Explore opportunities in Horizon Europe — the world’s largest research programme

Horizon Europe is the EU’s framework programme for research and innovation (2021–2027) with a total budget of approximately €95.5 billion. The programme aims to strengthen Europe’s position in research and innovation with efforts under three main pillars:

• Excellent Science (basic research through the ERC and Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions)
• Global Challenges and Industrial Competitiveness (thematic clusters focusing on societal challenges in areas such as health; culture, creativity and inclusive society; civil security; ICT and digitalisation; climate, energy and transport; environment and natural resources)
• Innovative Europe (including the European Innovation Council and ecosystem development)

Under each pillar there are two-year work programmes with calls for proposals for various types of projects. The calls are open to participation from research communities, companies and public-sector actors in the EU and associated countries — including Norway.

Horizon Europe also includes so‑called partnerships. The partnerships are an integral part of Horizon Europe, not a separate programme. They can be seen as a way of implementing parts of Horizon Europe through long-term collaboration between the EU, Member States and/or private actors. They are used where joint effort and coordination deliver greater impact than individual calls, including in areas such as health, climate, energy and industry. Horizon Europe currently comprises 60 partnerships organised as agreement-based, co-funded, or institutional partnerships. Co-funded partnerships in which the Research Council of Norway is a co-funder are published through the Research Council’s call pages, and the Research Council’s funding rules and procedures generally apply to Norwegian partners. These may therefore be of particular interest.

More information and resources:

• EU Funding & Tenders Portal (europa.eu). Here you will find detailed descriptions of the application process, current calls, and how to participate.
• CORDIS (europa.eu) is a database where you can find information on projects that have received funding from EU programmes. Here you will also find summaries of results from EU-funded projects.
• The research council of Norway – Horisont Europa i Norge (forskningsradet.no) provides information on Norwegian support schemes, National Contact Points (NCPs), courses, and advisory services.
• The Research Counicil of Norway`s list of funded partenerships (forskningsradet.no) provides information on the different partnerships in Horizon Europe.

Here you can read about positioning, consortium building, and how to become an attractive collaboration partner.

2.1 Position yourself

Horizon Europe, and particularly the work programmes under Pillar 2 (Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness), are instruments for implementing the EU’s policy decisions. Information on thematic priorities will therefore be available long before the calls are published on the EU’s Funding and Tenders Portal. This means that many research communities position themselves in advance of a call being published. By “positioning” we mean contacting potential partners, familiarising yourself with strategic documents that outline the policy decisions behind the themes in the work programmes and calls (europa.eu), getting to know ongoing or completed projects within similar themes, participating in information/mobilisation events, etc.

2.2 Build a consortium

Most calls in Horizon Europe require projects that involve collaboration among multiple partners. How many and which partners depend on the type of call and the size of the budget, but the most common size is consortia of between 8–15 partners.

A consortium often consists of a core group and more peripheral partners. Core partners in a successful consortium know each other and have often collaborated well before applying for a joint project. Typically, this involves three to four partners who have collaborated on, for example, joint projects and/or joint publications in the past. This core group often recruits the rest of the consortium members through their respective networks, or through networks that support consortium building for Horizon proposals (oslomet.no). You can also find information on relevant partners by searching for ongoing or completed EU projects on relevant topics in teh CORDIS datase (europa.eu).

In calls designed for cross-sector collaboration projects, it is important to include partners from the private and public sectors in addition to academic partners. It is crucial to choose the right partners who know the practice field and can contribute to the innovation the project is intended to deliver.

Successful consortia often include partners from different disciplines, sectors and countries. That said, the most important thing is that each partner has a clearly defined role in the project and the expertise needed to maximise the project’s results and long-term impacts. A consortium composed of the right actors is one of the fundamental prerequisites for a successful application.

2.3 Be an attractive collaboration partner

Just as you are looking for good collaborators, other institutions will be looking for someone with your expertise. It can therefore be wise to be mindful of how you describe your own and your research group’s expertise profile on your website or in forums where you present yourself. By creating a partner profile — a kind of CV for the research group — you can showcase your and your unit’s core expertise and present yourself as an attractive collaboration partner. In such a profile, you can describe both practical and research experience and competencies, such as methodological expertise, interdisciplinary perspectives, access to users or other parts of the practice field, previous project experience, and access to equipment, data or other infrastructure (laboratories, equipment, etc.).

Here you can read about the different call types in Horizon Europe, how to apply for PES funding, OsloMet’s PIC code, roles in project collaboration, budgeting rules, ethical aspects, security considerations, and the various agreements used.

3.1 Understand the call text

A solid understanding of the call text is the foundation for a successful proposal. It is important to remember that Horizon Europe calls are not “stand‑alone”; they belong to a cluster, a mission, or a cross‑cutting initiative, each with its own two‑year work programme. The work programmes contain all calls that will eventually be published, as well as an introduction explaining the background to the calls with references to governing policy documents, objectives, and priorities (europa.eu). These objectives and priorities apply across the framework programme and may extend across several framework programmes. Knowledge of, and attentiveness to, the overarching policy goals is crucial for success in Horizon Europe. Research Support at OsloMet can help you with information on and interpretation of these goals.

