Q: Will the Fund reimburse VAT?

A: If your organization is a registered VAT payer, you are obliged to request the VAT reimbursement from your local tax authorities. The
Fund only reimburses VAT amounts to those grantees that are not registered as VAT payers. Exceptions can only be made upon the approval of the Fund.

When filling out the Interim Financial Settlement or (Final) Financial Settlement, you are also asked to indicate whether your organization is a registered VAT payer on the top of the main sheet.

Q: Can we buy computers, cameras or other electronic devices from the grant?

A: The Fund allows the purchase of office equipment needed for web-based communication and overall digitalization in the category of “Office supplies and consumption materials”, in limited numbers, up to 1000 €. Such purchases, however, must be well justified and consulted with the assigned project manager in advance.

Q: Can we pay expert fees to our employees for project management duties, general organizational tasks or bookkeeping?

A: No, you cannot. Such fees can only be reimbursed in the Overheads category, even if they are based on a service contract.

Q: How can I pay out expert fees?

A: The easiest way is for the expert to issue an invoice for the services (as a private entrepreneur, legal entity or company). Alternatively, the grantee can sign a service contract with the expert, specifying the tasks to be carried out and the offered remuneration. Please note that contracts based on the labor code of the respective country (e.g. employment contracts) cannot be used to pay out expert fees. Salaries and wages originating from a work contract can only be reimbursed in the Overheads category.

EXCEPTION applicable to state-funded academic and research institutions: Financial remuneration under the category of expert fees of employees of state-funded research and higher education institutions (or any expenses related to employment based on the labor code, including daily allowances, part-time work, etc.) can be compensated if the Grantee is obliged under the national legislation to pay their own employees only under the labor code.  

Q: Can we use our company car to travel to our project partners?

A: Company cars and their related costs cannot be reimbursed in the category “Transportation and delivery”, only in Overheads.

Q: Our colleagues have travelled to a project event by car and presented a fuel bill. Can we put the cost into the Financial Statement?

A: Fuel bills cannot be reimbursed in the category “Transportation and delivery”, only in Overheads. For more information about travel cost reimbursements, see above.

Q: Are we allowed to pay per diems to our participants to cover their travel and catering costs?

A: No, you are not. Lump sums, pocket money, daily allowances or per diems can only be reimbursed in the Overheads (up to the given limit set in your contract). Accommodation and catering costs will be reimbursed based on real invoices only if the payment was made by the grantee via bank card or transfer. Travel costs can be reimbursed to individuals if they provide the original documents to the grantee (see above).

Q: How can I cover travel expenses?

A: If the grantee purchases transportation tickets with the organization’s bank card (or through bank transfer from the grantee’s account), these costs must be put directly into the Financial Settlement with proper description.

If tickets are purchased by individuals (experts, project participants), they must submit the original documents (invoices, bills, e-tickets, etc.) to the grantee, who then reimburses the travelers via bank transfer after issuing a confirmation to them. Grantees with a project cost of over 10.000 EUR can use their internal document for this purpose, in compliance with their bookkeeping rules.

Grantees with a project cost of under 10.000 EUR are obliged to present the filled-out Transportation Costs Reimbursement Sheets together with copies of the original tickets/invoices attached to the Financial Settlement.

If participants have travelled by private car, reimbursement can only be provided according to the official rates of the respective country based on the vehicle’s consumption and official reimbursement per 1 km (this information can be usually found on the website of the national taxation offices.) Grantees with a project cost of over 10.000 EUR can use their internal procedures for such reimbursements, in compliance with their bookkeeping rules.

Grantees with a project cost of under 10.000 EUR are obliged to present the filled-out Transportation Costs Reimbursement Sheets together with copies of the car registration document.

Fuel bills cannot be reimbursed in the category of “Transportation and delivery”.

For more information on travel cost reimbursement, please read Annex 2 of the Grant Guidelines. For the list of eligible costs in the category “Transportation and delivery” check Annex 1 of the Grant Guidelines.

Q: What kind of costs can I cover from the grant?

A: The Fund has identified 11 cost categories that are eligible for reimbursement:

  1. Printing and publishing
  2. Rent and related technical services
  3. Expert fees/fees for authors or artists
  4. Accommodation and board
  5. Transportation and delivery
  6. Translation and interpreting costs
  7. Awards and prizes
  8. Office supplies and consumption materials
  9. Promotional costs
  10. Copyright, licenses and fees
  11. Overheads

For a detailed list of specific cost items within each category, check Annex 1 of the Grant Guidelines.