Key Action 2 Partnerships for Cooperation
Handbook on the lump sum funding model
Frequently Asked Questions
I. Frequently asked questions for National Agencies,
applicants and beneficiaries
Financing aspects
Q: Where should the co-funding aspects be described in the proposal?
A: The applicant is not directly asked to describe the co-funding aspects in the application form, but
has the possibility to explain it in the cost-effectiveness section. In addition, there is a reminder phrase
in each work package section about the co-financing principle in relation to EU grants, describing that
additional costs not covered by the EU grant have to be covered by the participating organisations in
form of their own resources, income generated by the action or financial or in-kind contributions.
Q: Subcontracting: how should the applicant declare the funds allocated to the subcontracting?
A: The subcontracting is allowed but cannot cover core activities of the project. If the applicant
decides to subcontract activities, it should be explained in the description of the work packages. The
applicant has to estimate the amount and include it in the description.
Q: If the applicant estimates that its project can be implemented with an amount of EUR 395.000,
should it apply for a EUR 250.000 grant?
A: At the moment of planning and designing the application, the applicant has to choose the most
appropriate maximum lump-sum amount to cover the costs of its project, based on the needs and the
objectives. The applicant can only opt for one of the pre-defined amounts in the call for proposals
(Programme Guide). If the amount needed does not correspond to one of the predefined lump-sum
amounts, the applicant is recommended to adapt the project to fit the corresponding lump sum
amount.
Operational aspects
Q: How many work packages can be included in a project?
A: It is recommended to split the project in a maximum of 5 work packages.
Q: Is the project management work package included in the maximum 5 work packages
recommended?
A: One work package is dedicated to the project management. From a budget point of view, the
amount dedicated to the project management can represent maximum 20% of the total lump-sum
amount. No activities linked to the project management should be included in the other work
packages.
Q: Is the project management work package a separate work package?
A: The project management work package is a separate work package. The aim of this specific work
package is to cover all the costs linked to horizontal activities of the project (e.g. – drafting of reports,
monitoring, coordination…). No activities linked to the management of the project should be included
in the other work packages.
Q: Will it be possible to add new activities when implementing a small-scale partnership project?
A: The beneficiary can request an amendment to the grant agreement to add a new activity not
foreseen in the proposal with a clear justification and the NA should assess if the changes would call
into question the decision awarding the grant or breach the principle of equal treatment of
applicants. It should be noted that the total amount awarded cannot be changed, the new activity
has to be implemented within the accepted budget.
Q: If a beneficiary wants to change an activity in a Cooperation partnership project, does it have to
ask for an amendment?
A: The final aim of the project is to reach the objectives set in the proposal, therefore, the beneficiary
could decide to add/ modify a foreseen activity or an activity within a work package without
requesting an amendment, as long as the change does not alter the objective that was defined for
that work package and the results are still fully accomplished for what was described for this work
package.
Q: What is the correct procedure for modifying the budget allocated to a single work package?
A: In case that, during the implementation of the project, a beneficiary needs to modify the budget
allocated to a work package, this can be done only by requesting an amendment. This change should
be justified by the technical implementation of the action. In this sense, the granting authority will
assess any such request for amendment on a case-by-case basis.
Q: What are the supporting documents the beneficiaries should keep for checks and audit
purposes?
A: The supporting documents that the beneficiaries need to keep and make available in case of checks
and audits are all those documents relevant for demonstrating the occurrence of the generating
event. It is up to the beneficiaries to define which documents are relevant to prove that the activities
effectively took place and that the quality of those activities is in line with what was foreseen in the
proposal. Due to the variety of activities, an exhaustive list of supporting documents can’t be defined.
For example, supporting documents could be: list of attendance to a meeting, minutes of this
meeting, deliverables, output of the project, project results produced, etc.