While the options for third parties (organisations participating in Horizon Europe projects without signing the grant agreement) will remain mostly unchanged when compared to Horizon 2020, some adjustments will be necessary to harmonise the terminology and rules with other EU programmes.
As part of the corporate approach to EU grant agreements after 2020, the Commission will change the names of two types of third parties commonly used in Horizon 2020:
- “Linked third parties” will become “Affiliated entities” in Horizon Europe; and
- “International partners” Article 14a of the Model Grant Agreement) will become “Associated partners” in Horizon Europe.
This is a simple change of terminology to adjust the vocabulary of Horizon Europe with that used in other EU programmes, which are managed directly by the European Commission. UKRO understands that the rules related to these types of third parties will not change when compared to Horizon 2020. Similar cosmetic changes concern other aspects of the programme. For example, the “Commission/Agency”featuring in the Horizon 2020 grant agreements will now be replaced with the “Granting Authority” – a term used more widely in other EU programmes.
Other options for third parties such as subcontractors or third parties providing in-kind (non-financial) contributions to the beneficiary organisation will remain the same. However, there will be a change in the way in-kind contributions from third parties (e.g. personnel seconded to the beneficiary or equipment) are claimed against payment. There was a specific article in the Horizon 2020 Model Grant Agreement (PDF) for such non-financial contributions donated by third parties (Article 11), but this will no longer be the case in Horizon Europe and such contributions will now need to be claimed under the relevant cost category (e.g. “Personnel costs” for the cost of staff seconded by a third party to the beneficiary).