This page intends to provide links and useful information for the management of running Horizon 2020 projects.
Basic document governing your grant
- Grant agreement:this is essentially the contractual document between the FCH JU and the project coordinator. Other beneificaries access the grant agreement through the Accession forms.
@@@ Model grant agreement, Model Accession Forms
The grant agreement stipulates, among others, the total budget for the project, the maximum funding that can be asked to the FCH JU (upon submission of cost claims), the work that is intended (description of action) and the related deliverables.
Grant Management
- The project partners are expected to keep records of their grant-related spending, which may be examined upon any check, audit, review or investigation amandated by the FCH JU. The records are to be kept for a minimum of 5 years after the end of the project (3 years for actions < 60 k€, which is unlikely for research and innovation grants).
- During the grant duration, the project beneficiaries are required to submit technical reports and cost claims to the FCH JU, as well as the deliverables foreseen in the description of action, so as to justify the FCH JU funding. These should be submitted simultaneously through the Participant Portal.
For an issues related to the related IT system, please contact the IT Helppdesk. - The FCH JU will ask additional documents and reporting in relation to its annual Programme Review, including images, information for the preparation of posters, and reports on progress.
- Projects are also requested, on an annual basis, to report online on a secure platform on project results in structured template questionnaires (annual data collection). For any information regarding this exercise, please contact the FCH JU knowledge management (trust@fch.europa.eu)
- Amendmentsto the grant agreement can be made when changes in the grant agreement and its annexes are needed.
- Communicationon the project, promoting it and making it and its results known is mandatory. Communication activities should always acknowledge the FCH JU funding, as well as the European Union's Horizon 2020 programme.
The text to use is:- For communication activities: "This project has received funding from the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen 2 Joint Undertaking under grant agreement No [number]. This Joint Undertaking receives support from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, Hydrogen Europe and Hydrogen Europe Research."
- For infrastructure or equipment financed under the project: "This [infrastructure][equipment][insert type of result] is part of a project that has received funding from the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen 2 Joint Undertaking under grant agreement No [number]. This Joint Undertaking receives support from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, Hydrogen Europe and Hydrogen Europe Research"
In all cases, unless it is not possible, the text should be accompanied by the FCH JU logo and the EU emblem.
For any question on Communications activities, or to organise joint announcements, press releases or events with the FCH JU, please contact the FCH JU communication team
- Disseminationon the project concerns the disclosure of project results, including in scientific publications or any other means. This is an obligation in the grant agreement, unless it comes against the participants legitimate interest.
References to publications should be provided online in the "publications" tab of the periodic report page.
Publications should be open access and related costs can be claimed as project expenses.
Dissemination activities should always acknowledge the FCH JU funding, as well as the European Union's Horizon 2020 programme.
The text to use is:
This project has received funding from the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen 2 Joint Undertaking under grant agreement No [Number]. This Joint Undertaking receives support from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, Hydrogen Europe and Hydrogen Europe Research"
In all cases, unless it is not possible, the text should be accompanied by the FCH JU logo and the EU emblem.
- Exploitation is the effective utilisation of the results for :
- further research activities (other than in the project itself),
- the development, creation or marketing of a product or process or service
- the development or contribution to policy making
- the development or contribution to standardisation efforts
Note that if results are incorporated in a standard, the beneficiary concerned must — unless the JU requests or agrees otherwise or unless it is impossible — ask the standardisation body to include the following statement in (information related to) the standard:
“Results incorporated in this standard received funding from the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen 2 Joint Undertaking under grant agreement No [Number]. This Joint Undertaking receives support from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, Hydrogen Europe and Hydrogen Europe Research"
Each project provides an exploitation plan at the time of proposal submissions and this plan is to be kept constantly updated, reflecting the importance given to put result to tangible use.
The Exploitation plan is requested on an annual basis in relation to the Programme Review reporting, starting typically from ca. 12-18 months from project start (coordinators will receive a specific request for this by email)
If you wish to obtain assistance with your exploitation plan, the European Commission offers a dedicated support service free of charge.
Patenting may be part of an exploitation plan and is encouraged anytime where protection of the project results is likely to allow a competitive advantage to the patent holder. If you need assistance with this, you can refer to the European IPR Helpdesk free of charge.