eHEROES
EC Grant Agreement
Negotiations
June 1, 2011
K.U.Leuven Research & Development
Myriam Witvrouw
Overview + intro LRD
18/03/2016
2
What to expect now?
 eHEROES Project will be funded
 Negotiations with the EC




Administrative
Scientific
Meeting with the Project Officer
Deadline for first submission: May 26, 2011
 Administrative/contractual
3
 Online via NEF system
 Grant Preparation Forms (GPFs)
 Demo
18/03/2016
Administrative/Contractual
 GPFs







Form A1: general information about the project
Form A2.1: Legal data (linked to PIC)
Form A2.2: Status of the organization (linked to PIC)
Form A2.3: Authorized representatives
Form A2.4: Contact persons
Form A2.5: Signature page
Form 3.1: What it costs? Can only be completed by
coordinator
 Indirect cost method
 Budget/Funding
4
18/03/2016
Administrative/Contractual
 Continuous interactive process between EC &
consortium
 Opening NEF session:
https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/nef/frontoffice/login
 Collecting partner data
 Project number: 244635
 Participant access key
 Submission by the coordinator
 Control & comments by EC
 Opening new NEF session
5
18/03/2016
Administrative/Contractual
 Grant Agreement - GA
 GA = contract: core grant agreement and annexes
 signed between Commission & Coordinator
 beneficiaries (partners) accede to the GA by signing “Form A”,
countersigned by the Coordinator
 Coordinator and beneficiaries are bound by the rights and
obligations of the GA
 Core Grant Agreement
6
Article 1: Beneficiaries
Article 2: Scope
Article 3: Duration of project
Article 4: Reporting periods
Article 5: Maximum EC contribution
Article 6: Pre-financing and contribution to Guarantee Fund
Article 7: Special Clauses
Article 8: Communication
Article 9: Applicable Law
Article 10: Application of the GA provisions
Article 11: Entry into Force
18/03/2016
Administrative/Contractual
eHEROES Grant Agreement details (284461):
 Start: March,1st, 2012
 Duration: 36 months
 Reporting periods: 2
 P1: M1 – M18
 P2: M19 – M36
 EC max contribution: 1.999.721 EURO
 Pre-financing: x EURO
Guarantee Fund: 99.986,05 EURO = 5% of funding
 Partners need to sign their accession form (FORM A)
after the EC has signed the GA
18/03/2016
7
Administrative/Contractual
 Annexes to the Grant Agreement
Annex I: Technical Annex; Description of Work
Annex II: General Conditions
Part A: Implementation of the project
Part B: Financial Provisions
Part C: Intellectual Property, Use and
Dissemination
Annex III: Specific to funding scheme (not applicable here)
Annex IV: Form A: accession form for each partner
Annex V: Form B: accession form for new partners
Annex VI: Form C: financial statement/funding scheme
Annex VII: Form D: Forms of Reference for Certificate of
Financial Statements
Form E: Terms of Reference for Certificate on the
methodology
8
18/03/2016
Scientific
 Scientific
 Proposal  Annex I of the Grant Agreement
 Taking into account the comments in the Negotiation
Mandate
 Subcontracting/Third Parties involved?
These should be mentioned in Annex I in order to make
their costs eligible.
 Budget needs to be in accordance with person months as
stated in Annex I
9
18/03/2016
Staff effort: person months
10
18/03/2016
Budget
11
18/03/2016
Financial Rules (1)
 Eligible costs:




Actual
Incurred during duration of project
Recorded in the accounts of beneficiary
In accordance with the usual accounting and management
principles
 Used for the sole purpose of achieving the objectives of the
project
 Non-eligible costs:
 Identifiable indirect taxes, including VAT
 Provisions for possible future losses or charges
 Etc.
18/03/2016
12
Financial Rules (2)
 Eligible costs = direct + indirect costs
 Direct costs
 Personnel
 Additional staff and permanent staff
 Time recording is necessary! (productive hours; and time allocated to activities:
RTD, demo, management)
 Travel and subsistence
 please keep minutes + receipts
 travelling outside EU: Approval EC before booking
 Consumables
 Equipment (depreciation!)
 Subcontracting (according to rules given in Annex II; CFS)
18/03/2016
13
Financial Rules (3)
 Indirect costs




Incurred in direct relationship with direct eligible costs
Costs of administrative, technical, logistical nature
Can not be attributed in full to the project
7%
18/03/2016
14
Financial Aspects
 Pre-financing
 This money remains property of the EC
 Includes amount to be transferred to the Guarantee Fund
 usually between 120-160% of average of EC funding per reporting
period
 Interim payments
 Based on Financial Statements (Form C);
amounts justified and accepted
 Retention
 Retention of 10% of EC contribution
15 Final payment
18/03/2016
Direct costs
Categories of direct costs:
 Personnel
• Additional staff and permanent staff
• Time recording is necessary! (productive hours; and
time allocated to activities: RTD, demo,
management)
 Travel and subsistence (please keep minutes + receipts)
 Consumables: directly related to the project – otherwise indirect
costs
 Equipment (depreciation + % usage!)
18/03/2016
16
Indirect costs
Indirect costs:
 All costs that cannot be identified as attributed directly to the
project (the ‘running’ costs: electricity, heating, telephone,
internet, computers, inkt cartridges…).
 three methods for determing your indirect costs:
 Special transition flat rate (60%)
 Standard Flat rate (20%)
 Real Indirect costs
 will be calculated automatically in the form C when the method
for determinating your indirect costs is a flat rate
18/03/2016
17
Maximum EC-contribution
→ is related to the type of activity carried out in the project:
 Research and Technological Development activities
• 50% of eligible costs for Industries
• 75% of eligible costs for non profit public bodies,
secondary and higher education establishments,
research organizations, SMEs
 Demonstration activities: 50%
 Management (+ CFS): 100%
 Other activities (e.g. dissemination/training): 100%
18/03/2016
18
Certificate on Financial statement (CFS)
– Mandatory when requested funding of beneficiary is above
375.000 Euro (not applicable for partners)
– CFS needed at the moment of reporting
– CFS provided by:
• Independent qualified auditor
• Public bodies, secondary and higher education establishments and research
organisations may opt for a competent Public Officer
– Costs claimed under Subcontracting under Management
Activities
Please note: The Commission may, at any time during the
implementation of the project, and up to five years after the end of
the project, arrange for financial audits to be carried out.
18/03/2016
19
Consortium Agreement
Consortium Agreement - CA, to govern:
– The internal organisation of the consortium
– The distribution of the Community financial contribution
– Additional rules on dissemination and use including intellectual
property rights arrangements, as appropriate
– The settlement of internal disputes
– Liability, indemnification and confidentiality agreements between
the participants
21
18/03/2016
Links and Documents
• Useful Links:
– CORDIS – homepage FP7:
http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/home_en.html
• Useful documents:
–
–
–
–
22
Grant Agreement + Annex II
Guide to Financial Issues
Guidance Notes for beneficiaries and auditors
Guidance Notes on Project Reporting
18/03/2016