Process description

The general concepts of the Grant Management Services system also apply to the reporting process. For a detailed description of the roles mentioned in this process, see the Roles and access rights in the Online Manual.

 Please note that if some buttons are greyed out, you can always click the red cross to find out which validation errors need to be sorted out first before the button becomes available. 

Multipre-financing payments principle

The following payments will be made to the coordinator: 

• a first pre-financing payment after the signature of the Grant Agreement
• an additional pre-financing payment (defined during the Grant Agreement Preparation) after each reporting period (except the last one) as interim payment following the request for pre-financing 
• the payment of the balance (final payment)

The pre-financing amounts are defined during the Grant Agreement Preparation. 

Composition of the Periodic Reports for Cofund-Eranet

The first periodic report is composed of the following elements: 

• Technical part
• the Commitment on the availability of funds
• statement on the use of previous pre-financing payments/request for additional pre-financing payment 
• Deliverables: 
  • the ranking lists of the projects
  • the observers' report on the evaluation  
  • the joint selection list of the projects to be funded
    

The second periodic report (if more than 2 periods) is composed of the following elements: 

• Technical part
• Statement on the use of second pre-financing payment/request for additional pre-financing payment 
  

The final periodic report is composed of the following elements: 

• Technical part
• Financial statements

Composition of the periodic report for CSA-LS

All periodic reports except the final one are composed of the following elements: 

• Technical part
• Request for additional pre-financing payment 

The final periodic report is composed of the following elements: 

• Technical part
• Financial statements 

Composition of the periodic report for Cofund-PCP/PPI

The first periodic report is composed of the following elements:  

• Technical part
• the Commitment on the availability of funds (called "Commitment on availability of resources" for Cofund-PCP/PPI) 
• statement on the use of first pre-financing payments/request for additional pre-financing payment 
• Deliverables: 
  • the ranking lists of the projects
  • the observers' report on the evaluation  
  • the joint selection list of the projects to be funded 

The second periodic report (if more than 2 periods) is composed of the following elements:  

• Technical part
• Statement on the use of second pre-financing payment/request for additional pre-financing payment  

The final periodic report is composed of the following elements:  

• Technical part
• Financial statements 

The Report Core is composed of: 

• Report Core (to be uploaded)
• Call for tender documents (to be uploaded)
• Report on the preparation phase (to be uploaded) 

Step by step

Step 1: All beneficiaries receive a notification and log on to the Funding & Tenders Portal

At the end of each reporting period, a beneficiary will receive a notification to complete:

• Their own Financial Statement (and the financial report of their Third Party, if any). 

• Their contribution to the Technical Part of the Periodic Report (this is common for all beneficiaries in the project)

To fill in the information the beneficiary must log on to the Funding & Tenders Portal and access the relevant project. 

Step 2: All beneficiaries complete their own "Commitment on availability of Funds" (only  for the first period), their "Financial Statement" (only for the final period) and their contribution to the "Technical Part" (for all periods) of the Periodic Report. Beneficiaries e-sign and submit their "Financial Statement" and their "Commitment on availability of Funds" to the Coordinator.  The Coordinator completes the "Request for pre-financing" (for all periods)

A. Completing your Commitment on availability of Funds ( only at the end of the first period)

a. Draft your Commitment on availability of funds 

 The Participant Contacts usually performs this action (also users with the roles Project Financial Signatories, Coordinator Contacts, Primary Coordinator Contacts and Task Managers can perform this action) 

 NEW since 07.09.2017 (Sygma 8.1): for Cofund-PCP/PPI, the Commitment on availability of Funds is automatically generated.

Click on the task "Availability of funds" containing your PIC. 

Complete the "Availability of funds" and "Save". 

 New since 06.12.2017 (Sygma 8.3): The beneficiary will complete the field for "Available funds" and indicate the mandate for the Lead Procurer.

Once the "Save" button is clicked, SyGMa will generate the "Commitment on Availability of Funds" letter automatically and the letter will be automatically attached to the process in the Grant Management Services in the Funding & Tenders Portal. Click the Validation button to see whether you have filled in all information correctly, then close the current screen and return to the the Funding & Tenders Portal. 

The "Commitment on availability of funds" letter will be automatically generated. 

aa. Lock your "Commitment on availability of funds" for review 

 The Participant Contacts usually performs this action (also users with the roles Coordinator Contact or Primary Coordinator Contact can perform this action.) 