Different application types in Horizon Europe

Horizon Europe funds various kinds of projects — from basic research to commercial demonstration. Below is an overview of the most common application types:

Main project types under Pillars 2 and 3

• Research and Innovation Action (RIA): Supports projects that develop new knowledge, concepts, and methods at Technology Readiness Levels (TRL 2–5/6). Projects focus on research and early validation, often led by universities and research institutes. Funding: 100% for all participants.
• Innovation Action (IA): Targets market‑near solutions (approx. TRL 5–8) and includes prototypes, piloting, and demonstration in realistic environments. Projects are often led by industry partners with the goal of commercialisation. Funding: 70% for companies, 100% for non‑profits.
• Coordination and Support Action (CSA): Does not fund research, but activities such as networking, coordination, knowledge sharing, policy development, and capacity building. Suitable for actors facilitating collaboration and dissemination across sectors. Funding: 100% for all participants.

MSCA – Marie Skłodowska‑Curie Actions

MSCA is part of Pillar 1 (Excellent Science) and aims to develop research talent, strengthen mobility and promote international collaboration.

• MSCA Doctoral Networks (DN): Supports international doctoral programmes where PhD candidates receive training through close collaboration between academia, industry, and other sectors. The focus is on high‑quality research training and excellent career development.
• MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships (PF): Funds mobility for experienced researchers who wish to further develop their expertise at a host institution in another country. The scheme strengthens researchers’ profiles and international networks.

ERC – European Research Council

The ERC funds excellent, investigator‑driven frontier research as a part of Pillar 1 (Excellent Science). These are among Europe’s most prestigious research grants.

• ERC Starting Grant (StG): For researchers 2–7 years after PhD who want to establish their own research group. ERC‑StG supports groundbreaking projects and emerging talent. From 2027, the eligibility window is planned to change to 0–10 years after PhD.
• ERC Consolidator Grant (CoG): For researchers 7–12 years after PhD who are consolidating their independent research careers. Projects should be ambitious, innovative, and investigator‑led. From 2027, the eligibility window is planned to change to 5–15 years after PhD.
• ERC Advanced Grant (AdG): For established researchers with a demonstrably outstanding scientific track record. ERC‑AdG supports high‑risk projects that can significantly advance the research frontier.
• ERC Synergy Grant (SyG): Supports small teams of 2–4 leading researchers who jointly address complex research questions that no single investigator could solve alone. The scheme offers flexibility and substantial resources for ambitious collaboration.

OsloMet has a dedicated a Teams  with information for staff interested in applying for ERC grants.

Key terms in the call text

The call text differs related to which pillar it falls under and what type of call it is, but a common feature of thematic calls is that they clearly describe which results are to be achieved, which problem is to be addressed, and how the research should contribute to Europe’s long‑term goals.

The following elements are commonly found:

• Expected Outcomes: The call specifies the concrete results projects should deliver, and applicants must show how their project contributes to several of these expected outcomes. Note the distinction between “output” and “outcome”. “Outputs” are the results produced during the project. These may be scientific (publications), technical (algorithms or software), or less traditional (exhibitions or other events). “Outcomes” are the short‑term effects of these results in the targeted areas, while “impact” refers to the long‑term effects. For example: A research team develops and tests a VR‑based training tool for stroke rehabilitation. An “outcome” (direct, short‑term effect of the project) could be that data show a statistically significant improvement in motor function after 6 weeks, whereas “impact” (long‑term, broader effects once the research is taken up) could be reduced healthcare costs due to shorter treatment times and faster patient recovery.
• Scope: Describes the thematic frame — which challenges, technologies, and approaches are covered. Your project content must directly align with this description.
• Expected Impact: Specifies the broader societal, technological, or policy effects that projects should contribute to within the programme’s overarching goals.
• Technology Readiness Level (TRL): Calls often reference the TRL scale to indicate the maturity of the technologies to be funded — from basic principles (TRL 1) to a fully proven system in operational use in a market (TRL 9).

You start your application via the link on the call page and will find the correct proposal template in the application portal.

Evaluation criteria

Horizon Europe proposals are evaluated somewhat differently depending on the programme and application type. Familiarise yourself with the criteria for your call before you start writing. Common to most proposals is that Excellence, Impact and Implementation are assessed. Excellence relates mainly to the project idea: the degree to which the objectives are ambitious and clearly formulated, and whether the methodology is appropriate. Impact concerns whether there is a credible plan to exploit and use the project’s results. Implementation concerns project execution — how the project is structured and managed.

Some Pillar 2 calls use a two‑stage submission in which you first submit a short outline and, if successful, are invited to submit a full proposal. In stage one, proposals are assessed against only two award criteria: Excellence and Impact. The aspects considered under these criteria are more limited than in a full proposal.

3.2 Apply for PES funding

It is possible to apply for support to cover costs related to developing proposals to EU programmes. Read more about your eligibility for Project Establishment Support (PES) and how to apply on the page about financial support for developing EU projects for researchers at OsloMet (oslomet.no).

3.3 Familiarise yourself with OsloMet in the application portal

PIC code (Participant Identification Code)

OsloMet’s PIC code: 954982461

1 When you submit a proposal to an EU call, you apply on behalf of OsloMet as an institution. OsloMet is registered in the EU Funding & Tenders Portal, and you must always use OsloMet’s PIC code in applications.

LEAR (Legal Entity Appointed Representative)

A LEAR is the person designated by an organisation registered in the EU Funding & Tenders Portal to have formal responsibility for the organisation’s legal and administrative information. The LEAR is notified of all proposals submitted by OsloMet.

OsloMet’s LEAR is Gyri Aarbakke

3.4 Understand your role in the consortium

There are several roles in a Horizon project: coordinator, partner (beneficiary), supplier, subcontractor, and third party. As the names suggest, the coordinator leads the project; partners are other participants with more limited roles and may serve as work package leaders or task participants. The first two roles are most common for a university, but OsloMet can also contribute as a supplier, a subcontractor, or a so‑called third party. Coordinators and partners share responsibility for implementing the project if it is funded, and can receive a direct share of the project budget.

