Q&A Open Call for social housing and active inclusion projects proposal
November 27, 2020
Q: I have a few question, first is about eligible social housing actions - construction of new housing units family houses and installation of prefabricated houses on private land. Can You tell me is private land must be owned by the member of supported family?
A: In order for the beneficiary to become the owner of the new housing unit, he has to be the owner of the land on which the house is built. How that land is acquired is not the Programme's consideration and acquisition of such land is not an eligible cost.
Q: If Municipality buy family house, apartment or village house and reconstructs it, who is the owner - Municipality or suported family? Which is maximum average cost per housing Unit/ Family in US Dollars than - 27.500 USD (19.000 USD for purchase and 8.500 USD for reconstruction) or totally 19.000 USD?
A: The mode of property ownership and a possibility of transfer to the supported family is regulated by relevant laws and depends on the local policy of the Municipality.
Indicative average costs recommended in the section 2.3.1 of the CfP Guidelines are per housing type, not a combination of them (ie. cost per purchase should include necessary reconstruction works that should fit in the total amount).
Q: Is the active inclusion support intended only for families whose housing issue will be resolved?
A: Yes, active inclusion measures are intended only for families provided with housing support.
Q: Is the provision of family specific household assets/utility items (basic furniture and household utilities) part of the eligible active inclusion actions and maximum cost per family should not be more than 1500 USD?
A: Yes.
Q: Does the Municipality must have valid building permit for the construction of multi-family building or family/prefabricated houses on public land, on the day of submitting the application, and is it eligible cost in project?
A: For any type of housing involving public land, a valid building permit needs to be submitted with the application (section 2.3 of the CfP Guidelines). Any costs incurred prior to the signing of the grant support agreement (GSA) are not considered eligible.
Q: What is with construction of family/prefabricated houses on private land? Is building permit necessary before, or could be eligible cost in project after approval of the Grant?
A: As stated in section 2.4.3 of the CfP Guidelines - Mandatory methodologies during implementation, for all interventions involving private land, a valid building permit can be submitted after the signing of GSA and after the conclusion of the beneficiary selection procedure. In this case, it is considered as eligible cost (co-funding only).
Q: About submission of the supporting documents - proof that the project is part of relevant national / regional / local strategies. The Local strategy expires in 2020, but the Local Self-Government Development Plan has not yet been adopted, as it must rely on The Development Plan of the Republic of Serbia and The Development Plan of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, and these documents are still being drafted. What should we refer to in this case? Can this document be omitted or we can refer to the document from 2020 with the explanation above?
A: You can refer to the Local strategy since it is considered valid until replaced by the new document.
Q: There are 4 target groups defined in the Guidelines, stating: ''while also including local poor population and others living in inadequate and insecure housing, is strongly encouraged through this CfP''. Does this mean that applicants are required to include in the project a minimum one target group (out of four), with other vulnerable groups also suitable for housing support and as projects final beneficiaries?
A: Project proposals must include at least one out of four defined target groups and the combination of beneficiaries from different groups is highly desirable. Inclusion of other vulnerable groups outside of defined categories is also acceptable, but their number is limited to 10% of the total number of beneficiaries.
Q: Can co-financing include land value, or value of executed works to date, or property value, or bringing power or water to the building, taxes and fees for construction (land development fee, commissioning fee, cost of permit of use etc.)?
A: Any costs incurred prior to the signing of the grant support agreement (GSA) are not considered eligible. Costs for infrastructure network connection construction, taxes and fees, permit of use and similar, incurred during the grant implementation are eligible as co-financing. All eligible and ineligible costs are stated in section 2.1.3 of the CfP Guidelines.
Q: About the active inclusion measures: if the project plans for a set of social inclusion activities that include provision of specific/topical equipment and/or machinery, is this an eligible cost? If yes, in what percentage is the provision of this type of equipment acceptable?
A: Costs for provision of tools and machines needed for income generation, self-employment or opening of new jobs with known employers are eligible within the plan and budget for social inclusion measures. Cost for this type of support is not limited by percentage or nomination, however, it has to fit within the maximum average cost per family of USD 7.500 for all active inclusion measures.
Q: We have a question related to housing solution beneficiary selection. Namely, is it acceptable to have pre-defined beneficiaries of housing solutions, if local self-government already has in its plan to resettle an unconditional settlement and the construction of apartments for beneficiaries whose social apartments have burned down? Pre-defined beneficiaries are from various social categories presented by this Call.
A: Yes, as stated in section 2.4.3 of the CfP Guidelines - Mandatory methodologies during implementation, selection of beneficiaries conducted through the legally established procedure is acceptable (ie. adopted LSG Decision and Programme for resettlement).
Q: Are human resources costs eligible as co-financing? More specifically, besides regular duties of the project manager, financial manager etc., could supervision, inspection and similar be included in co-financing even if those are regular duties performed within the local government?
A: Costs of salaries of the employees in the local administration are not considered eligible for co-financing costs. Additional pay supplements and reimbursements up to the amount prescribed by the law are eligible and have to be duly substantiated as an enlarged workload related to project activities only. In this case, these supplements can be paid out of the total project budget, from both the grant and the co-financing.
In case the Grant Manager or Grant Team members are contracted to perform works exclusively for the project under a special employment contract, their salaries are eligible and can be paid out of the total project budget.
Q: Please clarify if co-applicants can have a statutory mandate just for social housing and not for social inclusion, and vice versa?
A: Yes, both options are acceptable.
Q: Please clarify if a city housing agency (public company established by local self government) is an eligible applicant?
A: Yes.
Q: What is the dynamic for grant payment, i.e. when, under which conditions and in which percentage the grant tranches are paid to the beneficiary?
A: Grant payment terms will be defined after the project evaluation and selection procedures and will largely depend on the sequence of the activities in the project. In any case, it is ensured that the payment covers the costs of foreseen activities in the given time period.
Q: In relation to previous question, what is the reporting dynamic during a project which lasts for 16 months?
A: Reporting frequency will be defined after the project evaluation and selection procedures and will largely depend on the sequence of the activities in the project.
Q: What are exactly eligible co-financing costs?
A: Eligible costs for co-financing are listed in the CfP Guidelines. These are infrastructure network connection fees, approvals and participations, costs of permit of use, notary fees for purchased property transfer of ownership, land development and property taxes, bank commission charges etc.
Q: VAT is not mentioned anywhere, who will cover this cost?
A: For grant funds received by the LSG, VAT exemption is performed, and all costs and expenses covered by the grant are planned and realized without VAT. For costs covered by the local contribution, payment of VAT is applied according to legal regulations.
Q: What about single member families of victims of domestic violence or disabled persons, can they be included in the Programme since you mentioned a minimum of 2 members per family?
A: The program envisages the inclusion of families of all structures from the target groups - from single to multi-member, and their selection will be done in accordance with the Rulebook, which will be adopted and implemented by the local self-government. The statement from the open call that measures of active inclusion should support at least two members per family on average means that if e.g. you support ten families with the project, you must plan to include at least 20 beneficiaries in total in the measures of active inclusion. The local self-government should support the measures of active inclusion with twice the number of people than the number of families that will be provided with housing support.
Q: Are the salaries of the Project team members who are employed in the local administration but working for a certain period on the project exclusively, considered as eligible cost? (Is the cost of the Project team employed in the local administration and also engaged in the project eligible?)
