The National Centre for Research and Development

1. Where can I find the call documents (i.e. specifying the scope of the call and presenting the application procedure and form)?

All call information, documents and guidelines are available at the link.
The on-line system for submission of applications is available at the link.

2. What is meant by 'Project Promoter' and 'Principal Investigator'?

The Project Promoter (PP) may only be: a research organisation established as a legal person in Poland or an enterprise established in Poland.
The PP has the formal administrative responsibility for the project, and has to submit the proposal on their behalf. Project Promoter must be duly authorized to represent all partners on behalf of which it submits the project proposal. The PP is responsible for signing the partnership agreement with the project partners.
The Project Promoter designates the Principal Investigator (PI), coming from one of the Polish institutions, who is the researcher having the scientific lead of the project on a daily basis.

3. What types of entities are eligible for funding?

Project Promoter may only be:

• Research organisation established as a legal person in Poland,
• Enterprise established in Poland.

The following entities are eligible to apply as project partners:

• Norwegian research organisations,
• Research organisations established as a legal person in Poland,
• Enterprises established in Poland and Norway.

Definitions of research organisation and enterprise are given in the Commission Regulation (EU) No 651/2014 of 17 June 2014 declaring certain categories of aid compatible with the internal market in application of Articles 107 and 108 of the Treaty.

4. Does the eligible consortium have to include an enterprise?

In POLNOR CCS 2019 Call the eligible consortium does not have to include an enterprise.

5. Is there any limit as to the number of applications submitted by a single entity?

There are no formal restrictions in this regard.

6. How many entities can the partnership consist of?

There are no formal upper limits with respect to the number of partners.

7. Can entities from countries other than Poland and Norway be partners in the project?

Yes, they can, but will not be funded from the Programme.

8. How should proposals be submitted?

Proposals shall be submitted electronically through the Programme Operator’s online system only. The system is available at the link.
Proposals submitted in any other way will not be regarded as having been received by the Programme Operator.

In order to submit the proposal the Project Promoter shall click the red ‘Złóż wniosek’ button.

The deadline for submission of proposals is 12 December 2019 16:00 CET.

9. How should proposals be prepared?

Proposal should be prepared in English and annexes should be in line with the templates to the ‘Proposal Manual’.

10. Do other users can edit/see my application in the LSI system?

No, it is not possible to add supporting editors or readers to an application.

11. Can the Project Promoter validate the proposal?

The Project Promoter can edit and validate the proposal until the closing date of the call.

12. What annexes are mandatory for the Project Promoter and project partners?

Description of section ‘IX.1. ZAŁĄCZNIKI / ANNEXES’ of the application form is provided in the ‘Proposal Manual’. Tables below summarize information about the requested annexes.

Annexes for Project Promoter and Polish Project Partners:

