Description of funding programme

• Author: Applica, Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (European Commission), Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER)
• Pages: 16-20

Case studies on the effectiveness of funding programmes – Key findings and study reports

16

Description of funding programme

The EEA and Norway Grants represent the contribution of Iceland, Liechtenstein and

Norway to:

• reducing economic and social disparities in Europe; and

• strengthening bilateral relations between the Donor States and the Beneficiary

States.

For the period 2009-нлмпз €мйтфу billion was set asideй Funding for the нллф-2014 financial

period was channelled through 150 programmes in 16 beneficiary countries in Central and

Southern Europe and the Baltics. Each beneficiary country agreed on a set of programmes

with the donor countries, based on national needs and priorities and the scope for

cooperation. These ag reements w ere formali sed in Memoranda of Understanding (MoU)

with each beneficiary state4. Grants were made available for public and private sector

bodies, non-governmental organisations and research and academic i nstitutions.

Programme Operators in the beneficiary states were responsible for the implementation of

the relevant programmes. Implementation of the Grants was overseen by the three donor

countries and, on their behalf, a secretariat in Brussels (the Financial Mechanism Offi ce -

FMO).

The EEA funds are complementary t o the EU structural funds and c ohesion policy. Often

the funds are managed at the national level by the same managi ng authority. EEA grants

may sometimes perform the r ole of a pilot project or fund pr ojects where EU or national

funding is limited.

In the 2009-2014 financial period, with implementation between 2012/ 13 and the end of

2017, programmes were placed under one of nine priority sectors e.g. human and social

development, civil society, justi ce and home affairs, climate change or green industry

innovation. The sectors were further subdivided into 32 programme areas5.

The Chil dren and Youth at Risk programme area, funded by the EEA part of the Grants

with contributions from Icelandз Liechtenstein and Norwayз provided €слйрm in funding for

programmes in seven European countries, with the objective of improving the well-being

of children and youth at risk. The programmes considered for this case study – in Estonia,

Lithuania and Romania – were allocated funding of €сйрmз €сйоm and €нлймmз or мпйр%з

8% and 7% of the total country allocations respectively.

In relation to the target groups of children highlighted in the Commission’s feasibility study

to establish a child guarantee, these EEA Grants programmes focused primarily on children

in precarious family situations and those in or at risk of being in institutions. As such, the

children and youth at risk programmes focused on improving the quality of chil d welfare

and protection systems and/or increasing school attendance and access to preschool day-

care, health and social care. The programmes were also targeted at minority children,

including Roma in selected countries.

The programmes were developed by the Progr amme Operators in Estonia, Li thuania and

Romania, who were responsible for the design and implementation of the programmes,

first by preparing and submitting a programme proposal to the donors detailing the main

objectives and modalities of the programme. Programmes should follow a results-based

management approach as outlined in the Programme Operators Manual6 and include output

and outcome indicator targets. Following comments and amendments and approval of the

programme by the donors, a Programme Agreement wa s drawn up, serving as the legal

4 http://eeagrants.org/Results-data/Results-overview/Documents/Legal-documents

5 https://eeagrants.org/Results-data/Documents/Publications/Brochures/Programme-Areas-2009-2014-

brochure

6 https://eeagrants.org/Media/Files/Toolbox/Toolbox-2009-2014/Programme-operators-manual-POM