Funding of the European Union (EU)'s Framework Programmes for Research and Innovation, such as Horizon Europe, has traditionally been based on the reimbursement of actual costs. Due to the need for detailed cost accounting, this system comes with a heavy administrative load for beneficiaries, and has suffered from a high error rate in the past. This has motivated the search for simplified forms of funding, such as the use of lump sums. With payments based on results obtained, the latter aims to simplify administration and put the focus on the scientific and technical content of projects.

A few years ago, the European Commission (EC) launched a lump sum pilot, within Horizon 2020, where certain topics used a funding scheme based on lump sums rather than the traditional method. Its aim was to evaluate the use of lump sum funding, and the EC recently published its assessment of this pilot. In parallel, STOA commissioned a study to collect feedback and reflect on the use of lump sum funding.

This STOA event aims to present both these studies and the views of different stakeholders, in order to answer the question: Is lump sum the right tool for EU research programmes?

Programme

10:30-10:35 Welcome

Christian EHLER, MEP and STOA First Vice-Chair

10:35-10:45 Presentation of the European Commission's 'Assessment of the Lump Sum Pilot 2018 - 2020 - Analysis of qualitative and quantitative feedback'

Peter HAERTWICH, Head of Unit, Common Service for Business Processes Unit, Common Implementation Centre, DG Research and Innovation, European Commission

10:45-10:55 Presentation of the STOA study 'A reimbursement system based on a fixed lump sum - Is it the right tool for the EU Framework Programme for Research?'

Adam EDSTRÖM and Maya MILTELL, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden

10:55-11:20 Views from stakeholders

• Dorte DALSGAARD, Danish Technological Institute, member of Working Group Financial Experts, European Association of Research and Technology Organisations (EARTO)
• Laura KEUSTERMANS, Senior Policy Officer, League of European Research Universities (LERU)
• Gerhard HUEMER, Economic Policy Director, SMEunited
• Matthias WILL, Director, Common Implementation Centre, DG Research and Innovation, European Commission

11:20-11:50 Q&A

11:50-12:00 Closing Remarks

Christian EHLER, MEP and STOA First Vice-Chair

The event will be held in English only, without interpretation.