D.2 - Financial Rules and Reporting

Financial rules of Horizon Europe and H2020 (2 days) – Level 2

The course gives you a detailed explanation of the financial rules of Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe. We will explain which costs are eligible for reimbursement and which are not. Then, we will explain different ways to calculate personnel costs, and other costs such as travel expenses, equipment and internally invoiced items.  During day two of the course, we dive into more details of financial reporting and how to deal with financial issues in the periodic reports, illustrated with practical examples.

The course is delivered by Europa Media.

Our Horizon Europe seminars are distributed into 5 topics (A-E) on three knowledge levels (1-3). Read more about the different courses.

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Day 1

08:45 - 09:00 Registration and Welcome

09:00 – 09:15  Event Opening

09:15 – 10:15     Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Financial Rules Part 1: Warming Up

Detailed introduction to the financial rules of H2020 and Horizon Europe with real-life examples:

• Basic facts - funding schemes: cost reporting vs lump-sum funding
• Importance of the budget and of the resources
• Cost vs Price principle
• Basic financial principles in theory and practice
• Form of Grants, Forms of Costs
• Eligible and non-eligible costs with comparison and all exceptions
• Direct and indirect costs

(10:15 – 10:30 Coffee break)

10:30 – 11:30     Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Financial Rules Part 2: Direct Personnel Costs

• Introducing the cost categories Changes of cost categories in Horizon Europe
• Personnel costs calculations – showing the possible ways:
• Employees and other employment contracts
• Financial-year based vs monthly-based calculation vs daily rate calculation
• Number of productive hours to consider
• Measuring days (HE) and hours (H2020) - how to handle?
• Transforming hours into days

(11:35 – 12:30 Lunch break)

12:30 – 13:30  Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Financial Rules Part 3: Direct Personnel Costs

• Personnel cost calculation showcase for employees - how to maximise costs?
• Additional and project-based remuneration
• Bonuses, fringe-benefits, and other complements
• Unit-based personnel costs calculation
• Missiing resources in personnel? - In-house consultants and seconded employees
• SME-owner rates

(13:30 – 13:45 Coffee break)

13:45 – 14:00     Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Financial Rules Part 4: Subcontracting and Purchase costs, Research facility costs

• Subcontracting and other third parties - what is what? Special third-party protocols
• Purchase costs vs. Other direct costs - what is the difference?
• Travel costs - what to consider
• Consumable and small services
• Equipment and assets - calculating the costs of the reseach infrastructure
• Internally invoiced items

(14:00 – 14:15 One last coffee to survive….)

14:15 – 15:00  Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Financial Rules Part 5

• Indirect costs - does it need to be proved?
• Funding Rates and Receipt calculations
• Certificates on Financial Statements, Certificate on Methodology, etc. System and Process Audits
• Guarantee Fund vs. Mutual Insurance Mechanism; Payments and Exchange rates

15:00 - 15:30  Intro to Day 2, extended Q&A session, consultancy

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Day 2

08:30 - 11:30   Workshop – Financial Reporting of Horizon projects

Introduction - Participants will prepare a financial statement for a virtual Horizon Europe project, based on “dummy” invoices, salary slips, receipts and bills, time records and certificates, which are generated individually for each participant. The full package will be downloadable or sent to the participants on Day1 and shall be solved individually as homework.

(11:30 – 12:15 Lunch break)

12:15 – 13:15  Understanding the Financial Reports - Part I

Pragmatic approaches in reporting; Point-by-point assessment of the prepared financial reports: Format, content; overall principles, possible bottlenecks, what should and should not be included.

(13:15 – 13:30 Coffee break)

13:30 – 14:45  Understanding the Financial Reports - Part I

Showing the effect of different calculation protocols on personnel costs (employees), pros and cons of the different approaches

How to report "tricky" costs? Unforeseen subcontracting, exceeding expenses, reallocaiton of costs during reporting

14:45 - 15:00 How to submit the perfect Cost statement?

Step-by-step guide on how to report costs, deal with deviations, and internal allocation issues. Handling the EC requests for clarification, suspension of payments and other issues with hands-on approach.

15:00  En of course