PART ONEFINANCIAL REGULATION
TITLE VIIIGRANTS
CHAPTER 3 Grant award procedure and grant agreement
Article 198Selection criteria
1.
The selection criteria shall be such as to make it possible to assess the applicant’s ability to complete the proposed action or work programme.
2.
The applicant shall have stable and sufficient sources of funding to maintain his or her activity throughout the period for which the grant is awarded and to participate in its funding (‘financial capacity’).
3.
The applicant shall have the professional competencies and qualifications required to complete the proposed action or work programme unless specifically provided otherwise in the basic act (‘operational capacity’).
4.
Financial and operational capacity shall be verified in particular on the basis of an analysis of any information or supporting documents referred to in Article 196.
If no supporting documents were requested in the call for proposals and if the authorising officer responsible has reasonable grounds to question the financial or operational capacity of an applicant, he or she shall request the applicant to provide any appropriate documents.
In the case of partnerships the verification shall be performed in accordance with Article 130(6).
5.
The verification of financial capacity shall not apply to:
(a)
natural persons in receipt of education support;
(b)
natural persons most in need, such as unemployed persons and refugees, and in receipt of direct support;
(c)
public bodies, including Member State organisations;
(d)
international organisations;
(e)
persons or entities applying for interest rate rebates and guarantee fee subsidies where the objective of those rebates and subsidies is to reinforce the financial capacity of a beneficiary or to generate an income.
6.
The authorising officer responsible may, depending on a risk assessment, waive the obligation to verify the operational capacity of public bodies, Member State organisations or international organisations.