Poskytování dotací na municipální úrovni v roce 2024: případová studie města Klášterce nad Ohří

This thesis contributes to a comprehensive assessment of the subsidy policy of the town of Klášterec nad Ohří in 2024. A total of 117 subsidy applications were recorded, 90 % of which received financial support from the town. Applicants are paid a total of 14 631 582 CZK; the total amount of the original requests is 16 712 922 CZK, and 680 592 CZK is returned to the city budget. The evaluation methodology itself, titled “Grant Application Form,” is applied to all 117 submitted applications. The evaluation shows that 79 % of applicants meet the formal application requirements and 81 % meet the settlement requirements. Financial audits were conducted in 13 % of cases and on-site inspections in only 5 % of cases. Consultations are utilized by 23 % of applicants during the application submission phase and by 28 % during the settlement phase. Feedback from the questionnaire survey among applicants was obtained from 41 respondents. The data collected indicate a low level of digitization of the process; 78 % of applicants submit their applications in person at the reception desk, while only 5 % of them use a data box. 80 % of respondents consider the published information on grant programs to be understandable and sufficient; however, 29 % of applicants are asked to supplement their documentation during the process. The study also includes consultations with relevant city hall staff, which help identify the current administrative and organizational limitations and strengths of the city’s grant system. Based on a synthesis of the results from the evaluation of grant applications, information obtained from city hall staff, and feedback from applicants, specific recommendations are proposed: among other things, digitizing the entire process via an online grant portal, implementing precise weightings and verbal descriptions in the evaluation methodology, and standardizing formal requirements across individual grant programs. The methodology used to prepare this thesis is, with appropriate minor modifications, widely applicable in other Czech municipalities as well.