FAQ

Eligibility of Lead and Co-Applicants

 

Can you apply for grants without being an organization?

No. As stated in the guidelines of the call for applications, the lead applicant must be an organization legally established, for at least three years, in one of the eight target countries.  Co-applicant(s) may be organizations legally established in an African country, an OEACP member country or in the European Union.

Can our organization submit a project alone?

According to the guidelines of the call, for lots 1 and 2, projects must involve at least 2 partners: one must act as lead partner and the other as co-applicant. For lot 3, it is not necessary to involve a partner, a lead applicant can submit a project alone provided that the planned activities fit well in this lot.

Is it possible to be lead applicant in one project and co-applicant in another?

Yes, an organization can be a lead applicant in one proposal and a co-applicant in another.

Can the same organization submit two grant proposals?

The call guidelines do not limit the number of proposals per applicant.

Are nonprofit organizations eligible?

Are cultural NGOs eligible?

Yes, according to the guidelines, nonprofit organizations are eligible if they meet the other requirements listed in the call for proposals.

Can the co-applicant be a creative agency, i.e. a for-profit company?

Yes, according to the guidelines, for-profit companies are eligible if they meet the other conditions listed in the call for proposals.

Can universities/training institutions be lead applicants or co-applicants?

According to the guidelines, universities/training institutions are eligible as lead applicants if they meet the other conditions listed in the call for proposals. To be a co-applicant, it is sufficient to be legally established in the same country as the lead applicant, in an other African country, an OEACP member country or in the European Union.

Is a communications agency working to set up a creative industry with local cultural actors eligible to apply?

According to the guidelines, a communications agency can be an eligible organization if it meets the other requirements listed in the call for proposals.

We are a local organization of autochthonous peoples of Congo-Brazzaville, can we also respond to this call for proposals?

According to the guidelines, a local autochthonous peoples' organization can be an eligible organization if it fulfills the other conditions listed in the call for proposals.

Can a human rights NGO apply to raise awareness on a particular issue?

According to the guidelines, a human rights NGO can apply if it meets the other conditions listed in the call for proposals.

Can two NGOs from different regions of the same country be lead applicant and co-applicant?

Yes, according to the guidelines of the call, the co-applicant can be legally established in the same country as the lead applicant or in an African country, other than the 8 target countries, an OACP member country or in the European Union.

Can an organization that is currently a CAC beneficiary be a co-applicant for the 3rd call?

For a partner that is implementing a project from the 2nd call with CAC, can it submit another project for this 3rd call?

Yes, the guidelines of the call do not prohibit beneficiaries of previous calls to submit a new proposal.

If a European organization for example has legal recognition to operate in Cameroon, is it eligible?

According to the call guidelines, organizations that have been legally registered for at least 3 years in one of the 8 target countries can apply as a lead organization. The lead applicant must prove its establishment through official documents. The co-applicant can be legally established in the same country as the lead applicant or in another African country, an OEACP member country or in the European Union.

Can the lead applicant be a foreign public institution established in Central Africa?

According to the guidelines of the call, the lead applicant can be a public or private organization in the CCI sector that has been legally established for at least 3 years in one of the 8 CAC target countries.

In relation to Lot 3, can a banking institution and cultural structures apply together?

Yes, banking institutions are among the types of organizations eligible for Lot 3. The partnership for Lot 3 is optional.

More information about the Lot 3 partnership and team.

Does Lot 3 necessarily require a co-applicant?

According to the guidelines, for Lot 3 a partner is not required. The lead applicant may submit a project alone, but is still subject to the eligibility requirements.

Is there an exception if the lead applicant is established outside the 8 Central African countries?

According to the guidelines of the call, the lead applicant must be legally registered for at least 3 years in one of the 8 target countries: Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, São Tomé and Principe and Chad. The co-applicant(s) can be organizations legally established in an African country, OEACP member country or the European Union.

If we have a project that is 5 years old, can we submit it?

Can the previous project that has been completed, which must be 50%, be 5 years old?

According to the guidelines of the call, the lead partner must have directly implemented in the last 3 years at least one project in the cultural and creative sector, amounting to at least 50% of the amount of the requested grant, and must have been directly responsible for the preparation and management of the funded activities.

I worked on a project that was funded for two years, 2019 and 2020.  Since it ended in 2020, could it be considered a final three year project as required by the guidelines?

Yes. According to the guidelines the lead applicant must have directly implemented at least one project in the cultural and creative sector in the last 3 years, amounting to at least 50% of the grant amount requested, and must have been directly responsible for the preparation and management of the funded activities.

For lead experience, should only projects in which the organization was lead or also projects in which it participated as a partner/co-applicant be considered?

According to the call guidelines, the lead applicant must have been directly responsible for the preparation and management of the funded activities for the past 3 years.

Is self-financing taken into account for previous projects?

Self-financing of previous projects will be taken into account as long as it can be duly proven.

Does the co-applicant also have to have 3 years of legal existence as the lead partner?

According to the guidelines of the call, only the lead applicant is required to prove that the organization has been legally registered for at least 3 years.

The co-applicant may be based in another African country. Could you clarify if this includes North African countries?

Yes, according to the call guidelines, the co-applicant can be legally established in the same country as the lead applicant or in an African country, other than the 8 target countries, or an OEACP member country or in the European Union.

Can the co-applicant be a foreign organization that is a member of the European Union?

