., External experts).

− Costs derived directly from the requirements of the contract (dissemination of information, translation, reproduction, etc.).

− Travel and subsistence costs for staff and other persons taking part in the project, provided they do not exceed those normally borne by the Beneficiary(ies), according to its rules and regulations.

− Small-scale construction works

− The costs for new equipment, software and supplies which are specifically procured for the implementation of the project within the period of project implementation.

− Costs of consumables goods.

Please note that all mentioned costs, no matter if they will be paid by GIZ or by Lead Applicant, must be:

necessary for the implementation of the project which is the subject of the grant;
real, stated in the budget and part of the contract;
able to be identified, justified and verified and in particular, recorded in the accounting records of the Applicants;
supported by original documents, which will be verified by the Contracting Authority;
incurred by the Applicants within the period of project implementation;
in line with the local laws;
not listed under “ineligible costs”.

Please have in mind that contribution in kind is ineligible cost. Equipment, furniture, or space (classroom) owned by the applicant is treated as contribution in kind.

Both options are acceptable as long as they are in line with GIZ procurement procedures.

In the Guidelines for Applicant is stated that Lead applicant has to be established in Bosnia and Herzegovina, while partner might be from Western Balkan countries.

“To be eligible, Lead Applicant in the partnership must:

be a legal person
be established in Bosnia and Herzegovina
be registered at the latest by 31 December 2018
be directly responsible for the preparation and management of the project with the Co-applicant(s), not acting as an intermediary
be a specific type of organisation:
R&D institution (public and private)
Educational institution (public and private)
Business support organisation (chamber of commerce, business centre, sectoral and professional association, clusters, etc.) with verifiable experience in the private sector development
Local/regional development body/agency

Eligibility of Co-Applicant(s)

To be eligible, Co-applicant(s) in the partnership must:

be a legal person
be established in Bosnia and Herzegovina or other Western Balkan countries (Republic of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo[1], Republic of North Macedonia, and Republic of Serbia)
be registered at the latest by 31 December 2018
be directly responsible for the preparation and management of the project with the Co-applicant(s), not acting as an intermediary
be a specific type of organisation:
R&D institution (public and private)
Educational institution (public and private)
Business support organisation (chamber of commerce, business centre, sectoral and professional association, clusters, etc.) with verifiable experience in the private sector development
Local/regional development body/agency”

[1] Kosovo (*) - This designation is without prejudice to positions on status and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.

Dear Mr.XXX,

Considering that your company belongs to category of SMEs, I would emphasise also note in the Guidelines stating: “SMEs cannot be Lead/Co-applicant, however the focus of each Project proposal must be support to digital transformation and innovation of SME. Each partnership must provide support to at least 3 SMEs in Bosnia and Herzegovina”.

In addition to that, I would like to emphasise following:

“To be eligible, Lead Applicant in the partnership must:

be a legal person
be established in Bosnia and Herzegovina
be registered at the latest by 31 December 2018
be directly responsible for the preparation and management of the project with the Co-applicant(s), not acting as an intermediary
be a specific type of organisation:
R&D institution (public and private)
Educational institution (public and private)
Business support organisation (chamber of commerce, business centre, sectoral and professional association, clusters, etc.) with verifiable experience in the private sector development
Local/regional development body/agency

To be eligible, Co-applicant(s) in the partnership must:

be a legal person
be established in Bosnia and Herzegovina or other Western Balkan countries (Republic of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo[1], Republic of North Macedonia, and Republic of Serbia)
be registered at the latest by 31 December 2018
be directly responsible for the preparation and management of the project with the Co-applicant(s), not acting as an intermediary
be a specific type of organisation:
R&D institution (public and private)
Educational institution (public and private)
Business support organisation (chamber of commerce, business centre, sectoral and professional association, clusters, etc.) with verifiable experience in the private sector development
Local/regional development body/agency

All applicants (Lead Applicant and Co-applicant(s)) must have verifiable experience in implementation of EU funded project related to the Private Sector Development and/or Research, Development, and Innovation.”

For any further questions, we are at your disposal. EU4DIgitalSME Team

[1] Kosovo (*) - This designation is without prejudice to positions on status and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.

Thank you for your interest in the EU4DigitalSME Project. Participation in EU4BusinessRecovery or any other GIZ’s project doesn’t eliminate you from participation in EU4DigitalSME project.

Although, please note following stated in the Guidelines for Applicants “SMEs cannot be Lead/Co-applicant, however the focus of each Project proposal must be support to digital transformation and innovation of SME. Each partnership must provide support to at least 3 SMEs in Bosnia and Herzegovina”.