	Project Promoter				Polish project partner
	Research and knowledge-dissemination organisation	Enterprise			Research and knowledge-dissemination organisation	Enterprise
		Micro, Small	Medium	Large		Micro, Small	Medium	Large
Oświadczenie o zdolności do rzetelnego wydatkowania środków publicznych / Declaration of capacity for the effective disbursement of public funds template in Annex 10 to the Proposal Manual	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X
Formularz informacji przedstawianych przy ubieganiu się o pomoc inną niż pomoc de minimis lub pomoc de minimis w rolnictwie lub rybołówstwie / Information form submitted when applying for aid other than aid in agriculture or fisheries, de minimis aid or de minimis aid in agriculture or fisheries ‘State aid form – PL’ template in Annex 11a to the Proposal Manual		X	X	X		X	X	X
Formularz informacji przedstawianych przy ubieganiu się o pomoc de minimis / Information form submitted when applying for de minimis aid template in Annex 14 to the Proposal Manual in case of precommercialisation activities (Phase III)		X	X	X		X	X	X
Wszystkie zaświadczenia o pomocy de minimis, jakie Wnioskodawca otrzymał w roku, w którym ubiega się o pomoc oraz w ciągu 2 poprzedzających go lat / All certificates of de minimis aid that the Applicant has received in the year in which the Applicant applies for aid and in the two preceding years albo/or Oświadczenie o wielkości pomocy de minimis otrzymanej w roku, w którym ubiega się o pomoc, oraz w ciągu 2 poprzedzających go lat / Declaration on the amount of de minimis aid received in the year in which the Applicant applies for the aid and in the two preceding years in case of precommercialisation activities (Phase III)		X	X	X		X	X	X
Oświadczenie woli dotyczące składania dokumentów/oświadczeń za pośrednictwem systemu informatycznego / Declaration of submission of documents/statement through the online system template in Annex 12 to the Proposal Manual	X	X	X	X
PNT-01 Sprawozdanie o działalności badawczej i rozwojowej (B+R) za rok poprzedzający rok nabór wniosków / Report on R&D activity for the year preceding the year of the call	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X
Sprawozdania finansowe Wnioskodawcy za okres 3 ostatnich lat obrotowych, sporządzone zgodnie z przepisami o rachunkowości / Applicant's financial statements for the last 3 financial years, prepared in accordance with the accounting regulations lub / or W przypadku gdy przedsiębiorca nie istniał przez cały rok obrotowy oryginał albo kopia ostatniej deklaracji o wysokości osiągniętego dochodu/poniesionej straty / If the entrepreneur did not exist throughout the financial year, the original or a copy of the last declaration on the amount of income / loss suffered Albo / or Oświadczenie Wnioskodawcy o braku obowiązku sporządzania sprawozdań finansowych na podstawie ustawy o rachunkowości / Applicant's declaration that there is no obligation to prepare financial statements under the Accounting Act - template in Annex 13 to the Proposal Manual			X	X			X	X

 

Annexes for Norwegian Project Partners:

	Norwegian project partner
	Research and knowledge-dissemination organisation	Enterprise
		Micro, Small	Medium	Large
Oświadczenie o zdolności do rzetelnego wydatkowania środków publicznych / Declaration of capacity for the effective disbursement of public funds template in Annex 10 to the Proposal Manual	X	X	X	X
Formularz informacji przedstawianych przy ubieganiu się o pomoc inną niż pomoc de minimis lub pomoc de minimis w rolnictwie lub rybołówstwie / Information form submitted when applying for aid other than aid in agriculture or fisheries, de minimis aid or de minimis aid in agriculture or fisheries ‘State aid form – NOR’ template in Annex 11b to the Proposal Manual		X	X	X
Formularz informacji przedstawianych przy ubieganiu się o pomoc de minimis / Information form submitted when applying for de minimis aid template in Annex 14 to the Proposal Manual in case of precommercialisation activities (Phase III)		X	X	X
Wszystkie zaświadczenia o pomocy de minimis, jakie Wnioskodawca otrzymał w roku, w którym ubiega się o pomoc oraz w ciągu 2 poprzedzających go lat / All certificates of de minimis aid that the Applicant has received in the year in which the Applicant applies for aid and in the two preceding years albo/or Oświadczenie o wielkości pomocy de minimis otrzymanej w roku, w którym ubiega się o pomoc, oraz w ciągu 2 poprzedzających go lat / Declaration on the amount of de minimis aid received in the year in which the Applicant applies for the aid and in the two preceding years in case of precommercialisation activities (Phase III)		X	X	X

13. What entities should fill in ‘Sytuacja finansowa / Financial standing’?

Financial standing in part V.2 of the project proposal should be filled in by Polish enterprises only. It does not apply to Norwegian project partners.

Information should be entered directly into the on-line application form. Annex 9 – Financial standing template to the Proposal Manual is for informational purposes only and should not be attached to the project proposal.

14. What entities should fill in ‘Ankieta ewaluacyjna / Data for evaluation purposes’?

Data for evaluation purposes in part IX of the project proposal should be filled in by Polish entities only, i.e. Project Promoter and Polish project partners. It does not apply to Norwegian project partners.

Information should be entered directly into the on-line application form. Annex 8a – Evaluation survey template (research organisation) and Annex 8b – Evaluation survey template (enterprise) to the Proposal Manual are for informational purposes only and should not be attached to the project proposal.

