[{"bbox": [68, 153, 683, 184], "category": "Section-header", "text": "# 4. IMPLEMENTATION ARRANGEMENTS"}, {"bbox": [111, 216, 408, 246], "category": "Section-header", "text": "## 4.1 Financing Agreement"}, {"bbox": [80, 271, 1072, 298], "category": "Text", "text": "In order to implement this action, it is envisaged to conclude a financing agreement with the partner country."}, {"bbox": [111, 330, 535, 360], "category": "Section-header", "text": "## 4.2 Indicative Implementation Period"}, {"bbox": [80, 386, 1140, 466], "category": "Text", "text": "The indicative operational implementation period of this action, during which the activities described in section 3 will be carried out and the corresponding contracts and agreements implemented, is **60 months** from the date of entry into force of the financing agreement."}, {"bbox": [80, 478, 1140, 531], "category": "Text", "text": "Extensions of the implementation period may be agreed by the Commission's responsible authorising officer by amending this Financing Decision and the relevant contracts and agreements."}, {"bbox": [111, 563, 720, 593], "category": "Section-header", "text": "## 4.3 Implementation of the Budget Support Component"}, {"bbox": [80, 620, 122, 642], "category": "Text", "text": "N/A"}, {"bbox": [111, 677, 466, 707], "category": "Section-header", "text": "## 4.4 Implementation Modalities"}, {"bbox": [80, 734, 1140, 810], "category": "Text", "text": "The Commission will ensure that the EU appropriate rules and procedures for providing financing to third parties are respected, including review procedures, where appropriate, and compliance of the action with EU restrictive measures³."}, {"bbox": [171, 836, 547, 865], "category": "Section-header", "text": "### 4.4.1 Direct Management (Grants)"}, {"bbox": [80, 887, 366, 913], "category": "Section-header", "text": "**Grants: (direct management)**"}, {"bbox": [80, 927, 336, 953], "category": "Section-header", "text": "**(a) Purpose of the grant(s)**"}, {"bbox": [80, 965, 1140, 1017], "category": "Text", "text": "The grant will contribute to achieve, in particular, Specific Objective (Outcome) 1 of the present action: Provide technical assistance and support related to the implementation of the MIP and national strategies."}, {"bbox": [80, 1030, 1140, 1109], "category": "Text", "text": "The grant is foreseen for the successor entity of the current CAON (NAO's support cell), which will remain a valid interlocutor for coordination and follow-up with the government entities. The recent evaluation of the current CF V and CAON corroborates this approach."}, {"bbox": [80, 1123, 1140, 1226], "category": "Text", "text": "Nonetheless, and where appropriate, grant may also contribute to attain specific objectives 2 (Facilitate assistance and technical support to local coordination mechanisms, including possible Team Europe Initiatives) and 3 (Enable strategic communication and public diplomacy initiatives to promote the EU's objectives and priorities in the world, in Africa and in Guinea-Bissau)."}, {"bbox": [80, 1241, 381, 1268], "category": "Section-header", "text": "**(b) Type of applicants targeted**"}, {"bbox": [80, 1293, 1140, 1344], "category": "Text", "text": "The circle of potential applicants to implement this action is very limited, with a high level risk regarding the quality of the results. It is therefore decided to use a direct award (see point c)."}, {"bbox": [80, 1359, 397, 1385], "category": "Section-header", "text": "**(c) Justification of a direct grant**"}, {"bbox": [80, 1397, 1140, 1476], "category": "Text", "text": "Under the responsibility of the Commission's authorising officer responsible, the grant may be awarded without a call for proposals to CAON or equivalent liaison entity which will replace it formally under the new NDICI-GE funding framework."}, {"bbox": [80, 1489, 1140, 1568], "category": "Text", "text": "The recourse to an award of a grant without a call for proposals is justified because the action has characteristics requiring a specific type of beneficiary for its technical competence and its high degree of specialisation and administrative powers according to article 195(f) of the Financial Regulation (FR). CAON is an experienced partner,"}, {"bbox": [68, 1621, 1155, 1686], "category": "Footnote", "text": "³ www.sanctionsmap.eu. Please note that the sanctions map is an IT tool for identifying the sanctions regimes. The source of the sanctions stems from legal acts published in the Official Journal (OJ). In case of discrepancy between the published legal acts and the updates on the website it is the OJ version that prevails."}, {"bbox": [1039, 1688, 1156, 1711], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "Page 13 of 17"}]