Frequently asked questions from Info Day 1
Elements of the proposal
Application procedure
Where can we find the call documents?
You can find all the documents of the call on the DUT website.
Through which portal shall the application be submitted and by whom?
The transnational proposal of a project needs to be submitted on the UDi-Manager platform by the principal investigator (PI) of the main applicant.
A national application may be necessary (see next question).
A national application may be necessary (see next question).
Our organization from Austria will be the main applicant. Should the other two partners coming from other countries also apply at national level?
For many countries, the answer is yes, they have to apply at national level as well. However, not all Funding Agencies require a national application. Please check Annex A of the Call Text or contact your national Funding Agency.
I have seen that some countries have already scheduled a national info session. However, Spain has not confirmed a date yet. Will there be a designated session for Spain at all?
In general, please contact your national contact point for dates and more details. You find the contact details in the Annex A of the Call Text. You can also find an overview of already confirmed national evens here.
Referring to Spain: In case of AEI, there probably won’t be a separate info day. For information related to CDTI, the other Spanish Funding Agency, please consult them directly.
At which stage can a widening country's organisation join?
After Stage 1, when the projects have been invited to prepare their full proposals for Stage 2.
What is considered a fundamental change in the proposal?
For example, fundamental changes could be an exceptional change of the principal investigator (PI) for the main applicant. A minor change would e.g. concern the demand of funding.
Generally speaking, if you are not sure if a change is permitted, please always contact your Funding Agency.
Proposal template
Can more than five project partners be added to the pre-proposal template?
You may add as many project partners as needed.
To what extent should a work plan (work packages, tasks, leadership of WPs in consortium) already be defined in the pre-proposal stage?
An outline of the envisioned work programme, the results expected within the duration of the project and the main milestones should be described under section 6 in the pre-proposal. As the length of this section is limited in the template, you do not need to go in depth. Later on, in the full proposal, there will be no limit to develop the work plan.
Is there a budget template that includes Swiss Francs and Euros, or should it all be aligned in Euros?
As stated in the Call Text, p. 33, the estimated budget must be given in euros only.
What do you consider a consortium reference as requested in the pre-proposal template?
The section 7 in the pre-proposal template refers to relevant references related to the consortium in regard to your project`s topic. In practice, the project partners, who can present such relevant references themselves, bring them in.
Is the PIC-number the same as last year?
TThe PIC of your organisation will be the same unless your organisation has legally changed.
The Consortium
Structure of the consortium
Is there a maximum number of applicants?
As stated in the Call Text (p.32), small to medium sized consortia (involving funding requests to 3-5 Funding Agencies on average per proposal), are expected. However, there is no upper limit and consortia may involve as many partners as necessary for a convincing proposal, ensuring that all participants have a justified role.
Does a consortium need to be transnational?
The whole idea of DUT is to host transnational projects, which is clearly outlined in the Call Text (p.32). Therefore, yes, your consortium has to be transnational.
Is a mixed consortium, i.e. at least 1 of each type of partner, expected or not necessary? Is there a minimum number of countries involved?
Regarding transnational rules (Call Text, p.32), there is a minimum of three participating countries required. Mixed consortia with different types of partners are not necessary. There may, however, be stricter rules at national level - please check Annex A for details.
Do the cooperation partners satisfy the rule of having a minimum of three member states?
As stated in the Call Text (p.31), they do not count toward the transnational eligibility rule 1.
Can we add additional cooperation partners during the full proposal stage? Or do we need to fix the consortium at the pre-proposal stage?
You may add cooperation partners (partners that do not directly receive funding) at any time.
What needs to be considered for collaborations between EU and non-EU countries but who have access to Horizon? E.g. an EU research institute collaborating with a non-EU city as case implementation.
Consortia must include at least three independent legal entities applying for funding from three different countries that have Funding Agencies participating in the call. In addition, at least two eligible applicants within a consortium must be from different EU member states or associated countries eligible for EC co-funding in this Call. If the non-EU country you are speaking of is an associated country with a Funding Agency funding your project partner, they would count towards both limits.
I have noticed that Poland, for example, was not a project leader/main applicant last year. Is this year`s call meant for widening countries to lead a project or to rather take part as a partner?
It is definitely possible for widening countries to be project leaders.
Participation of cities
Does the requirement for a local governance office/city office in the consortium apply to each international partner or the consortium as a whole?
According to transnational eligibility rule 4, there needs to be one city/entity providing public services in the consortium (p.32 of the Call Text). However, each participating country also has national rules that apply (for example, they may require a city from their country). Therefore, it is always important to check the rules of the responsible agencies in Annex A of the Call Text.
Is it a “must” that the city is part of the consortium or is an LOI describing the kind of cooperation on local level enough?
According to the Call Text (Chapter 3.4), each consortium must include at least one urban government authority partner, either as a Main Applicant, Co-applicant or Cooperation Partner, depending on the national/regional eligibility criteria. Please check Annex A of the Call Text to be sure that city/urban authorities can be funded by your national/regional Funding Agency.
A Letter of Interest is mandatory only for Cooperation Partners (partners that participate with their own funds).
A Letter of Interest is mandatory only for Cooperation Partners (partners that participate with their own funds).
Can cities receive funding?
At transnational level, yes, but at national level not necessarily. Please check the rules of your national/regional Funding Agency (Annex A of the Call Text).
Call topics
Cross-topic
Is there an overview per pathway regarding which countries can or cannot be involved in a topic?
Annex A of the Call Text (available on the website) includes a table that indicates which Funding Agency supports projects under which pathways and topics.
Additionally, this information can be found directly on the website here.
Each topic lists a number of "expected outputs". Should proposals/projects address all the bullet points listed here or just a selection?
The list of expected outputs is not a mandatory tick-the-box list, so not all aspects need to be covered. However, it will be beneficial in the evaluation if most/a high number of them are considered.
Funding
Is the list of national Funding Agencies final or will more agencies be added?
The list for the 2023 Call is final, however, more Agencies may join in next year's call.
Is ANR the only French Funding Agency involved?
No, ADEME is another French Funding Agency. However, please consider that not every Funding Agency supports all pathways. Please check Annex A of the Call Text.
Which costs are eligible?
Please regard the national/regional information and eligibility criteria in Annex A of the Call Text and consult your national/regional Funding Agency for further details.
