4.4.1 Main Projects reporting

This chapter explains the procedure for partners compiling 6-monthly partner reports, the control of these reports and the procedure for lead partners compiling the project report. All progress reporting is to be done in the electronic monitoring system Jems, and specific guidelines for reporting in Jems are made available by the programme. For information about small-scale project progress reporting, please see the next section.

Payments to projects will be paid out retrospectively against actual expenditure incurred and paid out by project partners. Only certified costs by the controllers can generate ERDF or ERDF equivalent co-financing.

I. Partner report

Each individual partner in a project describes their activities and lists their expenditure, in accordance with the eligibility rules outlined in this manual. Compilation of each partner report is normally done after the closure of each reporting period and submitted to their respective controllers in Jems. The reporting periods and deadlines for each project are stipulated in the Grant Letter.

II. Control, or verification

Each partner’s controller assesses their partner reports in Jems and certifies the costs that are considered eligible. The controllers have two months from partner submission until the control should be finalized. See also the previous section, control system.

III. Project report

It is the Lead Partner’s responsibility to compile the partner reports (controller certificates included) into a project report and submit it to the programme. The project report is expected to be supported by evidence of deliverables, outputs and results that are achieved, e.g. communication materials, reports, meeting minutes (supporting documents), documentation for outputs. After the end of the reporting period, projects have 3 months to submit their complete project report, which includes the certification of costs by the controllers (maximum two months).

The purpose of the Project Report is:

To declare activities and financial information to receive ERDF or ERDF equivalent co-financing from the NPA programme.
To allow different programme bodies to monitor the development of the project, including the Joint Secretariat, Managing Authority, and Monitoring Committee.
To help guarantee a satisfactory achievement of the project results.
To provide quantification and continuous quality assurance of project outputs.
To allow a cross-check between the implementation versus the project application or decision.
To collect information that can feed into reports that the Programme needs to submit to the European Commission
To help disseminate information and knowledge about the project to the wider public.To identify best practices in project implementation and communication measures
To outline minor project changes, if applicable
To assess the project’s risk profile.

The Project Report will be verified to make sure that the implementation corresponds with the expenditure of the project during a given period. A missing or unsatisfactory Project Report could lead to a decision not to issue a payment or in the worst case a termination of the project, if conditions for support are not followed.

The Project Report is pre-filled with information from the Jems application. Sections in the report ask for descriptions regarding progress of the achievements towards the project objectives, the main project outputs, and the work package activities and deliverables. In addition, the project is asked to report on indicators, horizontal principles, synergies with other strategies and programmes, any project implementation issues, and so on.

IV. Assessment

The assessments of submitted project reports are carried out by the JS and the MA.

Joint Secretariat assessment of the Project Report

The Joint Secretariat is the first body that assesses the Project Report, including:

Completeness of the information
Eligibility of activities carried out
Coherence of activities with objectives set out in the application and decision
Progress achieved of the implementation versus the approved project application or decision.
Analysis of the efficiency and effectiveness of the project implementation process
Measurement of quality and quantity of project outputs and results
Analysis of project spending profile, value-for-money and other budgetary matters
Quality of partnership and distribution of roles between the partners
Analysis of synergies with other strategies and programmes
Concrete actions meeting the horizontal principles

After assessment, the Joint Secretariat will inform the Managing Authority about the evaluation of the Activity Report for further processing of the Project Report.

Managing Authority assessment of the Project Report

The Managing Authority is the second body that assesses the Project Report, including:

Completeness of the information, including bank details.
Analysis of the certified amounts in the Controller certificates and potential comments in the Controller checklists.
Check of partner expenditure compared to partner budget and Grant Letter.
Check that partners receive the NPA grant from the correct funding source and according to the latest version of the Grant Letter.

The MA has the right not to accept (in part or in full) expenditure validated by controllers if – as a result of its own checks and/or controls or audits performed by another authority – any of the expenditure has been found ineligible or if any of the partners have exceeded their partner budgets.

V. Transfer of payment

The Managing Authority issues a Payment order
After assessing the Project Report, the Managing Authority will issue a Payment order, the formal decision from the Managing Authority that a payment can be made in accordance with the Grant Letter.
The Certifying function makes the payment to the Lead Partner
The amounts stated in the Payment order are transferred to the Lead Partner’s bank account, one transaction for each fund. A payment notification will be sent to the Lead Partner.
The Lead Partner distributes the co-financing to the project partners
The Lead Partner is then responsible for distributing the received grant to the individual project partners in accordance with the partner budget and partnership agreement.