Action 1 | Action 2 | Action 3

ACTION 1

The development stage
 
Action 1 supports creating or strengthening effective DPs and makes sure that transnational co-operation has a real added value.  Funding will be available in this phase for all DPs that have been selected by the GB Monitoring Committee.  You may normally apply for ESF funding up to a maximum of £150,000 for each successful application you make for Action 1. You are not expected to begin your main delivery during this Action;  however, you will be funded to carry out activities to make sure that you:

• submit the best possible domestic and transnational work programmes for Actions 2 and 3;
• develop appropriate systems for managing and monitoring your DP during its lifetime; and 
• secure match funding. 

This will enable you to move seamlessly into Actions 2 and 3 and to begin your main delivery.  It is expected that Action 1 activities will include:

• steps to make sure that you have identified all appropriate domestic partners and given each equal representation in the DP;
• research and consultation with target groups and their representatives, to make sure you fully understand their needs and reflect them in your work programmes, national and transnational;
• research and consultation to make sure you design an appropriate equal opportunities policy and strategy which is agreed by all partners;
• consultation with policy makers at appropriate levels to make sure the work programmes are appropriate;
• research with DPs and organisations in other Member States to make sure that you identify the most appropriate partners, taking into account the most appropriate way to approach individual Member States;
• developing robust and effective management, administrative, financial and communications systems across the DP, including Websites; and
• identifying all skills needs for Actions 2 and 3 and staff recruitment.

The Action 1 timeframe will be broadly common to DPs across all Member States to support transnational partner building.  Action 1 in GB will be available for up to nine months and starts on 1 October 2004.  Action 2 will begin on 1 July 2005 at the latest.  You may begin Action 2 from 1 May 2005 if you can meet all of the requirements of Action 1 to the appropriate quality levels.
 
What you need to do during Action 1

During Action 1 you must submit four documents to be considered for progression to Actions 2 and 3:

• a Development Partnership Agreement (DPA); 
• a Transnational Co-operation Agreement (TCA);
• an equal opportunities policy and implementation strategy; and
• a Mainstreaming Partnership Agreement (MPA).

To receive funding for Action 3, you must submit your MPA within the first 12 months of Action 2. You can develop the MPA during Action 1 alongside the DPA.  Your activities can begin from the start of Action 2.  
 
The Development Partnership Agreement will contain as a minimum:

• a detailed work programme with a realistic budget;
• a clear identification of the role of each partner, including your arrangements for steering and managing the partnership and administering the financial support;
• a confirmation of added value;
• a mechanism for on-going monitoring including how you will present data and information on the Development Partnership and how you will evaluate and analyse results;
• the type and number of outcomes you expect; and
• confirmation of your sources of match funding, public and private, including certification.

The Transnational Co-operation Agreement should contain:

• who your Equal Partners and possible associated transnational partners are;
• the objectives of the transnational co-operation element; 
• how the planned transnational activities will add value to and complement the domestic work programme; 
• a detailed joint work programme (including your type of activities, your budget and your timetable);
• the roles of each DP and associated transnational partners;
• a description of your decision-making methods;
• your organisational arrangements for putting the common work programme into place; and
• a description of how you will monitor and evaluate joint activities.

The equal opportunities policy and implementation strategy will contain as a minimum:

• how your policy is appropriate to the groups targeted in Action 2;
• how you will apply the policy to all members of the DP;
• how you will build equal opportunities into the design, development, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and dissemination of your DP;
• how your policy will reflect differences within the groups you will target, and how you will work with all socially-excluded groups suffering the main forms of discrimination; and
• targets relating to equality for each area of your objectives and activities.

The Mainstreaming Partnership Agreement will contain, as a minimum:

• your objectives and priorities for action, including details of your target audiences;
• details of the role of each partner, including any new partners included for Action 3; 
• confirmation of added value;
• a detailed national, and if appropriate, transnational work programme, accompanied by a realistic budget;
• the type and number of outcomes you expect;
• a mechanism for on-going monitoring including how you will present data and information on your Development Partnership and how you will evaluate and analyse results;
• confirmation of your sources of match funding, public and private, including certification.

The DPA, TCA and MPA must also demonstrate that your Development Partnership fulfils the following conditions.

• Transparency: you must be able to show you have secured the necessary match funding.
• Representative capacity: you must be able to show you can involve all the different partners so that they work together.  Particular attention will be given to your arrangements for making sure that all relevant partners, such as: public authorities; the public employment service; NGOs; the business sector (in particular SMEs); and the social partners, can become involved during the life of the partnership.  You must show that appropriate small organisations are able to play a full part in your DP.
• Co-operative spirit: you must be able to show your ability and willingness to work transnationality and explain how you expect transnational co-operation to add value to the different parts of your work programme.