Frequently Asked Questions – Project Implementation & Reporting

This page provides answers to the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and other questions you should ask when implementing your project. If you don’t find an answer to your question below, feel free to consult our key documents and staff.

Reporting rights will be given by the user who has Lead applicant “Manage” user privilege in Jems.

Check first that you are in the Central Baltic Jems. The Jems monitoring system is used by several Interreg programmes and the landing page of the system looks similar for all programmes. If you do not receive reply email about resetting the password in Central Baltic Jems contact our helpdesk at jems@centralbaltic.eu.

The lead partner must fill in Bank details of lead partner including the Financial Identification document as well as Location of documents section in Jems to being able to receive the preparation cost lumpsum.

The Bank details of lead partner and Location of documents sections can be found from under Partner details section in Jems. A link to the Financial Identification document template can be found from the Guide for Project Implementation.

The Joint Secretariat’s contact person provides a supporting document Project’s reporting periods & deadlines for the lead partner which states the starting and ending dates per reporting period. This document can also be found from Jems section Contracting  >  Contracts and agreements as an attachment.

Yes, in the Partner report, the project partner reports the activities they have implemented and the related costs made during the reporting period. All costs need to be reported in the right period Partner report, even if there are few costs for the particular period.

If the partner report is submitted in Jems, it is not available for editing anymore. In case necessary, in exceptional situations the missing cost can be added to the next period partner report.

Attachment option will come visible and available after the cost item is saved by using “save changes” button. It is recommended that the evidence documentation is attached in pdf format. When filing in the list of expenditures, keep in mind that only one attachment per expenditure is currently allowed, please combine the documents in one pdf or zip file before attaching it to the expenditure.

For evidence, add next to the activities and deliverables in section Work plan progress something that clearly proves that the event took place or activity has been implemented and the result can be demonstrated. For example:

  • List of participants
  • Agenda of the event, presentations
  • Feedback from participants
  • Photos
  • Deliverable of the work
  • Etc.
Staff costs

When the staff position is reported for the first time or when the work contract is changed, the employment document (work contract or equivalent agreement) must be added to the section Report annexes. Make sure that information about the responsibilities related to the project is included in the employment document. In case the person is already employed by the organisation and has valid work contract, tasks related to the project can be defined in the annex to the existing employment document. Both employment document and annex must be attached in the report.

The share of work time dedicated to the project does not have to be indicated in the work contract. The time worked for the project is reported using Report of hours and employment confirmation.

Yes, one Report of Hours and Employment Confirmation template must be filled in by each project staff member for each six-months reporting period. The document must be attached to the list of expenditure.

If the staff member is working for the project for more than 1720 hours per year (860 hours per reporting period), the project can still report max 860 hours per reporting period per one employee. If the staff member is working for several projects, it will not be visible from the Report of hours and employment confirmation. In this case, it is the responsibility of the project partner to make sure that the limits are followed.

No, the maximum number of hours that can be reported per one staff member are calculated proportionally based on the workload of the person in the partner organisation and the number of months they worked for the project in that reporting period. This is all calculated automatically in the Report of hours and employment confirmation template. The workload is calculated automatically considering the weekly number of hours for a full‐time employee and the contracted number of hours of reported employee. Calculation is based on maximum 1720 working hours per year.

For example, if a person worked for the project three months during the reporting period and worked in the partner organisation with 100% workload, the Report of hours and employment confirmation calculates maximum number of 430 hours for 3 months.

Travel and accommodation costs

Travel and accommodation costs will be automatically calculated as a 15% flat rate from reported staff cost and no documents are needed to prove the real costs made for travel and accommodation.

Partners must remember that they should travel at least once during the project implementation. This can be proved by participant lists of face-to-face events or other documents where it is documented that the staff of project partner has participated in the event or activity outside their permanent location.

All travel costs for project staff are always covered by Cost Category (CC) Travel and accommodation. Budgeting any travel costs for project staff on other cost categories is double financing and ineligible. 

In case project staff and target group travel together in a rented bus, the travel cost for target group can be reported as a real cost (even if there is one invoice for the bus rent) only in case when the project partner provides clear calculation of the cost. 

As an example: 10 people travel in the bus, 8 of them are target group representatives and 2 project staff. Total cost for bus rent is 1000€. Partner will report target group travel as a real cost 1000€/10 participants x 8 target group persons = 800€.

If target group travels together with project staff and no clear calculation how the cost is divided between target group (CC External expertise and service) and project staff (CC Travel and accommodation) is provided, the cost belongs to CC Travel and accommodation (flat rate 15%).

If it is necessary for achieving project results, travelling outside the Central Baltic programme area is possible. All travel costs for project staff are always covered by CC Travel and accommodation (15% flat rate).

Face-to-face event unit cost

Face-to-face event unit cost should be reported each time when the partner arranges a face-to-face event within the programme area which includes participants outside the partner organisation. Note that contracted experts and representatives of programme bodies are not considered as participants outside the partner organisation in this context. Face-to-face event unit cost is reported for each event day which is necessary for achieving project results.