It is common to start as a partner the first time you join a project. This role allows you to build relevant experience in order to take on a coordinating role later. The partner role entails less responsibility but also less freedom to define the project content. As a partner, it is important to ensure that your expertise fits the project’s goals and ambitions. Whether coordinator or partner, you are responsible for quality and for ensuring that the work you lead as work package leader or task leader is carried out as agreed and within budget. You are also responsible for ensuring that information relating to your own institution (OsloMet) is correct and complete.

As noted, OsloMet can also contribute as a supplier, a subcontractor, or a third party. Importantly, none of these latter roles involves the direct transfer of project funds from the Commission to OsloMet, since these roles operate under a specific partner. This also means they do not carry the same rights as beneficiaries, particularly regarding intellectual property rights (IPR). It is therefore crucial to understand early which role you are being offered, so you can judge whether it fits your needs and ambitions.

In the proposal phase, the coordinator has overall responsibility for ensuring that all parts of the process lead to a coherent proposal that meets eligibility requirements and is submitted on time. Specific tasks and responsibilities are delegated to partners, but the coordinator retains responsibility for orchestrating everyone’s contributions. Typical responsibilities for a coordinator during proposal development include:

Project design

• Interpreting the call: Analyse Expected Outcomes and Scope in the work programme to ensure the project concept responds directly to the specific requirements.
• Project architecture: Define the overall project structure, including division into work packages (WPs), and ensure a clear line of reasoning from research results to societal benefits (Impact).
• Objectives: Formulate SMART objectives (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time‑bound) aligned with the call’s expected results.

Consortium building and leadership

• Partner selection: Identify and recruit the right mix of expertise (academia, industry, SMEs, municipalities, NGOs) to deliver societal impact.
• Task allocation: Distribute roles and responsibilities based on partner competencies and ensure there are no gaps or unnecessary overlaps in the work plan. It is also wise to map cross‑cutting competencies in the consortium such as communication, benefit realisation (impact management), user involvement, etc.
• Internal communication: Set up a shared working platform (e.g., Teams, SharePoint) and establish regular checkpoints to drive progress.

Writing and consolidating the proposal

• Lead authorship: Take primary responsibility for “Part B” (the technical description). While partners draft specific tasks, the coordinator must ensure a single voice, consistent terminology, and a coherent narrative about the project’s impact.
• Budget coordination: Compile financial inputs from all partners. Ensure the budget is proportionate to the tasks and stays within the call’s limits.

Technical and administrative compliance

• Administrative forms (Part A): Manage data in the portal and ensure all participants’ legal/financial information is correctly completed.
• Portal management: Ensure the correct person is set as Main Contact for the Coordinator. Only the coordinator should create the application in the portal and will be the only one able to press the final submit button.
• Quality control: Ensure the proposal complies with page limits, font size, and mandatory annexes.
• Ethics, security, and diversity: Coordinate the mandatory ethics and security self‑assessments and ensure the consortium meets the Gender Equality Plan (GEP) requirement. OsloMet has its own gender equality action plan. OsloMet has its own gender equlity plan (in norwegian only).

3.5 Familiarise yourself with budgeting rules

Financial rules and personnel cost rates for proper budgeting of EU projects are set at OsloMet level, meaning the entire institution must use the same rates for EU projects. It is therefore essential to involve financial advisors as early as possible, especially if the project is fundesd through a lump-sum allocation (ec.europa.eu), to ensure a correct understanding of which cost types are eligible, to what extent, and which rates must be used. Also familiarise yourself with the general guidelines for contribution and commissioned activities at OsloMet (oslomet.no).

Horizon Europe operates with two main project funding models, actual costs and lump sum, and the rules differ significantly. The funding model for your project is stated in the call text. From the 2026–2027 work programmes, half of the calls will use lump‑sum funding. The model used has consequences for project design — the division and duration of work packages, how you report, and what you report will determine cost acceptance during implementation.

Actual costs model

In this model, the budget is less detailed at proposal stage, but financial reporting and control during implementation are more extensive, since the model is based on reporting the actual costs incurred within a specific reporting period (usually 1.5 years).

Lump‑sum model

In this model, a detailed budget is required in the proposal phase. The budget template is available in the application portal. After grant award, the budget is “locked” at work‑package level. This means the Commission does not ask for cost reporting during implementation, but for completed work packages. As long as the work package is delivered and the work is accepted, the Commission will transfer the lump sum to the coordinator.

How does this model affect proposal development?

The model sets premises for planning work packages. What constitutes a work package and how long it lasts will be influenced by the ability to evidence that the work was performed, as well as the funding needs of the partners involved.

3.6 Consider ethical aspects

All projects applying for Horizon Europe funding must undergo an ethics review process to ensure the research complies with EU ethical principles and legislation. The process spans from the application phase through implementation.

1. Ethics Self‑Assessment — during proposal preparation: All applicants must complete an Ethics Issues Table, explain how any ethical issues will be handled, which laws and standards apply, and which approvals will be obtained. This is mandatory if one or more ethics topics are relevant.
2. Ethics screening — during evaluation: Ethics experts review all proposals to identify ethical issues. Projects without issues are cleared. Projects with relevant issues are sent for further assessment.
3. Ethics Assessment — for complex projects: If the project involves serious or complex ethical aspects — e.g., use of personal data, work with humans or animals, or sensitive technologies — a more in‑depth assessment by ethics experts is conducted. The outcome may require changes to the project description.
4. Ethics monitoring — during the project: Throughout the project lifetime, the European Commission may conduct ethics checks, audits or interviews to ensure compliance. This may include reviewing deliverables, documentation, or approvals.