Yes. According to the guidelines of the call, the co-applicant can be legally established in the same country as the lead applicant or in an African country, other than the 8 target countries, or an OACP or EU member country.

 

Project eligibility

Should we indicate only one lot? In the case where our project aims at lot 1 and lot 2 for example.

Can we apply to more than one lot?

According to the guidelines, project proposals can only be submitted in a maximum of 1 lot.

If this is the only project we have undertaken and it is still ongoing, can we submit the project?

According to the guidelines projects already implemented or in the process of being implemented are only eligible if they are projects with several phases, which can be considered as "new projects" or "projects enriched" by the funding. Applicants must clearly demonstrate that the grant application is for a new phase of the project and specify the steps involved.

What if the most expensive project is more than three years old, as required by CAC?

According to the guidelines, the lead applicant must have directly implemented at least one project in the cultural and creative sector in the last 3 years, amounting to at least 50% of the grant amount requested. Therefore, the steering committee will examine the experience of the lead partner over the last 3 years. If this criterion cannot be met, the organization can act as a co-applicant.

What defines whether a project is small or large scale?

Projects will be either small or large scale, depending on the amount of the grant requested. To submit a small or large scale project, the previous experience of the lead applicant should be considered.

The lead applicant must have directly implemented at least one project in the cultural and creative sector within the last three years, amounting to at least 50% of the grant amount requested, and must have been directly responsible for the preparation and management of the funded activities.

Can a non-profit association apply by presenting the 2005 legalized Receipt of Declaration of Association by the competent authorities which is the legal, official document of the organization?

Can you give details of documents such as the official journal?

The leader must upload the official document(s) proving that the organization has existed legally for at least three years. Valid documents are for example the official register or gazette, the VAT number, etc. Please note that a registration receipt will not be accepted. All official documents must be submitted in French, Spanish, English or Portuguese. If the documents are written in other languages, an official translation into French, Spanish, English or Portuguese must be uploaded as well.

What supporting documents are accepted to justify the costs of a previous project to justify the 50%?

The project audit report, proof of payments received, statements from third parties or public documents, official attestation of funding, etc.

What are the documents to be provided for the co-applicant?

There is no specific document required for the co-applicant.

We tried to attach the receipt last time and it didn't work, is the publication page of the official journal of the structure accepted?

Yes, the gazette page showing that the lead applicant has been in legal existence for at least 3 years is accepted.

 

Financial Arrangements

For Lot 3, can you clarify the percentage on the maximum and minimum amount?

According to the guidelines of the call, for lot 3 it is possible to submit proposals for small scale projects: minimum 15,000.00€ and maximum 29,000.00€; and for large scale projects: minimum 30,000.00€ and maximum 115,000.00€. For all 3 lots, the grants will cover up to 80% of the total eligible costs of the project

Is the co-applicant a recipient of funding in the budgeting?

The co-applicant can benefit from the grant. It is up to the lead partner  and co-applicant to establish the budget according to the realities and context of the field and to distribute the funds according to the responsibilities of each partner with regard to the activities planned in the project.

Distinction between "travel" and "mobility activities" lines in the "Budget breakdown" part of the form.

The "travel" lines concern the necessary and planned travel within the framework of the implementation of your project. Mobility activities" refer to events and trips organized by CAC for its beneficiaries and which represent 10% of the total grant awarded, and which is directly managed by the CAC consortium.

I see that the requests for co-financing are not necessarily acquired at the time of submission, could you explain the modalities in case the co-financing is not obtained at 20%?

According to the guidelines, CAC grants will cover up to 80% of the total eligible project costs. You can receive or request funds from other donors or co-finance the project with your own funds.

On the issue of mobility, does the 10% have to be contained in the applicant's overall budget?

The Excel budget template automatically calculates and includes 10% of the mobility costs based on the total budget of each proposal.

 

 

Others

Is it possible to have the Excel budget table in an editable version?

The editable version of teh Excel is available on the website. If you encounter any problems, you can send an email to: info@acp-ue-culture-cac.eu

How can we get the application form?

There is a downloadable pdf version of the form on the CAC website. Please note that all applications must be submitted via the online form in order to be accepted.  Any other application (paper, email, etc.) will not be considered.

How many projects can receive this grant?

According to the guidelines, the indicative amount available for this call is 1,200,000 Euros.

Could you please indicate the narrative and budgetary reporting commitments?

The contracting party will sign a contract with grant beneficiaries. This contract will include information on the activities to be implemented, the contract value, payment terms and reporting requirements. Please note that reports must be submitted in French only.

I have a question about the relationship between the principal applicant and the co-applicant. Assuming that the co-applicant is contributing to the quality of the program, what is the guarantee in your format -that if honored- the co-applicant will actually be able to participate in the project? It can be assumed that there is a bond of trust between the partners, but of course it is possible that the partner will be replaced by a 'cheaper' partner or will be dismissed if the full amount for example is not honored.

The contracting party will sign a contract with the grantees. The contract specifies who the co-applicants are in the project. In other words, there are no rules about the relationship between the principal applicant and the co-applicant, but a contract between the partners is recommended. Note that the co-applicant is not a service provider. The co-applicant is an organization that collaborates with the lead applicant in the implementation of the project.

Is it mandatory to have 3 specific objectives?

Proposals do not have to include 3 specific objectives.

How can I get project models?

CAC does not have model projects for applicants.