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.