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Calculation of Costs under FP7

The European Commission uses a reimbursement principle based on eligible costs. It is very important to well understand the term “eligible”, meaning all expense that:

• Is necessary to the execution of the project
• Is most economic
• Is real, identified and controlled
• they must have been determined in accordance with the usual accounting and management principles and practices of the participant
• they must be recorded in the accounts of the participant
• incurred during the duration of the grant agreement with the EC (excepted the final report and the final cost certificates)
• Not cover VAT, interest owned, or duties


What is a cost ?
Direct costs Staff cost, travelling, equipment, consumables, software… / subcontracting directly charged to the project and calculated according the accounting practices normally used by the organisation. Direct costs Staff cost, travelling, equipment, consumables, software… / subcontracting directly charged to the project and calculated according the accounting practices normally used by the organisation. Direct costs Staff cost, travelling, equipment, consumables, software… / subcontracting directly charged to the project and calculated according the accounting practices normally used by the organisation. Direct costs Staff cost, travelling, equipment, consumables, software… / subcontracting directly charged to the project and calculated according the accounting practices normally used by the organisation.

Indirect costs br>Shall represent an apportionment of the overall overheads of the organisation linked to the project. These costs are not directly charged to the project but they are incurred in relations with the direct costs of the project (indirectly). overheads (heating, electricity, administrative costs, paper, use of photocopy machine).

The declaration of indirects costs can be done in 3 ways for collaborative research projects.

1/ Real costs You charge all direct and indirect costs, that are determined in the accounts. You must distribute these costs form the “pool of indirect costs” in to different budget headings.

2/ Flat rate You can opt for directs costs and indirect costs on a flat-rate basis of 20% of the its total direct eligible costs excluding subcontracting

3/ or a flat-rate of 60% ( for those organisations not able to identify their real indirect costs for the project) non profit public bodies, SMEs, research organisations, universities and those that used the AC model under FP6).

Indirect costs form then a rate of 60% of the direct eligible costs except subcontracting the costs for subcontracting and the costs of resources made available by third parties. This flat rate is called a "transitional flat rate" because it will apply to grants awarded under calls for proposals closing before 1st January 2010 After that date, this rate will be revised, to 40%.

The “ Marie Curie » and Networks of Excellence calculate on a flat –rate or lump sum basis. We advise you to inform your self about the limits of these lump sums proposed by each of these programmes.

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