Call for proposals “Routes to Synergies”
1. We are an organization that is 100% owned by a Croatian public higher education institution. Although we are legally registered as a limited liability company (d.o.o.), we operate as a non-profit entity according to our statute and are registered for research activities. Are we eligible to apply under the “Routes to Synergies” Call?
In the interest of equal treatment of applicants, the MSEY cannot provide prior eligibility opinions regarding individual applicants. Eligibility requirements are clearly defined in Sections 5 and 6 of the Guidelines for Applicants. Applicants are advised to carefully assess their compliance with all eligibility conditions and submit the required supporting documentation.
2. We are currently involved in a Horizon Europe project for which the Grant Agreement has been signed. A complementary national co-funding component (under PCC 2021–2027) is foreseen, and the Grant Agreement for this part is in its final stages. Can this be considered a sufficient basis for eligibility under the requirement to build on an ongoing ERDF project?
As specified in Section 11 of the Guidelines for Applicants, applicants must provide appropriate documentation, such as a Grant Agreement and, if applicable, an approved final report, to demonstrate the link between the project proposal and the earlier or ongoing ERDF/RRF-funded project during the application process.
3. We intend to hire one new person, but our existing staff will also be working on the project. Since we are a public research organization and our existing staff already receive salaries from the state budget, are the personnel costs of our existing staff eligible? If we are not claiming funds for existing eligible staff, do we need to list them under ineligible costs?
The applicant is responsible for the financial and accounting management of eligible personnel costs funded through the project. The same working hour of one staff member cannot be funded from two public sources simultaneously (e.g., project funds and the state budget), in line with the principle of avoiding double funding.
We also refer you to the Labour Act (OG 93/14, 127/17, 98/19, 151/22, 46/23, 64/23) and the collective agreement applicable to your organization. The MSEY is not responsible for interpreting this legislation or your organization’s internal procedures.
If no grant funds are planned for existing staff, it is not necessary to list these costs as ineligible, but their roles must still be described in the Application form.
4. In the case where the official beneficiary of the previous ERDF-funded project (RCOP 2007–2013 or OPCC 2014–2020) was the University, but the principal investigator is currently employed at a Faculty (of the same University) that is a separate legal entity, is it possible to apply to the Call with the Faculty as the applicant? In other words, is it possible that the applicant is not the same legal entity as the one listed as the official beneficiary in the ERDF Grant Agreement and final report?
As defined in the Call, the applicant must be (or must have been) the official beneficiary of ERDF funding (RCOP/OPCC/PCC) or RRF funding (NRRP). This means that the legal entity applying must match the legal entity listed as the beneficiary in the ERDF or RRF Grant Agreement and final report (if any). Applicants whose legal status or structure has changed must clearly demonstrate continuity of responsibility and link to the ERDF/RRF-funded project.
5. Is the Call intended to co-finance projects that have already been or will be funded under the Horizon Europe program?
The Call does not support the co-financing of projects that have already been funded or will be funded under the Horizon Europe program. It supports activities for developing project proposals that will be submitted to Horizon Europe calls in the future.
6. Can a staff member be involved in the project without claiming any salary under the DIGIT Call, and still participate in project-funded travel or consortium-building activities?
Staff members who are involved in the project but for whom no personnel costs are planned (i.e. no salary will be claimed from the project budget), may still participate in other eligible activities, provided that their roles are clearly described in the Application form.
All planned project staff costs must be in line with Section 9.3 of the Guidelines for Applicants, and applicants are required to submit a detailed and justified budget within the Application form that adheres to all eligibility rules.
7. When calculating the staff cost daily rate, should we: a) calculate a separate daily rate for each individual working on the project, b) use the total staff cost of the entire organization, or c) sum only the employer costs for the personnel involved in the project?
Each applicant or partner claiming staff costs must apply the same daily rate for every individual from their organization or enterprise involved in the project for whom such costs are claimed. When budgeting eligible staff costs, it is recommended to calculate and present the costs separately for each individual participating in the project (daily rate × number of workdays on the project = individual staff costs). This approach ensures greater traceability and clarity of the costs associated with each team member.
8. Could you clarify whether the term “beneficiary” refers exclusively to the lead applicant or coordinator of the project, or if it also includes project partners as co-beneficiaries within the project consortium, particularly in relation to previously funded or ongoing projects financed through ERDF or RRF?
In the context of previously funded or ongoing projects financed through the ERDF (RCOP/OPCC/PCC) or RRF (NRRP), the applicant to this Call must be (or must have been) the official beneficiary of ERDF or RRF funding. This means that the legal entity applying must match the entity listed as the beneficiary in the respective ERDF or RRF Grant Agreement and final report (if any).
Applicants who were, or currently are, project partners in ERDF- or RRF-funded projects are not considered official beneficiaries under this Call and cannot substitute for the official beneficiary in justifying the utilization of previously developed research infrastructure or capacities related to the ERDF- or RRF-funded project.
9. Is it mandatory to enclose an excerpt from the court register demonstrating the applicant’s and partner’s compliance with the eligibility criteria defined in the Call?
It is not mandatory to enclose an excerpt from the court register. However, applicants may be required to submit additional documentation to confirm their eligibility, including but not limited to legal registration documents.
10. Are equipment upgrade and servicing costs (e.g. annual maintenance or repair) for equipment intended to be used in the implementation of project activities considered eligible costs under this Call?
Eligible costs are defined in Section 9.3 of the Guidelines for Applicants. In the interest of ensuring equal treatment of all applicants, the MSEY does not provide prior opinions on the eligibility of specific costs or activities.
