Grundtvig In-Service Training Call 2013
Activities starting between 01.05.2013 and 30.04.2014
(both dates inclusive)
FINAL REPORT GUIDANCE
This guidance document contains general information on, and guidance on how to fill in and submit, the
Grundtvig In-Service Training electronic report form. Your report should be submitted online as
explained in this document and a signed hard copy, together with a certificate of attendance and proof of
expenditure, should be sent to the following address within one month after the activity:
Nationaal Agentschap Leven Lang Leren:
Europees Platform – internationaliseren in onderwijs
t.a.v. Grundtvig
Postbus 1007
2001 BA HAARLEM
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REPORTING GUIDELINES FOR GRUNDTVIG IN-SERVICE
TRAINING ACTIVITIES CALL 2013
Reports for Grundtvig In-Service Training which started between 1 May 2013 and 30 April 2014 (both
dates included) must be submitted using a new online report form. You have received an e-mail from
your National Agency (the European Platform), containing a unique link to where you can download
your own report template in a writable PDF file. We recommend you install the latest version of
Adobe Reader (http://get.adobe.com/nl/reader).
General steps for completing the online Final Report Form
First you should register with the ECAS system; you have received separate instructions with the email about your final report for Grundtvig In-Service Training. You can only access your online report
form after creating a login for ECAS.
You should open the link to the Final Report form (PDF file) and save it to your own computer
before starting to fill it in. You may find it helpful to print off a complete blank report form to read
through alongside these notes.
Filling in the form
This can be done offline, i.e. you do not need to be connected to the internet during this stage.
Different sections of the form need different treatment:
Compulsory sections, which have an orange background or a red border. These sections must
be completed. The validation process (described below) will not allow you to submit the form unless
this is done.
Optional sections, which have a yellow background. These sections should be completed if
appropriate for your particular application.
Automatic sections, which have a grey background. These will be filled automatically based
on entries you make elsewhere in the form. You cannot enter data into these sections.
You can save part-completed versions of the form at any time and return to it at a later date. We
recommend you save the file regularly as you go along; un-saved data will be lost at the online
application stage.
Validating the form
This can be done offline, i.e. you do not need to be connected to the internet during this stage.
The validation will check that all necessary parts of the form have been completed. If there are any
incomplete sections, you will be prevented from submitting the form and will be alerted to the first
incomplete section identified by the validation process. This process may need to be repeated until all
of the incomplete sections have been identified and corrected.
NB do not validate each page separately as you go along, as correct validation can only be done at the
end when all the compulsory fields have been completed. If you do try to validate each page as you go
along, the form will jump to the next mandatory field and you may miss sections that are relevant to
your application.
Submitting the form
You need to be connected to the internet during this stage.
Pressing the submit button will automatically send the completed report form to the European
Commission’s database. If the submission is successful, a “submission confirmation” message will
appear on your screen.
If you cannot gain access to the internet at this stage, you can create an email attachment version of the
form to send to the National Agency by email at a later stage.
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Printing the form
You must print out the submitted version of the form for signature. You should send a copy of the
completed form to the National Agency in Haarlem, along with a copy of the submission confirmation
and proof of all reported costs for travel, course fees and preparation. Keep a copy of everything
for yourself.
FINAL REPORTING REQUIREMENTS
Final report form
The web link to the report form will normally be emailed to you before
your training activity. The report asks you to list the activities and
outcomes of your in-service training as well as the expenses that you wish
to be included within your final grant award. Please note that your final
report claim represents your formal final request for a grant, and the
European Platform cannot award more than you have requested. Do make
sure that you have claimed correctly for all eligible costs and report them
under correct cost categories, as the European Platform cannot adjust your
claim upwards if you have left any such expenses out.
Proof of expenditure
Receipts for expenditure need to be submitted to the European Platform
with your final report. Please retain copies if you are sending originals to
the European Platform. The European Platform will accept copies of
proof of expenditure, so you can keep the originals at home or in your
institution/organisation.
