BG16RFOP002-2.008 Providing institutional support to the Executive Agency "Bulgarian Accreditation Service" for improving the quality infrastructure
Directorate General "European Funds for Competitiveness" Managing Authority of Operational Programme "Innovation and Competitiveness" 2014-2020, (OPIC) invites the Executive Agency "Bulgarian Accreditation Service" (EA BAS) to submit project proposal under direct grant procedure: BG16RFOP002-2.008 Providing institutional support to the Executive Agency "Bulgarian Accreditation Service" for improving the quality infrastructure under Priority Axis 2 "Entrepreneurship and capacity for growth of SMEs”, Investment Priority 2.2 “Capacity for growth of SMEs” of OPIC 2014-2020.
The general objective of the procedure is to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of services, provided to Bulgarian enterprises in the field of accreditation by providing institutional support to EA BAS.
The grant procedure is funded with the support from the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund.
The indicative budget under the procedure is: BGN 3 900 000.
Eligible for funding under the procedure are the following activities:
1. Organization and conducting of specialized information events for improving the effectiveness and efficiency of services, which EA BAS offers in the field of accreditation, targeting Bulgarian enterprises and end users;
2. Promotion and recognition of the importance of accreditation of Bulgarian SMEs with regard to improving the capacity for work on intensively competitive markets and the role of EA BAS in its capacity of national accreditation body;
3. Optimization and technological modernization of the IT infrastructure of EA BAS, necessary for the effective management of the services provided by EA BAS for Bulgarian SMEs;
3.1 Development, implementation and maintenance of new software product (an electronic system) with access to interactive internal database and possibility of remote access, with which EA BAS will serve SMEs in the field of accreditation;
3.2 Activities for investments in new equipment (computers, servers and multimedia), necessary for the effective management of the services provided by EA BAS for SMEs;
4. Organization and conducting of trainings / seminars and counseling to employees of EA BAS and individuals directly involved in the accreditation process in order to increase their capacity in the field of accreditation;
5. Delivery of specialized trainings for experts, evaluators and persons, subject to accreditation, in connection with any changes or adoption of new legislation in the field of accreditation;
6. Preparation / carrying out analyzes aimed at improving the accreditation activity for the needs of SMEs;
7. Establishment, implementation and maintenance of an integrated platform for the needs of Bulgarian SMEs by providing data for government entities in the field of quality infrastructure and consumer protection;
7.1. Upgrading existing registry data, through delivery, implementation and support of specialized database software to provide data to SMEs;
7.2. Further development and maintenance of an existing website of EA BAS in terms of facilitating the access of Bulgarian SMEs to existing data and updated records;
7.3. Development, implementation and support of a program for integration of existing records, containing database and the website of EA BAS;
8. Interlaboratory comparisons necessary for the investigation and assessment of compliance of information provided by accredited by EA BAS authorities;
9. Participation in workshops and conferences of the employees of EA BAS in national and international forums to harmonize requirements concerning introduced standards and regulations, as well as the policies of accreditation development and Bulgarian SMEs;
10. Preparation / carrying out analyzes, studies and surveys in connection with the introduction of a new accreditation activities for the purposes of notification;
11. Activities related to limited construction work on the premises for relations between EA BAS and representatives of SMEs and office equipping and furnishing;
12. Consultancy services for the preparation / development of documentation for the envisaged under the project public procurements and exercising control on the implementation of public procurement contracts;
13. Activities related to the organization and management of the project;
14. Audit of the project;
15. Activities related to information and communication of the project – in accordance with Regulation (EC) №1303 / 2013, Annex XII "Information and communication on support from the EU Funds."
The full package of documents (Requirements for Application, Requirements for Implementation and their Annexes /only in Bulgarian language/) under the procedure is published on the website of the Operational programme: www.opic.bg, as well as on the Single information portal for general information about the management of Structural Funds and Cohesion Fund of the European Union in Bulgaria: www.eufunds.bg.
The submission of the project proposal under the current procedure is carried out entirely electronically by completing a web based application form and submitting the application and accompanying documents via the Unified information system for management and monitoring of the EU Structural Instruments in Bulgaria (UMIS 2020) solely using a qualified electronic signature (QES), by module „Е- application“ at the following web address: https://eumis2020.government.bg.
The procedure is with deadline for submission of project proposals 17:30 p.m. on 28/02/2017.