11. Can a project that involves research on human and/or animal tissue and cell samples, and is assessed as low or moderate environmental and social (E&S) risk based on the World Bank’s environmental and social policies criteria and the Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF), as described in Annex I. Conditions for the preparation and implementation of projects within the DIGIT Project, be considered eligible for funding?
In the interest of equal treatment of applicants, the MSEY cannot provide prior eligibility opinions regarding individual project proposals or activities.
The E&S screening will be conducted based on the submitted Environmental and social screening questionnaire (ESSQ), which is to be provided after the project proposal has been ranked within the available allocation of the Call.
Projects assessed as having a low or moderate E&S risk are eligible for funding under this Call. As outlined in Annex I., activities that are classified as high or substantial risk following the E&S screening process are deemed ineligible.
12. Are travel expenses (including accommodation and daily allowances) for international experts considered eligible within this Call? Can a domestic research organization issue a travel order for these experts?
Travel expenses (including accommodation and daily allowances) for international experts are not eligible as separate cost items under this Call. However, if international experts are engaged to provide specific services relevant to the project, all operational costs related to the delivery of those services may be included in the overall cost of the service.
13. If staff members engaged in the project are already receiving salaries from the state budget, and we include their costs in the project budget, can the research organization receive project funding for their work?
The applicant is responsible for the financial and accounting management of eligible personnel costs funded through the project. The same working hour of one staff member cannot be funded from two public sources simultaneously (e.g., project funds and the state budget), in line with the principle of avoiding double funding.
We also refer you to the Labour Act (OG 93/14, 127/17, 98/19, 151/22, 46/23, 64/23) and the collective agreement applicable to your organization. The MSEY is not responsible for interpreting this legislation or your organization’s internal procedures.
14. Can project partners, i.e. co-beneficiaries in ERDF- or RRF-funded projects, be considered eligible applicants under the Call?
In line with the eligibility conditions of the Call, project partners (i.e. co-beneficiaries) in ERDF- or RRF-funded projects cannot act as applicants, as only the official beneficiary listed in the Grant Agreement and final report (if applicable) is eligible to apply.
However, this does not preclude them from participating in the project as partners under this Call, provided they meet all eligibility criteria set out in the Call documentation.
15. Our ERDF-funded project (which we intend to use as the basis for our project proposal under this Call) has a Partnership Agreement which defines project partners as “beneficiaries” per Article 2(9)(a) of Regulation (EU) 2021/1060. Does that make us, as a project partner, eligible to apply under this Call?
Regardless of definitions provided in project-level Partnership Agreements or broader EU regulations, eligible applicants under this Call are strictly limited to legal entities formally listed as official beneficiaries in the Grant Agreement of ERDF- or RRF-funded projects. Project partners who are not listed as official beneficiaries in the Grant Agreement cannot apply independently. However, this does not preclude them from participating in the project as partners under this Call, provided they meet all eligibility criteria set out in the Call documentation.
16. Are projects funded through the ERDF under the INTERREG programme, which we intend to use as the basis for our project proposal under this Call, considered eligible?
Projects funded through the ERDF under the INTERREG programme are not considered eligible under this Call. Only projects funded by the ERDF under the following national programmes are considered eligible:
- Operational Programme Regional Competitiveness 2007–2013 (RCOP)
- Operational Programme Competitiveness and Cohesion 2014–2020 (OPCC)
- Programme Competitiveness and Cohesion 2021–2027 (PCC)
In addition, projects funded through the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan 2021–2026 (NRRP) are also eligible.
17. The Call specifies the following indicators: “Number of unique infrastructure users on annual basis” and “Number of hours of equipment utilization on annual basis”, with a deadline for completion set three years after project completion. Does this mean the indicators must be achieved every year during that three-year period, or only once, three years after the project ends? How will the achievement of these indicators be monitored?
The indicators “Number of unique infrastructure users on annual basis” and “Number of hours of equipment utilization on annual basis” are measured only once, specifically for the third year following project completion. Applicants are required to define the target value for at least one of these indicators for the third year following project completion in the Application form.
As specified in the Call documentation, the achievement of these indicators will be monitored through a report and/or survey conducted during the post-implementation period, which beneficiaries will be required to submit to the MSEY.
18. Are study visits aimed at improving scientific expertise for the preparation and implementation of future Horizon Europe projects considered eligible under this Call? Are mentorship programs limited only to non-scientific skills, or can they also cover scientific and technical topics?
Study visits and mentorship programs are only eligible if they focus on developing non-scientific skills, such as project management, international collaboration, knowledge transfer, RDI management, and communication.
These activities are directly linked to the output indicator Ab1 – Number of researchers participating in training, which measures the number of researchers involved in capacity-building activities supported by the project. Activities related to capacity building that focus on scientific or technical skills are not eligible under this Call.
19. Given that the Applicant is required to submit a project proposal to a relevant Horizon Europe call within 12 months of the acceptance of the final report of the funded project, could you please confirm whether the call HORIZON-WIDERA-2026-WIDENING-02: Twinning is considered a relevant Horizon Europe call for this purpose?
In the interest of ensuring equal treatment of all applicants, the MSEY does not provide prior eligibility opinions on individual Horizon Europe calls. It is the responsibility of each applicant to select a Horizon Europe call that is relevant and aligned with the objectives, results, and research capacities of the previously implemented or ongoing project financed through ERDF (RCOP, OPCC, PCC) or RRF (NRRP), which serves as the foundation for the synergy project proposal. The selected Horizon Europe call should represent a logical continuation of the supported activities and contribute to the further development, utilization, and valorisation of the outputs, outcomes, and overall impact of the foundation project.