MCAA Leadership Micro Grant 2025-26

Call for Applications

PRESENTATION AND OBJECTIVES OF THE
MCAA LEADERSHIP MICRO GRANTS (LMG)

The Leadership Micro Grants (LMGs) provides financial assistance to cover expenses related to capacity building in leadership and career development of MCAA Board members. These grants are exclusively available to the eleven members of the MCAA Board.

LEADERSHIP MICRO GRANT (LMG) — RULES AND PROCEDURES

1. Timeline of the Call
2. Goals and scope of the LMGs
a. For what types of activities can the LMG be used?
Eligibile activities
b. What's the maximum amount in euros for an LMG?
c. What types of costs are eligible to be reimbursed though the LMG?
d. How to estimate the amount to be requested for an LMG?
3. Eligibility criteria
4. How to apply
5. Evaluation of applications
Directly or indirectly benefit to the MCAA
Commitment to sharing the knowledge acquired
6. Event participation and reporting
7. Reimbursement procedure and rules
a. What are the reimbursement rules, and what documents are required?
b. What happens if applicants cannot use the awarded LMG?

1. Timeline of the Call

Call publication	25 May 2025
Call closing:	20 July 2026
Event/Activity period:	26 May 2025 - 20 August 2026
Application period:	Continuous
Communication of results to applicants:	Within 30 calendar days of submission
Acceptance confirmation:	Within five calendar days of approval
Submission of report & reimbursement requests:	Within 20 calendar days after the activity takes place.

2. Goals and scope of the LMGs

a. For what types of activities can the LMGs be used?

The LMGs can be used exclusively for participating in the following activities:

Eligible activities

Online education, courses, events

Onsite education, courses, events

Other individual career development activities

b. What's the maximum amount in euros for an LMG?

The maximum reimbursement amount in euros is 2,000 Euros for each one of six ordinary Board members, and 3,000 euros for each one of the five Executive Committee Board members, for the whole duration of their mandates, and for one or more applications, until the maximum amount is reached.

A Board member is entitled to the maximum LMG amount during their mandate. In the case of re-election, this entitlement extends throughout the duration of the Captain Project. Any unspent amount from the previous mandate may be carried over and used in the new mandate, up to the maximum limit.

c. What types of costs are eligible to be reimbursed through the LMG?

Eligible expenses

A) Travel costs

• Economy class travel by plane, train, bus, or ferry.
• Bicycle and scooter rental.
• Taxis and ride-hailing services (e.g., Uber, etc.) are reimbursable only when public transport is unavailable or under justified conditions (e.g., group travel or very early/late departures). The reimbursement request must include a clear justification. The MCAA Secretariat reserves the right to reject any claim deemed insufficient or inappropriate.
• Car travel can be reimbursed at €0.4269/km, subject to prior written authorisation and valid justification.

Travel must occur no earlier than one day before and no later than one day after the event. Intercontinental travellers may arrive up to days in advance. Travel outside this window requires prior authorisation from the MCAA Secretariat.

Return tickets to a destination other than the place of departure and the place of residence require prior authorisation from the MCAA Secretariat.

B) Accomodation costs

• Affordable or shared accommodation in up to 4-star hotels or other accommodation providers (e.g. Airbnb, Booking.com) that provide official invoices.
• The duration is limited to the event plus one night before and (if necessary) one night after the same.
• The cost ceilings must be aligned with the Belgian Moniteur Belge rates for non-profit associations. Please note that the MCAA Secretariat may update the MCAA Internal Travel Guideline based on updates to the Moniteur Belge. The MCAA Internal Travel Guideline will be the basis for the approved reimbursement amount, which might be lower than the amount mentioned in the Travel Guideline.

C) Visa processing fees

• Reimbursable only if directly linked to the event participation and declared in the application.
• Third-party processing, postage, or unrelated visa services are not covered.

D) Subsistence costs

• Limited to meals and non-alcoholic beverages, only if not provided by the event organisers. The costs should be within a reasonable limit.

E) Registration fees
• Registration fees for training activities like courses, conferences.
• Subscription fees

Non-eligible expenses

• Premium travel services, extra luggage, insurance, cancellation, rebooking, or fee changes.
• Meals covered by event organisers.
• Personal expenses (e.g., SIM cards, pharmacy items, mini bar, etc.)
• Fuel, tolls, parking, and car rental.
• Travel/health insurance.
• Bank fees (deducted from reimbursement).
• Expenses not supported by valid documentation.

d. How to estimate the amount to be requested for an LMG?

Applicants must provide an accurate estimate for all the expenses.

Registration and subscription fees

Travel expenses: Estimation should be done based on current market rates, and low-cost options are recommended. Green forms of travel such as rail, are preferred as an alternative to flights. The MCAA Secretariat will revise submissions beyond the normal price range.

Accommodation expenses: Affordable accommodation required for the duration of the event and aligned with approved rate ceilings. The MCAA Secretariat will define the final amount based on the rate ceilings.

Subsistence expenses: To be requested only if the organisers do not provide meals. Only expenses for food and nonalcoholic beverages are reimbursable.

The MCAA Secretariat will evaluate the applicant’s estimated budget based on actual costs and market prices. The final amount will be communicated upon the activity approval. The MCAA Secretariat reserves the right to set cost ceilings for specific events.

3. Eligibility criteria

To apply for and receive LMG, applicants must meet one of the following conditions:

• Be one of the six Ordinary Board members of the MCAA, or
• Be one of the five ExCom Board members.

In addition, applicants must:

• Not receive duplicate funding from other EU sources for the same activity
• Have a bank account in a country unaffected by restrictive measures imposed by the European Union. As of this call publication date, the countries with restrictions are Cuba, Iran, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Sudan, the Syrian Arab Republic, and Russia.

