Author: groteski

The South-East Finland – Russia CBC 2014-2020 is  Cross-Border Cooperation Programme financed jointly by the European Union, the Russian Federation and the Republic of Finland, and which core region cover South Karelia, South-Savo and Kymenlaakso in Finland and Saint Petersburg and Leningrad region in Russia. Programme total financial frame is circa 77,5 million  euros.  

By funding Finnish-Russian joint projects, the programme aims at solving challenges that note no geographical borders. Projects that are selected for funding include for example culture-, tourism-, education- and research cooperation, economic and social development, or actions that aim at preventing environmental disasters and mitigate climate change. Projects also contribute to mobility among actors of regional relevance for sustainable development of the programme area and safety at the land and sea borders.  

In March 2019, the programme has finalized selection and approval of 41 projects within four rounds of calls, in total for circa 27,6 million euros. All 10 projects that were selected for funding from the first call have signed grant contract with the Managing Authority (MA) and have launched their actions. MA will follow-up and monitor funded projects by receiving reports of the project implementation and by carrying out on-site visits. Continuous communication and dialog with the projects act as a central tool to ensure that allocated funding is used according to approved work plan. MA also continues to grant and launch selected projects and will publish feature of each round of call according to its full commitment of funds. Each project is also introduced individually. 

Fifth call for proposals for standard projects will be closed on March 27, 2019. Therefore, partners from the Programme area still have a chance to formulate a joint project and contribute to the development of the region. 

Featuring CBC projects funded under the Call 1 

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EFREA (KS1054) aims to improve cross-border institutional framework in renewable energy production in the Arctic by developing guidelines, recommendations and educational materials on implementation of lightweight energy-independent, robust, environmentally safe and cost-effective structures able to operate in the extreme temperatures.   

Project web-site: www.lut.fi
Project in social media:

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RAINMAN (KS1038) aims at answering the challenges that climate change and urban development pose to fresh water reservoirs. It focuses on the development of feasible and innovative tools to manage storm water, both in quantity and quality, in order to minimize discharge of nutrients and hazardous substances from urban areas to fresh water resources and the Gulf of Finland.

Project web-site: http://projects.gtk.fi/rainman
Project in social media: #CBC_RAINMAN

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DIGIFOR (KS1027) aims to increase the skills and competence of future workforce in the forest sector in the programme regions. The project will promote digital eLearning methods, international cooperation and connections between the working life and higher education institutes in the programme area.   

Project web-site: https://www.xamk.fi/en/research-and-development/digifor/
Project in social media: Twitter and Instagram

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INFUTURE (KS1006) aims at opening new attractive business opportunities and possibilities in the frame of inland waterways of Lake Saimaa and Volga-Balt area. Business potential is attracted by new knowledge-based innovations about environmentally friendly, cost-effective and sustainable transportation possibilities. 

Project web-site: https://www.merikotka.fi/projects/infuture/?lang=en 
Project in social media: Twitter 

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LUGABALT2 (KS1031) aims at developing environmental awareness and international interaction of target groups in Russian and Finnish pilot areas, involving wastewater treatment in rural territories, treatment of the waters from agriculture and also treatment of stormwaters with various measures. 

Project web-site: http://lugabalt.ru/ru
Project in social media: 

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STARTUP CONNECT (KS1016) will support start-up entrepreneurship and SME cooperation and form a community of active and motivated business leaders with ambitions and abilities for global success.  

Project web-site: http://startupconnect.info/ 
Project in social media: Facebook , Twitter and Instagram

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Corridor (KS1088) overall objective is to promote “St. Petersburg – Saimaa Lakeland travel corridor” as a distinct collection of travel services combining two unique destinations into one any-season tourism experience. 

Project web-site: http://www.savonlinnanyrityspalvelut.fi/english/
Project in social media: 

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SAFECON (KS1134) aims to improve work safety competence of the construction industry in the cross-border area, in order to increase the productivity of the industry as well as reduce social costs and human harms. 

Project web-site: https://safecon.fi/
Project in social media: Instagram 

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Green InterTraffic (KS1144) aims at opening new attractive opportunities for the growth of the ‘green economy’, enlarging related market conditions and rising the openness of the regional power grid for new consumers and producers. 

Project web-site: http://en.greenintertraffic.ru
Project in social media: Facebook and Twitter

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RiverGo (KS1022) objective is to increase cross-border cooperation, knowledge and awareness, both in Finland and Russia, to develop sustainable use of River Vuoksi environment and its natural resources. Project covers viewpoints of nature tourism, recreation and the maintenance and preservation of biodiversity and nature values amongst local inhabitants and visitors on both sides of the border. 

