CALL FOR TARGETED PROJECT PROPOSAL _ CAPITALIZATION OF PROJECT “FLOOD PROTECTION” OF THE 2014-2020 PROGRAMMING PERIOD

Through the present Call, the Programme will support cross border cooperation to enhance capacities for an effective climate resilience and adaptation. As climatic phenomena and effects do not know borders, the main aim of the Targeted Project is to enhance through cooperation a territorial integrated approach. Cooperation fields can include both managerial (including information exchange and security plans) and infrastructure actions.

More specifically, through present Call, may be funded activities such as (indicatively):

– Risk prevention, monitoring, planning and installation of early warning systems.
– Climate-proof landscape planning and eco-DRR (ecosystem-based Disaster Risk Reduction) measures.
– Cooperation plans, protocols, infrastructures, and equipment for effective risk treatment, including digital solutions.

Cooperation actions will increase the (technical and administrative) capacity for more efficient and timely response to different types of natural disasters. Early warning systems and infrastructures will make the area less vulnerable. Equipment will improve the effectiveness of immediate and targeted respond to disasters and emergencies (limiting the exposure of the population).

Confrontation of Climatic risk is a common challenge The Cooperation activities and joint initiatives will support the interoperability of national systems and better coordination in prevention, control and improved response to natural disasters and therefore enhance the effectiveness. Cooperation will motivate organisational and policy learning processes and more improved efficiency.

Investments on Bulgarian territory should be in line with the Environmental protection Act and/or Biodiversity Act, and in compliance with the conditions, requirements and measures in the respective Regional Strategic Adaptation Plans, the National Energy and Climate Plan, the National Risk Prevention Strategy and Plan and the approved Flood Risk Management Plans and River Basin Management Plans 2022- 2027.

The project partner scheme consists of the Beneficiaries who are invited by the present Call:
– REGION OF CENTRAL MACEDONIA (Greece)
– REGION OF EASTERN MACEDONIA AND THRACE (Greece)
– DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION OF BLAGOEVGRAND (Bulgaria)
– DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION OF HASKOVO (Bulgaria)
– DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION OF KARDJALI (Bulgaria)
– DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION OF SMOLYAN (Bulgaria)

The Project should be concluded within a maximum period of thirty six (36) months after the signing of the Subsidy Contract (SC) between the Managing Authority/ Alternate Minister of Economy and Finance the Lead Beneficiary.
Projects that have started their implementation before the signing of the contract, and in any case after 1/1/2021, should not have been concluded before the application for funding at the present Call for Project Proposals. This limit applies for the operative phase of the project and does not include the preparation phase.

The Cross-Border Cooperation Programme INTERREG VI-A “Greece-Bulgaria 2021-2027” invites the following Beneficiaries:

– REGION OF CENTRAL MACEDONIA (Greece)
– REGION OF EASTERN MACEDONIA AND THRACE (Greece)
– DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION OF BLAGOEVGRAND (Bulgaria)
– DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION OF HASKOVO (Bulgaria)
– DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION OF KARDJALI (Bulgaria)
– DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION OF SMOLYAN (Bulgaria)

to submit a project proposal under Priority 1 – A more Resilient and Greener Greece-Bulgaria Cross Border Territory and Specific Objective 2.4 – Adaptation to climate change measures and prevention and management of climate related risks: floods and landslides (including awareness raising, civil protection and disaster management systems, infrastructures and ecosystem based approaches), capitalising on the results of the strategic project FLOOD PROTECTION – “Cross Border Planning and Infrastructure Measures for Flood Protection” of the programming period 2014-2020.

The project proposal will be submitted via MIS with reference on present Call for Project Proposal, at the following website https://logon.ops.gr/ from 09/04/2025 (start date for submission of proposals), time 12.00 Eastern European Time (CET+1)
until, exclusively, 09/05/2025 (deadline for submission of proposals), time 18.00 Eastern European Time (CET+1) by the Lead Beneficiary’s legal representative (personal user account of the legal representative).

After the successful submission of the proposal, the Beneficiaries are informed about it through the MIS.
Before the deadline for submitting proposals, it is allowed to resubmit a new proposal after cancelling the original proposal. The proposal is evaluated based on the last successful/valid submission

The beneficiaries are required to have two types of personal user accounts (username and password) to access the MIS:
1. the Beneficiaries’ officers to fill in the forms and
2. the Lead Beneficiary’s legal representative for submitting proposals, or another user of the system authorized for submission.

If the Beneficiaries does not already have a “Body Code” in the MIS from the period 2014-2020, should apply for a body code. Instructions for obtaining a Body Code and/or User Account in MIS can be found at Applicant’s Package Annexes 16,17.

The Application Form (AF) is the Beneficiary’s proposal and is completed exclusively in the electronic format available at the MIS. Instructions for filling in the fields of the Application Form are attached to the present Call (Annex 16). The submission of proposal also constitutes an application for funding of the potential beneficiaries

The legal documents that prove the Administrative and Financial capability, the authority/competency of the beneficiaries for the implementation of the activities of the specific Project, the regulatory framework for the designation of the body responsible for the operation and maintenance of the Project, the existence and operation of a Branch (if applicable), are required for the evaluation of the project proposal and must be attached to the each Beneficiary’s Profile in the “Utilities” section/8.1. Project Bodies Information of the MIS.

Beneficiaries are obliged to fully complete and attach all the required legal documents by the proposal submission deadline.

The programme provides the following support measures and tools to assist applicants (potential beneficiaries) in submitting quality project proposals. In particular:
– Questions: applicants may pose questions in written (at interreg@mou.gr) via an e-mail to the Managing Authority, no later than ten (10) calendar days before the deadline for the submission of proposals. Answers shall be replied no later
than five (5) calendar days before the deadline for the submission of Project Proposals.
–  Helpdesks for the MIS technical support – For questions related to the application system, contact MIS helpdesk (ikalaitzoglou@mou.gr) by email or consult the MIS user manual.
– National support by Antenna and Info Points (IPs) – Applicants can also reach out to Antenna and Info Points (IP) in both programme countries. They offer national support regarding the calls and provide information in national languages on primarily national application issues.

Applicants are invited to regularly consult the official Programme website (www.greece-bulgaria.eu) for updates and further details regarding all support measures.