Changes in project implementation

Projects might meet challenges that require adjustments. The programme has divided changes into minor and major changes depending on their impact of the project set-up. When you foresee a change of some sort, and you are uncertain whether it will be considered a minor or a major change, you are always welcome to check this beforehand with the MA/JS. Project managers should in those cases describe the change together with a justification and an assessment of the impact on the project implementation and outputs.

Minor changes are adjustments that do not have a significant impact on project implementation. Projects shall inform the JS about the minor changes, e.g. via progress reports.

These changes do not require prior approval by the MA/JS:
Administrative changes, such as:

• Change of contact persons and addresses
• Minor administrative changes such as reporting periods and dates for submitting the payment applications and progress-/final reports.
• Change of the bank account of the LP
• Pure name changes of a partner (a change of partner is considered a major change as well as a total withdrawal of a partner).
• Minor adjustments in the work plan like a change of format of an activity, timeline for one or more activities, involvement of partners in a work package or activity (not the planned approach, nature and use of the outputs which are considered major changes)

Minor budget changes:

Overspending one or more cost categories in the total project budget by 20% or EUR 10 000, whichever is higher. However, projects cannot exceed the total project budget or change the nature and use of planned purchases and outputs.

• Budget flexibility between cost categories concerns EU-budget and Norwegian budget separately. Lead partners (EU and Norway) must therefore follow the flexibility on the overall project level in every progress report.
• In case of overspending of a partner budget, this must be made in agreement with other partners, e.g some of the other partners must in such case underspend their part of the budget.
• In case of budget changes between partners, make sure that the national co-financing (own or external) is not affected (if the financing is affected – see budget changes concerning the financing plan which must be handled via a change in the grant decision).
• No budget changes are possible in lump sum projects and projects using the 40%-method.

Major changes are more complex adjustments that can have an impact (negative or positive) on the planned outputs and/or solutions, the partnership or the project budget. In such cases, the MA/JS has to be informed about the planned change via an application for change submitted as a completion document in Min ansökan. The change shall be described and motivated in the application for change. The Joint Secretariat will assess the change request and make a proposal for a changed decision for the Managing Authority, or if necessary, the Steering Committee. After approval of the change, the MA will issue a new grant decision, which will form the basis for future reporting.

The following changes are generally considered to be major:

• Budget changes concerning costs, and which are not covered by the budget flexibility described as a minor change.
• Budget changes concerning the financing plan such as change of financiers, whether it be a change from external to own financing or from one external to another external financier.
• Changes in the partnership such as total withdrawal of project partner /Lead partner or a change of project partner / Lead partner.
• Implementation changes with a major impact on the work plan, the project outputs, results and/or indicators.
• An extension of the eligibility period.