Open and restricted CfPs

Calls for proposals are restricted where all applicants may ask to take part but only the applicants who have been shortlisted (on the basis of a concept note in response to the published call for proposals) will be invited to submit a full proposal.

Calls for proposals are open where all applicants are free to submit a grant application form including a full proposal in response to the published call for proposals.

With the introduction of the PRAG 2010, the default procedure for grants award in the ambit of calls for proposals (CfPs) is the restricted one. Only exceptionally may the Contracting Authority launch an open call for proposals.

The choice of the procedure by EuropeAid depends on the technical nature of the field, the budget available, and/or the expected limited number of proposals.

The figure below summarises the different phases of the two procedures:

In case of participation in an open call for proposals, all documents are submitted at one stage (concept note and full proposal). However, in the first instance, only concept notes will be evaluated.

Thereafter, for the applicants whose concept notes have been pre-selected, evaluation of the full proposal will be carried out.

Further to the evaluation of the full proposals, an eligibility check will be performed for those which are provisionally selected. This check will be undertaken on the basis of the supporting documents requested by the EC and the signed Declaration by the Applicant sent together with the application form.

Before the deadline for presenting the concept note and full proposal, organisations must be registered in PADOR and must include the EuropeAid ID in the Application form. Only data registered and submitted before the deadline for the submission of the concept note and full proposal will be taken into account by the EC.
The supporting documents requested (statute, financial reports, audit reports) may be uploaded in PADOR after the evaluation of the full proposal, but before the deadline fixed in the notification letter from the EC. By letter from the European Commission, the applicant will be reminded that these documents will have to be loaded in PADOR for the final eligibility check. Nevertheless, we strongly advise you to upload these documents while registering in PADOR, without waiting until the final selection of proposals is carried out.

In case of participation in a restricted call for proposals, only concept notes must be submitted for evaluation in the first instance.

Thereafter, applicants whose concept notes have been pre-selected will be invited to submit the Full Application Form (Part B of the Grant Application Form).

Organisations must indicate their EuropeAid ID on the concept note form.

Please see also Evaluation process in restricted calls for proposals.




Sources and useful links

• PRAG 2010, section 6.3.1
• Guidelines for applicants