What does this mean for applicants?

• Start early mapping ethical issues related to project goals, methods, and anticipated results and impacts.
• Ensure ethics is integrated into both content and organisation (“Ethics by Design”).
• Make sure the project is “ethics‑ready” at submission.
• Be prepared to provide additional documentation if requested by the EU.
• Remember that ethical quality is an integral part of research quality in Horizon Europe.

Resources:

Guide to completing the Ethics Self‑Assessment (europa.eu) prepared by the European Commission.

3.7 Consider security aspects

To ensure that research projects do not generate or handle sensitive or classified information in ways that could threaten security, all Horizon Europe applicants must conduct a security assessment. This assessment forms the basis for determining whether information needs protection.

The process can be summarised in three steps:

• Security Self‑Assessment — during proposal preparation: All applicants must complete the Security Issues Table and describe how any security‑relevant issues will be handled. If the proposal covers security‑sensitive topics, additional information must be provided, including SAL (Security Aspects Letter) and SCG (Security Classification Guide).
• Security Review — during/after evaluation: After submission, a technical “pre‑screening” is carried out. This internal administrative check assesses whether security issues are relevant, whether all documentation is in place, and whether the proposal should proceed to formal security review. Pre‑screening runs in parallel with, or shortly after, the scientific evaluation. If pre‑screening confirms potential security risks, the proposal is sent for a more detailed screening, where project activities, treatment of sensitive elements, and the need to involve national security experts are assessed. This takes place after evaluation but before the Grant Agreement is signed. If security aspects cannot be resolved during screening, the proposal is referred to Security Scrutiny for an in‑depth assessment. If a call is flagged as security‑sensitive, the proposal goes directly to this thorough review. The outcome can require changes to the project description (e.g., appointing a Project Security Officer or establishing a Security Advisory Board). In very rare cases, it may lead to rejection of funding.
• Security Checks — during and after the project: The Commission may conduct security checks during or after the project to ensure that all requirements for handling sensitive and classified information are met, which may lead to changes in how information is classified.

What does this mean for researchers planning to apply?

• All applicants must complete the security section, even if no classified information is involved.
• Projects in security‑sensitive areas automatically undergo more extensive review.
• Plan early for handling sensitive information that may be security‑critical and understand which deliverables may be classified.

Resources:

Guide to handling security‑sensitive projects (europa.eu) prepared by the European Commission.

3.8 Conclude agreements during the proposal phase

Whether you participate as a partner or coordinate a Horizon proposal, it is common to enter into agreements with other participants already during the proposal phase. Below are the most common agreements at this stage. While you may encounter these in other funding processes, there are specific uses in Horizon Europe.

• Non‑Disclosure Agreement (NDA)

An NDA is a legally binding document used to protect a new project concept, especially when partners may be involved in competing proposals. NDAs are particularly relevant for Innovation Actions, but also for other proposals where development requires one or more parties to share confidential information. This agreement should be signed before detailed discussions of the project’s core idea. OsloMet has a generic NDA template that can be adapted to each project (oslomet.no).

• Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)

An MoU is a multi‑party document between two or more participants outlining the framework for planned collaboration. Often used early in consortium building towards a Horizon Europe call. It serves as a roadmap for how partners will work together and may include confidentiality provisions (so no one “steals” ideas if the proposal is not submitted). An MoU is often considered a “gentleman’s agreement” and is rarely legally enforceable regarding project implementation.

If you have taken on the role of coordinator, it is very wise to use an MoU to pave the way for a consortium agreement once the project is awarded.

The MoU’s content will depend on the specific consortium and project. The more partners and the broader the consortium (industry, civil society, academia), the more important it is to clarify participation terms already during the proposal phase. When the project is awarded, the consortium will conclude a Consortium Agreement (most often based on the DESCA model). This is a comprehensive document, and the parties must agree on many points in a relatively short time. An MoU during the proposal phase can therefore fix the key principles already agreed. This ensures that the difficult discussions about money and rights happen while everyone is still motivated to submit a strong proposal.

• Letter of Commitment

Letters of commitment may be required (Mandatory Attachment or Mandatory Annex) in specific calls. For example, some MSCA calls require letters from associated partners in third countries. You should therefore always check:

1. Topic Conditions and Documents for the specific call in the Funding & Tenders Portal.
2. The Guide for Applicants for the specific call.

A letter of commitment is usually a unilateral document in which an organisation confirms its intention to participate in the project if it is funded. It is often used when inviting partners from non‑EU countries (Third Countries) or associated partners who must demonstrate commitment to the European Commission. The content typically confirms that management has approved participation, specifies the expertise they will contribute, and states they are willing to negotiate a final agreement. Letters of commitment are usually not legally binding, but act as a moral commitment.

• Letter of Support

Some calls use “letter of support” and “letter of commitment” as synonyms ("cascade calls" (ncpflanders.be)) — in those cases, the same principles as above apply, and letters can be uploaded as annexes/attachments. Otherwise, letters of support are usually not mandatory. Still, there may be reasons to obtain letters from stakeholders, advisory bodies, end users, cities/regions, companies, NGOs, etc. Such letters can:

• document stakeholder commitment to use, test, co‑create, or adopt your results (e.g., “Hospital X commits to testing the solution in its outpatient clinic”);
• demonstrate that key actors outside the consortium (policymakers, standardisation bodies, industry associations) are interested in the project;
• document access to data, infrastructure, users, or test facilities critical to feasibility (e.g., a registry, a biobank, or a living lab);
• confirm the role of actors who will not receive funding, such as external advisors (Advisory Board).

