GP Biological Waste (Bio-Waste) 2005

In the OP infrastructure, measures under 3.4 Waste Management can be applied to financing measures specified in the GP on the Collection and Classification System, and in the GP on Biological Waste. However, since the purpose of both GPs is to support “small“ applicants whose requirements would not qualify for funding from EU resources and, moreover, mere processing of the application would be demotivating and financially discouraging. Requirement remains at CZK 3,000,000

GP Energy Supply from Renewable Resources

In the OP infrastructure, measures under 3.3 Improvement of Environmental Protection Infrastructure can be applied to financing the measures specified in the GP. The GP focuses mostly on the processing of project documentation to be used as support material for applications for funding from other sources. The part for realization support is designated for “small“ applicants whose requirements would not qualify for funding from EU resources and, moreover, mere processing of the application would be demotivating and financially discouraging. Requirement reduced to CZK 2,000,000.

GP Vysočina Countryside 2005

The GP focuses exclusively on support for project documentation processing to be used as material for applications for funding from other sources. Requirement reduced to CZK 2,000,000.

GP Regional Culture V

The Grant Program supports cultural events of non-professional arts every year and is very popular. Consequently, there is an overwhelming number of applicants and far too great demand for support. The Vysočina Region is very keen on taking up the opportunity to profile itself successfully, especially in the area of cultural events. Requirement remains at CZK 2,000,000.

GP Public Internet Access (PIAP, public libraries)

The aim of the GP is to reinforce broadband connections on a regional scale, assure connectivity for the broadest range of users possible, set up locations with public access to the Internet, public libraries, and PIAP Requirement remains at CZK 1,500,000.

GIS Programs

The GP ties onto last year’s GIS IV objectives. Considerations are being made as to whether to announce one GP with subprograms, or divide subprograms into individual GPs: GIS V - Infrastructure, DTM (Digital Technical Map), geo-data acquisition, geo-data integration, geo-database, application, human resources, and enlightenment. Implementation of basic GIS will probably be prerequisite to successful drawing of funds under IOP measures. Requirement for CZK 1,000,000.

GP Unused Landmarks

The Vysočina Region features a great number of cultural landmarks owned by various proprietors, mostly municipalities, which are not being used and are deteriorating. Founded upon the initiative of the Regional Cultural Commission, OKPP, Association of Vysočina Towns and Municipalities, the Grant Program aims to help the proprietors process the necessary documentation (feasibility studies, architectural studies, etc.) for adequate exploitation of the unused landmarks and make qualified decisions about optional financing of their costly restoration from other sources. Requirement remains at CZK 2,000,000.

GP Waste Collection and Separation 2006

The GP is designed to help establish an integrated system of communal waste collection and separation. In 2006, the GP should be fully financed from the funds of Ekokom a.s., in accordance with the provisions of Supplement No. 2 of the Pilot Project Agreement (Contract of Cooperation) – CZK 2.2 mio. In the OP infrastructure, measures under 3.4 Waste Management can be applied to financing the above-mentioned measures. However, since the purpose of both GPs is to support “small“ applicants whose requirements would not qualify for funding from EU resources and, moreover, mere processing of the application would be demotivating and financially discouraging. Requirement for 0. (Ekonom.a.s. – CZK 2.2 mio)

GP Sports Arenas 2006

The Ministry of Education, Youth, and sports only finances much larger projects. The EU funds do not offer any solution for this type of need, nor is support available from any other sources. The GP focuses on supplementary financing of the construction and maintenance of sports arenas. In the past years, the GP has always had an overwhelming number of applicants and was highly successful. Requirement for 3,000,000.

GP Camps 2006

Support is not available from other sources. The GP focuses on supplementary financing of necessary maintenance of camping facilities used for summer camping for children and youths. Such maintenance is essential due to hygienic and other regulations. The GP is dedicated to development of camping facilities and support for summer activities. In the past years, the GP has been very successful. Requirement for 1,000,000.