Project web-site: https://www.luke.fi/en/projects/rivergo/
Project in social media: Vkontakte and Twitter

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FACT BOX 

• South-East Finland – Russia CBC 2014-2020 
• Financial frame 77,5 Mio € 
• Core regions: South Karelia, South-Savo, Kymenlaakso, Saint Petersburg and Leningrad region 
• Managing Authority: Regional Council of South Karelia 

Keywords from the first call: Agriculture, Arctic, Business, Climate, Culture, Education, Energy production, Energy-efficiency, Environment, e-Tools, Forest, Health, ICT, Innovation, Marine, Recreation, Research, Safety, Social development, Sustainable development, Tourism, Transportation, Urban, Waste management, Water management and Youth

Managing Authority (MA), assisted by its branch office, organizes first Consultation Days for on-going projects in April aimed at supporting projects’ implementation with the result based -approach. Face-to-face meeting with lead partners and partners provides possibility for the MA to advice and address any issues that may benefit of joint dialog and contributions.

Projects may consider the need for consultation for example via following questions:

1. Are there open questions or hesitations relating for example to reporting, activities, budget, payments etc. that would benefit of the MA’s guidance?
2. Are there any thoughts relating for example to empowering of activities for more effective results that would benefit of the MA’s prior opinion?
3. Are there any questions relating to partnership or visibility where the consultation could help?

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CONSULTATION DATES AND VENUES

(1,5 hours per meeting, local time)

Lappeenranta 2.-3. April 2019 (MA premises)
South-East Finland – Russia CBC Programme
Regional Council of South Karelia | Etelä-Karjalan liitto
Kauppakatu 40 D, 1. floor, 53100 Lappeenranta FINLAND

Saint Petersburg 9.-10. April 2019 (BO premises)
Finland House | South-East Finland – Russia CBC Programme
Bolshaya Konjushennaya str. 8 B 202, 191186 St. Petersburg RUSSIA

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HOW TO BOOK APPOINTMENT?

Project partners are encouraged to have an internal discussion on possible consultation needs and if noted, to book an appointment by the lead partner following steps 1-3:

Consultation booking service is open until 27 March.

Step 1Enter the on-line booking service and select the suitable date and time from the available options.

Step 2 Fill in the requested information. Inform the number of participants and headlines of appointment topics from the project’s side in the open text box.

Step 3 Confirmation of the booked appointment is received to the given -mail address.

 

Next consultation days will take place in November 2019.

The Managing Authority has published new version of the Programme Manual that covers instructions for applying funding, information of the project evaluation and selection and implementation of the funded project. Publication dated 22/02/2019 replace the previous versions > go to PROJECT page for downloads

 

Regional Council of South Karelia, acting as the Managing Authority of the South-East Finland – Russia CBC 2014-2020 programme, is looking for a new Programme Director to lead the programme and CBC -team. Position is permanent and filled in as soon as possible. Submission deadline for application with CV is 7 March 2019 at 4 pm (Finnish time).

New director would be working with following responsibilities:

• manage and monitor the programme
• lead the MA team
• administrate programme’s operational planning and reporting
• sign the Grant Contracts with the funded projects
• promote cooperation with the regional, national and EU authorities and stakeholders
• promote regional development of the programme area by programme funding
• promote cooperation with the council’s other teams
• liaison programming 2021-2027

Read the full announcement and instructions how to apply here

Recruitment add – Programme Director

 

For further information, contact

Matti Viialainen, Regional Mayor
mobile +358 44 770 0515, email: matti.viialainen(at)ekarjala.fi

Satu Sikanen, Acting Programme Director
mobile +358 400 661 318, email: satu.sikanen(at)sefrcbc.fi / satu.sikanen(at)ekarjala.fi

Jouko Kervinen, Acting Director, Administration, Development and HR
mobile +358 50 339 0998, email: jouko.kervinen(at)ekarjala.fi

Regional Council of South Karelia seeks for new Programme Director to manage the South-East Finland – Russia CBC 2014-2020 Programme, after Mrs Päivi Ilves left her permanent post and fixed-term contract of Mrs Tiina Jauhiainen comes to an end. The announcement for the new director will be published by the end of February. Meanwhile, as of 18.2.2019, responsibilities of the acting programme director are taken by Mrs Satu Sikanen, who is currently working at the Regional Council of South Karelia as the Director of regional development.

Contact information:
Satu Sikanen, Acting Programme Director
Tel. +358 400 661 318
Email: satu.sikanen(at)sefrcbc.fi / satu.sikanen(at)ekarjala.fi

All other contacts of the MA personnel remain available as usual and there will not be any breaks in the services and functions.

Update 15/02/2019 Programme Director open vacancy announcement

In its meeting in December 2018, the Joint Monitoring Committee selected eleven (11) project proposals for funding, in total for ca. 6,8 million euros. List of awards is made available in pdf-file below.

Publication list of awards 01022019 SEFRCBC – Call 4, closed 15 June 2018

The Managing Authority contacts the lead partners of the awarded projects during February – March to launch the negotiation process for the Grant Contract. If an application is not selected to receive Programme financing, as a consequence of an administrative or technical failure caused during the assessment process, the lead applicant has a right to submit a complaint within 30 calendar days of publication of the list of awards (More information in the Programme Manual part B, chapter 9. Complaint and claim procedures).

Managing Authority office in Lappeenranta is closed on 23 January 2019 for staff training. Should you need to contact us for document delivery or in other questions, kindly consider this exception in our office services.