Is the lead bidder part of the steering committee?
As defined in Article 1.8 (y) of the Programme Implementation Agreement, the Steering Committee is the governing body of the Fund Operator consortium. According to the glossary in Appendix 1 to the Terms of Reference, the Lead Bidder is the main interlocutor between the bidder consortium and the FMO, i.e. a role which is taken on by one of the organisations in the consortium. The Lead Bidder of the selected consortium becomes the Consortium Lead of the Fund Operator.
There is no requirement in the legal framework regarding representation on the Steering Committee. However, as the Consortium Lead is required to receive the highest portion of the management fee and has the overall responsibility for the implementation of the programme, it would be natural for the Consortium Lead to be represented in the Steering Committee.
Who takes part in the Steering committee?
There is no requirement in the legal framework regarding representation on the Steering Committee. However, as the Consortium Lead is required to receive the highest portion of the management fee and has the overall responsibility for the implementation of the programme, it would be natural for the Consortium Lead to be represented in the Steering Committee. To facilitate communication and cooperation within the consortium, it is also advised that there is a clear connection between the consortium member organisations and the members of the Steering Committee. A good practice could be to have one representative from each Consortium Member.