GP One-time Events 2006

Support is not available from other sources. The GP focuses on one-time events in the Region’s municipalities with participation of children and youths. In 2006, the GP supported events other than sports championships, which are subsidized directly from the regional budget. In the past years, the GP has always had an overwhelming overhang of applicants and was highly successful. The total amount has been reduced by CZK 500,000, due to (a) availability of subsidies for sports championships from the budget and (b) planned support from all-sports collegium (member organizations of the all-sports collegium have been excluded from the Program) Requirement for CZK 1,000,000.

GP Safe Roads 2006

Focus is on small-scale campaigns with the aim to avert negative development in the area of road traffic safety.  Support is given to measures that are supposed to reduce occurrence of the most common cause of traffic accidents – speeding, in order to improve the traffic situation above all in municipalities. It is the only type of support available for this type of small-scale campaigns. There is no concurrency of subsidies from other sources. Requirement for CZK 2,000,000.

GP Development of Microregions 2006

While preparing the Principles of Rural Renaissance of Vysočina in 2006, the Regional Development Committee excluded the area of B-subsidies from the Principles on the premise that support for microregional projects would be financed through GPs funded from the V.F. The objective of the GP is to help municipalities implement joint projects under the umbrella of a common theme, as this approach has proved to be successful in terms of access to EU funding. The Program ties onto a GP that was announced already in 2003 with the objective to help reinforce partnerships amongst municipalities and microregions (absorption capacity of territories). Requirement for CZK 6,000,000.

GP Modernization of Accommodation Facilities 2006

The GP will concentrate on augmenting the standard of accommodation facilities in the category of camps, tourist hostels, private B & B in the country, pensions, and hotels; support will be given primarily to SME projects that are too small to qualify for funding under the Vysočina GP "Support for Regional and Local Tourism Infrastructure in the Vysočina Region", under 4.2.2 SROP, or under public-benefit projects, due to minimum eligibility requirement (CZK 2 mio). In the first round of the GP, twice as many applications were filed than could be satisfied; therefore, the volume of funds was increased in the second round, and greater volume of funding is being proposed also for the third round of the GP. Requirement for CZK 3,000,000.

GP Voluntary Tourism Infrastructure 2006

The suggested activities that help improve the standard of services in tourism (information system of educational trails, construction and improvement of tourist trails, provisions for tourists on hiking and biking trails, setting up and improving equestrian trails (hippo trails), building of horse hitching posts, infrastructure of winter stadiums, and the like) are not substantial enough to qualify for support from other funding sources.  Support for restoration of equestrian trails and úvazišť suitably complements another regional project called "Mapping of Equestrian Trails and Horse Hitching Stations in Vysočina". As above, it applies to projects that would be qualify, volume-wise, are too small to qualify for funding under 4.2.2 SROP, as a private public-benefit project. Requirement for CZK 3,000,000.

GP Treasury Box of Vysočina 2006

The program “Treasury Box of Vysočina“ alternates with program “We Like It in the Library“. Both programs focus primarily on conservation of cultural heritage (collection items in museums and galleries, and books for small libraries) in the Region’s municipalities and towns. These programs are highly appreciated by the local administrations of municipalities and towns, as they clearly further their development and enrich their cultural life. There are no funding options for these areas from other financial sources. Requirement for CZK 2,000,000.

GP Clean Water 2006

The objective of the GP is produce studies and project documentation (PD) related to drinking water supply, as well as drainage and purification of waste water, with the aim to increase the share of the population supplied with water from the public water system, including availability of quality drinking water and renovation of outdated and no longer fully functional drinking water systems and waste water purification systems. Furthermore, the aim is to increase the share of inhabitants who are connected to the public sewer system, including improvement of the effectiveness of the purification process. This is the only GP in the measures 3.3 PRK and we therefore ascribe maximum importance to it. Most of these PDs (primarily for the purposes of zoning and construction proceedings) are instrumental for applications for funding, whether from the EU (structural funds, cohesion funds) or from other sources of funding (Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of the Environment, State Fund for the Environment, the Region, etc.). There is no other support for PD processing. Requirement for CZK 6,000,000.

