- Category Certificate Program
- Number of Courses 2
- Language English
- Duration 19 hours
Certificate Program
Unlocking the potential of Financial Support to Third Parties
A Certificate Program composed of one virtual classroom course and one eLearning module to provide all the necessary skills to effectively manage financial support to third parties in the framework of DG INTPA/DG NEAR funded projects.
Description
The European Union is asking more and more to include the ‘Financial Support to Third Parties’ (FSTP) in its projects, in most of the cases as a main element, to support small and grassroots organisations. Through this Certificate Program, you will become fully acquainted with this financing modality and gain all the information you need to design, select, award, manage, monitor and report on financial support to third parties. You will get a full understanding of how to check the relevant information in the Guidelines for Applicants of the calls for proposals and practically work on how to describe this particular project component in your proposals (both Concept Note and Full application) and how to estimate the related costs in the budget.
Furthermore, you will also get an in-depth understanding of the elements that needs to be taken into consideration in the management of this component, to be fully compliant with the EU contractual clauses. In addition, you will obtain a comprehensive insights on the different ways to launch a selection process within a FSTP component, such as calls for proposals, calls for ideas or others, as well as on the steps to take after the award of the financial support to the beneficiaries. You will also be able to download the formats and the templates (developed by PuntoSud) that you will need in each phase of the process (e.g. the Guidelines for Applicants of a call for proposals, the formats to be used by the third parties at proposal and reporting stages, the contracts to be signed with the third parties).
Learning Objectives
By the end of the Program, you will:
- Know what is Financial Support to Third Parties and its main aim
- Be aware of where to find relevant information and specific requirements in the Guidelines for Applicants
- Be able to provide the right and complete information in the concept note and full application formats, including the budget
- Become competent in organising competitive processes (e.g. call for proposals) to award financial support
- Ensure full compliance of the management of the FSTP component with the applicable EU rules, including monitoring and reporting
- Be able to set the contractual conditions to be complied by the third parties in a contract/agreement
- Become competent in monitoring the actions of the financial support beneficiaries
- Know how to report on financial support provided to third parties
- Be ready to prepare all the information related to FSTP that are needed for expenditure verification/audit.
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Virtual Classroom
28-29 October 2024
Strategic management of Financial Support to Third Parties
Explore the full potential of Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP) within DG INTPA/DG NEAR-funded projects in this comprehensive 2-day training session. The course starts delving into the framework for FSTP implementation, to cover its main aims, various forms, general rules and the contractual relationship between grant beneficiaries and recipients of financial support. It then concentrates on the design of actions with FSTP components, integrating them into the entire project and outlining effective selection and award processes. After this overall introduction, the course focuses on the implementation of FSTP as part of a fully-fledged capacity development programme, including the monitoring results and the reporting processes. It provides comprehensive insights into evaluation approaches, monitoring tools, and key checks for expenditure verification. Practical examples and discussions will enhance your ability to navigate the Guidelines for Applicants and ensure compliance with EU rules throughout the FSTP lifecycle. You will be able to share experiences with other participants on the set-up and use of control and monitoring mechanisms. Finally, PuntoSud facilitators with long-standing experience in managing FSTP, will share their tips and tricks on how to report about Financial Support to Third Parties in the narrative and financial reports to be submitted to the EU.
eLearning
Gain in-depth knowledge and tools that will equip your organisation to act as a donor and award financial support to local CSOs, grassroots organisations or other entities within the framework of EU grants. Become familiar with the information that must be provided in your project proposals regarding this kind of “grants in cascade.” Be ready to manage financial support for third parties starting from the selection and award procedure, to the implementation and monitoring of related activities and results achieved, all the way through to reporting and expenditure verification or auditing processes.
2-Day Virtual Classroom
Day 1
The framework for FSTP implementation
- Main aim of Financial Support (FS)
- General rules on FSTP
- Contractual relationship between the Grant beneficiaries and the recipient of Financial Support
Designing actions with FSTP components
- The key information from Guidelines of Applicants to be used for proposals writing
- Designing FSTP: identify objectives, results, main activities, type of entities to be supported, other capacity development activities to complement FS
- Integrate the FSTP component within the whole action
- Describe FSTP in the Concept Note, in the Full Application and in the budget
Selection of beneficiaries of FS
- Call and selection procedures: the different options
- Designing the call for applications
- Launching the call for applications
Day 2
Award of FSTP
- The evaluation and selection procedure
- Eligibility checks and award of Financial Support
- Contractual arrangements with beneficiaries of Financial Support
Implementation of FSTP as part of capacity development
- Address capacity development needs of beneficiaries: defining a strategy
- Examples of capacity development activities for beneficiaries of Financial Support
Monitoring results and reporting
- Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning approaches applicable to FSTP
- Examples of monitoring tools to ensure achievement of expected results
- Reporting financial support: reporting from third parties in the frame of the interim & final narrative reports to the EU
Monitoring expenditure and reporting
- Make sure of the eligibility of costs incurred by the beneficiaries of FS
- Monitor the expenditure incurred by beneficiaries of Financial Support
- Example of useful tools to ensure monitor of expenditure and compliance with EU rules
- Include FSTP expenditure in financial reports
- Key checks during expenditure verification
eLearning
Module 1: Propose Financial Support for Third Parties
- Let’s analyse key information from the guidelines for applicants of calls for proposals
- Who are the third parties of financial support?
- Checklist of key elements to be provided at proposal stage
Module 2: Select the Beneficiaries of Financial Support
- The different types of selection procedures
- Calls for proposals
- Preparation activities: call announcement, full details of the call for proposals, publication of the call
- Proposals reception, evaluation and selection
- Supporting evidence of the evaluation process
Module 3: Awarding Financial Support
- Signature of agreement with the beneficiaries of financial support: key responsibilities of both parties
- Startup of financial support: briefing third parties on the use of EU funds
- Other activities of capacity development
Module 4: Monitoring and Reporting
- System of control set up to verify the eligibility of costs
- Reporting expenditure of financial support beneficiaries
- Supporting evidence and documentation that must be kept in your possession
420Euro
(excluding VAT - to be added if due)
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Skill Level
Intermediate - Advanced