Single Market Programme (SMP COSME)

1 Single Market Programme (SMP COSME) Call for proposals COVID-19 Recovery through sustainable Tourism Growth and SME Support (SMP-COSME-2021-TOURSME) Version 09 December 2021 Call: COVID-19 Recovery through sustainable Tourism Growth and SME Support EU Grants: Call document (SMP COSME): 2 HISTORY OF CHANGES Version Publication Date Change Page Initial version Call: COVID-19 Recovery through sustainable Tourism Growth and SME Support EU Grants: Call document (SMP COSME): 3 CALL FOR PROPOSALS TABLE OF CONTENTS 0. Introduction .. 5 1. Background .. 6 2. Objectives Themes and priorities Activities that can be funded Expected impacts .. 9 Objectives .. 9 Themes and priorities (scope) .. 10 Activities that can be funded (scope) .. 10 Expected impacts .. 16 3. Available budget .. 17 4. Timetable and deadlines.

2 18 5. Admissibility and documents .. 18 6. Eligibility .. 19 Eligible participants (eligible countries) .. 19 Consortium composition .. 21 Eligible activities .. 21 Geographic location (target countries) .. 21 Project budget .. 21 7. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion .. 21 Financial capacity .. 21 Operational capacity .. 22 Exclusion .. 23 8. Evaluation and award procedure .. 24 9. Award criteria .. 25 10. Legal and financial set-up of the Grant Agreements .. 26 Starting date and project duration .. 26 Milestones and deliverables .. 26 Form of grant, funding rate and maximum grant amount .. 26 Budget categories and cost eligibility rules .. 27 Reporting and payment arrangements .. 28 Prefinancing guarantees .. 29 Certificates .. 29 Liability regime for recoveries .. 29 Provisions concerning the project implementation .. 29 Other specificities.

3 30 EUROPEAN INNOVATION COUNCIL AND SMEs EXECUTIVE AGENCY (EISMEA) Innovation ecosystems, SMP/Entrepreneurship and Consumers SMP/COSME Pillar Call: COVID-19 Recovery through sustainable Tourism Growth and SME Support EU Grants: Call document (SMP COSME): 4 Non-compliance and breach of contract .. 30 11. How to submit an application .. 30 12. Help .. 31 13. Important .. 32 Call: COVID-19 Recovery through sustainable Tourism Growth and SME Support EU Grants: Call document (SMP COSME): 5 0. Introduction This is a call for proposals for EU action grants in the field of tourism under the Competitiveness of Enterprises and SMEs pillar of the Single Market Programme (SMP COSME). The regulatory framework for this EU Funding Programme is set out in: Regulation 2018/1046 (EU Financial Regulation) the basic act (SMP Regulation 2021/6901).

4 The call is launched in accordance with the 2021-2024 SMP Work Programme2 and will be managed by the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) ( Agency ). The call covers the following topic: SMP-COSME-2021-TOURSME COVID-19 Recovery Sustainable growth in tourism Support to SMEs Applicants cannot submit more than one proposal under this call. Applicants may not participate in several proposals. We invite you to read the call documentation carefully, and in particular this Call Document, the Model Grant Agreement, the EU Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual and the EU Grants AGA Annotated Grant Agreement. These documents provide clarifications and answers to questions you may have when preparing your application: the Call Document outlines the: background, objectives, scope, activities that can be funded and the expected results (sections 1 and 2) timetable and available budget (sections 3 and 4) admissibility and eligibility conditions (including mandatory documents.)

5 Sections 5 and 6) criteria for financial and operational capacity and exclusion (section 7) evaluation and award procedure (section 8) award criteria (section 9) legal and financial set-up of the Grant Agreements (section 10) how to submit an application (section 11) 1 Regulation (EU) 2021/690 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 April 2021 establishing a Programme for the internal Market , competitiveness of enterprises, including small and medium-sized enterprises, the area of plants, animals, food and feed, and European statistics ( Single Market Programme ) (OJ L 153, , p. 1). 2 Commission Implementing Decision C(2021) 3046 final of concerning the adoption of the work Programme for 2021-2024 and the financing decision for the implementation of the Single Market Programme Annex II, as last amended by Commission Implementing Decision C(2021)6940 of Call: COVID-19 Recovery through sustainable Tourism Growth and SME Support EU Grants: Call document (SMP COSME): 6 the Online Manual outlines the: procedures to register and submit proposals online via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal ( Portal ) recommendations for the preparation of the application the AGA Annotated Grant Agreement contains.