GP Metropolitan Networks V

The program supports projects that concentrate on creating and developing basic communication infrastructure and building up broadband networks in the Region’s municipalities. Although the SF also addresses these issues, the funds are hard to access for many municipalities, especially the small ones. The program is linked to structural funds. According to the current version of SROP, which prefers public Internet, support for related projects can be expected in the next planning period. The program supplements backbone networks – e.g., Rowanet. Requirement for CZK 2,500,000.

GP SME Development 2006

This activity complements an existing program from SROP, but it is designed exclusively for business entities that are not eligible for any support under the SROP (i.e., locally limited projects in municipalities with extended jurisdiction: Havlíčkův Brod, Pelhřimov, Pacov, Humpolec, Světlá n/S, Chotěboř, Žďár, Velké Meziříčí, Jihlava). Entrepreneurs will not obtain any direct support (in the above localities) from any other source. Even though the GP under preparation will not have a direct or immediate effect on the absorption capacity in the region, the supported entrepreneurs’ position is bound to get stronger, so that they would be in a better position to apply for support from the SF in the next program period of 2007 – 2013. Requirement for CZK 6,000,000.

GP Village Development 2006

These are small-scale activities concentrating on reconstruction and reparation of communal property in different localities of towns and villages. These activities may also be subsidized from the Program for Rural Renaissance of Vysočina, provided that the municipality gives preference to the given locality over the “parent“ municipality. This is the only type of support available for this small-scale activities (larger-scale projects qualify for support from EU funds). As it is impossible to cover all types of projects at a time, the focus of the GP is always limited to 1-2 areas – concrete specification is set forth during the preparatory phase of the GP (probable orientation: street lighting and local radio broadcasting). Requirement for CZK 3,000,000.

GP Research and Innovation Development 2006

Innovation and research activities conducted on internal corporate level do not qualify for support from state or European sources which are strictly contingent on the existence of a contract of cooperation with a scientific research center or university. The GP under preparation is, on the contrary, linked to development of research and innovation activities that the given company conducts “on its own", but is bound by obligations arising from a trademark, industrial design, or patent. The GP under preparation will have a substantial effect on the absorption capacity in the Vysočina Region. Since extraordinary attention will be devoted to research, development, and innovations in the program period of 2007 – 2013, along with enormous financial support from our GP, SMEs should have a fairly good chance to obtain support from the SF in the new program period. Moreover, we will include the GP in the Jihlava Science and Technology Park (VTP), currently under preparation, which means that we will offer capacities to companies for conducting their own applied research in the future. The input of these companies should help develop the VTP and its operation should be financed from the programs of the new program period of 2007 – 2013. Requirement for CZK 2,000,000.

GP Crime Prevention 2006

This activity has priority amongst specific crime prevention programs on primary secondary, and tertiary level, i.e., in working with risk groups of potential and actual victims, as well as perpetrators, covering a wide range of target age groups. Support is not available from other sources. Demand for these programs supersedes offer by far, specifically by 800,000. The GP helps increase safety in the Region, reduce the crime rate, and mitigate the consequences for the victims of crime. The GP has no effect on the absorption capacity of the Region with respect to EU funding. Requirement for CZK 1,500,000.

GP Vysočina Edition IV

Publishing subject books and popular science publications on prominent personages, historic events, cultural and natural heritage of the Vysočina Region receives no support from the state or other EU funds. The development program significantly subsidizes publishing of certain unique books and publications. It effectively promotes the Region (credentials and acknowledgements in publications, reviews in the press, participation of regional officials at autographing events). Requirement for CZK 2,000,000.

GP Biological Waste 2006

The GP aims to support comprehensive biological waste management systems. In the OP infrastructure, measures under 3.4 on Waste Management could be financed through both GPs. However, the objective of both GP is to support “small“ applicants whose requirements would not qualify for funding from EU resources as mere processing of the application would be demotivating and financially discouraging.. Applicants that receive funding under this GP help the Region reach its goals specified in the Vysočina Waste Management Plan that the ZK approved in July 2004 and follow the EU Directive on decreasing the share of biologically degradable waste deposited in dumps and its reuse. In addition to containers for biological waste, the GP supports also the processing of project documentation for construction or zoning proceedings for building biological waste processing facilities, i.e., PD as part of an application for financing from national or European programs for constructing a facility for the processing of biological waste. Requirement for CZK 2,000,000.