15. What are the requirements regarding the CV?

Only CVs of PI and work package leaders may be attached. The CVs shall be in line with the template available in Annex 6 to the Proposal Manual. Each CV should be signed, scanned and attached as a separate file in pdf format.

Each CV should include a statement and an information clause in a footnote as given in a CV temple. A limit for one CV is 3 pages including a statement and an information clause.

16. Can activities such coordination, dissemination, management be a separate Work Package (WP)?

No, such activities cannot constitute a separate WP. They may only be parts of research WPs.

17. Are there any limits regarding the Work Packages (WPs)?

In POLNOR 2019 Call the eligible costs of fundamental (basic) research may comprise a maximum of 10% of total eligible costs of the Project.

18. How are the authors’ rights to the Project result vested in the Project Promoter or Project Partner?<.h3>

According to the project contract between the Programme Operator and the Project Promoter the authors’ rights to the results of fundamental research, industrial research and experimental development constituting the Project result are vested in the Project Promoter or Project Partner in the proportion corresponding to their actual participation in the total amount of eligible costs provided for in this Project Contract.

19. Is there a template of a letter of intent?

No, there is no template of a letter of intent. In section ‘VIII. OŚWIADCZENIA / STATEMENTS’ of the application form there is the statement mandatory for a Project Promoter that the Project Promoter is duly authorized to represent all partners on behalf of which it submits the project proposal and at least a letter of intent (regarding the conclusion of the consortium agreement) has been signed.

A letter of intent is not an annex to the project proposal.

20. Is there a template of a partnership agreement

No, there is no template of a partnership agreement. The partnership agreement must contain the elements stated in point 4.2. ‘Guide for Applicants’. The Project Promoter must sign a Partnership Agreement with the project partners before signing the project contract with the Programme Operator.

21. What is a recommended duration of the project?

The project implementation period is up to 36 months. The final date of eligibility of the project costs is 30 April 2024 and after that date expenditures are not eligible. There is no formal restriction on the minimum duration of the project.

22. What is the maximum level of costs claimed by the Norwegian entities participating in the project?

It is expected that the eligible costs claimed by the Norwegian entities participating in the project shall normally not exceed 40% of the total eligible costs of the project.

23. What is the maximum level of funding?

Grants may cover up to 100% of eligible costs for research organisations. In case of enterprises, funding quota will be decided on a case-by-case basis depending on the size of the company and type of activities (see point 2.5.5. ‘Guide for Applicants’).

1. Where can we find information about the POLNOR CCS 2019 Call?

Programme for applied research, operated by NCBR has 2 calls:

POLNOR – to see all the call documentation follow the link
POLNOR CCS – to see all the call documentation follow the link
Moreover, there is an invitation to propose candidates for participation in the IdeaLab ‘Cities for the future: services and solutions’ workshop, available at the link. RCNs webpage about EEA and Norway Grants programmes in Poland.
 

2. What is meant by ‘applied research’ in the context of this call?

The following types of research/development are eligible in POLNOR CCS 2019 Call:
• Feasibility study, as defined in Article 2(87) of Commission Regulation (EU) No. 651/2014,
• Fundamental/Basic research, as defined in Article 2(84) of Commission Regulation (EU) No. 651/2014,
• Industrial research, as defined in Article 2(85) of Commission Regulation (EU) No. 651/2014,
• Experimental development, as defined in Article 2(86) of Commission Regulation (EU) No. 651/2014,
• Pre-commercialisation activities in the form of the de minimis aid.

In POLNOR CCS 2019 Call the costs of fundamental/basic research are eligible only if they are in direct relation to, and necessary for industrial or experimental research planned in the proposal. They may comprise a maximum of 10% of total eligible costs of the Phase II.

3. What type of Norwegian entities can take part in the project?

• Research organisations, recognized as such by the Research Council of Norway,
• Enterprises, both small, medium and large.

4. Who is who in the project?

Project Promoter/Applicant – Polish institution coordinating the project.
Principal Investigator – the leading researcher on the Polish side, employed by the Project Promoter institution.
Project Partner(s) – the additional partner(s) may be research organisations or enterprises located in Norway or Poland.
Only PI and work package leaders enter the CVs into the application system.

