The Interreg NEXT MED Programme has reopened its call for applications for State aid experts to support the Managing Authority in evaluating project proposals, specifically to assess whether the planned project activities fall under the State aid regime as per relevant EU Regulations.

In the framework of the Interreg NEXT MED Programme, the main duties of the contracted Experts include the general and specific tasks detailed below and any other related task required by the Managing Authority to fully complete the proposals’ assessments / verification:

General tasks:

• Support to the Assessment Board, ensuring the necessary expertise upon request
• Participation in training organised by the Managing Authority / Joint Secretariat related to: Interreg NEXT MED Programme Document, regulatory framework, Guidelines for Applicants and Application Pack of each call of proposal, Guidelines for the evaluation and selection of project proposals, etc.
• Where needed, assistance in defining reponses to request for clarification.

Specific tasks:

State Aid experts will assist the Assessment Board  by determining the presence and value of State Aid, pursuant to EU Regulation 2023/1315 which modifies the n.651/2014 (so-called GBER Regulation), EU regulation no.1059/2021, as detailed in the documents related to the call for proposals.

The verification will aim to determine whether the planned activities constitute state aid and their value, as declared by the candidates under their own responsibility in the self-declaration form.

The experts will fill in a state aid checklist for each project examined with an indication of the reasons, the regulatory references and the formulation of any clauses to be included in the draft contracts. In addition to the general tasks mentioned above, the state aid experts will guarantee:

• acquaintance with relevant documents concerning State Aid (e.g. relevant EU regulations, Informative Note on State Aid).
• verification of the project proposals during STEP2, through specific check lists on Stat Aid checks provided by the MA;
• provision of additional comments regarding the evaluation of state aid aspects at the request of the MA, the Assessment Board and the MC;
• in exceptional situations, attendance in the meetings of the Assessment Board as observers to present the results of their assessment and answer questions from Assessment Board members.