A: Salary costs of employees employed in local and state administration are not treated as eligible co-financing costs. Only the value of additional work in accordance with the Labor Law, the Law on Civil Servants and the Decree on obtaining consent for new employment and additional employment with users of public funds, up to the amount prescribed by law can be accepted as justified if it is possible to explain and document that the increase in work is related exclusively to project activities. In that case, it can be paid from the total budget, from a grant or through co-financing.
If the Grant Manager or Grant Management Team members are engaged in activities exclusively related to the needs of the project under a special contract, then their salaries can be considered an eligible cost and can also be paid from the entire mass of the grant budget..
Q: How are the prices for apartments calculated in reference to the cost of 26,500 EUR? Does an apartment for a large family have to fit in this price?
A: The amount specified in the CfP Guidelines is the indicative average cost for a newly constructed apartment, meaning that individual apartments can be cheaper or more expensive, depending on their structure, size and other factors. If the total cost of built apartments exceeds the product of their number and average price, the difference is reimbursed from LSG’s co-financing.
Q: Could a partner CSO if licensed, also be a service provider? Could one CSO be a partner for different social inclusion components?
A: Partner CSO can be a service provider, and if licensed, it is acknowledged as an equal service provider by the social welfare system. CSO can be a service provider for the project, even if it isn’t licensed for those types of services but has previous experience in the field. Meeting of licence requirements and the licence obtaining process can also be included in the project, adding value to the project in line with criteria 2.5 and 5.2, as specified in section 2.2.2 of the CfP Guidelines - “Evaluation grid”. One CSO can be a partner for different social inclusion components depending on previous references and capacities. Also, it is mandatory to include one local institution as a partner on the project.
Q: Is there a defined percentage of a total budget assigned to costs of the Project team?
A: This percentage is not defined and it is expected for all costs to be determined by applicants, according to the principles of rationality and cost-effectiveness.
Q: Is the first instalment of co-funding by LSG 30% of the total amount of contribution, say 15% of the cost of the project?
A: Yes, the first instalment of co-funding by LSG is 30% of the total amount of contribution (minimum amount of co-funding is 15% of the cost of the project) and the remaining 70% is due for payment before the second payment of the grant.
Q: What are the permissible modes of ownership and how can it be transferred?
A: Permissible modes of ownership are: public property, without the possibility of purchase by the tenant, in cases of social apartments and houses built on public land or reconstruction of publicly owned housing units; private property with legal limitations for further reselling in cases of purchase of apartments, houses and village households or construction of new houses on private land or reconstruction of privately owned houses.
Q: In case of a reconstruction of privately owned houses is it up to the LSG to introduce a clause to the agreement with the owner preventing the reselling of the property and is there a statutory limitation period for the prohibition of reselling?
A: Art. 100 of the Law on Housing and Maintenance of Buildings allows for entering an encumbrance/burden in the title deed of the property provided through housing support. In the case of reconstruction of a privately owned house and improvement of living conditions, the Law does not prescribe such limitations. The LSG can decide on its own to include any such limitations in the housing support.
Q: Is Letter of Intent a mandatory part of the application and must be sent by 23. December at the latest? If we send a Letter of Intent, but at some point, we realize that for some reason we will not be able to send an application for Your Call, will there be any consequences because of that?
A: Each Applicant is expected to announce its participation in the CfP through submission of the Letter of Intent no later than 23 December. There will be no consequences in case the full application is not submitted.
Info session 8/12/2020
Q: Do (all) persons supported with housing solutions have to be supported with active inclusion measures?
A: Yes, in order to ensure sustainability active inclusion measures are planned and should be provided for all families who are provided with housing support, a minimum of 2 members per family on average.
Q: Can we specify in the pre-assessment which beneficiaries we intend to include or everything has to be conducted through an open call for beneficiaries?
A: In the pre-assessment, if this refers to activities prior to the signing of GSA, a group or beneficiary groups targeted with the project can be defined. Final selection and ranking have to be conducted after signing of GSA through an open call. Transparent procedures in full respect of the good governance principles are previously defined by the Rulebook for the selection of beneficiaries. The only acceptable case of prespecified beneficiary families is the resettlement of families belonging to defined vulnerable groups, but this has to be supported with LSG decision, adopted resettlement programme, resettlement plan and other relevant documents.
Q: Significant risk in larger scale interventions, namely multi family housing, is a short implementation period (16 months). How will the proposals including multi family housing be considered in relation to this?
A: Due to its complexity, construction of multi-family buildings certainly requires a longer time frame and assumes the greater risk. For those reasons it is mandatory to submit a valid building permit with the application, indicating a set of activities was already implemented and that the construction phase can start soon after the signing of GSA. Project proposals including this type of housing will not be undervalued because of the higher risks they carry compared to other types of housing support.
Q: Do ownership of village households have to be transferred to beneficiaries or can they be owned by: a)municipality or b) CSO for whose beneficiaries they are purchased?
A: If the transfer of ownership to beneficiaries isn’t appropriate for the planned housing support methodology or proposed target groups (ie. supported housing for youth leaving the social care system), LSG can define a different solution of ownership in a Decision on the provision of housing support.
Q: The guidelines state that the allowed price of equipment / tools per family is 7,500 euros in the case of self-employment, etc. Is it allowed to increase the cost of equipment (if we have ten families then 7500 euros times 10) if it will be used within e.g. one sustainable social cooperative and for one type of collective employment of the majority of members from the families in question?
A: According to the terms of the call, each family is allocated an average of 7,500 USD for the implementation of all, various measures of active inclusion, and five groups of these measures are envisaged. It is not acceptable to use the entire amount allocated for active inclusion for only one measure - employment, i.e. self-employment.
The part of the amount that can be allocated only for this type of support for inclusion can be combined with the amounts of other project beneficiaries, which would increase the amount for the purchase of equipment for, for example, a sustainable social cooperative.
Q: What is permitted as contribution/ co-financing of local self-government?
A: The call for proposals sets out in more detail the eligible costs that may be covered by the local contribution. These are, for example, fees, approvals and participations for connections to the infrastructure network, costs of issuing permits of use, notary fees for the transfer of ownership of purchased houses, land development fees and taxes, costs of bank commission fees, etc
Q: Ownership of the building (buildings) - what type of contractual relationship is made between the beneficiary and the municipality (concession without compensation, lease, ...)?
A: A building or some other type of housing (individual, terraced houses, etc.) built on public land remains the property of the local self-government without the possibility of purchasing housing units. Beneficiaries will pay a non-profit lease or will live according to the model of social housing in sheltered conditions. Houses built on a private plot or purchased private houses and rural households are transferred to the ownership of the beneficiary family with the restriction of alienation under Article 100 of the Law on Housing and Maintenance of the Buildings.
Q: Can beneficiaries who are not provided with housing support be included in the inclusion measures?
A: No, inclusion measures can only be applied to beneficiary family members who are provided with housing support under the project.
Q: Is the cost of engaging project team members an eligible cost and can it be counted in the applicant’s financial contribution?
A: Salary costs of employees employed in local and state administration are not treated as eligible co-financing costs. Only the value of additional work in accordance with the Labor Law, the Law on Civil Servants and the Decree on obtaining consent for new employment and additional employment with users of public funds, up to the amount prescribed by law can be accepted as justified if it is possible to explain and document that the increase in work is related exclusively to project activities. In that case, it can be paid from the total budget, from a grant or through co-financing.
If the Grant Manager or Grant Management Team members are engaged in activities exclusively related to the needs of the project under a special contract, then their salaries can be considered an eligible cost and can also be paid from the entire mass of the grant budget.