 Click the "Lock for Review" button, which will prevent further editing and generate a pdf document

Confirm that you want to lock the "Commitment on availability of funds" for review.  

 This might take a few minutes, the task might keep mentioning "processing....". In this case, please keep refreshing the page until the pdf has been generated. 

The pdf has been generated. This means that the "Commitment on availability of funds" cannot be changed any more. 

aaa. Review your "Commitment on availability of funds" and sign & submit it to the coordinator 

  Only users with the role Project Financial Signatory (PFSIGN) can perform this action.  

( Note that also users with the roles Participant Contacts, Coordinator Contacts, Primary Coordinator Contacts, Task Managers and Team Members can open the pdf to see the data, but that they can't unlock the data) 

Click on the task "Commitment on availability of funds" to review it.  

Once reviewed, the "Commitment on availability of funds" can be unlocked ("Unlock to draft") for further editing 

or electronically signed & submitted ("Sign and Submit to CO") to the coordinator.  

The system will then ask you to confirm that the information is valid.  

Once you have confirmed, the system will ask you to complete your EU Login password, in order to electronically sign the Commitment on availability of funds  (the comment box is optional).  

 This might take a few minutes, the task might keep mentioning "sealing....". In this case, please keep refreshing the page until the pdf has been signed. 

At this point you have completed your "Commitment on availability of funds". It has been electronically signed & submitted to the Coordinator. It is accessible via the task Periodic Report composition. Please click on the Commitment on availability of funds pdf  to consult the data you have submitted to the coordinator. 

B. Completing the Commitment on availability of funds for your Third Party ( only at the end of the first period)

b. Draft the Commitment on availability of funds of your Third Party

 The Participant Contacts usually performs this action (also users with the roles Project Financial Signatories, Coordinator Contacts, Primary Coordinator Contacts and Task Managers can perform this action) 

Click on the task "Availability of funds" containing the PIC of your Third Party. 

Complete the "Available funds" and click "Save".

New since 06.12.2017 (Sygma 8.3): for the Third Linked Party, the following data should be completed:

• mandate for Lead Procurer

• Available funds:

• Available in kind funds

Once the "Save" button is clicked, SyGMa will then generate the "Commitment on Availability of Funds" letter automatically and the letter will be automatically attached to the process in the Grant Management Services in the Funding & Tenders Portal. Click the Validation button to see whether you have filled in all information correctly, then close the current screen and return to the the Funding & Tenders Portal. 

The "Commitment on availability of funds" letter will be automatically generated.  

bb. Lock the "Commitment on availability of funds" of your Third Party for review 

 The Participant Contacts usually performs this action (also users with the roles Coordinator Contact or Primary Coordinator Contact can perform this action.) 

Click the "Lock for Review" button, which will prevent further editing and generate a pdf document

Confirm that you want to lock the "Commitment on availability of funds" for review: check the check box and click ok. 

 This might take a few minutes, the task might keep mentioning "processing....". In this case, please keep refreshing the page until the pdf has been generated. 

The pdf has been generated. This means that the "Commitment on availability of funds" cannot be changed any more. 

bbb. Review the "Commitment on availability of funds" of your Third Party and submit it to the coordinator 

 Please note that the "Commitment on availability of funds" of your Third Party doesn't need to be signed!

 The Participant Contacts usually performs this action

( Note that also users with the roles Participant Contacts, Coordinator Contacts, Primary Coordinator Contacts, Task Managers and Team Members can open the pdf to see the data, but that they can't unlock the data) 

Click on the task "Commitment on availability of funds" to review it.  

Once reviewed, the "Commitment on availability of funds" can be unlocked ("Unlock to draft") for further editing 

or electronically submitted ("Submit to CO") to the coordinator.

 Please note that the "Commitment on availability of funds" of your Third Party doesn't need to be signed!

The system confirms that you have submitted to the coordinator. 

 This might take a few minutes, the task might keep mentioning "processing....". In this case, please keep refreshing the page until the pdf has been generated. 

At this point you have completed the "Commitment on availability of funds" of your Third Party. It has been electronically submitted to the Coordinator. It is accessible via the task Periodic Report composition.  

Please click on the Commitment on availability of funds pdf  of your Third Party to consult the data you have submitted to the coordinator.  

