FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS


1. Can partners from EU countries be included in the partnership?
○ The European partners can bring valuable expertise to the project and can participate in realization of project activities, but they cannot be co-applicants nor receive any funding.


2. Can the lead applicant and a co-applicant be from the same country (but different organizations)?
○ Yes, if you already have two co-applicants from two different countries, you can have a fourth co-applicant from the same country.


3. Can there be four partners from three Western Balkan countries?
○ Yes, but be mindful not to overload the project with too many partners.


4. Do we need an NGO as a partner, or is it not required?
○ All partners (lead applicant and co-applicants) must be registered NGOs.


5. Are regional organizations eligible to apply if they implement activities regionally?
○ Yes, provided the organization is registered under one of the Western Balkan national laws for Civil Society Organizations (CSOs).


6. Can a municipality be a partner in the project?
○ You are strongly encouraged to establish partnership with municipalities, but they cannot be official co-applicants.


7. Can two NGOs from the same country apply as partners for national grants?
○ Yes, you can apply in partnership with two NGOs from the same country for the national grant. However, the National Granting Scheme will be published in March 2025.


8. If one applicant applies for a regional grant, can they also apply for a national grant when it becomes available?
○ Yes, provided your project was not selected for funding under the regional call, you can apply for the national grant when it opens.


9. If a CSO is a grantee of the Regional call, can they apply for the National call in March?
○ No. Under the BOOST program, a CSO can only benefit from one granting scheme - either the regional or the national grant.


10. Do all project proposals need to include youth representatives?
o Yes, youth must be one of the main target groups for the project, across all three thematic pillars. This means that youth should be actively involved in the project’s activities in some way.


11. Can we get a list of today's participants/organizations to help form partnerships?
○ Yes, the list of participants is available on our website in the BOOST Grants section: BOOST Grants Platform.


12. What is the next step after registration of the CSO to BOOST platform?
o After registering, you should download the Guidelines for BOOST Grants and the necessary application documents. Then, find your project partners and prepare your project proposal. Once your proposal and documents are ready, log in to the BOOST Grants Platform and upload the completed documents.


13. How are travel costs calculated when using personal vehicles?
o Travel costs for personal vehicle use is calculated on the basis of 0.25 EUR/km.


14. Regarding the 20% co-financing: Do in-kind contributions count? Does this mean that only financing from other donors is allowed for co-financing?
o In-kind contributions (e.g., free services or goods) are not eligible for covering the project activities under Project rules and procedures. For the 20% co-financing requirement, the contribution can be sourced either from your organization's own funds or from external donors (such as EU funds, CEI, Visegrad, or state funding).


15. Do we use the same template for the budget of the Lead applicant and co-applicant part?
o The project budget must be presented in one consolidated document that includes the activities and costs for all project partners. After the project is awarded, the lead applicant will need to clarify the specific roles and budget allocations for each partner, supported by anMemorandum of Understanding (MoU) that outlines the responsibilities and financial contributions of each partner.


16. Will there be pre-financing available?
o No, there will be no pre-financing. The funds will be transferred inthree tranches after the Grant Contract is signed. The first tranche is expected shortly after the contract is finalized.


17. How should the co-financing part be reported?
o The co-financing portion can come from other funding sources that the organization has access to. However, all expenses, including the co-financing contribution, must be clearly reported and documented. This means that during the project, you must provide supporting documentation (e.g., invoices, contracts, receipts) for all costs incurred, including the co-financing amount.


18. How should we classify travel expenses for students attending a project activity? Should these go under "Travel Costs" or "Costs for Project Activities"?
o Travel expenses for students should be listed under "Costs for Project Activities". The "Travel Costs" category is reserved for the travel expenses of internal project staff.


19. Do the partners’ budgets and activities need to be the same in terms of amounts and number of activities?
o No, the budget should reflect the specific roles and responsibilities of each partner. It does not need to be uniform across all partners. The budget allocation for each partner must be documented in a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).


20. Where should we plan the 20% co-financing part in the budget, since the Excel form doesn’t have a separate column for this?
o At this stage, applicants should prepare the budget for the total project amount (100% of the project cost), encompassing the total budget necessary to implement the project activities. The Excel form includes a formula at the bottom to calculate the amount to be covered by your organization (20% co-financing). Before signing the Grant Contract, awarded applicants must specify which specific budget items will be covered by this 20% contribution.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS


Eligibility of Applicants and Partners

1. Are sport NGOs, like non-profit sports clubs, eligible to apply? Can student associations and youth associations participate?
○ Yes, if they are registered under national laws listed in the Gudelines and have at least 2 years of experience.


2. Is a CSO with less than 2 years of existence eligible as a partner?
○ No.


3. Can foundations be partners if they provide co-funding?
○ Yes, if registered under the laws specified in the guidelines, and have at least 2 years of experience.