Q: What is the minimum % (not amount) that can be co-financed from the program?
A: The terms of the call do not define the minimum amount to be financed from the grant but define the minimum % of co-financing of local self-government and that is 15% of the total value of the project.
Q: Is it acceptable to build a common space that will serve tenants and other members of the community for active inclusion measures during the construction of a multi-family housing (residential building) on the ground floor of the building?
A: It is acceptable and in any case desirable in terms of raising the quality of living conditions of the beneficiaries. According to the Rulebook on conditions and norms for planning and design of residential buildings and apartments in housing support programs (Official Gazette of RS, No. 76/2017), various common amenities are envisaged, among which, in buildings with more than 10 housing units, space for meetings and the tenant assembly is mandatory. The construction of this space, which is part of a residential building, is an integral part of the value of the building and participates in the average cost of the apartment.
Q: Is the City Housing Agency a possible co-applicant, given that they do not deal with active inclusion? Does the co-applicant association have to have in the statute a mandate in housing or is it enough to have one in active inclusion?
A: Yes, the City Housing Agency can be a co-applicant. Also, the citizens' association can be a co-applicant, even if it has only a mandate in the field of active inclusion, which it will deal with in the project. The mandate and activity of the co-applicants do not have to be related to both the field of housing and social inclusion, they need to have previous experience, references and capacities in one of the fields.
Q: Short-term and occasional accommodation of children and young people with disabilities, which is provided as daily, weekend or multi-day accommodation: then who are the measures of active inclusion intended for in that case?
A: Short-term and occasional accommodation of children and youth with disabilities is a type of social protection services and cannot be considered housing support, because it does not provide a permanent solution to the housing problem of some sensitive categories, and therefore cannot be part of a project proposal under this program.
Q: Is there a predefined format for the Letter of Intent within the Call or is it a freeform?
A: Yes, in section 3. Documents to be completed of the CfP Guidelines there is a format for Letter of Intent (document #10) that needs to be filled out, signed and sent to rsoc.applications@unops.org.
Q: Is it acceptable to build a common facility for the settlement, i.e. a smaller facility (which has already started and is abandoned) for a club or a center for common activities, is it important for the inclusion programs of all citizens in the settlement?
A: As stated in section 2.1.2 of the Call for Proposals, eligible activities under the project must relate to housing support for beneficiary families. For this reason, building a facility for a club or centre for common activities is not an acceptable activity.
Q: Is it necessary for the beneficiaries of housing support to be also the beneficiaries of active inclusion or the beneficiaries of active inclusion can be other members of the community of the same target group?
A: It is mandatory that the same beneficiary families that are provided with housing within the project are supported in active inclusion in order to ensure the sustainability of the project. Involvement of other members of the community in active inclusion measures is not allowed.
Q: Do they have to be exclusively members of the local self-government in the project team, or can they also be members of partner organizations who have expertise in a certain area?
A: Representatives of partner organizations can and should be included in the project team.
Q: If I understood correctly, the technical characteristics of residential buildings are evaluated. Project documentation is not sent with the application. Does that mean that the technical characteristics of the facilities should be described in the application?
A: Yes, it is necessary to describe in the application in detail the location, surroundings, disposition and technical characteristics of the building. The evaluation team reserves the possibility and the right to request additional information from the applicant, if necessary, as well as to confirm the validity of the data during the field visit.
Q: Another question: can the employee in the municipal / city administration, who is engaged in the project, receive a fee and if so, are there any restrictions on the amount of the fee?
A: Employees in the municipal / city administration and other civil servants may receive a fee from the project only in the form of additional work in accordance with the Labor Law, the Law on Civil Servants and the Regulation on obtaining consent for new employment and additional engagement with users of public funds, up to the amount prescribed by law.
Q: Is it a mandatory condition that when purchasing rural houses / households, the real estate must be located on the applicant's territory? The question is asked having in mind the limiting average value of the real estate defined by the tender.
A: As stated in section 2.1.2. - Eligible activities, all housing support activities proposed by the applicant, including the purchase of rural households must be carried out exclusively within the territory of the applicant's local self-government.
Q: In case the beneficiary families are related and want to live together in one house that would meet their needs, is it possible to combine the budget provided for housing support for both families?
A: If the applicant selects two beneficiary families in the relationship through the process of open call and selection of beneficiaries, the budgets allocated for their housing support can be joined in order to increase the amount for the purchase of a house. Beneficiary families must agree in writing with this solution, and the selected house must enable the formation of two independent housing units in all respects to the standards of social housing.
Q: Is it possible for the city to hire a real estate agency when providing housing support, which includes the purchase of rural households?
A: The costs of engaging a real estate agency in the process of purchasing rural houses are not considered eligible costs, nor can they be included in the value of the purchased real estate.
Q: Can the property of the Republic of Serbia be included in the project, of course with the consent of the owner? These are apartments within rural schools.
A: Although in some cases it is possible for the project to include property owned by the Republic of Serbia, provided that the ownership and user rights of LSGs are precisely defined through legal acts, in this case, this proposal is not acceptable as it is a non-residential building.
Q: I wonder if the administrative costs will be max 7%?
A: In the conditions of the call, the percentage share of individual costs is not specifically determined. The administrative costs of the project can be planned in total for the project under the budget line "3. Local office, equipment and supplies" and it is possible to realistically distribute them to all partners in the project, in accordance with their planned activities and participation.
If indirect costs are in question, they are not eligible costs.
Q: Is there a rule for choosing the beneficiaries or the Municipality can freely choose which families from the 4 target groups will be supported?
A: The final selection and ranking of beneficiaries must be carried out after signing the grant agreement, through a public call and with full respect for the principles of good governance through transparent procedures defined by the rulebook for selection of beneficiaries, prepared and adopted by LSG. The only case when specific beneficiary families can be defined in advance is the case of resettlement of families belonging to one of the listed vulnerable groups, which must be supported by the LSG’s Decision, adopted resettlement program, Resettlement Plan and other relevant documents.
Q: Can a single parent with four children, whose house has burned down be chosen, although he does not belong to any of the 4 target groups?
A: Yes. The participation of other vulnerable groups outside the 4 mentioned categories is acceptable, but it must not exceed 10% of the total number of users.
Q: Are public procurements conducted according to PRAG procedure or serbian law?
A: Public procurement procedures are conducted in accordance with the legal regulations of the Republic of Serbia.
Q: When is the Construction Permit/Decision on Execution of Works submitted in accordance with the type of works according to the Law on Planning and Construction and relevant regulations or the official opinion that no act is required for reconstruction projects (Activity D)?
A: In the case of reconstruction of publicly owned housing units, all the above-supporting documents are attached to the application. For planned reconstruction activities of privately-owned housing units, this documentation is submitted during the project implementation, i.e. after the signing of the grant agreement.
Q: Does this mean that we must first implement a public call for users (as per the rulebook and in accordance with good governance procedures) before applying? In AF, part IV CHECKLIST under 17 states that it is delivered with the Application and in the Guide to p. 17 and in the Guide to p. 19 states that it is delivered when signing the Contract.
A: No, as stated in the CfP Guidelines and in Annex A / Part IV. Checklist, this documentation is only required for the reconstruction of publicly owned housing units.
The final selection and ranking of beneficiaries must be carried out after signing the grant agreement, through a public call and with full respect for the principles of good governance through transparent procedures defined by the rulebook for selection of beneficiaries, prepared and adopted by LSG. The only case when specific beneficiary families can be defined in advance is the case of resettlement of families belonging to one of the listed vulnerable groups, which must be supported by the LSG’s Decision, adopted resettlement program, Resettlement Plan and other relevant documents.