4. How to apply

Applications must be submitted using the official form on the MCAA website. The call is open throughout the year.

Applications should be submitted ideally one month before the start of the activity to allow evaluation and approval. Applications submitted closer to the start date of the activity might not be evaluated on time by the MCAA Secretariat and, therefore, might be rejected. Applications submitted after the activity date will not be accepted.

Important: Submission of an application does not imply entitlement to funding. Applicants are strongly advised not to commit to expenses until they have received formal approval and accepted the micro-grant. The MCAA is not responsible for any expenses incurred by applicants before the concurrence of the following: (a) the evaluation process has been finalised, (b) the MCAA Secretariat has communicated the results to applicants, and (c) the awarded applicants have confirmed the acceptance of the LMGs. Likewise, the MCAA will not reimburse members for any travel or accommodation costs if the event is cancelled for whatever reason.

5. Evaluation of applications

The MCAA Secretariat will assess applications based on the following criteria and scores:

Criterion	Description	Score (points)
Clarity and feasibility of the proposal	Is the application well-written, with clear objectives, outcomes, and timeline?	0 to 25
Appropriateness of the estimated costs	Are the proposed expenses reasonable, necessary, and well-justified in relation to the activity?	0 to 25
Relevance as a leadership development activity	Is the activity clearly aligned with the applicant’s career leadership goals?	0 to 20
Directly or indirectly benefit to the MCAA	Will this activity significantly enhance the applicant’s role on the MCAA Board or beyond?	0 to 20
Commitment to sharing the knowledge acquired	Has the applicant proposed a plan to share what they learn and apply it?	0 to 10

Applicants may be contacted for clarification or adjustment. Results will be communicated within 15 days of submission (or potential clarification). Awardees must confirm acceptance within five days.

6. Activity participation and reporting

After the completion of the activity or event, the grantee must submit a report to the MCAA containing:

• Event takeaways
• Relevant materials, such as the agenda, banners, or others
• A photo proving presence at the event, if applicable

If the awardee cannot attend the event for any reason, they must inform the MCAA as soon as possible so that the application can be cancelled. Failure to communicate this before the event will be considered negatively for future applications.

7. Reimbursement procedure and rules

To be reimbursed for expenses incurred during the scope of the approved LMG, grantees must:

• Complete the dedicated Reimbursement Request Form on the MCAA website within 20 calendar days after the event.
• Submit scanned supporting documents.
• Ensure all documents are issued in their name.

Reimbursements will be processed in EUR based on the European Commission’s InfoEuro exchange rate, applicable on the first day of the month of the event.

a. What are the reimbursement rules, and what documents are required?

The following reimbursement rules apply:

• All reimbursed individuals must be Board members.
• The reimbursement will be calculated based on real costs, that is, the sum of all eligible receipts/documents presented at the time of the reimbursement submission, and considering the grantee’s maximum approved LMG amount. Expenses for which the grantee has not submitted a supporting document will not be reimbursed.
• Members will not be reimbursed for any costs if they have not attended the event. If, for medical reasons or reasons beyond their control, the grantee cannot attend the event, approval from the MCAA Secretariat is necessary to process the reimbursement.
• Expenses incurred in currencies other than the euro must be converted into euro using the InfoEuro exchange rate calculator based on the first day of the month in which the event is organised. Grantees must complete the template considering the InfoEuro rate and submit the total reimbursable amount in euros.
• The LMG grantees are MCAA members, who are volunteers and not employees, and, therefore, do not receive remuneration. The MCAA does not provide insurance for travel-related incidents. Grantees are advised to have adequate insurance (e.g. personal insurance, travel insurance, employer-provided insurance, credit card travel insurance, etc.) to cover delays, cancellations, or accidents during their travel. The MCAA recommends that applicants from countries outside Europe apply in advance for the free European Health Insurance Card (EHIC).
• Bank fees related to money transfers, currency exchange, or similar charges will be deducted from the reimbursed amount. The MCAA does not verify bank details for non-EU transactions. The applicant will be charged any bank fees related to failed payments due to incorrect information.
• Grantees do not have to submit the original (paper) receipts/invoices when requesting reimbursement. However, members must keep the originals for at least five (5) years, as the MCAA and/or the European Commission may request them for auditing purposes. If the member prefers not to keep the originals for such a period, they can mail them to: Marie Curie Alumni Association (MCAA), Avenue des Arts 24, 1000 Brussels, Belgium.
• LMG grantees may be required to repay any sums paid in error.

All the supporting documents must be issued in the name of the grantee requesting the reimbursement and must be uploaded to the Reimbursement Request Form, as described in the table below.

Category	Supporting documents to submit
Travel costs (when applicable)	• Invoices, boarding passes, tickets, and booking confirmations. The price and the name of the grantee must be indicated. This is not required for local transportation when the travel date AND the price are indicated in the tickets. • For a visa, all supporting documents should be submitted, such as a receipt/stamp from the embassy/consulate and the paid amount.
Accommodation (when applicable)	Invoice from the hotel or platform (e.g. Airbnb, Booking.com) with the traveller’s name, amount paid per night, indication of whether breakfast was included, and the total amount paid. Booking confirmations are NOT accepted as proof.
*Participation in the event/activity (mandatory)**	Proof of attendance (name badge, certificates, etc.), and a photograph taken at the event showing the event banner and the grantee.
Report of the Activity (mandatory)	Brief report and photo of the event.

b. What happens if applicants cannot use the awarded LMG?

Given the limited budget for LMGs, awarded grants that will not be used must be cancelled promptly.