Any expenditure must be incurred/actions constituting the basis for reimbursement based on simplified cost options must be carried out during the eligible period.
See. also section 1.7 “Project Phases” for more details regarding the project phases.
The eligibility period for project expenditures corresponds to the project implementation period. Costs of the project activities, to be eligible, must be incurred, and for the simplified cost option, the activities constituting the basis for reimbursement must have been carried out, between the project implementation start date and the project implementation end date and paid before the submission of the second Financial Claim to the FLC for validation. It is to be noted that the eligibility of expenditures related to Thematic Work Packages ends with the end date of the Thematic Work Packages.
Any expenditure related to Thematic Work Packages incurred after the Thematic Work Packages end date will not be deemed eligible, even though the implementation period is still ongoing. In the 6 months-period between the end date of Thematic Work Packages and the end date of the Implementation phase, only expenditures incurred regarding “horizontal” Work Packages (Management, Monitoring & Evaluation, Communication & Capitalization) and Transfer Work Package will be deemed eligible.
The other project phases are automatically covered with dedicated lump sums according to the following conditions:
- Project Preparation. For the preparation activities, EUI-IA grants a lump sum of EUR 25 000 total eligible costs (corresponding to maximum EUR 20 000 ERDF) provided the project is approved. Consequently, costs incurred during the preparation phase can never be claimed on a real cost basis (even if paid after the project approval). The lump sum, covered by first ERDF advance payment, is granted to the MUA who can share it amongst the Project Partners in proportion to their involvement in the preparation of the project. No further documentation is necessary. Project Partners do not need to document that the expenditure has been incurred and paid, or that the lump sum corresponds to the reality. In case a project does not enter or conclude the Initiation Phase, only the lump sum for project preparation is paid to the project.
- Project Initiation Phase. This phase is covered by a dedicated lump sum of EUR 75 000 total eligible costs (corresponding to maximum EUR 60 000 ERDF) provided that this phase is completed (and even if the phase is not successfully completed; e.g. failure to comply with readiness checks – see Chapter 4.2. Project readiness check). The lump sum is paid regardless the project starts or not the Implementation phase. Only in case a project does not complete the Initiation Phase (ex. project drops out), no lump sum is paid.
- Administrative Closure. After the Implementation phase, the project has 1 month to submit the final Annual Progress Report, and 3 months to submit final (second) Financial Claim and Final Qualitative Report. Similarly, to the Preparation and Initiation Phase, the Administrative Closure phase is covered by a lump sum. Following the successful administrative closure of the project and the approval of the Final Qualitative Report by the EUI Authorities, EUR 20 000 total eligible costs (corresponding to a maximum of EUR 16 000 ERDF) are granted to the MUA which can share it amongst the Project Partners in proportion to their involvement. No further documentation is necessary. Project Partners do not need to document that the expenditure has been incurred and paid, or that the lump sum corresponds to the reality.