Q: What happens to buildings that are built without a building permit? It is not possible to issue any decision for them before the legalization of the building. Does this mean that such buildings cannot be the subject of this Open call? From our experience, a large number of families from socially vulnerable groups do not have a properly resolved legal status of the building in which they live.
A: Facilities built without a building permit are not the subject of this public call and cannot be included in the project proposal.
Q: Is there a possibility of procurement and distribution of construction materials to users, without hiring a contractor?
A: No, for activity D this CfP defines the obligation to hire contractors for installation of materials and equipment.
Q: The proof that the financial means for co-financing have been provided is the Excerpt from the Decision on the Budget for 2021? For example, the total value of the project is 200,000 USD, 15% is 30,000 USD, do we plan 9,000 USD in the Budget for 2021 and show that when applying?
A: Yes.
Q: Do we understand correctly about Activity D: reconstruction of an existing housing unit of 8,500 USD (includes materials, equipment to be installed, and works). In which budget line is the furniture entered (20% of the value of the active inclusion grant)? Please explain the structure of eligible cost per household for activity D.
A: All costs of activities on the reconstruction of housing units, including building materials, equipment and construction works, are entered in the budget line 4.4. Furniture is part of the active inclusion measures and these costs are included in the budget line 5., as a separate sub-line.
Q: In budget line 4.4 D. reconstruction of existing housing units, for 10 different buildings there will probably be differences in the value of the unit (reconstruction prices per one building). Do we put an average value in the Budget for all 10 facilities and that is a maximum of 8500 USD / facility.
A: Yes, the actual costs are entered in the budget, and the realized average price is derived from the total price and the number of housing units.
Q: Is it possible to plan the administrative costs of the project, and is the LSG eligible for them, or are they only intended for CSOs?
A: The administrative costs of the project can be planned in total for the project under the budget line "3. Local office, equipment and supplies" and it is possible to realistically distribute them to all partners in the project, in accordance with their planned activities and participation.
Q: Can the project manager be from a partner organization and if not, is the cost of his engagement by the leading applicant justified?
A: Yes, the project manager can be from a partner organization and in accordance with the CfP criteria, a CV should be enclosed with the application, which proves experience in the implementation of donor projects. If the project manager is a civil servant, his engagement in the project may be exclusively in the form of additional/supplemental work in accordance with the legally permitted possibilities for additional engagement of civil servants. If the members and the head of the grant management team, by special contract, are engaged in activities exclusively related to the needs of the project, then their salaries can be considered an eligible cost and can also be paid from the entire mass of the grant budget.
Q: I have a question regarding the beneficiaries of social housing and inclusion projects. Please clarify, is it necessary in the application phase to define who are the beneficiaries of the project or services provided by them - social housing and inclusion measures by name and surname next to the number or it is necessary now to estimate that there will be, for example, 20 beneficiaries. Can it be envisaged as an obligation of the Center for Social Work as a co-applicant to adopt an act or the rulebook during the project implementation, which defines the procedure and criteria that must be met by potential beneficiaries in order to be provided with social housing services and inclusion measures?
A: The application/project proposal needs to define the group/groups and the number of families/beneficiaries that will be supported through the project. The final selection and ranking of beneficiaries must be carried out after signing the grant agreement, through a public call and with full respect for the principles of good governance through transparent procedures defined by the rulebook for selection of beneficiaries. The rulebook is prepared and adopted by LSG, as an accountable grant applicant.
The only case when specific beneficiary families can be defined in advance is the case of resettlement of families belonging to one of the listed vulnerable groups, which must be supported by the LSG’s Decision, adopted resettlement program, Resettlement Plan and other relevant documents.
Q: What is the maximum amount of funds with which the Citizens' Association can apply as a co-applicant for the project?
A: The Partnership Agreement submitted during the application defines who the partners are, what their roles and responsibilities are and how much of the budget for project activities belongs to each partner. Co-financing is provided by the local self-government by transferring funds to a dedicated sub-account free from the blockade. LSG can provide co-financing from any source, excluding EU funds.
Q: Is the maximum contribution of the applicant limited by the Programme?
A: No, the Programme did not limit the applicant's maximum contribution to the project. It is necessary, however, that within a project that by far exceeds in total value the amount of the grant, the conditions and measurable results regarding the target beneficiary groups and the complementarity of housing and support measures in active inclusion are clearly met.
Q: The deadline for the implementation of housing support is 12-16 months. How long is the deadline defined for the implementation of active inclusion mechanisms?
A: The deadline for the implementation of active inclusion is the maximum deadline planned for the implementation of projects, which is 16 months.
Q: When buying and reconstructing residential buildings, what is the level of devastation of the building allowed? If the building is in such a condition that it is better to demolish it and build a new one in its place, does the programme support this type of housing support?
A: The applicant will decide whether the specific purchase and reconstruction of the purchased property can be performed within the time and budget frameworks defined by the project, and through the procedures (documentation and permits) prescribed by the Law on Planning and Construction.
Q: What kind of proof will need to be submitted/enclosed in order to prove the employment of the beneficiary as a form of active inclusion. Is there a requirement for a certain percentage of employment of beneficiaries?
A: Proof of employment will be defined within the project proposal by the applicant depending on the different forms of employment planned (employment with the employer, or self-employment through a registered company, or gaining additional income while providing the necessary tools and machines, etc.). This will be defined in the logical matrix in the employment indicator verification column. Employment with employers should be justified by the attached employment contracts. Self-employment with evidence of business registration. Supported income generation by the procurement procedure, the signed handover of the equipment and the project reports and photographs
The percentage of beneficiaries who will be employed is not defined but will be viewed through the most favourable relationship between the qualification structure, limitations and capacity of the target group of beneficiaries and the potential of local self-government to provide employment. Employment planning is mandatory for all working family members aged 15 to 65, in accordance with their capacities and local socio-economic conditions.
Q: The project prescribes 10% of “other” socially vulnerable categories that can be included in the project. Is it considered that with this percentage segregation or ghettoization of a displaced group can be avoided?
A: The target groups of the project are the four most vulnerable groups, and their combination within the proposed solutions is especially supported and encouraged, precisely in order to reduce the risk of segregation and ghettoization. Given that the number of members of these groups is already very high, the percentage of involvement of "other" vulnerable categories is limited to 10%.
Q: Repeat the explanation regarding the provision of co-financing - the amount and the division into two tranches?
A: The minimum amount of co-financing is 15% of the total project value. The first instalment amounts to 30% of the total contribution of the local self-government, and the remaining 70% is paid before the payment of the second installment of the donation.
Statement of co-funding which is attached to the application refers to 30% of the value of the planned contribution (in the case of minimum values, 30% of 15% of the project value).
Q: Is VAT an eligible cost? Is the budget entered with or without VAT included?
A: Expenditures that will be financed from the co-financing funds are planned in the budget with VAT included. All funds received from the grant are entered in the budget without VAT and a tax exemption procedure is carried out for them. All payments from local contributions are subject to VAT, in accordance with national tax laws.
Q: Is it possible for more people to be supported with active inclusion measures in relation to the number of those who receive housing support? Eg. if the measure of active inclusion refers to the launch of a social service, is it possible for the service to be provided to users who have received housing solutions, as well as other users?
