First call lead partner welcome webinar 2023

Introduction

This section introduces the webinar and its purpose.

• The webinar is for new first call Project Lead Partners.

• The session aims to help participants get started with their project.

• The session will cover what happens next and what participants need to think about.

Agenda Overview

This section provides an overview of the agenda for the webinar.

• The session will last 90 minutes.

• There will be a brief introduction to get to know each other.

• Next steps that are happening in the next days will be discussed, including subsidy contracts, partnership agreements, communication requirements, and upcoming events.

• Time is reserved for questions at the end of the session.

Project Team Update

This section provides an update from the project team on how things are going with new projects.

• Meetings have already started with 67 out of 72 recommended projects for approval.

• All lead partners are working on conditions to get their projects approved before the end of February.

• Both familiar and new faces were seen among lead partners during meetings.

Finance Team Update

This section provides an update from the finance team on how they are getting ready to start with new projects.

• The finance team is looking forward to answering questions during this session.

• They saw motivated people during condition meetings.

Support Available

This section explains who can provide support throughout the project journey.

• Hassan Martinez and Sega Land are available in Slido chat to answer questions.

• Participants can reach out to any member of The Joint Secretariat if they have additional questions.

• Communication colleagues Petra, Josephine, Luis, Irma (communication coordinator), and On Cecil are helping behind the scenes.

Introduction

The host introduces the session and asks participants to share their experience with leading an integral project.

Experience of Participants

• Participants are asked if this is their first project or if they have already been involved in a project.

• Participants are given time to respond, and it is noted that there is a mix of experienced and new participants.

• Poll results show that 38% of participants are in their first interregional project, while 61% have previous experience.

Program Overview

The director provides an overview of the program and its goals.

Program Statistics

• 134 projects were submitted, with three-quarters being eligible and more than half approved.

• Italy, Spain, Romania, Poland are the top countries with partners allocated for projects.

• Most projects submitted and approved were within smart green and social Europe categories.

Team Support

• The team is introduced as a support system for participants dealing with finance, projects, platform units. Communication unit runs seminars and information events before approval of the project.

Congratulations on Project Approval

The director congratulates all 72 projects which made it into the first round.

Importance of Program

• Director emphasizes that the high number of approved projects shows that the program is needed in Europe.

Approval Rate

• The approval rate of more than 50% is rare for an interregional program.

Focus on Smart Green and Social Europe

• Partner states decided to focus on smart green and social Europe categories, with the door open for other areas.

• Allocation of three smart green and social Europe projects in over the total project is exactly what partner states would like to have a certain focus on.

Importance of Delivering Results

The director emphasizes the importance of delivering results to avoid discussion modes in the future.

Importance of Results

• Stakeholders are looking at the projects, especially at the first projects, to see how they develop and deliver.

• Director hopes that participants will deliver results similar to previous periods.

Program Continuation

• The program initially was not proposed by the European commission to continue but thanks to regions, partner states, parliament it continued.

Conclusion

The team is introduced as a support system for participants dealing with finance, projects, platform units.

Team Support

• The team is introduced as a support system for participants dealing with finance, projects, platform units.

Introduction and Team Overview

Irvin introduces the team members who will be present in the webinar. He mentions Petra Geithner, Cecil, and Delaria from the finance unit, Nico as the head of projects and platform unit supported by Hassan and Magda as coordinators. He also mentions Tolston, Elena Raluca, and four other cinematic experts working in the Secretariat managing the policy learning platform.

• Petra Geithner is introduced as the head of finance unit.

• Nico is introduced as the head of projects and platform unit supported by Hassan and Magda as coordinators.

• The policy learning platform experts are introduced including Tolston, Elena Raluca, and four other cinematic experts working in the Secretariat managing it.

Management Team

Irvin introduces his management team which includes himself along with Unport Text and Hair Transplanted Law LOD Alexa supporting him. He also mentions his precious communication team consisting of Josephine Luis.

• Irvin introduces his management team which includes himself along with Unport Text and Hair Transplanted Law LOD Alexa supporting him.

• Josephine Luis is mentioned as part of Irvin's precious communication team.

Next Steps for Project Implementation

Sylvana from the finance unit explains what happens next after fulfilling conditions for project implementation. She talks about online conditioned meetings followed by an intermediate deadline to revise application forms before submitting conditions in a portal. After that, JSR checks if all conditions are fulfilled before a final deadline on February 28th for fulfillment of country editions. Once everything is confirmed by policy officer and finance officer, an official notification letter will be sent by email and a subsidy contractor will be received by post.

• Sylvana explains the next steps after fulfilling conditions for project implementation.

• An intermediate deadline is mentioned to revise application forms before submitting conditions in a portal.

• JSR checks if all conditions are fulfilled before a final deadline on February 28th for fulfillment of country editions.