 Please note that you have to click on the arrow at the left hand side of your own "Commitment on availability of funds" to view the "Commitment on availability of funds" of your Third Party!

An example of the "Commitment on availability of funds". 

C. Completing your contribution to the Technical Part of the Periodic Report ( for all periods) 

c. Complete the Technical Report  

 The Participant Contact usually performs this action (also users with the roles Project Financial Signatories, Coordinator Contacts, Primary Coordinator Contacts and Task Managers can perform this action.) 

Click on the task "Technical Part of the Periodic Report" to complete the requested information.  Click here to find more information on how to complete your technical part of the periodic report. The principle of the technical part is that all beneficiaries contribute to this technical part. When two participants are working on the same data, the data of the beneficiary saving first, will be saved, whilst the other participant receives a notification that the data have been changed and that his data are lost. 

Then click the "Save" button. Then close the current screen and return to the Funding & Tenders Portal. The validation button can give you an overview of errors which prevent you from saving.  

cc. Lock the Technical Report for review  

 Only users with the role Coordinator Contact and Primary Coordinator Contact can perform this action. 

Click the "Lock for Review" button, which will prevent further editing and generate a pdf document

 This might take a few minutes: keep refreshing the page to see the pdf

ccc. Review the Technical report and accept and include it for submission to the EU 

  Only users with the role Coordinator Contact and Primary Coordinator Contact perform this action.  

( Note that also users with the roles Financial Signatories, Legal Signatories, Task Managers and Team Members can open the pdf to see the data, but that they can't unlock the data, nor accept & include the report) 

Confirm that you want to lock the "Technical part of the periodic report" for review: check the check box and click ok. 

 This might take a few minutes, the task might keep mentioning "processing....". In this case, please keep refreshing the page until the pdf has been generated.

Once reviewed,the Technical report can be unlocked ("Unlock to draft") for further editing or accepted and included ("Accept & Include") in the Periodic Report (you might have to refresh the page to see the buttons appear) 

Once you have accepted &included the "Technical part of the periodic report", it is accessible via the task Periodic Report composition.  

 Please click on the Technical part of the periodic report pdf  to consult the data you have included. 

D. Completing the "request for pre-financing" ( for all periods) 

d. Draft the "request for pre-financing" 

 The Coordinator Contacts usually performs this action  

Click on the task "request for pre-financing". 

Complete the necessary fields: the current requested pre-financing for the current period (defined in the Grant Agreement Preparation) and the amount or percentage used of the previous pre-financing. The system will automatically calculate the spent percentage and the reduction for the next pre-financing amount (if 70% of the previous pre-financing amount wasn't used). 

dd. Lock the Request for pre-financing for review  

 Only users with the role Coordinator Contact and Primary Coordinator Contact can perform this action. 

Click the "Lock for Review" button, which will prevent further editing and generate a pdf document 

This might take a few minutes: keep refreshing the page to see the pdf

Confirm that you want to lock the "Request for pre-financing" for review: check the check box and click ok. 

This might take a few minutes, the task might keep mentioning "processing....". In this case, please keep refreshing the page until the pdf has been generated.

ddd. Review the Request for pre-financing and accept and include it for submission to the EU 

  Only users with the role Project Financial Signatory (PFSIGN) can perform this action.  

( Note that also users with the roles Participant Contacts, Coordinator Contacts, Primary Coordinator Contacts, Task Managers and Team Members can open the pdf to see the data, but that they can't unlock the data) 

Click on the task "Request for pre-financing" to review it.  

Click on the pdf to open the document. 

The request for pre-financing opens up. 

Once reviewed, the "Request for pre-financing" can be unlocked ("Unlock to draft") for further editing or electronically signed & submitted ("Sign and Submit to CO") to the coordinator.   

Once signed and submitted, the system will then ask you to confirm that the information is valid.  

Once you have confirmed, the system will ask you to complete your EU Login password, in order to electronically sign the request for pre-financing  (the comment box is optional).  

 This might take a few minutes, the task might keep mentioning "sealing....". In this case, please keep refreshing the page until the pdf has been signed. 

At this point you have completed your "Request for pre-financing". It has been electronically signed & submitted. It is accessible via the task Periodic Report composition. Please click on the Request for pre-financing pdf  to consult the data you have submitted. 