A: Active inclusion measures cannot support families that did not receive housing support through the project. The project and its budget are planned to maximally support the active inclusion of those families who have received housing support in order to ensure greater sustainability of project solutions.
Q: Are the funds transferred from the dedicated account to the project partners or does LSG pay the costs of the project partners and who in that case conducts public procurement?
A: The Partnership Agreement submitted during the application defines who the partners are, what their roles and responsibilities are and how much of the budget for project activities belongs to each partner. All payments must be made directly from the project sub-account. Procurement procedures are planned to be carried out by a procurement expert, as a mandatory member of the project team.
Q: Project team evaluation is unclear. What were the criteria? “The Grant Management Team includes at least a grant manager with experience in implementation of donor-funded projects, engineer, social services professional, and employee with experience in public procurement, all of which work in local self-government (4 points)“
It’s mostly clear but: If the partner is Center for social welfare it is not logical for the position of „social services professional“, that an employee in local administration is scored higher than social services professional with 25 years of experience from CSW?
A: Within this criterion, the term "local self-government unit" has a broader meaning and includes local institutions and organizations established by local self-government, so employees in CSR are considered employees in local self-government.
Q: Is it acceptable if the obligatory members of the project team are employed by partner organizations and not in the local self-government from the point of view of project evaluation?
A: Yes, it is acceptable.
Q: Do you treat other employees in public institutions and companies as employees in local self-government, even though they are not partner organizations but will be members of the project team?
A: The term "local self-government unit" has a broader meaning and includes local institutions and organizations established by local self-government, so employees in public institutions and companies are considered employees in local self-government.
Q: The Guidelines state that a partnership with min. 1 local institution and min. 1 CSOs - does the latter also have to be conditionally local?
A: No, a civil society partner organization does not have to be local. According to the criteria of the call, it must be registered in the territory of the Republic of Serbia, registered at least 3 years before the call is published, have a mandate in line with the objectives of the call and have the expertise, organizational and financial capacity to successfully implement proposed activities.
Q: Is a letter of intent mandatory? Is there a predesigned form?
A: The letter of intent does not condition the applicant's participation in the call but helps the caller to plan the scope and course of further activities in a timely manner. In section 3. Documents to be completed of the CfP Guidelines, there is a form of the Letter of Intent (document no. 10) which needs to be filled in, signed and sent electronically to rsoc.applications@unops.org by December 23, 2020.
Q: One of the indicators says: the total number of families and their members who have been provided with housing support. How do we determine the number of FAMILY MEMBERS in advance when we select them through a public call?
A: Applicants are expected to know the socio-economic and housing situation of the target groups they plan to include in the project, as well as to describe them in great detail in their project proposal. The number of family members that will be included in this way will come from the statistics and data at their disposal.
Q: Is it possible to prove the foundation in the existing local strategic documents that expire in 2020, and in a situation when new ones have not been adopted?
A: Yes, when documenting the relevance of the proposed action, it is possible to rely on strategic documents that expire in 2020, as well as other strategic or planning documents that are not exclusively related to housing support or social inclusion, but in some parts refer to issues that the project will address.
Q: Can more CSOs be involved in the project?
A: Yes, it is mandatory to include at least one CSO. It is also possible to include more than one in accordance with their experience and mandate and planned project activities.
Q: In case of project approval, is the LSG obliged to pay the amount of co-financing to a dedicated account?
A: Yes, in case of project approval and signing of the grant agreement, the local self-government is obliged to pay the amount of co-financing to the dedicated sub-account free from blockade: 30% of the amount no later than 30 days after signing the GSA and the remaining 70% no later than 15 days before the second grant tranche.
Q: Does the contribution of the municipality of 15% refer to the municipal plot, if a prefabricated house is being built on that plot? Or is that 15% related exclusively to cash?
A: As stated in the Call for proposals, in section 2.1.3 - Eligible costs, costs incurred before signing the grant, including the cost of purchasing land, as well as any in-kind contributions, cannot be accepted as municipal participation.
Q: Does the purchase of houses have to be exclusively on the territory of our municipality or can it be on the territory of the entire RS?
A: Yes, the purchase of houses must be carried out exclusively on the territory of the municipality/applicant.
Q: Given that we are planning a budget for next year, does the budget line have to be defined specially for that particular project?
A: There does not have to be a specific budget line for the project, but the budget justification must clearly define that within a given budget line a certain amount of funds is foreseen for the particular project for which it is applied.
Q: Are the costs of gross compensation for work eligible in the case of employment of representatives of target groups or removal of obstacles to active inclusion (with the employer, public works, social services, etc.)?
A: For all special short-term employment, planned exclusively within the project, which may include public works, the costs of gross compensation for work from the project are eligible. In the case of employment with employers, all accompanying costs from the project are eligible, which will lead to that employment, as well as the costs of support to the beneficiary and the employer in the first period of employment, but the costs of gross compensation are not eligible.
Q: Is there an Open Call translated into Serbian?
A: No, the document is in English only.
Q: Did I understand well that in order to implement the project, in addition to the local self-government, it is necessary to enter into a partnership with one CSO and one institution? Or is it enough for LSG to partner only with CSOs?
A: As stated in section 2.1.1 Eligible applicants of the Call for proposals, local governments must be in partnership with at least one local institution and one CSO, ie. they cannot have a partnership with only one CSO.
Q: Is it possible to buy houses owned by the city, in which families from these groups already live?
A: The program did not consider this type of transfer of ownership - from public to private ownership. If LSG sees that it is in the interest of its socially sensitive fellow citizens to apply such a model, it is necessary to carry out the transfer from public to private ownership through an open, public invitation and selection of future owners, which certainly does not provide the final choice of families already living in these houses. Also, in order to participate in the Program, it would be necessary to clearly explain the reason for such a decision and to present in detail the sustainability mechanisms of the proposed solution.
Q: Donor funds are planned in the budget without VAT, and the participation of local self-government with VAT. Is the co-financing of LSGs of at least 15% calculated with VAT or without VAT?
A: Yes, VAT is included in the total co-financing of LSGs (of at least 15% or in some other percentage).
Q: Is VAT included in the total percentage of local government’s co-financing?
A: Yes, VAT is included in the total co-financing of LSGs (of at least 15% or in some other percentage).
Q: Is the project team paid from those 15%? Should this be foreseen in the financial part of the project?
A: Salary costs of employees employed in local and state administration are not treated as eligible co-financing costs. Only the value of additional work in accordance with the Labor Law, the Law on Civil Servants and the Decree on obtaining consent for new employment and additional employment with users of public funds, up to the amount prescribed by law can be accepted as justified if it is possible to explain and document that the increase in work is related exclusively to project activities. In that case, it can be paid from the total budget, from a grant or through co-financing.
If the Grant Manager or Grant Management Team members are engaged in activities exclusively related to the needs of the project under a special contract, then their salaries can be considered an eligible cost and can also be paid from the entire mass of the grant budget.
The financial part should envisage all eligible costs of the project.
Q: The city has a budget line that is intended for co-financing of EU projects, is that enough to be submitted with the project proposal?
A: If it is not clearly indicated, it is necessary to precisely state in the justification of this budget line the title of the project and the exact amount of co-financing for that specific project.
Q: Which public procurement procedures will be applied - national legislation, PRAG or something else?
A: During the implementation of the project, public procurement procedures will be applied in accordance with the Law on Public Procurement.
Q: In the situation when the budget for 2021 was adopted, is it enough to submit an excerpt from the budget and a relevant statement that the funds in that line have been allocated for the project?