Here you can read about how to interact with the Commission’s project officer, deadlines in the Grant Preparation phase, how to assign roles in the application portal, and how to sign the Declaration of Honour and the Grant Agreement.

4.1 Familiarize yourself with the Commission’s project officer

When a project is awarded funding, it will be assigned a project officer from the European Commission. The project officer is the primary contact for the project coordinator on all questions related to the agreement with the EU (Grant Agreement) and the implementation of the project, and follows the consortium throughout the entire project period. The project officer ensures that project activities comply with the agreements with the EU and the consortium agreement, provides clarifications on rules and expectations related to costs, reporting, deliverables and milestones, and assesses and approves amendments to the agreements.

4.2 Get an overview of deadlines in the Grant Preparation phase

Note: Each project may have its own deadlines, so read the instructions from the project officer carefully.

As a general rule, the Grant Agreement must be signed no later than three months after the consortium is informed of the award (cf. Article 20(2) Rules for Participation). All partners (and the coordinator) must sign the Declaration of Honour (DoH) as soon as possible and no later than six weeks after the Grant Preparation phase has started.

If you are the coordinator, you are also responsible for submitting the Grant Agreement Data. This is additional information about the project work and budget that must be entered in the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. You have three weeks after receiving the award to submit the first version of the Grant Agreement Data, including Annex 1 (Description of Action) and Annex 2 (estimated budget for projects that report actual costs, and the lump-sum distribution by work packages and partners for lump-sum-funded projects). The project officer will then review the first version of the Grant Agreement Data and may propose changes that need to be made. These changes must be made within two weeks of the project officer’s feedback.

It is mandatory for all projects to have a consortium agreement (DESCA) regulating the collaboration between the partners in the project. This agreement should be signed before the Grant Agreement is signed.

4.3 Assign roles in the portal

One of the first things you must do, both as a coordinator and as a partner in a project, is to assign the necessary roles in the EU Funding & Tenders Portal to people in your organization. As coordinator, you must also ensure that partners have the necessary rights to assign their roles. By granting people different roles in the portal, you give them access to perform various tasks in the project, such as signing agreements or entering information about the organization.

As coordinator, you must have a Legal Entity Appointed Representative (LEAR), a Primary Coordinator Contact (PCoCo) and a Project Legal Signatory (PLSign). At OsloMet the LEAR is Gyri Aarbakke (oslomet.no). As a partner, you must have a LEAR, a Participant Contact (PaCo) and a PLSign. It may also be relevant to appoint a Project Financial Signatory (PFSign), who can sign the financial reports later in the project.

The LEAR must register Legal Signatories (LSign) and Financial Signatories (FSign) so that they can be linked to the project as PLSign and PFSign, respectively. The PLSign should be someone authorized to sign legal documents, for example a dean or another administrative leader with decision-making authority.

There are several people who can be assigned these roles at OsloMet. Contact the LEAR Gyri Aarbakke (oslomet.no), if your project is missing any of the roles.

The person assigned the role of Primary Coordinator Contact (PCoCo) has the main responsibility for the project. This is most often the researcher behind the project. The Coordinator Contact (CoCo) has the same rights as the PCoCo in the portal, with some exceptions, and is usually held by the person who is administratively responsible for the project. The role of Partner Coordinating Contact (PaCo) is held by the person responsible for the project at the partner organizations.

You can read more about different roles and access rights in the EU`s online manual (ec.europa.eu).

4.4 Sign the Declaration of Honour

All recipients of funding from the Commission must sign the Declaration of Honour (DoH). The DoH is signed electronically by the PLSign as soon as possible and no later than six weeks after the Grant Preparation phase has started. By signing the DoH, you confirm that the institution is eligible to receive EU funding. The Grant Agreement cannot be signed until all partners have signed the DoH. If there are Linked Third Parties in the consortium, the DoH must be signed manually. The signed version must then be uploaded by the partner to whom the third party is linked. For OsloMet, this is, for example, SimulaMet and Grundergarasjen.

Provide additional information in the portal

Upon award, you will receive an email from the Commission in which, as coordinator, you will get access to the Evaluation Summary Report (ESR), showing the assessment the project received, and a request to provide additional information necessary to carry out the Grant Preparation phase. If you are a partner in a project, you may receive a similar email from the coordinator. As coordinator, you will see what information is missing for Grant Preparation to be complete in the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. This is where you, as coordinator, must enter the missing information.

One type of information that often needs to be entered in the portal is the bank account information to which EU funds should be paid. OsloMet uses two different account numbers for incoming payments depending on whether you are a coordinator or a partner in a project or the type of project. Contact the financial advissor at your faculty/centre regarding account information; if necessary, the financial advisor will contact the accounting department (regnskap@oslomet.no). to obtain the required details.

Information about the project itself must also be entered in the portal. The coordinator must therefore turn the application text into a so-called Description of Action (DoA). The DoA will be attached as an annex to the Grant Agreement. You may make minor changes to the project description in accordance with the evaluators’ feedback and to correct any errors, but no major changes. In addition to the DoA, the coordinator must enter information about Work Packages, Deliverables, Milestones, etc., in the portal. Information about Work Packages, Deliverables and Milestones can be found in Part B, section 3 of the application text and can be copied from there if there are no changes.