6 Detailed annotations on all the provisions in the Grant Agreement you will have to sign in order to obtain the grant (including cost eligibility, payment schedule, accessory obligations, etc). You are also encouraged to visit the EISMEA website to consult the list of projects funded previously. 1. Background General policy context Tourism has been one of the sectors most acutely, and pervasively, affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Travel bans, lockdowns, and safety concerns all contributed to curtailing the growth and development of the tourism ecosystem across the EU, particularly for accommodation services, air travel, trade fairs and cultural events, with serious spill-over effects on the economic outlook of the Union. On average, tourism contributes to 11% of the EU s GDP.

7 While the intensive COVID-19 vaccination campaigns across Europe are enabling travelling and local tourism activities to re-commence, the crisis should be taken as an opportunity to steer the tourism ecosystem towards more sustainable, smarter and resilient practices. The update of the EU Industrial Strategy3 highlights the need to accelerate the green and digital transitions, giving priority to the ecosystems and sectors that face the most important challenges and that have been most heavily affected by the crisis, such as tourism. In parallel, the SME Strategy for a sustainable and digital Europe4, adopted in March 2021, identifies capacity building and support to SMEs as a key factor for the transition to sustainability and digitalisation. Micro and SMEs make up for of tourism enterprises in the EU, so an updated support strategy targeting their specific challenges can contribute to unleash extended benefits both for the Single Market , and for the tourism ecosystem.

8 The Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) outlines the Union's competences in this field (Title XXII Tourism, Article 195), specifying that EU measures to support, coordinate or supplement the actions of the Member States shall be especially aimed at: a) encouraging the creation of a favourable environment for the development of undertakings in this sector; b) promoting cooperation between the Member States, particularly by the exchange of good practices. 3 COM(2021) 350 final. 4 Call: COVID-19 Recovery through sustainable Tourism Growth and SME Support EU Grants: Call document (SMP COSME): 7 Specific policy context The Staff Working Document Scenarios towards co-creation of transition pathway for tourism for a more resilient, innovative and sustainable ecosystem5 details several elements to be taken into account in order to support EU tourism in becoming more sustainable, and it develops from the updated Industrial Strategy6.

9 Together, these documents aim at supporting the twin transition to a green and digital economy, highlighting the key role of SMEs in the EU internal Market as a primary vehicle of innovation across all ecosystems. SMEs also are the object of targeted policy measures, such as the SME Strategy for a sustainable and digital Europe, mentioned above, which is clearly in line with the twin transition towards enhanced sustainability and digitalisation, and which puts in place a number of actions and tools for SMEs. The concept of sustainability for the eco-system is borrowed from the UN World Tourism Organisation, which considers sustainable tourism as a sector taking full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities 7.

10 Sustainable tourism, therefore, is not only green; it also takes into account the social and economic impact of the value chain on the wellbeing of the local communities at the destination, and, as such, relies on a broad spectrum of legislative and regulatory initiatives, as well as support actions, at EU level. Environmental impact of tourism As regards the environmental aspect of sustainability strategies, the regulatory framework underpinning the transition of the tourism ecosystem, is included in the European Green Deal8. Of particular importance are: Sustainable and smart mobility strategy9, Sustainable Blue Economy Strategy10, Circular Economy Action Plan11, Renovation Wave for buildings12, Biodiversity Strategy13, EU Plastics Strategy14, Farm to Fork Strategy15, Long-term vision for Rural areas16, European Climate Pact17, Zero Pollution Action Plan18, sustainable finance and taxonomy framework19.