COFUND: Is it possible for the beneficiary to have an implementing partner that would not recruit researchers but would employ administrative staff to manage the project, and if yes, can the implementing partner for that purpose receive financial support from the beneficiary?

The Implementing Partner has to recruit researchers.

There are specific tasks that only the coordinator can do. As set out in the Horizon Europe Model Grant Agreement for unit grants (page 30), „the coordinator must:

I.    monitor that the action is implemented properly (see Article 11)

II.  act as the intermediary for all communications between the consortium and the granting authority, unless the Agreement or granting authority specifies otherwise, and in particular:

a.   submit the prefinancing guarantees to the granting authority (if any)

b.  request and review any documents or information required and verify their quality and completeness before passing them on to the granting authority

c.   submit the deliverables and reports to the granting authority

d.  inform the granting authority about the payments made to the other beneficiaries (report on the distribution of payments; if required, see Articles 22 and 32)

III. distribute the payments received from the granting authority to the other beneficiaries without unjustified delay (see Article 22).

The coordinator may not delegate or subcontract the above-mentioned tasks to any other beneficiary or third party (including affiliated entities). However, coordinators which are public bodies may delegate the tasks set out in Point (ii) last indent and (iii) above to entities with ‘authorisation to administer’ which they have created or which are controlled by or affiliated to them.“