The project will also undergo an ethics review (see chapter 3.6 on ethics). The result of the ethics review is an ethics summary report. You will receive this report at the start of the Grant Preparation phase or shortly thereafter. The review may have different outcomes. If the ethics review contains requirements with deadlines after the project has started, these will be converted into ethics deliverables and included in the Grant Agreement. In the portal, a work package called “ethics requirements” will automatically be created, which will contain the ethics references. This work package will appear last in the list of the project’s work packages. You can change the order of the work packages yourself, but remember that this affects the numbering of the deliverables. There is no internal ethics review at OsloMet, and it may therefore be appropriate to include mechanisms in the project to ensure that ethical issues are addressed.

4.5 Sign the Grant Agreement

Signing the Grant Agreement as coordinator

The final step before the project can start is to sign the Grant Agreement. The Project Legal Signatory (PLSign) will be notified by email when the Grant Agreement is ready for signature. The Grant Agreement is signed electronically only.

To sign the Grant Agreement, the PLSign must log in to the portal with their username and password. When the agreement has been signed, the Legal Entity Appointed Representative (LEAR) and the other project participants will be notified. The Commission will sign the agreement after it has been signed by the coordinator. The agreement enters into force after the last signature.

If any amendments to the Grant Agreement are made after it has been signed, these must be signed in the same way by the PLSign.

Signing the Grant Agreement as a partner As a partner, you do not sign the Grant Agreement itself, but an Accession Form that is Annex 3 to the agreement. By signing the Accession Form, your institution commits to complying with the Grant Agreement. The Accession Form is signed in the same way as the Grant Agreement. The PLSign will be notified by email that the Accession Form is ready for signature and must log in to the portal to sign. The Accession Form must be signed within 30 days after the agreement has entered into force. If you have the status of Linked Third Party, you do not sign either the Grant Agreement or the Accession Form.

Develop a consortium agreement

All projects that receive funding from the Commission must develop a consortium agreement regulating the collaboration between the partners in the project. The consortium agreement covers only the collaboration between the project partners and not the relationship between the consortium and the Commission. The contractual relationship between the consortium and the Commission is governed by the Grant Agreement (GA) and cannot be changed/negotiated, but it guides the drafting of the consortium agreement.

The consortium agreement typically regulates areas such as confidentiality, sharing of information between partners (background), allocation of tasks and responsibilities, how disputes are to be resolved, allocation of the budget, management of intellectual property rights, how results are to be exploited, ownership of results, etc. If a letter of intent was signed during the application phase, it can be used as a starting point for a consortium agreement. It is important that the consortium agreement does not contain anything that conflicts with the contents of the GA. The consortium agreement is mandatory and should be signed before the GA is signed. The consortium agreement should not be uploaded to the portal but should be archived in accordance with applicable procedures (see chapter 6.2 under “Ensure secure archiving of documentation”).

There is a template for consortium agreements for EU projects that can be used as a starting point. Feel free to contact the legal team in the R&D department for assistance with the consortium agreement (oslomet.no).

Here you can read about how to follow up the project as a coordinator, how to get an overview of the project’s finances, how to report to the Commission, and how to make changes to the project during the project period.

5.1 Follow up the project (as coordinator)

As coordinator, you have overall responsibility for managing the project and ensuring deliverables. As coordinator, you essentially have three areas of responsibility:

1. You are responsible for carrying out, documenting, and reporting on the tasks assigned to you in the project, on the same footing as all other partners in the project.
2. You have overall responsibility for coordinating the project and serving as the contact point for the Commission – you establish the project’s management structure, organize meetings, collect everyone’s contributions to reports, etc.
3. You also have overarching responsibility for training and guiding less experienced partners.

The tasks under points 2 and 3 can require considerable resources; it is common to assume that about 5% of the project budget should go to these tasks.

Communicate with the project officer

For coordinators, the project officer is the main line into the EU. For partners at OsloMet who are not coordinators, an important rule applies: all communication with the project officer must go through the coordinator. Direct contact from partners creates noise and confusion, unless it concerns very specific, sensitive matters.

All communication must take place via the messaging system in the Funding & Tenders Portal (“Manage Project” > “Process communications”). A good relationship with the project officer, based on openness about problems, is a key factor for smooth project implementation.

Ensure a shared understanding

It is very wise to spend time at the start of the project to ensure that all partners truly understand what they are to do and how they are to do it. The kickoff meeting is the first step in ensuring a shared understanding and in building trust and team cohesion in the consortium, and must be planned as soon as you are notified that the project has been awarded. Plan at least 1.5 days, preferably more, to be able to cover:

• Obligations related to the project: project implementation plan, project management structure and procedures, legal aspects/agreements, financial aspects, and the opportunity for detailed planning of the first year.
• General obligations that apply to all Horizon projects: e.g., requirements for open access publishing, acknowledgment of EU funding in all public appearances and publications from the project, interpretations of compliance/legal requirements (particularly important when the consortium operates across countries and continents). Information about such obligations can be found in the Grant Agreement.