• Once everything is confirmed by policy officer and finance officer, an official notification letter will be sent by email and a subsidy contractor will be received by post.

Communication and Monitoring

The speaker explains the importance of communication between partners and the managing authority. They emphasize that it is important to send emails to both the policy officer and finance officer, even if the question is only related to one area. They also mention that it's important for all relevant people to be registered as project users in the portal.

• It is important to send emails to both the policy officer and finance officer.

• All relevant people should be registered as project users in the portal.

Program Manual and Portal Access

The speaker provides information about accessing tools through the new iolt portal. They clarify that this portal is already available for projects during application stage, but will not be available for controllers until later.

• The program manual will be published next week.

• The new iolt portal is already available for projects during application stage.

• Controllers will have access to the reporting section of the portal at a later date.

Subsidy Contract and Partnership Agreement

The speaker discusses the structure of the subsidy contract, which is a contract between the managing authority of the program and lead partner. They explain that Annex one of this contract is always based on latest approved application form which can be found on portal.

• Annex one of subsidy contract is based on latest approved application form.

• There are two columns in subsidy contract, French and English, but both versions are exactly same legal document.

Obligations of the Lead Partner

The speaker discusses the obligations of the lead partner in implementing a project according to the rules and regulations set forth in the subsidy contract.

Rules Applicable to Your Project

• The EU regulation is at the top of the pyramid of rules referenced in the subsidy contract.

• Some other EU principles, such as non-discrimination, are included in the reference.

• Program rules approved by the monitoring committee and detailed in the program manual are below EU regulations.

• National rules may apply only in cases not covered by EU regulation and program rules.

Obligations of Lead Partner

• Responsible for implementation of whole project as planned in application form or project data available on portal.

• Responsible for correct implementation of project according to rules and coordination on content and financial side.

• Responsible for ensuring that partners spend only what is necessary and reasonable for project-related costs.

• Responsible for compliance with deadlines, including reporting deadlines to program.

• Responsible for transfer of ERDF and Norwegian funding to partners according to time frame set in partnership agreements.

• Required to archive documents related to project for at least five years after last payment made.

Informing JS about Changes

• Lead partner must inform JS about any changes related to project, including legal status changes or legal succession.

Partnership Changes and Reporting Obligations

In this section, the speaker discusses partnership changes and reporting obligations for the project.

Keeping Contact Details Updated

• The contact details of partners should be kept updated in the system.

• Inform the program as soon as possible if there might be a partnership change.

Reporting Obligations

• Inform the program of any important changes or issues with project implementation.

• Reporting procedures are detailed in the program manual.

• First reporting period ends at the end of August of this year.

• The first progress report is due on December 1st.

Provisions for Irregularities

In this section, the speaker discusses provisions for irregularities that may occur during project implementation.

Corrective Measures

• If objective outputs are not met, corrective measures can include a change in application form, activities, or partnership.

• Reduction of subsidy if budget is not spent as planned in pending plan.

Contract Termination

• Contracts could end in case of irregularities.

• The MA will turn first against lead partner for any breach or default from lead partner or project partner for total amounts paid without regularity.

Project Partnership Agreement

In this section, the speaker discusses the project partnership agreement between lead partner and all project partners.

Signing Process

• The project partnership agreement is compulsory and has to be signed by all project partners and the lead partner.

• Associated policy authorities do not have to sign the partnership agreement because they are not partners and are not reporting costs directly to the program.

Agreement Content

• The project partnership agreement contains all obligations coming from the subsidy contract plus additional provisions such as how decisions will be made within the partnership and what is the division of preparation cost.

Partnership Agreement and Subsidy Contracts

In this section, the speaker discusses the importance of signing a partnership agreement before reporting to the controller. The documents required for the partnership agreement can be found on their website.

Signing Partnership Agreement

• It is important to sign a partnership agreement before reporting to the controller.

• Each partner must sign the partnership agreement.

Annexes to Partnership Agreement

• Two annexes are recommended for the partnership agreement: one for division of lump sum and another for detailed work plan and budget.

• These annexes are templates that can be adjusted as per requirement.

Starting Partnership Activities

• It is okay to start partnership activities even if subsidy contracts and partnership agreements are being signed over a period of weeks.

• Eligibility date is the date of approval of monitoring committee, which is 13th December 2022.

Signing Subsidy Contract

• The subsidy contract should be signed as soon as possible after fulfillment of conditions is finished.

• A deadline will be set, usually three weeks after receiving it by post.

Electronic Signature

• Electronic signatures are valid signatures but need to have a correct certificate associated with them.

Reporting Requirements

The Partners need to have the partnership agreement signed before they can report to the controller. GDPR requires informing individuals about the purpose of data collection and use.

• Partnership agreement must be signed before reporting to the controller.

