BG16RFOP002-3.001 „Energy Efficiency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises“

The MA of OPIC informs all applicants, that with State Gazette (SG) No 76/30.09.2016 a CMD №243/30.09.2016 for adoption of the Regulation for determining the terms and mechanism of functioning of the unified information system for management and monitoring of resources from the European structural and investment funds (UMIS) and for the conduct of proceedings before the managing authorities accordingly via UMIS is promulgated.

According to § 2 of the final provisions of the Decree: „In § 4 of the transitional and final provisions of the Decree № 160 of the Council of Ministers from 2016, determining rules for consideration and evaluation of offers and contracting procedure for selection with an open call by beneficiaries of grants from the European structural and investment funds (SG No52 from 2016) a new para. 4 is created:

„(4) In the cases of art. 2 para. 1 and 7 and art. 5 para. 2 – to ensuring technical possibility of using the UMIS, the physical and juridical persons and their associations – applicants for a grant by the ESIF, publish the public calls and messages for raising bids on the Single information portal, and the offers must be submitted to the address of the grant applicant, specified in the public invitation.“

The said provision creates an opportunity for the conduct of procedures for selection of contractor on behalf of grant applicants. In this respect, MA of OPIC draws attention, that no later than three days prior to the date of announcement of the procedure, it must be submitted to e-mail tenders@mi.government.bg for publishing on the Single information portal for general information about the management of Structural Funds and Cohesion Fund of the European Union in Bulgaria.

IMPORTANT! Filling the indicator "Reduction of greenhouse gas"

The Managing Authority draws attention, that the trend of indicator "Reducing of greenhouse gas" is "increase". When completing the indicator as base shall be filled "0", and as a target value - total greenhouse gas emissions saved on an annual basis as a result of the project implementation (table 1.3.1 of the energy audit model). In case the system is giving error when filling target value, which is bigger than the base value (e. base value "100" and target "80"), the applicant must delete the indicator and add it again.

Given the opportunity for starting the implementation activities of project proposals submitted before signing a grant contract, stipulated in the Act for management of the funds from the European Structural and Investment Funds (amend. and supplemented. SG No 43 of 06.07.2016), MA of OPIC informs all potential applicants, that by 08.07.2016 is in force Decree № 160 from July 1, 2016 determining the rules for consideration and evaluation of bids and contracting procedure for selection with an open call by beneficiaries of grants from the European structural and investment funds (into force on 08.07.2016). In this regard, the selection of a contractor shall be in compliance with the provisions of Chapter Four of the Act for management of the funds from the European Structural and Investment Funds and DCM 160/01.07.2016 and the actual samples of the published on the Internet site of the MA Guidelines on implementation of grant contracts under OPIC.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS UNDER THE PROCEDURE

NOTICE

MA of OPIC published amended package of documents under procedure № BG16RFOP002-3.001 „Energy Efficiency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises“

In connection with changes in the regulatory framework, following of § 3 of the Supplementary Provisions of CMD № 162/2016 on, § 9 of the transitional and final provisions of the CMD № 160/2016 on, § 3 and § 8 of the Transitional and Final Provisions of CMD № 189/2016 on, and § 2 pt. 2 of the Supplementary Provisions of Regulation on administration of irregularities under EU Structural and Investment funds (adopted by DCM № 173 of 13.07.2016, the prom. SG. 57 on 07/22/2016), by Order №РД-16-848/31.08.2016 г. of the Head of the Managing Authority changes are made in:

1. Requirements for Application
2. Declaration of irregularities
3. „Instructions for completing the online application form“ to the Requirements for Application under procedure for the selection of projects № BG16RFOP002-3.001 „Energy Efficiency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises“
4. Requirements for Implementation
5. „General conditions for financed under the operational Program "Innovation and Competitiveness" 2014-2020 administrative grant contracts“

With the referred order the deadline for submission of project proposals under procedure № BG16RFOP002-3.001 „Energy Efficiency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises“ is extended from 19:00 p.m. on 10/12/2016, to 17:30 p.m. on 28/10/2016.

Directorate General "European Funds for Competitiveness" - Managing Authority of Operational Programme "Innovation and Competitiveness" 2014-2020 invites those wishing to submit project proposals under Priority Axis 3 „Energy and resource efficiency“, Investment Priority 3.1 "Energy Technologies and Energy Efficiency", Specific Objective 3.1. "Reducing the energy intensity of the economy" by ANNOUNCING a procedure for selection of projects:

BG16RFOP002-3.001 „Energy Efficiency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises“

The main objective of the procedure is to provide focused support for Bulgarian SMEs to promote the implementation of energy efficiency measures in order to achieve sustainable growth and competitiveness of the economy.

The applicable state aid regime under this procedure for selection of projects is, as follows:

Under Element A “Investments” the applicants under the procedure can choose among one of the applicable state aid regimes:

1) Regional investment aid according to Art. 13 and Art. 14 of Regulation (EU) № 651/2014 of the Commission of 17 June 2014 declaring certain categories of aid compatible with the common market in application of Articles 107 and 108 of the Treaty (OB L 187 / 06.26.2014).

2) Investment aid for measures for increasing the energy efficiency according to Art. 38 of Regulation (EU) № 651/2014 of the Commission from June 17, 2014.

3) „de minimis” aid according to Regulation (EC) № 1407/2013 of the Commission of December 18, 2013 concerning the application of Articles 107 and 108 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union to "de minimis" aid.

Under Element B „Services“ the applicable state aid regime is „de minimis“aid according to Regulation (EC) № 1407/2013 of the Commission of December 18, 2013.

The grant procedure is funded with the support from the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund. The projects should be implemented on the territory of Bulgaria. The total amount of the grant under the procedure is BGN 176 024 700 (€ 90 000 000).

Eligible under the procedure are projects, including the following activities:

Element A “Investments”

- Investments for the implementation of energy efficiency measures, included in energy efficiency audit, committed by persons registered under Art. 60, para. 1 of the Energy Efficiency Act (EEA); and

- EACH of the envisaged for implementation under Element А activities should be with confirmed effect of energy savings from at least 5% for the measure concerned, according to the energy efficiency assessment;

Element B „Services“:

- Acquisition of an investment project under the Law on Spatial Planning (LSP) related to and necessary for the project implementation;

- Consultancy services for implementation and certification of energy management systems in enterprises, incl. according to standard BS EN ISO 50001 (Energy Management Systems)/EN ISO 50001;

- Performing an energy audit according to a model („energy efficiency assessment ”) by persons registered under Art. 60, para. 1 of the EEA;

- Purchasing materials directly related to the implementation of the activities included in Element A;

- Publicity and visualization;

- Audit of the project.

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.

Applicants may ask additional questions and request clarifications regarding their application up to 3 weeks before the deadline for submission of project proposals. Additional questions can be asked only by the e-mail shown below, clearly indicating the name of the procedure for the selection of projects:

E-mail address: energy_sme@mi.government.bg

Clarifications that contain opinion on the quality of a specific project proposal will not be given. Answers to questions, set over the phone, will not be given. Individual replies to questions, asked by candidates under the procedure, will not be sent.

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 procedure is with deadline for submission of project proposals: 7:00 p.m. on 12/10/2016.