Resources for coordinators

There are several resources for coordinators:

• Coordinators Day – The Commission generally organizes two types of information meetings that may be relevant for new projects – one for GAP and one for Grant Management. Information about these is published under “Events” on the EUs Funding and Tenders-portal (ec.europa.eu).
• The Research Council of Norway has established a forum for Norwegian coordinators for EU projects that meets twice a year. Coordinatorforum (forskningsradet.no).
• In the annotated version of the Grant Agreement – Annotated Grant agreement (ec.europa.eu) – you will find detailed explanations of the obligations the consortium has undertaken vis-à-vis the Commission.
• In the annotated version of the consortium agreement, Desca with elucidations and explanations (desca-agreement.eu), you will find information about what can be included in a consortium agreement.

5.2 Maintain an overview of costs

Model based on actual costs (actual costs)

This model is based on reporting actual incurred costs. Here it is important to understand that the costs must not only be recorded in the accounting system; they must also have a clear and documented link to the project – they must be traceable in the project description (Description of Action) in the Grant Agreement, be necessary for the project, and be documentable with supporting documents – for example boarding passes, contracts, and timesheets (for personnel costs), etc. All national rules for accounting and for finances in the higher education sector also apply to EU projects, and we use our accounting, procurement, and HR systems for documentation here as well.

Personnel costs are the largest expense in EU projects. It is therefore essential to budget, record, and document these costs in accordance with the European Commission’s rules, as errors can lead to the costs being rejected by the Commission.

At OsloMet, personnel costs are reported as “average personnel cost” in Horizon Europe projects. A set of rates for various personnel categories is published annually for use in budgeting and reporting. You can find information about these rates in Teams or by contacting the finance department at your faculty/center. Project controllers/economists at OsloMet are responsible for making templates available for recording time spent on the project (timesheets). Researchers and research support staff are responsible for ensuring that these templates are used, signed, and archived in a location that the entire local R&D and finance administration has access to. Contact your local R&D administration for more information.

Model based on lump sum (lump sum)

An increasing number of projects are financed as a lump sum (“Lump Sum”) or delivery-based financing. Here, the budget is part of the evaluators’ assessment and is locked at work package level after award. The Commission will therefore not require reporting of costs, only completed work.

• No timesheets to the EU: You do not need to report actual costs or retain timesheets in case of an EU audit.
• Focus on completion: Payment is made only when a work package is declared completed and approved. If a work package is less than 100% finished at the end of the project, the consortium must document and justify partially completed work, and the Commission will ultimately determine the degree of completion with corresponding payment. This puts the entire focus on documentable deliverables.
• Internal procedures: Even though the EU does not require timesheets, OsloMet may maintain the requirement for internal timesheets to ensure correct resource allocation and internal control (documentation of activities performed).

5.3 Report to the European Commission

There are two types of reporting in EU projects – continuous reporting, which can be done at any time during the project, and periodic reporting, which is done right after a reporting period has ended.

Continuous reporting: The consortium must report on the project’s progress (e.g., deliverables, milestones, results/impacts, critical risks, indicators – where applicable) in the portal’s continuous reporting tool, and in accordance with the deadlines and conditions set there (as agreed with the Commission). There are a number of standardized deliverables – documents such as various types of plans, reports, and the like where the Commission has standardized templates – these will be available in the portal. The coordinator is responsible for ensuring that the reporting is completed correctly and on time.

Periodic reporting: Usually every 18 months (see the data sheet in the first part of the contract). The report consists of a technical report and, for projects with reporting of actual costs, financial reporting (financial statement).

The technical report aims to provide an overview of the implementation and progress of the project. It usually includes an explanation of work carried out, an overview of progress, a publishable summary, key performance indicators (KPIs), etc. A template is available for download directly in the system. The consortium usually has 60 days to submit the report in the portal.

The financial part is completed online and includes:

• financial statements (individual and consolidated for all partners/affiliated entities)
• explanation of resource use (or detailed cost reporting table, if required)
• audit certificates (CFS – Certificates on the Financial Statements), required for partners receiving over €430,000 in a project

The coordinator compiles the entire report based on contributions from all partners and submits it to the Commission. The most important resource for understanding obligations, and also for finding answers to most questions at a detailed level, is the Annotated Grant Agreement, and the updated version is always available via the  "Guidance” section of the EU-portal (ec.europa.eu).

5.4 Implement changes during the project

When the project is awarded, the project description is turned into an annex to the agreement with the Commission (Annex 1 Description of Action) and thus becomes part of the commitment the consortium has undertaken. However, there is inherent uncertainty associated with research and innovation projects, and projects are rarely implemented exactly in accordance with the project description. Handling changes, both small and large, is therefore a natural part of project management. Major changes will require an amendment of the contract with the Commission, while others may be small enough that a message to the project officer is sufficient. The main rule is that the coordinator always contacts the project officer for guidance. In other words, the consortium should regard the project officer as a gatekeeper and negotiator: the coordinator first agrees with the project officer on the approach (through the messaging center in the portal) before possibly starting the formal amendment process.

Contract amendments (Amendments) If the project officer indicates that a contract amendment is necessary, the coordinator starts an “amendment process”. There are many predefined reasons for such a contract amendment and how they should be handled. The project officer can assist with selecting the correct legal clause and provide practical guidance. Examples of common changes that will always trigger a contract amendment are: change of coordinator, adding/removing partners, change of start date, or substantial changes to tasks.

Although the consortium has some flexibility with respect to project implementation—and there are some differences here between projects based on actual costs and projects with lump sum funding—there are also limits to this flexibility. The project’s fundamental objectives cannot be changed. A change that would have meant the proposal would not originally have been funded will be rejected. See Amendment Guide for EU Funding Programmes2021-2027 (ec.europa.eu).