A: If the budget line is clearly defined, it is sufficient to attach an excerpt from the budget and a statement (Statement of Co-funding) that the funds in that line have been allocated to the project, as requested in the documentation attached to the application form.
Q: Can the other partner be the School of Economics?
A: Any institution or organization can be a project partner if it meets the criteria for co-applicants, if its project activities are in line with its mandate and if it does not generate profit through project activities.
Q: Is it necessary to define specific budget lines that will be co-financed by the applicant? I am thinking of the project budget - should we define costs to be co-financed by the applicant?
A: In the form provided for the project budget, there are budget groups and budget lines broken down by activities. It is not envisaged in the budget that the applicant declares in advance for each budget line from which source it will be paid.
Q: Do we have to have all the necessary documentation for the houses that would be purchased or do we just have to define the number of houses when the proposal is submitted on February 1, 2021?
A: At the time of submitting the project proposal on February 1, 2021, it is enough (and only possible) to define the number of houses that would be purchased, because the selection of beneficiaries and their selection of desirable houses is done only after signing the grant support agreement, i.e. in the process of project implementation. The guidelines of the public call define the methodologies, procedures and criteria which must be applied during the implementation of the grant. Applicants are expected to describe these methodologies clearly and in detail in their project proposal.
Q: Can the funds for hiring a project proposal writing consultant be justified?
A: These costs cannot be justified because only those incurred during the implementation of the grant, i.e. after signing the grant support agreement, can be included in the eligible costs.
Q: Is it necessary to include audit costs in the project budget?
A: It is not necessary to include audit costs in the budget of the project proposal.
Q: Is it acceptable for the local self-government to determine the funds for co-financing the project in the budget line for the current budget reserve by the Budget Decision, provided that the textual part of the Budget Decision states that the amount is allocated for this project?
A: Yes, it is acceptable, with the obligatory justification of the amount of funds and the specific project for which they are intended.
Q: The municipality is considering including the Center, which was established by the Municipal Assembly in December 2017, as a co-applicant in the implementation of the project. The Statute was adopted in January 2018 and the Center was officially registered by the court and the relevant ministry in February 2018. Does the Center meet the formal criteria for a co-applicant having in mind the date of establishment by the Municipal Assembly (December 2017) or is the start date of the decision of the competent institutions considered (February 2018)?
A: The call for proposals defines the criteria that must be met by co-applicants: to be registered in the Republic of Serbia, to have been registered at least 3 years before the release of this public call, to have been registered with a mandate and mission in line with the objectives of this call and to have professional, organizational and financial capacities to successfully carry on the implementation of the proposed action.
Q: If the City administration already has a predefined list of beneficiaries, in accordance with the plan for relocation of substandard settlement and a decision on construction of apartments for families whose apartments have burned down recently, is it obligatory to follow the rule of max 10 % of families that don’t belong to the 4 mentioned categories? Is it possible to bend the rule in this case?
A: Project proposals must include at least one out of four defined target groups and the combination of beneficiaries from different groups is highly desirable. Inclusion of other vulnerable groups outside of defined categories is also acceptable, but their number is limited to 10% of the total number of beneficiaries. It is mandatory that the same beneficiary families that are provided with housing support are also supported with active inclusion measures in order to ensure the sustainability of the project.
Q: Is the Centre for welfare (in some cases centre for social work) eligible co-applicant since it is Local institution and is not a residential care institution?
A: In accordance with the CfP Guidelines, section 2.1.1. Eligibility of applicants - Co-applicants, eligible co-applicants are: local institutions, branches of national and regional institutions, excluding residential care institutions; national, regional or local organisations and service providers (e.g. educational/training, business support, CSOs), all above listed with a mandate in housing and social inclusion; city municipalities and profit-making organisations under the conditions that actions in the project are not generating profit for them.
Q: Will public procurement be conducted according to the PRAG procedure? And if so, according to which PRAG?
A: Public procurement procedures are conducted in accordance with the legal regulations of the Republic of Serbia.
Q: If within the project we plan to organize trainings to increase employability and self employment of beneficiaries, can these trainings be conducted by the partner (and be covered by an adequate part of the budget) or is it necessary to hire an external organization?
A: The partner organization can carry out all necessary project activities for which it has a mandate and references, with proper budgeting of human resources within the project team (budget line 1) and the costs of activities within the budget line 5. Active inclusion support services and supplies.
Q: With reference to point 2.3. Submission of the Application and supporting documents, we would like to ask the following: For Activities A and B, in addition to the Building Permit, are Detailed design and the relevant Construction Permit (Projekat izvođenja radova- Dozvola za izvođenje radova) also documents that need to be submitted with the application form?
A: No, for interventions within activities A and B on public land, you only need to enclose a valid building permit with the application.
Q: The Municipality of Knjaževac has listed the real estate that is in public ownership on the territory of the Municipality of Knjaževac. There is an oral agreement with the Republic Property Directorate of RS according to which the Municipality of Knjaževac could buy and dispose of the mentioned real estate. Please clarify whether such real estate (houses with garden and ancillary facilities) could be subject to purchase and reconstruction with funds that would be potentially granted through the Open Call for Proposals for Social Housing and Active Inclusion Projects (Reference: CFP 04-2020) with the aim of being allocated to families from the groups listed in the CfP?
A: Section 2.4.3 of the CfP Guidelines specifically states that activity C - purchase of housing units (family houses, apartments, village households, etc.) refers to private ownership of land and buildings. It also lists the required documents to be obtained in the project implementation phase for activity C (Statement/Report by the Court Appointed Expert in Architecture/Civil Engineering or Licensed Engineer, Property Valuation Report by the licensed valuer, valid real estate cadastre sheet/ title deed, proof of settled utility bills and property taxes).
Q: Our question is regarding the partnership, whether the Office for Roma Inclusion APV can be a partner in the project since it was established by the Assembly of Vojvodina in order to improve the position of Roma in education, employment, health, housing, human and other rights, and create conditions for the inclusion of Roma in all spheres of social, public and political life in the AP Vojvodina? The founder of the Office is the AP Vojvodina. In addition, the Office has many years of experience in the implementation of EU projects.
A: In accordance with section 2.1.1 of the CfP Guidelines, eligible co-applicants are: local institutions, branches of national and regional institutions, excluding residential care institutions; national, regional or local organisations and service providers (e.g. educational/training, business support, CSOs), all above listed with a mandate in housing and social inclusion; city municipalities and profit-making organisations under the conditions that actions in the project are not generating profit for them. The call for proposals defines the criteria that must be met by co-applicants: to be registered in the Republic of Serbia, to have been registered at least 3 years before the release of this public call, to have been registered with a mandate and mission in line with the objectives of this call and to have professional, organizational and financial capacities to successfully carry on the implementation of the proposed action.
Q: One of the ideas that the municipality of Knjaževac is considering is the purchase of prefabricated houses. They would be installed on land belonging to the municipality or possibly privately owned by the selected beneficiary. Is it possible to propose the ideal solution for prefabricated houses, because the building permit would be obtained only after the selection of the contractor in the tender procedure?
A: In case of installation of prefabricated houses on public land, the application must be accompanied by a valid building permit, as stated in section 2.3 of the Guidelines of the CfP for activity B. When it comes to installing a prefabricated house on privately owned land, in accordance with section 2.4.3 of the CfPl guidelines, all required documents are submitted during the project implementation phase, i.e. after the signing of the Grant Agreement.
