1 Project meeting EQUASS in Practice Oslo Trude Engebretsen Jon Roar Strandenes

2 Congratulations on your project!

3 Agenda Leonardo in Norway The role of the National Agency Main contract (between beneficiary and SIU) Partnership contracts Payments Budget and financial reporting Budget categories Changes to contracts Reports and expected results Intellectual property rights - IPR Valorisation

4 Lifelong Learning Programme in Norway National Agency: Norwegian Centre for Internationalisation in Higher Education - SIU Leonardo da Vinci Programme:  transfer of innovation projects  partnerships  mobility actions

5 Tasks of the National Agency Advise on Preparation of proposal Start-up of project Interim / final report Other issues: evaluation, dissemination... Participates in 1st project meeting Project visits and monitoring Analysis and approval of interim / final reports including final products

6 Contracts in TOI projects National Agency Beneficiary Partner 1 Partner 2 Partner …n Sub- contracting (possible) PARTNERSHIP

7 The contract for the project EQUASS in Practice Contractual period: – (24 months) Interim report by:  reporting period – Final report by:  reporting period –

8 Partnership contracts Contract between each partner and the beneficiary Contract specifies the role of the partner: rights and obligations Model contract from the NA Partnership contracts within three months of the start of the project   signed pdf-copy to NA “Silent partners”

9 Payments from NA to beneficiary 40 % + 40 % + 20 % Advances/prepayments until approved final report Payments from beneficiary to partner defined in partnership contract No payment or refunds allowed to be paid into the private account of an individual

10 Financial reporting - principles Total costs/expenditure have to be reported  both Leonardo grant and own fund All costs reported as EURO / EURO account mandatory All costs have to be real costs All costs must be supported by receipts / invoices VAT is eligible only if the applicant can show that he is unable to recover it No costs allowed outside reporting or contractual period Time sheets

11 Audits Invoices are checked randomly An operational and/or financial audit can be carried out on the spot Within 5 years of project termination, the EU Commission may carry out an audit

12 Eligible costs – general criteria Costs must be identifiable and verifiable Must be connected with the project and be provided for in the estimated project budget Cost eligibility period –  See Grant Agreement, part B – Financial provisions

13 Exchange rates First period; (1st year) Use the exchange rate the date of the first pre-payment from NA The rest of the project period; (2nd year) Use the exchange rate the date of the second pre-payment from NA

14 Budget categories a.Staff costs b.Travel and subsistence c.Equipment costs d.Subcontracting e.Other costs f.Indirect costs direct costs indirect costs

15 Staff costs Real staff costs are reported, including actual salary plus social security charges and other statutory costs Staff costs must be reported to the coordinator in relation to work plan (by timesheet) and in relation to products/results

16 Travel costs Travel includes 1) travel cost: tickets and taxis/buses 2) subsistence: hotels, meals, local travel costs and possible daily allowances. Travel costs are calculated on an individual basis Reimbursement is based on the existing internal rules of the partner organisation  actual costs or daily allowance basis. Costs above the daily subsistence rates are not allowed  table 5f in the Call for proposals 2008 Travels not included in the WP has to be approved by the coordinator / NA

17 Equipment: Equipment costs are written off over 36 months according to usage in project, the date of the purchase is important

18 Note: Equipment related to the administration of the project is covered by indirect costs For equipment over € the writing off period is 5 years Leasing is a good alternative to purchase

19 Subcontracting costs (max 30%) Written subcontracting agreements are mandatory The subcontractor must bill the project according to the contract No additional expenses/fees can be added to the sums mentioned in the contract and bills Subcontracting is ALWAYS billed by a company/ organisation outside the partnership Invoices should NEVER be paid to an individual Copies of agreements and bills/receipts/invoices shall be submitted with the reports

20 Claims worth more than 500 euro must be put out to tender:  500 € – €  1 tenderer/offer  € – €  3 tenderers/offers  € €  5 tenderers/offers  Over €  national rules apply

21 Other costs For example:  participation fees to seminars  announcements in newsletters  books  rental of meeting rooms  rental of exhibition space  translation

22 Indirect costs (max 7%) Flat rate funding, 7 % of the total amount of eligible direct costs  please see Consolidated budget Annex II No changes are possible Indirect costs can include for example postage, telephone, mailing, infrastructure costs, office supplies, photocopies, costs for equipment related to project administration The costs need not be justified by accounting documents, however evidence on how the costs have been calculated may be requested

23 Changes: main contract Partnership Work plan Products Budget, distribution to the partners Income Partner: notification to coordinator who assesses the situation and makes necessary amendment applications to the NA Beneficiary: Official approval from the NA needed

24 Changes: project budget For the budget headings, except for indirect costs, changes up to 10 % or maximum 5000 Euros are accepted without a budget amendment. NA should always be informed. Changes exceeding 10 % or 5000 Euros to the budget must be requested in writing from the NA managing the project Budget changes must always be approved by 1) Coordinator and 2) NA if changes exceeding 10 % or 5000 Euros

25 Reporting Interim  Narrative report  Financial report Final  Description of end products and results  Documentation -minutes of meetings -newspaper articles  Dissemination activities  Financial report Final payment based on quality of end results NA will control the project payments

26 Intellectual Property Rights - IPR Please discuss this early in the project cyclus! Define clear agreements if needed and confirm in writing Seek legal guidance! NA does not involve itself in IPR issues

27 What about the impact? Defining valorisation in Leonardo programme ”Dissemination is not a separate phase at the end of a project - it is an integral part of the whole.” ”Dissemination is influencing.” “ The most essential feature of impact is, simply, that the chosen theme is necessary and important to the target group”

28 What does valorisation include? All partners should be involved: Concrete actions  writing and publishing newsletters and articles  presenting the project in seminars  networking on local, regional and national level  committing stakeholders, piloting Keep track record of activities Keep copies of documents, e.g. newspaper articles, local minutes of meetings, brochures, conference papers Publish, up-date and advertice the project website

29 Reference documents Administrative and financial rules: n.html The Commission guidelines for dissemination and valorisation: en.html Other NA guides / internet-sites /forms: da-Vinci/Videreutviklings-prosjekter/For-deg-som-har-kontrakt

30 Good luck!

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