Formal notification (Formal Notification) While some changes are handled via contract amendments, certain situations require a formal notification. These are sent and received through a dedicated module in the Funding and Tenders portal. The project officer will usually guide the coordinator in cases where this type of notification is required from the consortium’s side, but it is also important to know that the Commission can initiate notifications itself. Some cases that require formal notification are defined in the agreement with the Commission (Grant Agreement). For example:

• Termination (Article 32): If a member of the consortium or another beneficiary wishes to withdraw from the project, they must formally notify the Commission of the termination date and the reasons for this.
• IPR and results (Annex 5): Transfer of results: If a beneficiary intends to transfer ownership of results to a non-associated third country (and the agreement with the Commission includes a right to object).
• Granting of licenses: The same notification requirements apply when granting exclusive licenses to entities in non-associated third countries.

EUs information on notification (ec.europa.eu) Formal Notifications - IT How To - Funding Tenders Opportunities. 

Here you can read about how to submit the final report, how to ensure secure archiving and documentation, how to prepare for a potential audit, and how to ensure effective use of the results.

The closure phase is about more than submitting the final report. It is about ensuring that the final payment (“Payment of the Balance”) is received, and that the project can withstand a future audit. As the project approaches its end, it may also be wise to consider how to ensure that the results are taken up after the project’s lifetime so that the project has the desired impact on the world.

6.1 Submit the final report and Certificate on Financial Statements (CFS)

At the end of the project (within 60 days), the final report must be submitted. For projects based on actual costs, this is often when the requirement for an audit certificate (CFS) arises. The general rule in Horizon Europe is that an audit certificate must be submitted for each partner requesting a total EU reimbursement of €430,000 or more (based on actual costs). Note: In some EU programmes the threshold is €325,000. The threshold for your project will be stated in the “Data Sheet,” which is part of the Grant Agreement. For lump-sum costs, no audit certificate is required.

6.2 Ensure secure archiving and documentation

Article 20 of the Model Grant Agreement (MGA) imposes strict requirements on the retention of documentation. This is the researcher’s and institution’s insurance against recovery claims.

• Retention period: Documentation must be retained for 5 years after the final payment (Payment of the Balance) has been received.
• Exception for small amounts: If the total grant for the project is €60,000 or less, the retention period is reduced to 3 years.

In addition to the EU’s requirements, OsloMet has its own procedures for archiving documentation related to researh projects. These procedures can be found on SharePoint. Note that there are dedicated procedures for the retention of documentation in EU projects.

What should be retained?

• Projects based on actual costs: accounting reports and underlying documentation. This means we must both prove that the cost has been recorded in the accounts, and that there is a clear link between the cost, the project activities, and the project budget. Therefore, we must have payslips, employment contracts, invoices, proof of payment, as well as timesheets, travel documentation (boarding passes, conference programmes), and proof that procurement rules have been followed. It is also common to retain evidence of participation at conferences, communication materials, etc.
• Projects with lump-sum funding: In these projects, the Commission will not require evidence of costs incurred, but of proper implementation of the project. Our documentation should support the claim that we have actually done what we committed to do, regardless of whether the outcome was as expected. We must be able to prove that the work has actually been carried out. Technical reports, publications, prototypes, laboratory logs, participant lists from workshops. You do not need to retain financial vouchers for the EU’s purposes, but national accounting rules still apply.

6.3 Be prepared for audits

The European Commission has the right to conduct an audit up to two years after the date of the final payment for a project. However, there are other supervisory authorities with broader mandates that can go further back in time (the European Court of Auditors (ECA) and the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF)). Therefore, the retention of documentation in projects is regulated in the contract with the Commission.

Audits are not selected at random. The EU uses a risk-based strategy. Large beneficiaries such as universities (OsloMet) are audited more frequently to ensure that large amounts are correct. High personnel costs, many subcontractors, or partners who have previously had errors increase the likelihood of an audit.

If an auditor finds a systematic error in a project (e.g., incorrect calculation of the daily rate for all employees), the finding can be extrapolated to all other EU projects at OsloMet. This can lead to massive recovery claims across the entire portfolio. It is therefore critical that OsloMet has robust central procedures for managing finances in EU projects.

6.4 Ensure that the results are exploited and create impact

As a Horizon Europe beneficiary, you have a legal obligation to carry out activities for dissemination and exploitation of your project results. Dissemination is about sharing results with those who can benefit from them—such as research communities, industry, and policymakers—while exploitation means actually using the results to develop products, services, or inform policy. If results are not exploited within one year after the end of the project, you are obliged to make them available on the Horizon Results Platform (ec.europa.eu). This ensures that publicly funded research benefits society.

To support this work,  EU offers several free tools (op.europa.eu), including the Open Research Europe publishing platform, the Horizon Results Platform to showcase results to partners, and the Dissemination & Exploitation Booster, which provides professional advice in business planning and market strategy. The Commission also has its own  Intellectual Property Helpdesk (ec.europa.eu), which offers free assistance to recipients of EU-funded projects in handling intellectual property rights in a transnational context.

OsloMet supports its researchers in this work through a dedicated structure for innovation and societal impact (oslomet.no). The university has its own Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) policy (oslomet.no) (only in norwegian) that provides clear guidelines for handling copyrights, trademarks, and patents, supported by guidance from the Norwegian Industrial Property Office (Patentstyret). As a researcher, you can get help from your local innovation contact, apply for dedicated innovation funds for societal improvements, or take courses to build your competence in the field. In addition, the university provides access to networks and infrastructure such as Gründergarasjen (oslomet.no) and various innovation clusters to help bring your research into society.