GP General Plans of Barrier-free Routes

In 2004, already, a GP for barrier-free Vysočina was announced with focus on removing structural barriers in public buildings built before the enactment of the condition of mandatory barrier-free routes for the handicapped. The national development program of mobility for all has however become a new source of available funding for these purposes, provided that the municipality where such a project is to be realized will have a general plan of barrier-free routes. In 2005, the OSVZ prepared a continuation of the GP for barrier-free Vysočina, but abandoned the idea without presenting the plan after making the above findings. In order to help the Vysočina municipalities develop the ability to draw funds from the above national source, we propose to support their effort to work out their own general plans of barrier-free routes. Thus, the absorption capacity of the Region for funding from these sources will be increased and, simultaneously, the municipalities will address the need for removing barriers for the handicapped more systematically when European funds will likely be allocated to this area of activity in the future. Requirement for CZK 1,500,000.

GP Volunteerism 2006

This grant program should enable current providers of training for volunteers to receive financial support for expanding their volunteer activities into hitherto unexplored areas and categories of social and health care services. The funds put into this sphere of activity, which cannot be obtained from other sources, would have multiple effect on the quality of public services in the Region and help regenerate and develop the human potential in it. Volunteer activities would help improve the living conditions in the Region’s residential services; presumably, the absorption capacity of the Region’s civic sector for funding from the European Structural Funds will increase, along with improvement of the quality of the social services provided by volunteers, as well as their qualifications. In 2005 the planned volume of subsidies amounted to CZK 600,000, but due to lower amount of finances in the given allocation and ineffective evaluation of low-budget programs, the requirement was not realistic, as the GP for barrier-free Vysočina is being prepared from the same allocation and is to be announced as a separate program. Requirement for CZK 2,500,000.

GP Certifications 2006

Certifications and attestations are not drawing support from any state or European sources, yet they significantly improve the competitiveness of the companies that own them. In view of the limited volume of funds in the V.F., programs of this type constitute an ideal opportunity for giving a little support to emerging entrepreneurs in the Vysočina Region. Tying onto similar GPs in the preceding years, the program has a strong tradition and its announcement is guaranteed to draw an adequate number of qualified applicants. Although the GP under preparation will not have a direct or immediate effect on the absorption capacity in the Region, it should reinforce the market position of the supported entrepreneurs, thus giving them a better chance to obtain funds from the SF in the new program period of 2007 – 2013. Requirement for CZK 1,500,000.

GP Public Access to the Internet III

The aim of the program is to promote broadband connections in the Region, assure connectivity for as many users as possible, establish places with the Internet for the public, provide libraries in that respect, and establish PIAPs. According to the current version of the SROP, public-access internet is preferred, so that support to contingent projects is anticipated in the next planning period. Requirement for CZK 1,000,000.

GP WebPages

Financial means will be used for creating new WebPages, improving the quality of the current ones (inserting dynamic elements, acquisition of editing systems, establishment of an electronic filing facility, language mutations, blind-friendly technology, …). Recipients of support: municipalities and towns in the Region, mass media, microregions. Requirement for CZK 500,000.

GP Living in the Country 2006

Support for this type of housing (individual communal apartments, providing land lots with engineering networks to further new housing construction in municipalities) is not available from the EU funds at all. The GP focuses exclusively on support for processing the project documentation necessary for the municipality’s application for subsidies for construction from the state’s housing programs. The GP is a continuation of earlier successful grant programs. Requirement for CZK 1,500,000.

GP ICT Security II

The aim of the program is to support increase in the ICT security level in the Region’s municipalities and town, with emphasis on security of the ICT means. The program focuses on concrete issues, such as implementation of ICT protection in the area of antiviral and anti spasm programs (spam, spyware, adware, malware), OS updating (“patching“), network security (firewalls, IDS, IPS), backup, data redundancy and network infrastructure control, and prevention (penetration tests, prophylaxis, security guidelines, etc.). Requirement for CZK 300,000.

GP Metropolitan Networks VI

This grant program is still running and a commentary to it will appear in Annual Report 2007.