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Institution “Agency of Regional Development in Ternopil Region” acting as an Operator of the Small Project Fund under Interreg NEXT Poland – Ukraine 2021-2027 Programme, is launching a call for external experts to evaluate small project applications submitted within the Programme priority ENVIRONMENT.
Background information
Agency of Regional Development in Ternopil Region has taken up the role of Small Project Fund Beneficiary of the named Small Project Fund, thus becoming responsible for management of the Programme priority Environment, including selection and monitoring of small projects financed within.
The first call for proposals for small projects was launched on 5th May 2026 and the deadline for submission of proposals is 24th June 2026. Minimum amount of grant funding to be applied for is 20,000 EUR and the maximum is 90,000 EUR. Each small projects anticipates financing by beneficiaries in the share of 10% of total eligible costs. The total amount published in the first call for proposals was 4.0 million EUR. Budgeting principle of small projects follows simplified cost option (lump-sum approach). You can find more information in the Manual for Small Projects and its annexes via the following link: https://ternopil.agency/en/projects/interreg/documents/.
The procedure anticipates the following steps in evaluation of project proposals:
- Formal and eligibility assessment of small project applications;
- Small project quality assessment.
Objective of the call for external experts
The purpose of this call is to invite qualified candidates with proven experience and expertise in cross-border cooperation, regional development, and the Programme priority area ENVIRONMENT to apply for inclusion in the Pool of Assessors. This pool will serve as a mechanism to ensure a professional, impartial, and consistent approach to the evaluation of project proposals.
The process is as follows: (1) candidates submit their applications; (2) the Agency of Regional Development in Ternopil Region (ARD) assesses the candidatures and those selected are included in the Pool of Experts; (3) from this Pool, a list of proposed experts is submitted to the Small Project Fund Committee (SPFC), which approves the composition of the Pool of Experts; (4) the ARD signs individual agreements with each expert included in this Panel.
It should be noted that inclusion in the Pool of Experts does not automatically oblige the SPF Beneficiary to use the expert’s services in assessing funding applications. Furthermore, it cannot constitute grounds for the expert to make any claims, including financial claims, towards the SPF Beneficiary.
Selected assessors will be responsible for conducting quality assessments of small projects’ applications submitted under the current first Call for Proposals.
The assessors will also be required to review the coherence and justification of the budgets proposed by small project applicants, ensuring that planned expenditures are clearly linked to project activities, outputs, and objectives, and that they are reasonable and realistic in relation to the proposed results.
Scope of activities and results
The Agency of Regional Development in Ternopil Region will select the assessors to take part in the evaluation on the basis of alignment of their CVs with the requirements of this call.
Assessment of each small project application will be done by 2 assessors and the final score will be an arithmetical average of both scores. Allocation of projects per assessors will be the responsibility of the Agency of Regional Development in Ternopil Region. The assessors will implement their review on the basis of pre-defined evaluation procedure and criteria presented in programme documentation and the Manual for small projects (See also Annex 9 of the Manual, Rules of Procedure for the selection and work of experts for the Small Project Fund).
Each expert will be required to participate in online training session which will focus on the methodological approach and organization of the assessment process.
The SPF Beneficiary appoints the Chairman of the Team of experts, who is fully responsible for the formal and procedural correctness of the qualitative assessment of small projects. The Chairperson does not evaluate small projects.
The results of assessor’s work will be:
- Scores awarded by criteria for each application checked;
- Strengths and weaknesses assessed and presented per criteria and generally at the level of each application;
- Assessment of the budget – lump sums – with a set of recommendations for amendments (if any needed) for each application;
- The completed project assessment sheets are forwarded to the SPF Beneficiary in both electronic and paper form.
Remuneration
An assessor will be entitled to a fixed fee for each application evaluated in due deadline. The specific remuneration will be presented during the interview/recruitment process. Number of assessment per expert will depend on the number of small project applications received. Equal distribution amongst selected assessors is anticipated.
Requirements regarding the profiles of the experts
The experts submitting their candidacy under this call will comply with the criteria as listed below. The requirements need to be fully respected, in opposite case the applications will be rejected. The exception are the criteria defined as ‘’would be advantage’’ which will add to the final score if complied-with.
Qualification and skills:
- Possession of in-depth knowledge of the Polish or Ukrainian context and regional specificities;
- Have not been convicted of an intentional crime or an intentional fiscal offence by a judgment which has the force of res judicata;
- Are not employed by the SPF Beneficiary;
- Have a university degree;
- Be fluent in speaking, reading and writing English (C1-C2);
- Be computer savvy (major work to be completed within an IT application).
General professional experiences:
- Have experience in the preparation and/or implementation of projects;
- Have proven experience in the thematic fields of the Programme Priority and the specific objectives covered by the 1st Call for Proposals (ENVIRONMENT).
Specific professional experiences:
- Have specific experiences in the preparation and/or implementation and/or evaluation of projects financed by European funds,
- Have knowledge of issues and regulations concerning the use of European Union assistance funds, including in particular the Interreg NEXT Poland-Ukraine 2021-2027 Programme (knowledge of the Programme and the Manual for small projects)
- Hands-on experiences in cross-border cooperation context will be considered as advantage;
- Experiences in evaluation of proposals in context of EU grant schemes will be considered as advantage;
- Experiences in financial management within EU projects/programmes, in particularly in context of simplified cost option will be considered as advantage.
Selection process
The assessors will be selected on the basis of alignment of their CVs with the above conditions. Any candidate not complying with requirements will be excluded from selection process. The following scoring system will be established:
- Qualifications and skills: 30 points;
- General professional experiences: 30 points;
- Specific professional experiences: 40 points.
The ARD might apply additional steps in selection process such as interview or written exercise if deemed necessary.
Depending on the number of proposals received, 4-6 candidates will be invited to contract signature. The template of the contract will be communicated during the recruitment process.
Rules for submission
The Agency of Regional Development in Ternopil Region kindly invites interested experts to submit the following documents:
- A professional resume (CV in Europass format) and
- A motivation letter (free format);
- Diploma/certificate(s) proving the fulfilment of the aforementioned conditions;
- Declaration: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WaD6eQx-MIUEhwQR06q5_6EC3Yuahxk8/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=102720907297943911281&rtpof=true&sd=true
The applications are to be submitted by email to ternopil.crosseco@gmail.com no later than 24nd of June 2026, 16:00 Kyiv time. Title of the letter: “Call for experts PLUA.04.01/SPF – CrossEco.”
The Agency of Regional Development in Ternopil Region reserves the right to cancel this call for experts at any stage in case of changed circumstances and cessation of need, without further obligation towards candidates.