The face-to face event unit cost is claimed per participant per project event day for which the event agenda exists. The minimum number of hours for event day is not defined.

Keep in mind that the face-to-face event unit cost per participant cannot be claimed for:

  • an event consisting of only evening programme with a dinner or similar get-together
  • an evening programme with a dinner or similar get-together which is followed by an actual event on the next day 
  • working meetings with contracted external experts when meeting only with a partner organisation, for example external project management, book-keeping, content expert
  • working meetings with programme bodies (National Controller, Joint Secretariat, Managing Authority, national Contact Point), when meeting only with a partner organisation.

Face-to-face event unit cost is reported per participant per event day, it is not allowed to report the same participant participating in two face-to-face events organised by the same project during the same day and in the same area/location. If project is organising two events on the same day and some participants take part of both events, each participant can be reported only once.

All catering costs are covered by face-to-face event unit cost. No separate dinner or other catering costs can be reported and face-to-face event unit cost cannot be claimed for a day where only travelling and no event with agenda takes place. All catering costs related to the event must be covered by face-to-face event unit cost claimed for the days when event takes place. The dinner in the evening before the actual event day will be considered as part of the actual event day face-to-face event unit cost.

External expertise and service

Scholarships can be considered in case the trainee is not working and therefore does not have means for subsistence during the traineeship.

It is the responsibility of the project partner to check how such payments may affect the participants financial situation as in some instances receiving of additional funding may cause that participants are no longer eligible to receive unemployment benefit or other benefits that may be available to the less competitive groups and in such situation an additional payment may worsen the situation of the participant.

For payment of student scholarship, a written agreement/contract must be signed between participant/trainee and project partner, if relevant, including also employer or training organisation. The contract/agreement must define the rights and obligations of the involved parties, amount and conditions when the scholarship is paid.

Project must have a clear documented procedure how the participants are selected for participation in project activities and for receiving the scholarship to ensure equal treatment of the participants.

Travel and accommodation costs for target group members are paid and claimed by project partners as real costs from CC External expertise and service.

Management equipment unit cost

Management equipment unit cost must be reported always when staff costs are reported. It is recommended to sum up all the staff costs hours reported by the partner during the reporting period and fill in one expenditure item for all reported staff hours.

Equipment

Project can purchase equipment which is necessary for achieving project results. The equipment must remain in use by the partners and/or target groups after completion of the project. All equipment items must be directly identified in the partner budget to be eligible. For these items the full cost will be eligible.

Real costs

Real costs are reported in the reporting period when the costs were paid.

Catering costs in Central Baltic programme area cannot be reported as real costs. The only case when real costs can be reported for catering are when a project organises an event which is needed for achieving project results in a country which is not a Central Baltic member state.

Procurements

The principles for public procurements, including the methods for calculating the estimated value of procurement, dividing the procurement into separate lots etc. are coming from EU Directives and national public procurement legislation. Central Baltic or Interreg do not have any specific rules how the procurements are prepared and calculated.

Public procurements should always be done according to national rules or following EU rules, depending on the thresholds.

For costs that are estimated to exceed 10 000 EUR (excluding VAT) a price comparison must be made (if national public procurement level will not apply with lower limits). This is the Central Baltic Programme threshold related to the procurements, other thresholds are set by national legislation and EU Directives. The methods for calculating and estimating the price of the procurement are the same.

Artificial splitting must be avoided in all cases to ensure that the correct procurement method is used.

VAT

Value Added Tax (VAT) is an eligible cost for all partners, despite the partner VAT status.

The exception is project partners to whom the funding is granted under the General Block Exemption Regulation (GBER) Article 20. For these partners, their VAT status determines the eligibility of VAT:

  • If the partner cannot recover VAT, then it is part of the eligible cost.
  • If the VAT can be recovered by the partner, the VAT is not an eligible cost.

A project report can be started at any time. The previous report does not have to be submitted before starting a new one. Project report can be submitted when all partner reports related to this period are certified by the national controllers and linked to the project report.

Only once during the project in the last period report.

Check that your attachment does not exceed the maximum allowed file size 10 Mb. Files can be merged into one .pdf file or .zip-folders can be used to include more material.

No. You should only add the ones relevant for the project level report and the activities you are reporting.

The Joint Secretariat’s contact person provides a supporting document Project’s reporting periods & deadlines for the lead partner which states the starting and ending dates per reporting period. This document can also be found from Jems section Contracting  >  Contracts and agreements as an attachment.

Project report deadlines are also indicated in Jems section Project reporting schedule.

Any challenges you have faced that have or will affect the implementation of the project. This includes delays from the work plan presented, for example, postponing activities to the next reporting period. You should also elaborate on the reasons for the deviation(s) and the solution(s) you have found to mitigate them. Describe and explain also any significant deviations in the spending profile compared to the amounts indicated in the application form.