5. Who will send the application and where?

Only the Polish Project Promoter is responsible for submitting the application on behalf of the project consortium to NCBR in Warsaw, using the Polish application system.

6. What annexes should Norwegian partners fill out?

•  ALL Norwegian partners have to fill out:
  • Declaration of capacity: this is mandatory for all project partners (see ‘Proposal Manual’). The template is available in Annex 10 to the Proposal Manual. This declaration is standard and obligatory for all NCBR applicants and partners. The template of the declaration must be used and wording cannot be modified. Declaration of capacity shall be signed, scanned and attached as a separate file in pdf format.
• Norwegian enterprises applying for State aid have to submit:
  • State-Aid information form submitted when applying for aid other than aid in agriculture or fisheries, de minimis aid or de minimis aid in agriculture or fisheries, ‘State aid form – NOR’ , template available in Annex 11b.
• Norwegian enterprises applying for de minimis aid for precommercialisation activities under POLNOR CSS:
  • Information form submitted when applying for de minimis aid, template available in Annex 14 to the Proposal Manual,
  • All certificates of de minimis aid that, the Applicant has received in the year in which the Applicant applies for aid and in the two preceding years or Declaration on the amount of de minimis aid received in the year in which the Applicant applies for the aid and in the two preceding year.
     

Below there is a table summarizing the annexes required from Norwegian project partners.

	Norwegian project partner
	Research and knowledge-dissemination organisation	Enterprise
		Micro, Small	Medium	Large
Declaration of capacity for the effective disbursement of public funds template in Annex 10 to the Proposal Manual	X	X	X	X
Information form submitted when applying for aid other than aid in agriculture or fisheries, de minimis aid or de minimis aid in agriculture or fisheries ‘State aid form – NOR’ template in Annex 11b to the Proposal Manual		X	X	X
Information form submitted when applying for de minimis aid template in Annex 14 to the Proposal Manual in case of precommercialisation activities (Phase III)		X	X	X
All certificates of de minimis aid that the Applicant has received in the year in which the Applicant applies for aid and in the two preceding years or Declaration on the amount of de minimis aid received in the year in which the Applicant applies for the aid and in the two preceding years in case of precommercialisation activities (Phase III)		X	X	X

 

• Forms in the project proposal to be prepared by the whole consortium, and so ALL Norwegian partners should contribute to the content of:
  • Project proposal form - Topic and Excellence,
  • Project proposal form - Implementation and Management,
  • Project proposal form – Impact,
  • Project proposal form - Ethical and gender balance issues.

7. When can projects start and finish?

According to plan, evaluation of projects will be completed in April 2020. The earliest possible project start date is not set. However, project costs will be considered non-eligible if the project begins before submitting the project proposal or on the day of submitting the project proposal.

Projects can last up to 3 years.

The programme funding will be available until the end of April 2024. After this date no prolongations of projects will be possible as the programme will be closing down and unused funds will be returned to Norway. Costs incurred and activities carried out after April 30, 2024 cannot be funded.

8. How much of the project budget can be allocated to a Norwegian partner?

It is expected that the eligible costs claimed by the Norwegian entities participating in the project shall normally not exceed 40% of the total eligible costs of the project.
In distributing the budget, partners should be guided by the overall objectives of the programme, which focuses on the quality of research and strengthening of relations between the Polish and Norwegian research institutions.

The budget should reflect the activity of each partner in bringing about the project results, including the administrative and project coordination work load.
Among the criteria that will determine the selection, the extent and sustainability of the partnership relation is defined as one of the factors that the experts should assess. Thus, the quality of the partnership will be assessed under the heading ‘quality and efficiency of the implementation and management’. Information on which criteria will determine the selection is available in the ‘Guide for Evaluators’.

9. Which rates should we use for budgeting personnel costs on the Norwegian side?

General rule: Most partners (such as universities, university colleges, enterprises, health authorities) from Norway, shall use the same rates for personnel costs as in H2020 projects. Indirect costs (overheads) are calculated as a flat rate of 25% of direct costs.