Q: In construction, there are certain standards regarding adequate housing conditions for the accommodation of an appropriate number of persons. The minimum size of bedrooms in relation to the number of persons has been defined. We do not have a problem in our construction solution, but in order to agree on an acceptable cost price (for future contractors), with the conditions of the Call (on average at least 3 people per housing unit), our housing solutions require family members to sleep in the living room. Simply put, we envisioned accommodating 5-member families in a two-bedroom apartment. Are there any restrictions and standards in this regard under this Call?
A: All types of housing solutions in project proposals must be in accordance with the relevant laws and bylaws of the Republic of Serbia. Area norms and appropriate structure of apartments depending on the number of family household members, as well as general conditions for apartment layout, are prescribed by the Law on Housing and Building Maintenance (Official Gazette of RS, No. 104/16 and 9/20) and the Rulebook on conditions and norms for planning and design of residential buildings and apartments in housing support programs (Official Gazette of RS, No. 76/17).
Q: In the Application form (ANNEX A), the Checklist says that we are required to submit The Logical Framework (ANNEX B) and the Budget (ANNEX C). However, on the official programme website ANNEX B is listed as Budget and there is no ANNEX for the Logical Framework. Are we supposed to fill in 1.11. Logical Framework part in the application form or will there be any ANNEX for the Logical Framework?
A: The logical framework matrix is to be filled out in Annex A - Application Form, Section 1.11 and the project budget in Annex B and such application will be considered complete.
Q: Can you help us to find a related body in the City of Belgrade to express our willingness to participate as a partner in the Call? Namely, we have already contacted a few City Municipalities, but they explained that they are not eligible to participate without the city, regarding they do not have a status of Local Self-government. So, the question is: Which organizational unit of the City of Belgrade is the right address to express our willingness to participate as a partner in the Call?
A: Applicants and co-applicants must meet the requirements set out in the Public Call Guidelines in section 2.1.1. The Programme does not have the authority to direct potential applicants or co-applicants directly to the addresses of potential partners.
Q: Our municipality has a large number of women victims of violence. It would be immensely important to provide a shelter for them. This kind of accommodation would be temporary. Our question is: Would it be acceptable under the terms of the CfP to buy a housing facility for women victims of violence?
A: The main objective of the Call is to support local governments in providing appropriate and sustainable housing solutions with complementary active inclusion measures for members of the vulnerable population. This call defines 4 types of housing solutions/housing support (construction of multifamily buildings, construction of individual housing units, purchase of individual housing units and reconstruction of existing housing units).
Temporary accommodation facilities are not subject to this call.
Q: If the LSG owns the land on which they intend to build a housing unit - does the assessment of the value of the land enter into the project participation by the LSG?
A: The costs of land acquisition, the value of the land and all costs incurred before the signing of the Grant Agreement are not considered eligible costs and are therefore not eligible as the applicant's participation. All eligible and ineligible costs are listed in section 2.1.3 of the CfP Guidelines.
Q: If the land of the LSG needs to be conformed to designated land use, can these costs be calculated within the project participation of the LSG?
A: Costs of elaboration and adoption of urban planning documents are not eligible costs.
Q: If the LSG plans to build a housing unit in the project proposal, to what level is it necessary to prepare technical documentation at the time of application? Is it enough to have a conceptual design?
A: In case of construction of a family house or instalment of a prefabricated house on public land, the application must be accompanied by a valid building permit, as stated in section 2.3 of the CfP Guidelines for activity B. In case of building a house or instalment of a prefabricated house on privately owned land, in accordance with section 2.4.3 of the CfP Guidelines, all necessary documents are submitted during the project implementation phase, i.e. after the signing of the Grant Agreement.
Q: Is the amount of min. $ 7,500 under active inclusion measures provided for all active inclusion measures listed in the call? Does the amount refer to a family and/or an individual (if we have young people who have to leave a foster family and have no place to live)?
A: The available amount of USD 7,500 for active inclusion measures refers to the average amount per beneficiary family, which is also assisted by housing support. If the project proposal plans to include young people leaving care, then in most cases it is a single-member family. When planning a budget of an average of USD 7,500 per family, all inclusion costs should be calculated, including the human resources needed to carry out these activities, travel and administrative costs.
Q: If the local government budget provides funds for projects in general, not individually, is it enough to submit a statement at the time of application signed by the mayor, stating that in case the application is approved, the funds will be provided specifically for this purpose through budget rebalance or funds from budget reserves? When applying, the budget for 2021 envisages a complete 15% as the participation of local self-government or only 30% of the total planned municipal participation?
A: In accordance with the terms of the Call, the application must be accompanied by the Statement of co-funding (document 4. EU SHAI_CfP_Statement of co-funding) and Proof of funds available for project financial contribution (Copy of the extract from the municipal budget with the exact budget line marked which will be used for the proposed action).
The statement of co-funding with which the local self-government participates in the co-financing and which is attached to the application refers to 30% of the value of the planned contribution (in the case of minimum values, 30% of 15% of the project value).
Q: If the application is approved, the first instalment is paid after signing the contract and the second?
A: The first instalment of 30% of the co-funding will be transferred to the sub-account not later than 30 days upon signing of the Grant Contract. The second instalment of 70% of the co-funding will be transferred to the sub-account not later than 15 days before the payment of the second instalment of the Grant.
Q: Are the overhead costs of the future social housing building (electricity, heating, water, etc.) a justified cost?
A: The costs of a building in use/operation and other costs incurred after the implementation of the project are not eligible costs. Maintenance of buildings and apartments owned by local self-government is regulated by the Law on Housing and Maintenance of Buildings (Official Gazette of RS, No. 104/16 and 9/20).
Q: Is it necessary to have a separate Agreement with each of the partners or just one Agreement to be signed by all planned partners?
A: The application should be accompanied by a partnership agreement, which should list all partners, as well as their roles and responsibilities, along with the budget amounts planned for the implementation of the activities of each of the partners.
Q: As the real estate prices in Sjenica are significantly higher than the amount of funds you stated for the purchase of housing units (USD 19,000), is it acceptable to multiply the funds and buy a larger housing unit in which more families would be taken care of? For example (Purchase of a 200 m2 housing unit, inhabited by 4 families, with each family having a separate entrance and floor. Multiplied funds: 4x19,000 USD = 76,000 USD).
A: It is possible to join funds, but the chosen house must enable the formation of functionally independent housing units according to the standards of social housing.
Q: Is a victim of domestic violence a person who suffers violence from close family members (for example, suffers violence from a son, daughter, father-in-law, mother-in-law etc)?
A: A victim of domestic violence is considered to be any person who has been exposed to violence by any member of the family household.
Q: If the applicant decides to reconstruct the publicly owned apartments, for what period of time are the contracts on the use of the apartments signed with the users?
A: The time period for which the lease contract is signed is defined in Article 94 of the Law on Housing and Maintenance of Buildings.
Q: What does the measure of removing obstacles to active inclusion mean? Can you indicate the specific activities to be carried out through this measure? Should activities for the implementation of measures to remove obstacles to active inclusion be aimed only at direct beneficiaries (persons who will move into residential buildings) or at the social community?
A: All active inclusion measures, including measures to remove barriers to inclusion, should be planned exclusively for families and beneficiaries provided with housing support of any kind.
