Frequently asked questions
| Question | Answer | Subject |
|---|---|---|
| Is it necessary to request the maximum grant amount (or close to the maximum) possible for a small grant project? |
Small Grant applicants can request a grant amount of between € 50,001 and € 100,000. It is not necessary to request the maximum (or close to the maximum) of € 100,000. |
Grant Amount – Small Grants |
| Can we include costs related to the use of our organisations own vehicle(s) in our budget? |
Costs associated with the use of an organisations’ own vehicle(s) must be supported with an accurate logbook for each vehicle that records its use for the BEST 2.0 project. The cost budgeted per unit distance (e.g. km) should be based on a published national/territorial rate for vehicle usage where this exists. Fuel costs can be considered eligible if supported by original receipts and an accurate vehicle logbook recording the use of the vehicle for the project. Costs such as tax, insurance and maintenance are not directly linked to the implementation of the BEST 2.0 project and are included within the indirect costs which can be included at a maximum of 7% of the direct eligible costs |
Use of organisations’ own vehicle(s) |
| Can we include the costs related to the use of our organisation’s own facilities in our budget? |
Only actually incurred costs supported by documentary evidence are eligible for funding by a BEST 2.0 grant. Commercial rates charged by an organisation for its facilities and/or services cannot be accepted as evidence of the cost incurred. Costs that cannot be supported by documentary evidence are considered to be included within the indirect costs which can be included at a maximum of 7% of the direct eligible costs. |
Use of organisations’ own facilities |
| Where should we include import taxes? |
Import taxes are considered as part of the cost of purchasing items and thus should be included within the cost budgeted for the item itself; they should not be included as separate lines in the budget. |
Import taxes |
| Who do I contact when I have a specific question? |
Please email the coordinator of the region where you plan to implement your project. You can find the contact details of the regional coordinators under Contacts |
Contact |
| What does a successful BEST project look like? |
Before completing the application form, you might like to take a look at a case study showing an example of a successful BEST project here. |
Case study |
| Who can apply for a BEST 2.0 grant? |
BEST 2.0 funding is available to a wide range of actors as long as the project is located in one or more OCT and that it aims to improve and support the conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services, sustainable management of natural resources, ecosystem based approaches to climate change adaptation and mitigation. Specific restrictions apply depending on the type of grant requested and specificity of the target territory(ies). More details are provided in the guidelines for applicants for each specific call for proposals. Potential applicants include:
Please consult the guidelines for applicants to check your eligibility. The OCTs are: |
Applicants |
| What level of funding is available? |
There are two main types of grants available under the BEST 2.0 programme based on the amount of funding requested, small grants and medium grants. The amount of BEST 2.0 funding available for each type of grant is shown below: Medium Grants - > € 100 000 and ≤ € 400 000 The amounts above represent the value of the grant that can be received from BEST 2.0. There is no set maximum for the total project budget (that can include other sources of funding). For the BEST 2.0 financial contribution and the level of co-financing, see question on BEST 2.0 financial contribution. |
Level of funding |
| How many medium grant proposals/small grant concept notes can each applicant submit? |
Each applicant can submit a maximum of 2 proposals/concept notes per call as lead applicant and/or co-applicant. |
Number of proposals |
| How many grants can an individual applicant be awarded? |
An applicant can only be awarded one grant as principal applicant. If two proposals for which a candidate is the principal applicant successfully pass the evaluation stage only the proposal with the highest score will be selected for the award of a grant. |
Number of grants |
| What is the maximum duration for projects? |
A maximum project duration may be specified in the Guideline for Applicants for specific calls so please read this document carefully before submitting your application. Please note: your proposed project duration should be realistic and ensure sufficient time to enable you to fulfil your objectives. |
Project duration |
| How much co-funding is required? |
No co-funding is required for Swift Small Grants and Small Grants. A minimum of 5% co-funding is required for Medium Grants. |
Co-funding |
| How is the BEST 2.0 financial contribution calculated? |
Each BEST 2.0 grant is expressed as a maximum amount and a percentage of the eligible costs. In cases where the total project budget is higher than the BEST 2.0 grant amount (i.e. where co-financing is proposed) the BEST 2.0 contribution will be set as a fixed percentage of the project budget . The final BEST 2.0 contribution is calculated by applying this fixed percentage to the total eligible costs incurred by the end of the project. The total contribution of BEST 2.0 cannot exceed the maximum amount stated in the grant contract. Example: Estimated total project budget: € Total eligible costs at the end of the project: € 200 000 |
BEST 2.0 financial contribution |
| Who is required to complete the Due Diligence and Financial Capacity Form? |
For small grant applications only the lead applicant is required to complete the due diligence and financial capacity form. For medium grant applications the lead applicant and each co-applicant are required to complete a separate due diligence and financial capacity form. The completed forms for each applicant must be submitted with the application. |
Due diligence and financial capacity form |
| How should the budget be presented if the project involves co-applicants or affiliated entities? |
It is necessary that the submitted budget indicates which organisation each cost item is allocated to. The costs for each partner have to be presented separately. |
Project budget |
| How many of the three BEST 2.0 objectives* should be addressed by a project? * 1) Conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services; 2) Sustainable use of biodiversity and ecosystem services; 3) Ecosystem-based climate change adaptation and/or mitigation |
The relevance of an application will be scored against each BEST 2.0 objective that is selected in your concept note/proposal application form. It is not compulsory to choose several objectives. It is important to thoroughly choose the objective(s) regarding the actions and the expected results of the project. Applicants are advised to refer to the scoring grid in the Guidelines for Applicants. |
BEST 2.0 objectives |