However, it is also your responsibility to ensure that you comply with any
requirements laid down within your own institution, or by your parent
organisation / government body, for the use of externally-received funds.
They may require you to submit receipts before they release the grant to
you. The European Platform will accept no liability in this area.
Certificate of
attendance
As proof of the duration of your training activity and/or language course
taken as language preparation, a certificate of attendance provided by
your host institution should be sent with your final report. This should
confirm the dates of your training activity.
All expenses must be reported in euros. Amounts in another currency should be converted into euros
at the exchange rate as specified in your Grant Agreement. Any statements received in another
currency than in euros will be returned to you for correction and resubmission, which will delay any
payment owed to your school by the European Platform.
If you do not submit your full final reporting documentation within one month of your return, you
will be in breach of your Grant Agreement and the European Platform will be forced to invoice you
for the entire sum of any 80% advance payment made before the start of your training activity, as
stated in your Grant Agreement.
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ELIGIBLE EXPENDITURE – how to report your expenditure on your final report
SUBSISTENCE
(flat rate / lump
sum)
TRAINING
ACTIVITY FEE
ELIGIBLE
EXPENDITURE
This is intended to cover:
 Travel and visa costs
 Accommodation
 Meals
 Travel insurance
 Local travel during the
course of your visit
 Incidental expenditure
INELIGIBLE
EXPENDITURE
Extra days beyond the agreed
dates of your visit.
Bank charges / exchange rate
losses.
Tuition, study material
required on the training
activity.
Conference / seminar fee.
Accommodation or meals.
These are covered by your
subsistence.
Training fees in excess of
€150 per day or in excess of
€750 for the whole training
period.
Study material not required
to attend the training activity.
Bank charges / exchange rate
losses.
LANGUAGE
PREPARATION
Language preparation costs if
applied for and agreed in
advance. In this case, this is
listed in your Article 3.1 of
your Grant Agreement.
Bank charges / exchange rate
losses.
Language courses must be by
registered course providers.
Costs for tuition given by
colleagues / friends / family
are not eligible.
How much can I claim /
receive?
The amount awarded is paid
according to a flat rate per
visit day, therefore proof of
expenditure is not required.
If the duration of your stay
was as stated in your grant
agreement, you can claim up
to the amount awarded
regardless of actual
expenditure. If the number of
days spent on the visit is less
than originally approved, the
amount will be reduced
accordingly. Extra days not
originally approved will not
be funded.
You should claim actual
costs up to the maximum
amount awarded in Article
3.1 of your Grant Agreement,
for which proof of
expenditure must be
provided.
If the fee includes travel or
subsistence / accommodation
costs, you should contact the
course / activity organiser for
the breakdown of costs prior
to completing the form.
Up to the maximum lump
sum amount awarded in
Article 3.1 of your Grant
Agreement.
Proof should be sent with
your final report. For
structured language courses,
this means a certificate of
attendance; for self-study
material, this means receipts
of purchase.
CHANGES TO ACTIVITY
You can request agreement to changes, to the activity originally planned in your application form, as
long as the theme and contents of the revised activity are similar to those of the activity originally
approved and remain in line with the eligibility conditions for in-service training. All such changes
must be approved by the European Platform in advance; changes cannot be approved retrospectively.
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For simple changes to the dates or duration of your visit, e.g. for job-shadowing, agreement will
normally be given automatically by the European Platform, and an amendment to your Grant
Agreement issued. Depending on the change required, you may be asked to resubmit some sections of
the application, such as activity details or the budget.
The value of your grant cannot be increased above the initial value confirmed in your Grant
Agreement, as the result of any changes, without the prior written agreement of the European
Platform. If your expenditure is less than the initial grant award, as a result of the agreed changes, the
final value of your grant will be reduced accordingly. If you do not obtain European Platform
agreement to your proposed changes, any expenditure you incur will not be accepted as eligible in
terms of defining your final grant value.
If you intend to extend your stay in the host country beyond the dates of your training activity as
specified in Article 2, for non-grant-related purposes, or arrive early, you must notify the European
Platform in writing.