Some examples of eligible activities in the group of measures to overcome barriers to active inclusion are listed in the Guidelines to the Public Call in Section 2.1.2 “Eligible actions: actions for which an application may be made - Activities supporting overcoming challenges in active inclusion, such as facilitation of independent living and social skills, organisation of in-house care and assistance, organisation and operation of daycare centres or clubs or other activities aimed at assisting family members with family care obligations, social business initiatives, peer-to-peer support and other innovative supportive activities, tailored to the needs and challenges of the target groups.”
Q: Instead of immediately defining measures as a project activity, can we envisage INDIVIDUALIZATION OF CHILDREN'S NEEDS, which would be done by two experts, and then (not in the project proposal but during the project implementation) define social inclusion measures based on their age and needs? Probably some children will need additional support in learning, in inclusion in the preschool education system, etc ... but we do not know that at the moment.
A: All active inclusion measures must be planned and implemented individually in accordance with the needs and previous capacities of users, as well as with the capacities and opportunities of local service providers and employers, and individualization is considered a principle of project implementation methodology. Applicants are expected to describe in detail in their project proposal which measures they plan and have the opportunity to implement, for all users who, after selection, will need these measures.
Q: The budget for this line would have to be without a detailed narrative explanation and listed in two lines (one - costs of identifying needs and inclusion measures, the other - active inclusion measures for children from 0 to 18 years). Would such a defined budget be acceptable?
A: Applicants are expected to plan the budget in budget line 5 for active inclusion with only two budget sub-lines: one for the implementation of inclusion measures in total for measures to enable access to services, increase employability, employment and overcoming barriers to inclusion, and the other for support in furniture and household appliances. Within the narrative explanation of the budget, it is necessary to state the structure, type and scope of individual costs, on the basis of which the total budget for both budget sub-lines is planned.
Q: If the applicant decides to reconstruct the publicly owned apartments, for what period of time are the contracts on the use of the apartments signed with the users?
A: The time period for which the lease contract is signed is defined in Article 94 of the Law on Housing and Maintenance of Buildings.
Q: What exactly is meant by the wording stated in the statement of co-funding: "copy of the budget line with the exact highlighted position"? Should the section, program, project, functional classification, position number and economic classification be indicated?
A: ‘’Copy of the extract from the municipal budget with a marked exact budget line which will be used for the proposed action’’, refers to a copy of the excerpt from the Decision on the Budget depicting the distribution of budget funds by users and programs, with marked budget position from which the local self-government will finance the project.
Q: What kind of proof is required and in what language with the following wording in the guidelines: „Proof that the project is part of relevant national/regional/local strategies and/or plans or capital investment plans if such exist“?
A: It is necessary to provide a link indicating the part in the document or an excerpt from the document, from which the connection between the project and the strategic / development document or plan can be clearly identified. Both options are acceptable in Serbian.
Q: How do you interpret this part of guidelines: „These interventions are expected to provide sustainable housing solutions for 500 vulnerable families, with at least 1,500 family members, out of whom 1,000 will be supported with active inclusion measures“ when it is stated in FAQ everyone who gets a housing solution has to be supported with active inclusion measures?
A: Housing solutions and support through active inclusion measures are aimed at vulnerable families (500 families). Having in mind the different structure and number of family members, from single-member to multi-member, it is conditioned that on average two household members are supported by active inclusion measures (1000 members).
Q: Do all supporting documents have to be submitted in English? These are: partnership agreement - free form, an excerpt from the municipal budget, copy of the municipal statute, excerpt from the APR register, CV grant manager, valid building permit and proof that the project is part of the local strategic framework and/or capital investment plan?
A: All documents and acts issued by administrative bodies and official institutions and excerpts from adopted documents (excerpt from the Budget Decision, an excerpt from the APR, construction permit, CSO statute, an excerpt from the strategic document, etc.) can be submitted in the Serbian language. All documents that need to be filled in according to the terms of this Call (Declaration by the Applicant, Statement of Co-funding, Partnership Agreement, CV of the Grant Manager), are submitted in English.
Q: Which exchange rate should be applied when converting RSD to USD, is the NBS middle exchange rate? If so, on what date - project budget preparation or application submission?
A: The project budget is expressed in US Dollars (USD) in accordance with the CfP Guidelines. Estimates of the budget costs for the proposed project and the application of the exchange rate are the responsibility of the applicant. It is recommended that when assessing the exchange rate to be applied, attention should be paid to the movement of the USD exchange rate in the previous period and the current trend, in order to reduce the risks of exchange rate differences.
After signing the Grant Agreement and fulfilling the conditions stipulated in the agreement, the middle exchange rate of the NBS on the day of payment is applied when paying the co-financing funds by the local self-government.
Q: Please clarify the engagement of project team members. In the guidelines for applicants, in the part related to the evaluation of the application, it is written that “The Grant Management Team includes at least a grant manager with experience in the implementation of donor funded projects, engineer, social services professional, and employee with experience in public procurement, all of which work in local self-government (4 points)“. It is clear that these persons can be from local self-government or from partner organizations. It is also clear how the salary costs of local government employees and other civil servants are treated. Bearing in mind that the guide says "at least'', this means that for the implementation of the project, other (additional) persons can be hired, especially from the partner NGO (coordinator for active social inclusion from the NGO, assistant or some other position in accordance with project activities), who can receive salaries from the project? Please clarify?
A: The evaluation criteria define the composition and a minimum number of members of the project team (4 members), which means that other team members can be hired in accordance with the activities and needs of the project. Also, additional scoring/bonus point was introduced for hiring experts specialized in areas of social housing and social inclusion.
Q: May the City, from its own funds, build additional apartments in the building which would be built within the project, if approved? Apartments would be directed to socially disadvantaged persons, but not from 4 categories defined by this Call. Financial contribution for apartments within the project for 4 categories mentioned in the Call, will be made apart from financing the additional apartments.
A: This is acceptable, but it is necessary to provide clear and in detail description and explanation in the project proposal, with a clearly defined financial participation of local self-government and consideration of all risks of such a proposal. All criteria, conditions and requirements that apply to this type of housing in the call for proposals must be fully met, and the result of the project must be a completed building in public ownership, with obtained use permit and beneficiaries moved in. In order for this to be possible, the project (and the building permit) should envisage either phased construction or a more detailed dynamics of activities should be submitted with the project proposal, showing the completion of works on the entire facility and moving in of all tenants by the end of the project.
It is also mandatory that all users be selected and accommodated under identical conditions and without the possibility of purchasing housing units. If the LSG intends to construct the building for specific beneficiary families (case of resettlement of families, for example) this must be supported by the LSG Decision, the adopted resettlement program, the Resettlement Plan and/or other relevant documents.
You should bear in mind that inclusion of other vulnerable groups outside of 4 defined categories is also acceptable, but their number is limited to 10% of the total number of beneficiaries.
Q: Is the cost of reconstruction of publicly owned apartments (social housing apartments) inhabited by beneficiaries whose right to social housing was acknowledged before the adoption of regulations on social housing and who live since before the adoption of these regulations in these apartments that currently, due to family expansion, do not meet the standards of the minimum square footage of apartments for social housing defined by latest Regulation on Planning, Design, Construction and Conditions for the Use and Maintenance of Social Housing Apartments?
A: Within the project proposal, only those publicly owned apartments providing users with a permanent solution to the housing issue can be reconstructed. These apartments have to meet the standards and criteria of spatial conditions prescribed by Article 90 of the Law on Housing and Maintenance of Buildings, namely the apartments in size not smaller than the minimum area of "appropriate apartment" depending on the number of family household members, as defined in this article.