There is one exception from this rule: Norwegian research institutes (instituttsektoren) which report personnel rates to the Research Council of Norway, and have those personnel rates calculated and approved by the RCN, may use those as Standard scales of unit costs (ref. Regulation art. 8.4.b). This means they should use the same rates as in applications to RCN calls. It is important to note that in such cases, no indirect or overhead costs should be included in the budget, as they are already included in the personnel rates. If you are unsure whether your institution is one of the research institutes that has reported personnel rates to RCN, consult the RCN. In case of Norwegian research institutes a 0 flat rate of indirect costs should be entered by the Project Promoter into the on-line application form.

10. Can we include funding for a PhD or postdoc on the Norwegian side of the project?

Personnel costs are eligible for funding, so the answer is: yes.
However, note that the funding will end in April 2024 and costs not incurred to that date cannot be funded from the grant. This means that if a 3-year PhD fellowship or postdoc is included in the Norwegian part of the project and the PhD candidate should be for some reason delayed (parental leave, illness, other legitimate interruptions), the Norwegian institution should be prepared to fund the remaining time of the 3-year fellowship from its own funds.
Also, the cost of a full PhD or 3-4 year postdoc in Norway is so high that it could absorb most of the funding on the Norwegian side of the budget. Think about how to ensure activity and participation of several persons so that the project can be as balanced as possible between the Polish and Norwegian part.

11. What is State-Aid and does it relate to my application?

If the concept of State-Aid is new to you, please start by contacting a research manager (EU-rådgiver) at your entity. To learn more about State-Aid you can also consult the webpage of the Research Council of Norway, as the same EU State-Aid regulation which applies both in Norway and Poland.

To determine whether the support you are applying for will constitute State-Aid in the POLNOR CCS call, please consult: norwaygrants@ncbr.gov.pl

12. Is there a template for the project description?

There is no single template for the project description. Description of each WP is to be provided in Section IV of the on-line application form (template in the ‘Proposal Manual’).
Moreover, there are forms in the project proposal to be prepared by the whole consortium, so Norwegian partners should contribute to the content of:

• Project proposal form - Topic and Excellence,
• Project proposal form - Implementation and Management,
• Project proposal form – Impact,
• Project proposal form - Ethical and gender balance issues.

13. Can I participate in more than one application?

Yes, but remember that the question of capacity (of the Norwegian partner applicant) may be raised if both projects are considered for funding.

14. Who is authorized to sign the Letter of Intent - does it have to be the rector?

The Letter of Intent should be signed by a person who is authorized to sign such commitments on behalf of the institution. In Norwegian universities and research institutes such authority is most often delegated to department directors, and in such cases the signature of the rector is not necessary. Please follow the usual practice of your institution.

A letter of intent is not an annex to the project proposal in an on-line application system.

15. How do we fill out the fields for: REGON, NIP and KRS numbers?

Norwegian entities shall not fill out REGON and KRS fields
REGON number and KRS - leave the field blank or enter not applicable
NIP / Tax number – Norwegian tax number shall be entered

16. What is the Declaration of capacity for the effective disbursement of public funds (Oświadczenie o zdolności do rzetelnego wydatkowania środków publicznych) about?

A translation of the term "rzetelne wydatkowanie środkow publicznych" to Norwegian would be "redelig forvaltning av offentlige midler". The reference to Article 5(1) in the Declaration of capacity for the effective disbursement of public funds is to define the term ‘public funds’. Whereas the ‘capacity’ is defined by the points 1)-5) given in this Declaration. 
The detailed explanations of particular points are below:

point 1) - by signing the declaration you confirm that your entity (university, company, institute) does not have a history of not returning EU-funding when asked to do so by the funder or other authority.
point 2) - similar as in point 1), but this question is about Polish national research funding from the National Centre for Research and Development (Programme Operator). 
point 3) - the question is whether there are any ongoing judiciary processes which could indicate that the applicant is not able to use public funding for the project in question in a correct manner. 
point 5) - the question is whether Norwegian partner has been involved in a case of termination of a project contract done by the National Centre for Research and Development (Programme Operator).