Mastering financial management of EU Grants

DAY 1

Module 1 Application for Funding

• The PRAG and applicable rules for grants
• Two ways to get funding: direct award and calls for proposals

Module 2: Prepare a Realistic Budget

• Eligibility principles
• Budget template
• Cost justification
• Direct and indirect costs
• Ineligible costs
• Project office costs
• Other special costs: financial support for third parties, VAT
• Co-financing and volunteers’ work
• Simplified cost options
   

Module 3: Sign a Grant Contract with the EU

• Main actors of the grant contract
• The special conditions and the annexes

DAY 2

Module 4: Procurement Principles and Rules

• Implementing contracts vs subcontracting
• Main rules form Annex IV: EU restrictive measures, rules of nationality and origin
• Procurement planning and execution

Module 5: Monitor Your Project Expenditure

• Develop a monitoring system to keep expenditure under control
• Ensure the eligibility of expenditure
• Record-keeping: supporting documents that must be kept to ensure eligibility of costs

Module 6:  Dealing with Changes

• General rules on changes
• Two types of modifications: unilateral modification and addendum
• Suspension procedure

DAY 3

Module 7: Reporting and Payment Process

• Main reporting rules
• Deadlines for submission of reports
• Brief overview of the interim and final financial report formats
• Payment procedures
• Currency conversion rules
• Annexes to the interim and final reports

Module 8: Expenditure Verification and Audit

• Different objectives of expenditure verification, financial and system audits
• Expenditure verification: a step-by-step look at the process
• Tips to be prepared for expenditure verification
• ToR for system audits

Module 1: Introduction to Procurement

• What is procurement?
• Procurement policy
• Types of contracts

Module 2: Bringing the Procurement Principles to Life

• Introduction to procurement principles
• Ethical procurement
• Transparency
• Proportionality
• Sound financial management
• Supporting the local economy

Module 3: Organising the Procurement

• The procurement plan
• Amending the plan
• Risk management
• Evaluation

Module 4: Procurement Procedures Step-By-Step

• Compliance with EU rules
• Direct purchase and single quote
• Negotiated procedure
• Tender publication
• Tender step-by-step
• Framework contract

Module 1: What is an Expenditure Verification?

• Foundational knowledge that all staff should understand from the beginning of the project.

Module 2: Expenditure Verification Step-By-Step

• Guidance through the entire process of expenditure verification.

Module 3: Ensuring the Eligibility of Costs

• Practical tips to make sure all your costs are eligible.

Module 4: Preparing Supporting Documents

• Insight on how to collect and prepare all necessary supporting documents.

Module 5: Be Ready for the Auditors’ Visit

• Keep calm and prepare for the visit.

Module 6: Expenditure Verification Report

• Know the types of checks that will be conducted by the auditors in order to prepare the reports.

Module 7: Survival Toolkit

• Keep it on-hand and don’t be afraid of the expenditure verification process!

This eLearning module aims at giving a practical guide on the use of Simplified Cost Options (SCOs), an approach introduced by the EU to simplify the management of costs of the Actions, reduce the administrative burdens and focus on results. Although there are some guidelines available on the use of SCOs, many organisations often face difficulties in their practical use, when it comes to cost calculation and eligibility. This course will ensure and in-depth understanding on the use of this method by making reference to the latest version of the PRAG procedures.

Module 1: The New Paradigm: FNLC and Hybrid Models in EU Grants

• Welcome to the new paradigm in EU grant management
• Comparing cost-based and results-based funding
• Preconditions for applying FNLC
• Understanding FNLC and Hybrid models
• Success factors of the FNLC approach
• Practical implications for grant managers, finance officers, and project coordinators

Module 2: Designing Proposals and Budgets: Embedding FNLC and Hybrid Logic

• Building your intervention logic (Annex K)
• Aligning proposal documents (Logframe, budget, and application form)
• Selecting contractable performance indicators
• Structuring FNLC-only and Hybrid budgets
• Avoiding double funding and budgeting for third-party assessments
• Section 2.1.1 of the Application Form and managing partial achievements

Module 3: Contracting, Implementation, and Monitoring: Ensuring Compliance and Results

• Aligning the Description of Action, Logframe, and Budget
• Navigating special conditions and key clauses (the no-profit rule, co-financing, modifications)
• Verification mechanisms: from results to payment
• The role and phases of a Third-Party Assessment (TPA)
• Developing performance evidence and supporting documentation
• Maintaining strong internal controls and an audit trail

Module 4: Reporting, Verification, and Project Closure

• Mastering technical and financial reporting obligations
• Managing financial risks and the "no results, less funding" rule
• Preparing interim and final financial reports for FNLC and Hybrid actions
• Structuring the reporting and verification workflow
• Avoiding common reporting mistakes and archiving evidence

By subscribing to the Certificate Program, you will have access to each course in the PuntoSud learning platform. From here, you can join the live sessions, download the course materials (including PowerPoint presentations, official EU documents, infographics and other useful links and materials), complete the eLearning modules, review the recordings of the live sessions and complete the initial and final test and participate in the active forum.

Throughout the whole period, by using the forum you will be able to communicate with the trainers, post questions and share information and best practices with other participants.

• Not-for-profit organization employees such as finance managers, project administrators, and internal auditors involved in the management of project financed by the DG INTPA, the DG NEAR or EU delegations. 
• NOT suggested for UN agencies and other pillar-assessed organisations.
• Basic knowledge or experience relating to the access and management of EU funds is required.

You will need access to a computer or tablet with a microphone and speakers or a headset, as well as an Internet connection. The course will be held over Zoom – no additional software is required.

• Virtual class – for 2 weeks after the end of the last training session
• eLearning – for 30 days after you first access the course

Once you have completed all the training material and passed the exit test, your certificate of attendance for each specific course will be available to download from the learning platform.

Once you have also concluded the learning plan exit test, you will receive the final certificate. The certificates are always available in your profile page with historical data of all punto.sud Academy courses you’ve attended.