In addition to that, I would like to emphasise following:

“To be eligible, Lead Applicant in the partnership must:

be a legal person
be established in Bosnia and Herzegovina
be registered at the latest by 31 December 2018
be directly responsible for the preparation and management of the project with the Co-applicant(s), not acting as an intermediary
be a specific type of organisation:
R&D institution (public and private)
Educational institution (public and private)
Business support organisation (chamber of commerce, business centre, sectoral and professional association, clusters, etc.) with verifiable experience in the private sector development
Local/regional development body/agency

To be eligible, Co-applicant(s) in the partnership must:

be a legal person
be established in Bosnia and Herzegovina or other Western Balkan countries (Republic of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo[1], Republic of North Macedonia, and Republic of Serbia)
be registered at the latest by 31 December 2018
be directly responsible for the preparation and management of the project with the Co-applicant(s), not acting as an intermediary
be a specific type of organisation:
R&D institution (public and private)
Educational institution (public and private)
Business support organisation (chamber of commerce, business centre, sectoral and professional association, clusters, etc.) with verifiable experience in the private sector development
Local/regional development body/agency

For any further questions, we are at your disposal.

EU4DIgitalSME Team

[1] Kosovo (*) - This designation is without prejudice to positions on status and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.

As it is stated in the Guidelines for applicants, in order “To ensure equal treatment of all applicants, the Contracting Authority cannot issue a prior opinion regarding the eligibility of an application, the proposed project, or any specific activities.”

Please note that all applicants must be a specific type of organisation:

R&D institution (public and private)
Educational institution (public and private)
Business support organisation (chamber of commerce, business centre, sectoral and professional association, clusters, etc.) with verifiable experience in the private sector development
Local/regional development body/agency

Regrettably, EU4igitalSME project doesn’t support start-up companies.

The main idea of this Call is to have two institutions creating an innovative solution and piloting it into three SMEs. If those institutions need external expertise, they will have to conduct a tender procedure. No matter of the project or call, all suppliers must be selected through relevant tender procedure.

As it is stated in the Guidelines for Applicants “SMEs cannot be Lead/Co-applicant, however the focus of each Project proposal must be support to digital transformation and innovation of SME. Each partnership must provide support to at least 3 SMEs in Bosnia and Herzegovina”. In addition to that, only partnership among the applicants which fulfill criteria listed under the section 2.1.1 can be supported.

Until when can we apply for this call?

Are there any limitations towards the sector?

Can we submit more than one application?

How our proposal will be evaluated?

Is it possible to apply without partner?

Who is eligible as Lead Applicant?

Who is eligible as Co-applicant?

What is maximum duration of the project?

What does it mean that requested grant contribution is between 30% and 80% of the total eligible costs?

What is the maximum (and minimum) value of the whole project?

Partneri iz Srbije neće moći na vrijeme dobiti tražene potvrde. Šta da radimo?

Da li dokumentacija treba biti prevedena na engleski?

Da li je finansiranje dijela plata osoba od strane aplikanata prihvatljivo kao sufinansiranje?

Da li je prihvatljivo sufinansiranje MSP?

Da li postojeći DIH-ovi mogu da apliciraju i ako da, da li će imati prednost pošto su već podržani od strane EU4DigitalSME

Da li odsjek za lokalni ekonomski razvoj I evropske integracije, koji se nalazi u sastavu Gradske uprave Bijeljina može da bude prihvatljiv aplikant?

Ukoliko je koaplikant visokoobrazovna ustanova iz susjedne države, da li će biti problem prebacivanje novca za nabavku određene opreme?

Da li je prihvatljiv trošak studijsko putovanje u svrhu obuke u drugu državu

Kada se radi o inostranom partner, da li su prihvatljvi dokumenti koji su ekvivalent u pozivu navedenoj dokumentaciji kojiu prikupljaju partneri.

U slučaju da se odobri grant, kakav je način financiranja od strane GIZ-a. Da li organizacija treba predfinansirati troškove.

Da li imate tekst poziva preveden na bosanski jezik?

What else, apart from the costs of the hired people, can be accepted as \”participation\” in the project? Can software, equipment, furniture, or space (classroom) owned by the applicant be shown as participation in the project?

U slučaju da se nabavlja oprema za CO-applicant-a, da li se tretira kao forwarding of funds (nabavku vrši co-applicant) ili se uvrštava u budžet Lead Applcant-a, koji provodi process nabavke I vrši prenos na co-applicant-a ili su prihvatljive obe opcije?

Poštovana, Ukoliko smo u projektu EU4BusinessRecovery, da li možemo aplicirati za projekat EU4DigitalSME? Očekivali smo najavljivani javni poziv zbog potrebe nabavke ERPa i zaštite od hakerskih napada. Hvala Vam na odgovoru.

Na koji način start up firma iz oblasti finansijskog konsaltinga može pristupiti ovim fondovima sa ciljem objedinjavanja finansijskog konsultinga i digitalizacije za mala preduzeća?