HDC is a partner in an international consortium led by GFA Consulting based in Hamburg, Germany. The consortium provides rapid-response short-term technical assistance to European Union delegations via the Lot 9 framework. We assist with projects in the culture sector.
Lot 9
Framework Contracts (FWC) are the European Union's (EU) mechanism for recruiting experts to provide short-term advisory services at very short notice – normally within about 3 weeks. The technical assistance, via individual assignments, may be required at any stage of the project cycle from the design of projects through to final evaluation, and may cover any sector(s) within a given technical field.
The European Union FWCs are divided into several thematic lots (health, rural development etc), as well as by who they are designed to benefit, i.e. EU delegations or beneficiaries of EU external aid (known as BENEF). CfBT currently manages an FWC BENEF known as Lot 9 – there are 12 lots. Lot 9 covers the education, culture, training, labour market and employment and social sectors specifically.
Assistance is delivered by the consortium via individual assignments through specific contacts. The objectives of each assignment are described in a Terms of Reference which are issued as 'requests for services' by European Union (EU) delegations around the world. Each request has a maximum contract value of €200,000, and is sent to a maximum of four pre-selected consortia who respond through a competitive process. Consortia are notified of the results of their bids two weeks thereafter and the successful contractor proceeds with mobilising their team of experts within a few days or weeks.
In 2013 the consortium was awarded projects in:
- Malawi
- Djibouti
- Greenland