Questions & Answers

The UfM Secretariat is not a donor institution and does not fund the implementation of the projects. It supports the project’s development, the search for the necessary financial resources as well as political and technical support to secure its launch. It also cooperates with the project promoters to facilitate all steps needed to start project implementation. The Secretariat facilitates the access to a network of partners and donors and accompanies the promoters in their fundraising and preparation of implementation strategy.

Internally, the Secretariat mobilises its staff and expertise to assess and revise project proposals and their compliance with the UfM mandate and priorities. Following the completion of the project proposal appraisal and internal approval stages and on the basis of the decisions taken by the decision-making bodies of the Secretariat, the UfM Secretariat submits the project proposal(s) recommended to be labelled to the Senior Officials and country representatives of the 43 Member States of the Union for the Mediterranean, who decide, unanimously, on the endorsement of a project proposal as a UfM labelled project.

The UfM Secretariat carries out its project analysis based exclusively on the criteria for UfM labelling. It does not carry out in-depth technical studies, such as for example feasibility studies or environmental assessments, or technical reviews of any existing studies but relies on those already completed by the promoter or by potential funders. The political, economic, social, environmental or any other responsibility lays entirely with the project promoter(s).

In order to be registered and subsequently assessed, project proposals must be completed in the Project Proposal Template, signed and returned with the requested annexes to the UfM Secretaria, with a copy equally submitted electronically in word format to projects.info@ufmsecretariat.org.

A project proposal has to be duly filled and signed at the technical level by the promoter (Project Manager or relevant person in charge). Even in its first draft, it must include sufficiently informative descriptions of the essential elements of the project.

Projects are processed according to the Project Guidelines of the UfM and assessed according to the UfM Project criteria which can be accessed here.

A proposal can be submitted in English and/or French.

Promoters can submit project proposals at any time, as the Secretariat generally does not work through calls for proposals with pre-set deadlines.

As for the calendar, all depends on the maturity of the proposal and the quality of the documentation provided. The Secretariat aims to provide an initial response to proposals within the first month of receipt and carry out a more in-depth assessment in the following two months.

Following a positive first evaluation, the internal assessment and complete appraisal of a project prior to its submission to the 43 Member States for labelling can take anywhere from one to three months depending on the calendar of scheduled Senior Officials’ Meetings. Therefore, an average of four to five months in total is to be foreseen between the submission and the potential labelling.

First, the Project proposal must detail the already secured funding from the Project Promoter to cover the financing needs, directly and/or indirectly. To be considered for UfM labelling, the share already covered should be at least 20% for all projects, and indicatively 10% for projects including an infrastructure component representing more than 50% of the budget.

In addition, and in the case where the project is not 100% financially covered, it must include a reasonable financial perspective of funding for the remaining gap. This clear and realistic financial perspective means that concrete and credible financial partners should be identified and approached by the promoter. This reasonable perspective must be presented in the Project Template. It can also be elaborated with the help and advice of the Secretariat during the appraisal phase.

Once the labelling is secured, the Promoter is expected to fulfil and implement activities foreseen by the project, informing the UfMS a regular basis in order to report back to the 43 Member States. Equally, the Promoter is expected to ensure the appropriate mention and visibility of the UfM label and political recognition of the project as a regionally relevant, to be highlighted in relevant communication materials related to the project. The UfM label does not entail any financial commitment towards the Promoter or the UfMS with regard to the Project.

As an intergovernmental organisation and public institution working towards regional integration and prosperity, the UfM and its Secretariat must remain vigilant as to not create market distortions. In the case of a promoter being a private company, the latter has to demonstrate that it has public sector support and that the direct promotion of the project would not risk triggering an unfair competitive advantage vis-à-vis other private companies.

Likewise, the project has to demonstrate its added value and complementarity to existing efforts and initiatives and be coherent with local, national, and/or regional strategies.

For further questions regarding the project cycle, assessment or labelling process you may contact the Directorate for Operations and Partnerships at projects.info@ufmsecretariat.org.

The UfM Secretariat operational budget is financed up to 50% by the European Commission and, for the other half, by contributions from its member states.