In the exceptional case when the partner report is much delayed, causing a delay in project report submission, the project may choose to include the certificate to the next report. However, all activities must be reported for the period where they have occurred.

No. If additional attachments are needed, your Joint Secretariat’s contact person will ask for those during the report assessment period.

It is not possible to include more than one six-month reporting period into one project report. If the last period is, for example, only including the closure period, the two reports can be submitted simultaneously. They will still be technically two separate reports.

No. The project does not need to attach the templates to the project report, but these should be made available to the Joint Secretariat’s contact person upon request. Output and result indicator templates for Programme Objectives are available on Programme website.

Lead partner will coordinate the recording of outputs and results achievements. Based on recorded values the numbers should be inserted into report.

The result indicator is reported only from the fourth reporting period onwards and after this in every second period and, in any case, in the last project report, no matter the number of the reporting period this report covers. When reporting the indicator for the first time, remember to include the whole two years (four reporting periods) and later on the whole year (two reporting periods) contribution to the report.

Small projects report the results in the last project report.

The last reporting of the achievement of results (result indicators) will take place one full year after the project has ended. It is the obligation of the lead partner to ensure that relevant result indicator achievement information is available and submitted to the Programme.

Output indicators are reported in every second report from period 2 report onwards and in any case in the last report no matter the number of the reporting period this report covers. Remember to include whole year (two reporting periods) contribution to the report.

Small projects report outputs with the second period report and last report.

No. Just leave the field empty.

Keep the official Interreg logo, with the EU emblem, prominently displayed on all your communication materials intended for the public or project participants. It should easily stand out on all communication materials, such as the front page of publications and the top of any website (i.e. partner organisation or external tool) ensuring visibility without the need for scrolling.

No, there is only a single official (Interreg) project logo allowed. Multiple project logos are not permitted.

Yes, you can include supplementary visuals and labels alongside the Interreg logo to enhance your project’s communication. These elements should add value to your visual communication by portraying, explaining, or illustrating the results. Ensure that the additional visuals and labels do not overshadow the official Interreg (neither programme nor custom) logo.

Yes, you can include logos of partner organisations in your communication materials. However, it’s crucial to follow size guidelines: partner organisation logos must not exceed the width or height of the EU emblem present in your communication materials.

Follow the size guidelines and choose between resizing the Interreg logo or partner organisation logos to maintain visual balance in your communication materials.

Yes, firstly, it is mandatory to create content (a short text about why your project has been called to life, the expected result, and more about your project) to launch your Project Webspace. The Joint Secretariat will guide you through this process, providing access information and a user manual which is available on the website.

Subsequently, it is essential to consistently update the Webspace. This ongoing requirement ensures the continual relevance and accuracy of information regarding your project’s scope and the EU support it receives throughout its lifespan. Regular updates not only keep stakeholders informed but also contribute to attracting new visitors to the Webspace, enhancing the overall visibility and impact of your project throughout its implementation.

If the state aid rules apply for the project/partner, General Block Exemption Regulation (GBER), Articles 20 and 20a will be used by the Programme.

When GBER Article 20 is used, two limitations apply for the project partner(s):

  1. according to the GBER, the maximum aid intensity is 80%. As the Programme ERDF support is 80%, the beneficiary cannot receive any other public funding as a support for implementing the project. I.e. the 20% of own co-financing must be funded from the beneficiary’s own budget.
  2. VAT is not eligible, if the VAT can be recovered by the organisation.

Under the Article 20a the grant limit is 22 000€ per undertaking per project. The Central Baltic programme uses the article to support beneficiaries who are not partners in the project, i.e. “third parties” / indirect beneficiaries. Support given by project partners to final beneficiaries can be for example to cover costs for trainings or consultations, visits to target markets, participation in trade fairs, etc. The support is given by project partners and the partner has to keep the lists of aid granted and keep them for audit trail. No reporting is needed.

Template for monitoring GBER Art 20a can be found on the Programme website. https://centralbaltic.eu/for-projects/documents/

The project needs to apply for the official modification if the flexibility rule limits will be exceeded, there is a need to change the project partnership, ERDF support rate, project objectives, results or outputs, extend the project duration, or any other changes which go beyond the flexibility rule, minor adjustments or technical changes.

A project partner must always discuss well ahead with the lead partner if it looks that there is a risk that some cost category will exceed. Informing the lead partner is important because the lead partner needs to follow the flexibility rule on the project level. If the flexibility rule is exceeded the partner who has caused the overspending will carry the financial consequences i.e., the overspent amount will be cut when ERDF payment is done for the project. 

If adding the new activity is within the limits of the flexibility rule and does not have impact on project output or result indicators, it is enough that the lead partner will discuss the additional activity with the JS contact person beforehand. This can be done via email conversation. When the project is implementing the official project modification, the additional activity can be added in the work plan in Jems.