Reporting in Horizon Europe projects: deliverables, milestones, technical and financial reporting

Within a Horizon Europe grant, there are various ways of reporting to the European Commission. This resource describes the different reporting requirements, the difference between the continuous reporting and the periodic reporting and will provide you with some tips and tricks. 

Continuous reporting: deliverables and milestones

Throughout your project, you need to update the EC by means of deliverables and milestones, this is called continuous reporting.

So, what is the difference between a deliverable and a milestone?

A milestone is a measurement of progress toward an output, whereas the deliverable is the result of the process.

In detail, a deliverable is a tangible or intangible object produced as a result of the project, such as a report, a document or a server upgrade.

A milestone is a scheduled event signifying the completion of a deliverable or set of related deliverables. There is no work associated with a milestone; it is a checkbox in the system to signify work has completed.

Some tips and tricks for scheduling your deliverables and milestones in your project:

• All hours you spend on the project before the start of the project are ineligible for funding, therefore, be smart and give yourself some time to start up the project. Don’t plan too many deliverables in the first months.
• Deliverables will be reviewed by the EC and can be rejected if they do not suffice. Milestones are rarely being reviewed.
• After submitting a deliverable, you cannot change them without getting it revoked by your EC project officer. Only project coordinators are allowed to submit deliverables to the EC. The checkbox and date corresponding with a milestone can be revised by yourself in the portal.
• In project including clinical trials there are 4 mandatory deliverables: 1. First study subject approvals package; 2. All approvals package; 3. Midterm recruitment report; 4. Report on status of posting results in the study registry(s).

Periodic reporting

Within your project, the EC will need a periodic report explaining the status of your project. By default, a period in a project is 18 months, but can be shorter if that fits the project duration, after which you need to report your technical progress and declare your costs via the financial reporting.

In your technical report, you will provide an update on the status of the deliverables, milestones, risks and dissemination activities, but also prepare the publishable summary of your work so far. Also, you have to describe all your tasks per work package and explain any deviations from the initial plan.

The financial reporting is done through the individual financial statements (formerly known as Form C). The sum of the total costs declared during this period is the amount you will receive to spend in the next period.

Some tips and tricks for preparing your periodic report:

• The EC will check your financial reports after submission if this is in line with the budget you have provided in the Grant Agreement. Especially the costs for tasks that are subcontracted will be checked vigorously in comparison with the foreseen subcontracting.
• The EC will not check all your costs for eligibility, that is your own responsibility. You have to provide a certificate on financial statement €325.000 in which all costs will be checked. In doubt, have a professional check your financial statement at an early stage.
• In large consortia, prepare internal mid-periodic reports. This provides you with an overview of the technical progress and the budgets and the option to redirect if needed.
• Your periodic reporting need to be signed by the PLSIGN and the financial reporting to the PFSIGN. Make sure that both are assigned in time in the portal.