The La Laguna City Council’s Governing Board, during its session last Tuesday, approved the tender for hiring specialized technical consultants to assist in the acquisition and administration of European funds for the Council. It also initiated the open procedure with urgent processing, following the administrative and technical requirements governing the tender. Additionally, it authorised the expenditure for hiring the service with a base bidding budget of 2,996,000 Euros, inclusive of IGIC, for the period 2024-2028, with 312,084 Euros allocated for the current year, as detailed in the tender file.
In recent years, there has been activation of funds by the European Union, the State Government, and the Government of the Canary Islands aimed at the recovery and transformation of territories, including local entities, to enhance economic and social development. It has become evident “the need for public administrations, particularly at the local level, to take necessary measures not only to design transformative projects but also to enhance their capabilities to secure and carry out allocated funds,” as outlined in the document.
Hence, in order to “acquire the maximum possible budget from European funds designated for the city’s recovery and transformation, ensuring they are effectively utilised to benefit citizens, the Council must seek external technical assistance to complement the required work.”
Consequently, the contract’s objective is to provide specialised technical consultancy services to support the acquisition and management of European funds for the City Council across all areas of operation.
Specifically, the required services include developing a portfolio of projects eligible for European financing; identifying sources of funding; providing guidance on applying for grants and/or subsidies; mentoring various areas of the City Council; monitoring project advancement; preventing, detecting, and rectifying fraud; assisting in project certification; and offering advice and support on other tasks related to these funds, as disclosed in the tender file.