Running the project

Reporting and deliverables

To enable the Commission to monitor the progress of the contract and ensure that it complies with the general conditions for financial support, the participants are obliged to submit periodic reports and a final report.

Each project is divided into reporting periods. All reports and deliverables shall be submitted within 45 days following the end of the respective periods.

For Integrated Projects and Networks of Excellence there are fixed reporting periods of 12 months. For other instruments, reporting periods are subject to negotiation and will be fixed in the contract.

The consortium shall submit the following reports to the Commission for each reporting period :

1. a periodic activity report
2. a periodic management report
3. a report on the distribution of the Community contribution between contractors.
4. supplementary reports required by any Annex to the contract.
5. Audit certificates for each contractor, if required by the contract

The consortium shall submit the following reports to the Commission after the end of the project:

1. a final activity report
2. a final management report
3. a report on the distribution of the Community financial contribution between contractors
4. supplementary reports required by any Annex of the contract

Evaluation and approval of reports

Reflecting the novel nature of FP6, the Commission will put emphasis on a strategic monitoring of outputs rather than a detailed monitoring of inputs. For this, the Commission envisages a reinforced monitoring scheme, involving high-level independent experts evaluating periodic and final reports.

If no modifications to any reports are required, they will be deemed to be approved within 90 days of receipt. Approval of any report does not imply exemption from any audit or review.

In those cases where, following the evaluation of the reports, the Commission considers that the consortium is not performing satisfactorily, it may:

• Reject the reports submitted and request that the consortium complete the work foreseen within a deadline to be established by the Commission. Reports and deliverables shall be re-submitted once completed;
• Approve the reports and deliverables but subject the project to re-negotiation. In this case, the Commission may suspend the project .
• Terminate the contract

Payment modalities

The contract specifies a maximum EC contribution to the project. The consortium will have a considerable degree of freedom to manage its own financial affairs.

Payments are made to the co-ordinator on behalf of the consortium. The co-ordinator is responsible for receiving and ensuring the distribution of the Community financial contribution. The allocation of the payments to the partners has to be decided by the consortium (consortium agreement).

By a system of periodic advance payments (pre-financing) a permanent positive cash flow is guaranteed, giving great financial certainty to the consortium.

Periods for estimation of advance payments cover a reporting period plus the first six months of the following reporting period (i.e. 12+6=18 months for Integrated Projects and Networks of Excellence). The first pre-financing for the first period is transmitted to the co-ordinator within 45 days of:

• Either the date of entry into force of the contract;
• Or the date of the accession of the last contractor required to constitute the minimum number of participant as established by the Rules for Participation and the call for proposal related to the project;
• Or the last date of accession to the contract of all contractors.

Advance payment is normally 80% of the total estimated amount of the Community financial contribution of the first period. It can be lower in cases where financial guarantees of contractors are not sufficient.

Further payments are based on the approval of periodic reports.

Reference documents and sites:

Project reporting in FP6- Guidance notes Guidelines on Innovation in FP6 Competitive calls