European Partnership Help Center

Welcome to the ERA-LEARN Help Center for European Partnerships. Here you will find a collection of frequently asked questions and answers from our webinars and events. More questions and answers will be added over time. If you have any partnership related questions, please send them to office@era-learn.eu and we will add them to the Help Center.

Are you expecting us to identify hard points for instance initial investments in a project that would make awkward a budget reduction during the project?

Phasing out Framework Programme funding is not a budget cut or reduction during implementation. It refers to the decision not to renew a partnership in the next Framework Programme. The focus should be on transition and legacy.
Some co-funded partnerships have a strict 7-year duration while others are structured as a 7 + 3 year duration. Are the phasing out strategies being discussed here relating to that issue at all, or are they only about the long-term continuation of core activities beyond the EC co-funded periods?

Some co-funded partnerships, like THCS, have a strict 7-year duration with no phasing out period, while others like EP PerMed, are structured as a 7 + 3 year duration. For the former, we're in a situation where we don't know if we have EC funding for projects funded in the final years of the partnership but extend beyond the end date of the partnership. Are the phasing out strategies being discussed here relating to that issue at all, or are they only about the long-term continuation of core activities beyond the EC co-funded periods? This question refers to the partnership’s ‘winding up’ period, i.e. the phase where partnerships do not actively launch calls anymore, but are solely focused on implementing and reporting on funded projects, typically indeed a 3 year period, where the partnership should require fewer resources as compared to its ‘active’ phase. These are typically included in the Grant Agreements. Phasing-out strategies are not a built-in “period” in the partnership’s life cycle. Partnerships may start preparing for transition before the end (of the funding period, or of the partnership) to maintain momentum and continuity. The focus is on the long-term continuation of core activities and networks, not on administrative timing of calls or grants.
How will this phasing-out exercise be integrated/considered for the 2nd Top-up amendments (now under evaluation)?

The two processes run in parallel. Updates or additions from the amendment can be integrated into the phasing-out reflections. The phasing-out strategy development exercise does not interfere with the amendment evaluation. Where feasible, the top-up amendment process could offer an opportunity to include a specific activity to work on the phasing out strategy. An additional dedicated deliverable report (updated in regular intervals) could be included, where the scenarios analysis and the different phasing-out options would be detailed.
Given that the current MFF draft may change, how should the partnerships develop their phasing-out strategies? Should the partnerships base them on current expectations or ignore the draft?

You should base your work on the current expectations for the MFF. If these expectations change in the coming months, this will not be held against you. What matters is that you acknowledge the context in which these scenarios are developed and reflect it in your strategy. Remember, this is a living document that can be updated as needed to remain relevant.
Because of the composition of some partnerships, equity, equity options and revenue-sharing are challenging; how can we compare these structures?

Each partnership should identify what financial model fits its individual structure and governance. Equity-based approaches are not suitable for all, and comparison across different partnership types is neither expected nor meaningful. What matters is internal consistency, credibility, and feasibility within each partnership’s context.
Could you clarify whether other sources of EU funding (than Horizon Europe funding) can be used as source for the phasing-out scenarios?

Yes. The phasing-out strategy must include at least one credible scenario without FP funding, but this does not exclude the possibility of drawing on other EU programmes or instruments, where relevant and feasible.