SPECIAL NEEDS
The term “special needs” can cover individuals with special learning, behavioural, health or physical
needs.
If your institution will incur higher than usual travel, subsistence or training activity costs due to
including people with special needs in your in-service training, you may request extra funds in your
application form to cover this. The extra funding agreed may be used for special travel arrangements
or for covering the cost of accompanying carers.
If for any reason you discover the need for extra funds, to cover special needs, after you have
submitted your application form, you should write to the European Platform in advance of incurring
any such additional costs, to request an amendment to your Grant Agreement. You should give full
details of the circumstances behind your request, including the special needs to be addressed and the
extra costs foreseen. The European Platform will consider all such requests in full accordance with the
requirements and spirit of the Netherlands’ equality legislation. The European Platform cannot,
however, consider any such request in arrears.
FINANCIAL CHECKS
The European Platform is required to carry out more detailed checks on 10% of training activities
funded each year, in addition to the assessment of all final reports described above. This will comprise
a “desk check” of evidence for the activity funded, carried out at the same time as, or after analysis of,
your final report.
The desk check will involve the submission by you to the European Platform of evidence of the
activity that you have undertaken, namely travel receipts and activity costs, such as the course fee. The
aim of this is to check the real costs of your expenditure, as reported by you, and that all activities
have taken place within the correct period. You should therefore send in (copies of) all travel tickets,
etc. with your report form. You do not need to retain receipts for the subsistence allowance granted.
CANCELLATION OR WITHDRAWAL
If you or your institution wishes to cancel your training activity, please inform the European Platform
prior to the start date of your training activity and as soon as possible, in writing, stating the reasons
why you wish to terminate your Grant Agreement.
If you incur any costs involved in the cancellation of your training activity, or cannot reclaim any costs
already incurred, e.g. for booked travel, we would expect you to recover this from the cancellation
cover included with your travel insurance. If the cancellation is due to unexpected illness or other
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force majeure circumstances, the European Platform may, on request, accept the cost of this insurance
as an eligible cost in determining what you may need to pay back to the European Platform. The
European Platform will not normally accept any other costs as eligible.
Similarly, if the course provider cancels the course and you have incurred costs, we would expect you
to recover these through your travel insurance in the first instance. Only if your insurance does not
cover such costs and you provide evidence of this to us, can we consider paying these costs out of your
grant. You will normally also have a chance to transfer your grant to another activity within the
eligible activity dates under the current application year as long as the theme and contents of the new
activity are similar to those of the activity originally approved and remain in line with the eligibility
conditions for in-service training. The grant amount originally approved cannot be increased.
You are strongly advised to take out fully comprehensive travel insurance including full
cancellation cover.
DETAILS ON SUBMISSION PROCEDURE
Once you are happy with your report, click on the “Submit Online” button in section K.3. This will
send your data to a central database that the National Agencies will use as the administrative tool for
the programme. This is now your final version. Once you have clicked “Submit Online”, the Status in
section K.2. of your report form should change to inform you that the report has been successfully
submitted.
For your own convenience and for later reference, please save the final version of your report
form including the Submission Confirmation on your own computer.
PRINTING THE REPORT FORM
When you press the Print form button and the grey print box appears, we recommend that you choose
the option Shrink to Printable Area in the drop-down menu against Page Scaling. This will ensure that
the printed-out report form fits the page properly.
ALTERNATIVE SUBMISSION PROCEDURE
This section allows you to turn your application into a version to be sent to your National Agency by
email in a format that they will be able to feed into the central database. This can only be used in
exceptional circumstances if online submission is not possible for whatever reason. Please contact
your National Agency before using this option (see contact details below). You will still need to print
and sign the form, too, and send the hard copy to the National Agency as explained above.
Your report should be submitted online and sent in by post within one month
after finishing your training activity.
Do not forget to send proof of course costs reported with your printed copy, as
well as a signed certificate of attendance. Keep a copy of all submitted files
and documents for your own reference.
Should you have any questions or if you need help, please contact the
Grundtvig Team on 023-5531162 or via grundtvig@epf.nl
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