Selection criteria
The expressions of interest and full applications are assessed against a number of selection criteria. For the expression of interest the number of criteria is limited. There are two different categories: the strategic assessment criteria and the operational criteria:
Strategic assessment criteria
The main aim is to determine the extent of the project's contribution to the achievement of programme objectives (contribution to programme results), by addressing joint or common target group needs.
Operational assessment criteria
The main aim is to assess the viability and the feasibility of the proposed project, as well as its value for money
Each of the criteria link to a specific part of the application to allow a fair and comprehensive assessment of the applications submitted.
The scoring system for the assessments is based on a qualitative assessment and explanatory remarks on selection criteria. The qualitative assessment is followed by a scale indicating how strong the application is on specific issues:
- Strong – the application addresses the criterion well, although it is possible that some small improvements could be made. The answer gives clear information on all important areas;
- Sufficient – the application broadly addresses the criterion, but there are areas which could be strengthened. There are several areas where detail could be improved or the information is unclear;
- Weak – the application is missing important details or only fulfils the criterion to a minimum level. The issue is not sufficient to reject the application itself but there is clear room for improvement;
- Insufficient –the application fails to address the criterion adequately and or/ the information provided is not in line with Programme rules/regulations. The answer does not correctly address the question asked.
If a project does not meet one of the strategic assessment questions, it will be automatically recommended for rejection. For example, a project failing to answer ‘How well is the need for the project justified’ will not be recommended to go further.
An overview of the selection criteria can be found in fact sheet 19: Application Assessment procedure (version 3)