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1. The Programme shall be implemented by means of direct management or by means of indirect management by the funding bodies.

2. Funding under the Programme may be provided by means of indirect actions in any of the forms laid down in the Financial Regulation, however grants shall be the main form of support under the Programme. Funding under the Programme may also be provided through prizes, procurements and financial instruments within blending operations and equity support under the Accelerator.

3. The rules for participation and dissemination laid down in this Regulation shall apply to indirect actions.

4. The main types of action to be used under the Programme are defined in Article 2. The forms of funding referred to in paragraph 2 of this Article shall be used in a flexible manner across all objectives of the Programme with their use being determined on the basis of the needs and the characteristics of the particular objectives.

5. The Programme shall also support direct actions. Where those direct actions contribute to initiatives established under Article 185 or 187 TFEU, that contribution shall not be considered to be part of the financial contribution allocated to those initiatives.

6. The implementation of the specific programme referred to in point (a) of Article 1(2) and the EIT's KICs shall be supported by a transparent and strategic planning of R&I activities as laid down in the specific programme referred to in point (a) of Article 1(2), in particular for the pillar 'Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness' and cover also relevant activities in other pillars and the 'Widening participation and strengthening the ERA' part. The Commission shall ensure the early involvement of Member States and extensive exchanges with the European Parliament, to be complemented by consultations with stakeholders and the general public.

Strategic planning shall ensure alignment with other relevant Union programmes and consistency with Union priorities and commitments and increase complementarity and synergies with national and regional funding programmes and priorities, thereby strengthening the ERA. Areas for possible missions and areas for possible Institutionalised European Partnerships shall be established in Annex VI.

7. Where appropriate, in order to allow faster access to funds for small collaborative consortia, a fast track to research and innovation procedure (FTRI procedure) may be proposed under some of the calls for proposals dedicated to select research and innovation actions or innovation actions under the pillar 'Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness' and the European Innovation Council Pathfinder. A call for proposals under the FTRI procedure shall have the following cumulative characteristics:

(a) bottom-up calls for proposals;

(b) a shorter time-to-grant, not exceeding six months;

(c) a support provided only to small collaborative consortia composed of maximum six different and independent eligible legal entities;

(d) a maximum financial support per consortium not exceeding EUR 2,5 million. The work programme shall identify the calls for proposals which use the FTRI procedure.

8. Activities of the Programme shall be delivered primarily through open, competitive calls for proposals, including within missions and European Partnerships.