Call for proposals � EACEA/25/11: Tempus IV � Reform of higher education through international university cooperation

The fourth phase of the Tempus programme covers the period from 2007 to 2013. The overall objective of the programme is to support the modernisation of higher education in the EU's surrounding area. The Tempus programme promotes institutional cooperation and focuses on the reform and modernisation of higher education systems in the partner countries. It contributes to an area of cooperation in higher education involving the EU and partner countries in its wider proximity. In particular, the programme will promote voluntary convergence with EU developments in the field of higher education, deriving from the Europe 2020 Strategy, the strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training (‘ET 2020’) and the Bologna process.

The purpose of this call for proposals is to promote multilateral cooperation among higher education institutions, authorities and organisations from EU Member States and partner countries with the focus on the reform and modernisation of higher education.

In order to be eligible for the award of a grant, applicants must be legal persons, legally established for more than five years in the EU or Tempus partner countries.

Applicants for Joint Projects must be State-recognised, public or private higher education institutions or associations, organisations or networks of higher education institutions dedicated to the promotion, improvement and reform of higher education.

Applicants for Structural Measures must be legal entities as stipulated above for Joint Projects or national or international rector, teacher or student organisations.

Institutions and organisations which may participate as partners/co-beneficiaries in the Tempus programme range from higher education institutions and organisations through to non-academic institutions and organisations such as non-governmental organisations, companies, industries and public authorities.

These institutions and organisations have to be based in the following four groups of eligible countries: the 27 EU Member States; Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, Kosovo; Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Egypt, Georgia, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Moldova, Morocco, Occupied Palestinian Territory, Russian Federation, Syria, Tunisia and Ukraine; Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan.

The two principal instruments for cooperation through this Tempus call for proposals are:
— Joint Projects: projects with a ‘bottom-up’ approach aiming at modernisation and reform on an institutional (university) level. Joint Projects aim at transferring knowledge between universities, organisations and institutions from the EU and from the partner countries as well as between partner country entities as appropriate;
— Structural Measures: projects seeking to contribute to the development and reform of higher education systems in partner countries, as well as to enhance their quality and relevance and to increase their voluntary convergence with EU developments. Structural Measures will be interventions designed to support structural reform of higher education systems and the strategic framework development at national level.

Under this call, national and multi-country projects can be financed: National projects must adhere to national priorities which are established in close dialogue between EU Delegations and the relevant authorities in the partner countries.

For national projects, proposals must be submitted by groupings of institutions involving:
— at least three higher education institutions from a partner country (in the case of Montenegro and Kosovo, due to the small size of the higher education sector, one university will be sufficient),
— at least three higher education institutions from the EU, each from a different EU Member State.
Multi-country projects must comply with regional priorities which are based on the EU's policy for cooperation with the partner countries’ regions as identified in its strategic documents concerning the neighbouring countries, those for pre-accession to the EU, and those in Central Asia. They are common to all partner countries within a specific region or they address a national priority which is common to each of the participating partner countries.

For multi-country projects, proposals must be submitted by groupings of institutions involving:
— at least two higher education institutions, from each of the participating partner countries (minimum two partner countries) involved in the proposal (with the exception of Kosovo and Montenegro where the requirement is one higher education institution from each),
— at least three higher education institutions, each from a different EU Member State.
For Structural Measures, there is an additional condition: the Ministry/ies responsible for higher education in the partner country/ies must be involved as partner/s in a Structural Measures project.

The maximum duration of projects will be 24 months or 36 months. The period of eligibility of costs is expected to start on 15 October 2012.

The total budget available for the co-financing of projects is estimated at €78.1 million (plus an additional amount of €12.5 million for the Southern and Eastern neighbouring area).

The EU financial contribution will not exceed 90% of the total eligible costs. The minimum grant for both Joint Projects and Structural Measures will be €500,000. The maximum grant will amount to €1.5 million. For national projects in Kosovo and Montenegro the minimum grant for both project types will be €300,000.

The deadline for applications is 23 February 2012.

Further information is available on the Tempus website

Reference: 2011/C 321/09

(Added 2011-11-04)