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E. Completing your Financial Statement ( only in the final period)

e. Draft the financial statement

 The Participant Contacts usually performs this action (also users with the roles Project Financial Signatories, Coordinator Contacts, Primary Coordinator Contacts and Task Managers can perform this action) 

Click on the task "Financial Statement" and complete the costs.  Click here for CSA-LS and here for Cofund-Eranet/PCP/PPI to find more information on how to complete your financial statement.  

Complete the requested information and save. Click the Validation button to see whether you have filled in all information correctly, then close the current screen and return to the the Funding & Tenders Portal. 

 ee. Lock the financial statement for review 

 The Participant Contacts usually performs this action (also users with the roles Coordinator Contact or Primary Coordinator Contact can perform this action.) 

Click the "Lock for Review" button, which will prevent further editing and generate a pdf document (This might take a few minutes.) 

Confirm that you want to lock the "Financial statement" for review: check the check box and click ok. 

eee. Review the Financial Statement and sign & submit it to the coordinator 

  Only users with the role Project Financial Signatory (PFSIGN) can perform this action.  

( Note that also users with the roles Participant Contacts, Coordinator Contacts, Primary Coordinator Contacts, Task Managers and Team Members can open the pdf to see the data, but that they can't unlock the data) 

Click on the task "Financial Statement" to review the financial statement.  

Once reviewed ,the Financial Statement can be unlocked ("Unlock to draft") for further editing or electronically signed & submitted ("Sign and Submit") to the coordinator.  

Once signed and submitted, the system will then ask you to confirm that the information is valid.   

Once you have confirmed, the system will ask you to complete your EU Login password, in order to electronically sign the Financial Statement (the comment box is optional).  

 This might take a few minutes, the task might keep mentioning "sealing....". In this case, please keep refreshing the page until the pdf has been signed. 

At this point you have completed your Financial Statement. Your statement has been electronically signed & submitted to the Coordinator. It is accessible via the task Periodic Report composition. Please click on the Financial Statement pdf  to consult the data you have submitted to the coordinator. 

Step 3: The Coordinator approves the elements of the Periodic Report & submits to the EU

The Coordinator must review and explicitly approve those elements of the Periodic Report, which he wishes to submit to the EU. The coordinator can: 

• reject a Commitment on Availability of Funds or a Financial Statement back to a beneficiary for further editing  (by clicking the  button)
• and/or he can unlock the Technical Part of the Periodic Report for further editing (by clicking the button) 

To approve or reject an element of the Periodic Report, click on the task Periodic Report composition. The screen below appears. 

 Only users with the role Coordinator Contact and Primary Coordinator Contact can perform this action.  

Click on the Include /Redo button to approve or reject an element (Financial Statement and/or Technical Part of the Periodic Report).  

 Please be aware that you need to click the yellow arrow in front of the report elements to expand all elements! 

Once all the elements of the Periodic Report are included, the Periodic Report can be submitted to the EU.  

The Commitments on availability of funds, Financial Statements and the Technical Part of the Periodic Report are submitted to the EU in one single submission.   

To submit click on the button Submit to EU

 For the first period: all Commitments on availability of funds, the Request for pre-financing and the technical parts need to be included for the Submit to EU button to become available. 

 For the interim period: all Requests for pre-financing and the technical parts need to be included for the Submit to EU button to become available. 

 For the final period: at least one financial statement, all Requests for pre-financing and the technical parts need to be included for the Submit to EU button to become available.

 Only users with the role Coordinator Contact and Primary Coordinator Contact can perform this action. 

 . 

The button will be disabled if there are validation errors 

Once you have clicked the Submit to EU button, the system will ask you to confirm that you are aware that certain statements haven't been included and that therefore their costs will not be considered for the interim payment. Click the Submit to EU button to submit the periodic report to the EU.  

 This might take a few minutes, the task might keep mentioning "processing....". In this case, please keep refreshing the page until the pdf has been signed. 

The process goes to the status Submitted and the process box turns blue (this means the process is in the hands of the EU now).  

Step 4: The EU reviews the submitted Periodic Report and accepts or rejects it   

The EU can accept the report and start preparing the payment.  

The EU can also ask for a revision of the report, this means that the process described above starts again.  

Step 5: Payment

The payment is performed, which completes this reporting process.