4. Can a non-formal women’s network be a partner?
○ Only in informal, non-financial partnerships. For financial partnerships, formal NGO registration is required.


5. Can public institutions (schools, libraries, etc.) be official project partners?
○ No, but they can support project activities informally.


6. Can the Ministry of Culture or other national public funds be used as co-funding sources?
○ Yes.


7. If supported by a regional fund, can we apply for the national call?
○ No.


8. Is co-financing from private sector partners allowed?
○ They can’t be official partners but may contribute financially as associates.


Project Activities and Thematic Fit

9. Can we propose starting a new social enterprise?
○ Yes, if deemed viable by your organization.


10. Is a student exchange between Croatia and Serbia eligible under Lot 3?
o No, only national activities are eligible.


11. Is investigative journalism eligible?
○ Yes, if it aligns with one of the three thematic pillars.


12. Is publishing an educational tool (e.g. a handbook) eligible?
o Yes, if the topic aligns with the call.


13. Are startup competitions with awards eligible?
o No, they are not eligible, please refer to the Gudelines – section 2.4. Eligibility of activities


Co-Funding

14. Are in-kind contributions accepted as co-financing?
o No.


15. Can co-funding come from another project (e.g. EU funded)?
o Yes, if activities are aligned.


16. Does staff work only partly on the project count as co-financing?
o If the activities of two projects are aligned, then the salary of non-BOOST project can be used as co-financing.


17. What if the applicant contributes part of the total budget—does it count toward the €20,000 grant minimum?
o No, €20,000 refers to the grant portion only. Co-funding is additional.


18. Is the total available budget €24,000 plus 20% contribution
o Yes.


19. Can we directly budget things that would typically be indirect costs, i.e. office rent, office supplies, etc?
o In the Equipment portion of the budget that can cover small equipment used for budgeting expenses for rent or purchase of equipment or purchase of supplies directly connected with the Action. These costs encompass the procurement of physical goods and resources necessary for the project. Also, this heading includes office maintenance (office rent and utilities). Please remember that for all equipment you need to calculate the depreciation, considering the rules applied in your country (see budget template and explanation, Annex II)


20. Would the use of your own office space and equipment qualify as co-funding for the project?
o While the use of your own office space and equipment is considered an in-kind contribution, such contributions are not accepted as eligible co-financing under this Call for Proposals. Therefore, the required 20% co-financing must be provided in monetary form from other eligible sources.


Budgeting and Financial Questions

21. What percentage of the budget can be used for equipment?
o Check section 3. Equipment and supplies from the budget template and explanation, Annex II (up to 20%).


22. What budget line includes office rent, IT, and consumables?
o Equipment and office maintenance (see budget template and explanation, Annex II).


23. What percentage of the budget can go to salaries?
o Up to 40%.


24. How are "unit" and “# unit" used in the budget template?
o “Unit” is the cost per item; “# unit” is the quantity. Total cost is calculated automatically.


25. Where is the applicant's contribution shown in the budget?
o The budget is presented as a whole; 80% grant + 20% co-financing.


26. Are taxes/VAT eligible costs?
o Eligible VAT is VAT that is not recoverable by any other means.


27. Can indirect costs be used as co-financing?
o No.


28. Do we cover supporting staff (those who are not employed in our organization) in 1. human resources or in another budget category?
o If you hire a project manager or assistant to work on the project for all the duration of the action, this cost will be covered by 1. human resources budget line, if you hire an external expert to work on a specific activity of your action (i.e. trainers, video makers, interpreters…..) these costs will be included in other costs budget line.


29. Are taxes on a service contract an eligible cost?
o Yes.


Registration and Application Process

30. When will we receive registration confirmation?
o It may take a few days. Check your spam folder regularly or write email to: boostgrants@aldaintranet.org.


31. We’ve already registered on the platform for another call. Do we need to re-upload documents?
o No. Additional documents will be requested if needed.


32. Can the registration certificate be uploaded in a local language?
o Yes


Partnerships and Public Sector Involvement

33. Can informal partners (e.g., waste companies) be part of the project?
o Yes, if no financial transactions are involved.


34. Is cooperation with public authorities mandatory?
o Not mandatory but recommended. Alternatives include engaging public representatives (e.g. councilors, schools).


35. Can projects be implemented without local government partnerships due to political barriers?
o Yes, as long as other public participation is ensured.


Procurement and Payments

36. Are there mandatory procurement types?
o Yes, all related to project activities.


37. How many installments will the grant be paid in?
o Usually 2-3 installments for a one-year project.


38. Do we need a separate bank account for the project?
o No, an existing foreign account is acceptable.