• GDPR requires informing individuals about data collection and use.

Communication Requirements

Communication requirements for project partners are outlined in the program manual. Partners must use project branding guidelines, provide information about the project on their institution's website, publish on social media sites linked to intra-europe project website, prepare a poster or billboard, update the project website at least once every six months, and use error-free non-exclusive A Roku license for all communication and visibility materials.

• Project partners must follow communication requirements outlined in program manual.

• Specific communication requirements include using project branding guidelines, providing information about the project on partner institution websites, publishing on social media sites linked to intra-europe project website, preparing a poster or billboard mentioning investment support in all documents used for public or participants, updating the project website at least once every six months, and using error-free non-exclusive A Roku license for all communication and visibility materials.

Project Branding and Communication

In this section, the speaker discusses the branding guidelines for projects under the program. Each project will receive a main visual logo with a color assigned based on its topic. The speaker also provides information on the use of colors, shapes, icons, and templates for project communication materials.

Project Visual Logo and Color

• Each project will receive a main visual logo with a color assigned based on its topic.

• The program uses six colors related to topics that are dominating in their branding.

• The harmonized branding rules from the European Commission and Interact organization provide these colors.

Use of Colors, Shapes, Icons, and Templates

• A slide of the program's color palette is shown to help identify each project's respective color.

• The project's dominant color should be used in all communication productions such as brochures or presentations.

• The hexagon shape is highly recommended to be used in project communication materials.

• An asset library containing over 100 small icons designed for program needs will be opened for projects to use.

• A template will be provided for designing posters that include the project's main visual logo with a photo and short description along with other obligatory information from the application form.

• Projects need to cooperate by providing one image and describing their project in one sentence so that posters can be designed accordingly.

• A social media cover template will also be provided along with a PowerPoint template available in six colors.

It is important to follow branding guidelines when creating communication materials to ensure consistency and recognition of the program.

Project Website and Communication Requirements

In this section, the speaker discusses the project website and communication requirements for EU project implementers.

Project Website

• A project website will be provided to you.

• Some sections of the website can be edited such as project summary, news, and events.

• The project website will look similar to what was used in the previous programming period (2014-20).

• Communication activities are listed on the program manual to help plan those activities in your application form.

Communication Requirements

• Organize one final project dissemination event and participate in six to ten program events during the lifetime of your project.

• Create an account on Infras Europe's online community.

• Provide at least one high-quality photo.

• Produce and publish at least two short videos that do not exceed a cost of 5,000 Euros per video.

• Publish regular updates on achievements.

Royalty-Free License

• All communication material produced must have a royalty-free, non-exclusive, and irrevocable license.

• This means that any communication material produced by programs or projects can be taken by the European Commission without further permission from users.

Project Videos

• Produce at least two short videos that do not exceed a cost of 5,000 Euros per video.

• The first video should present what you plan to do while the second video should present achievements towards the end of the project.

Project Presentation

• Publish a presentation about achievements policy change that covers all regions involved in your partnership regularly updated.

• Each partner should think about a slide where they talk about their aims and what they managed to achieve within the lifetime of the project.

Short Description Published About The Project

• Publish a short description about the project, its aims, and results on each project partner beneficiary's website and social media (if it exists).

• Highlight your financial support using the main project visual and link to the project website.

Communication Requirements

This section discusses the communication requirements for all EU-cofinanced projects. The lead organization is required to produce a poster or electronic display for each project, and in case of physical investment related to pilot projects, a plaque or billboard must be placed at the start of the pilot.

• Useful links are available in the chat and slides will be provided after the session.

• A poll is conducted to determine who will be responsible for project communication. Most respondents indicate that it will be someone from one of the partner organizations.

• Questions are answered regarding project posters, including how long they should be displayed (duration not specified), and how they should be internally organized within the project.

• Questions about videos and images are addressed, including use of stock images and licenses.

Videos and Images

This section addresses questions related to videos and images in EU-cofinanced projects.

• A question is asked about using videos in a project. The speaker does not provide an answer but notes that guidance on this topic can be found in the program manual.

• Questions about image use are addressed, including whether stock images can be used (yes), what licenses are required (depends on usage), and whether attribution is necessary (depends on license).

• Additional questions about image use are answered, including whether screenshots can be used (yes), whether consent forms are needed for people appearing in photos/videos (yes), and what types of content require additional permissions/licenses.

Project Presentation and Communication

In this section, the speaker discusses the importance of creating short project presentation videos that can be easily understood by a wider audience. The communication deliverables should also meet the subject that it would be easy to present.

Creating Project Presentation Videos

• Short project presentation videos are important for presenting projects to a wider audience.

• The video should cover basic information about the project and its objectives.

• The type of video can be animated or any other format, but it should not be too costly.

• There is no specific guidance on how exactly it should be done except that it should explain the project objective.

