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.

When writing the proposal, it is often difficult to anticipate certain aspects (e.g. governance structures or additional activities intended to complement and build upon project results). How should this be addressed?

Minor changes such as smaller budget transfers between beneficiaries are acceptable during the implementation of the grant, but details should always be discussed with the responsible Project Officer in the respective Executive Agency. However, changes in the work plan (Description of the Action - Annex 1) need to be addressed through amendments to the Grant Agreement, which is the main mechanism for introducing changes during implementation. Proposed changes should always be discussed in detail with the Project Officer before the official submission of the amendment request.
Which role can a region play in a European Partnership?

European Partnerships can represent an entry point for regions to engage in European cooperation and strategic research and innovation initiatives. Partnerships should not be viewed only as joint financing instruments, but as a strategic instrument contributing to the design and implementation of public policies. Regions can set their own strategic priorities in line with the partnership calls. They may choose to finance only specific priorities or topics within a partnership, depending on their regional strategies. Regions could use the opportunity to take advantage of the partnership results by following up with structural funds (e.g. ERDF) and finance complementary or derived projects that continue partnership outcomes.
Is it correct that co-funded partnerships are absent from the FP10 proposal?

In the proposal of the European Commission for Horizon Europe 2028-2034 , one default implementation format for European Partnerships is suggested, which will integrate the two current work programme-based implementation forms, i.e. co-programmed and co-funded. The proposal foresees that they will be based on a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and be implemented via the future Horizon Europe work programme. The principle of co-funded partnerships – co-programming and co-funding joint R&I programmes with national and regional funders - remains, but would be implemented differently, addressing implementation challenges encountered by co-funded partnerships today. The option of establishing treaty-based instruments in exceptional and well-justified cases also remains. Read more about the latest FP10 developments here.
Could the EC propose a Word template for the phasing-out strategy, aligning all of us with clear sections and expected inputs, in the leanest way possible?

The EC has provided guidelines, a checklist, and a workshop to ensure shared expectations while leaving flexibility to account for differences in maturity and structure. A strict template would risk oversimplifying diverse realities and decrease flexibility for the partnerships to present specific and tailored strategies.
For co-programmed partnerships, the MoUs already include indicators for project achievements and clear objectives for implementing the partnership, along with thorough reporting. What kind of new indicators are expected, and how can we avoid creating a double reporting burden?

New indicators could, for example, track funding from other sources, which can help offset the end of Framework Programme financing. The appropriate indicators will also depend on the specific transition scenario chosen, such as merging with another initiative, in which case indicators should capture changes in governance or operational structure. Since each partnership and strategy is different, the feedback round is there to review your ideas and offer partnership-specific suggestions based on your scenarios, which will be more relevant and practical than general guidance.
Would it be a valid scenario for the partnership to continue operating without EC funding, following a model similar to the Joint Programming Initiatives (JPIs)?

Yes, it would be a valid scenario; you just need to reflect on the funding source.