Communication Deliverables

• Communication deliverables should meet the subject so that they can be easily presented to partners and stakeholders.

• There is a lot of freedom on how to implement this project, but feedback from projects will help in providing more guidance or templates if needed.

Images and Posters

This section covers the need for images and sentences for posters. It also provides information on when these will be needed and where to find suitable images.

Project Posters

• A structured exercise will be launched next month for creating project posters with an image and sentence.

• Projects will receive an email with instructions on where to add their sentence and save their image.

Finding Suitable Images

• No bullet points available in this section.

Understanding Photo Ownership

In this section, the speaker discusses the importance of being careful when purchasing photos and reading all terms carefully. They suggest hiring a photographer to take photos related to the project topic to ensure ownership and no restrictions.

Importance of Reading Terms Carefully

• Some free photos may change after a year, causing trouble.

• Hiring a photographer to take project-related photos ensures ownership and no restrictions.

Deciding on Photo Ownership

• Internal discussion is necessary for deciding who has photo ownership.

• If there are no restrictions on the photo, anyone can purchase it.

• Choosing an image that represents the project topic best is recommended.

Sharing Documents within Partnerships

In this section, the speaker explains that each project partnership must decide how they will share documents internally. The program will not provide space for sharing internal documents but will provide space for downloading specific materials like logos and posters.

Sharing Documents Internally

• Each project partnership must decide how they will share documents internally.

• Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, or shared cloud are some options available.

• The program provides space for downloading specific materials like logos and posters but not for sharing internal documents.

Taking Pictures and Videos

The section discusses the rules around taking photos and videos during events, including the need for consent and copyright issues. It also covers whether producing videos in different partner languages is covered as part of the video cost.

Rules for Taking Photos

• Specific rules apply to the country where a photo is taken.

• If people are visible in the photos, it's usually necessary to get their agreement.

• During registration, you can ask for participants' agreement that photos will be taken during the event.

Producing Videos in Different Languages

• The official program language is English.

• If you manage within this budget to translate into other languages, it's possible.

• Any specific cases must be discussed with finance and policy officers monitoring your project.

Physical Posters

This section covers how physical posters should look after hanging on walls for three years. It also explains how posters are delivered and what can be done with them.

Appearance of Physical Posters

• The European Commission requires physical posters to hang for three years.

• A digital poster will be provided by the program which can be printed anytime.

• Institutions can choose how they want to print it so that it looks good even after some time.

Delivery of Posters

• Digital posters will be designed by the program and delivered electronically.

• Institutions can choose whether they want a paper or screen version of the poster.

Communication and Important Dates

In this section, the speaker discusses the importance of communication and provides information on important dates for lead partners.

Contacting Indeed

• Lead partners should know when and how to contact Indeed.

• All questions related to a project should be addressed to the policy officer and finance officer.

• For communication-related matters, the lead partner should be in copy.

Lead Partner Rule

• The lead partner should always be the one contacting Indeed about communication questions.

• Generic questions should go to the policy officer and finance officer.

Keeping Everyone in the Loop

• Policy officers, finance officers, and lead partners should all be included in emails regarding important dates.

• Communication officers should also be kept informed of any communication-related matters.

Important Dates

• March 14th: Lead partner seminar in Stockholm covering finances, activities, and communication. Presentation on policy learning platform.

• March 15th: Europe Let's Cooperate event launching second call. Thematic corners with policy learning platform experts present. Study visits organized by policy learning platform available.

• Testimonies from approved projects will be shared during events.

Launching of Pro Project Website and Upcoming Events

In this section, the speaker discusses the upcoming events related to project implementation activities, finances, communication, and thematic events. The speaker also mentions that a specific webinar will be organized to explain how to edit the back end of the website.

Launching of Pro Project Website

• The pro project website will be launched in June.

• A specific webinar will be organized to explain how to edit the back end of the website.

Upcoming Events

• In September, there will be a seminar on project implementation activities, finances, and communication. It will provide tips on how to prepare reports and exchange ideas with other participants.

• Thematic events such as webinars and workshops related to policy learning platform will also be organized by the program.

• Participants can expect to receive detailed information about these events on March 14th or check out our website for online webinars published.

Conclusion

In this section, the speaker concludes by thanking all participants for their active participation in the session. They encourage participants to share their experiences and tips on getting their projects approved. Finally, they remind participants who haven't yet replied to the evaluation poll that it is available at the bottom tab on Zoom under polls.

Thank You Note

• The speaker thanks all participants for their active participation in the session.

• They wish all participants good luck with getting started with their projects.

Sharing Experiences

• Participants are encouraged to share their experiences and tips on getting their projects approved.

Evaluation Poll

• Participants who haven't yet replied to the evaluation poll are reminded that it is available at the bottom tab on Zoom under polls.