FantasticSearch

1. PRIMA shall support a wide range of research and innovation activities, as described in its annual work programme, by means of:

(a) indirect actions within the meaning of Regulations (EU) No 1290/2013 and (EU) No 2021/695 funded by PRIMA-IS in accordance with Article 7 of this Decision, mainly in the form of grants following transnational open, transparent and competitive calls for proposals organised by PRIMA-IS, including:

(i) research and innovation actions, as well as innovation actions;

(ii) coordination and support actions focusing on dissemination and outreach to promote PRIMA and maximise its impact;

(b) activities funded by the Participating States without the Union financial contribution referred to in Article 3(1) that contribute to the objectives of PRIMA or that are directly linked to the uptake of results from projects under PRIMA and that consist of:

(i) activities selected following transnational open, transparent and competitive calls for proposals organised by PRIMA-IS, managed by the national funding bodies under the national programmes of the Participating States, providing financial support mainly in the form of grants;

(ii) activities under the national programmes of the Participating States including transnational projects.

2. PRIMA shall be implemented on the basis of annual work programmes covering activities to be undertaken from 1 January to 31 December in a given year (reference year). PRIMA-IS shall adopt the annual work programmes by 31 March of the reference year, after obtaining approval from the Commission. In adopting the annual work programmes, both PRIMA-IS and the Commission shall act without undue delay. PRIMA-IS shall make the annual work programme publicly available.

3. Activities referred to in paragraph 1, points (a) and (b), may be launched only in the reference year and only after the adoption of the annual work programme for that year.

4. If the annual work programme is adopted during the reference year, the Union financial contribution referred to in Article 3(1) may be used to reimburse the administrative costs of PRIMA-IS incurred from 1 January of that reference year in line with the annual work programme concerned. However, the Union financial contribution referred to in Article 3(1) may reimburse the administrative costs of PRIMA-IS as incurred from 7 August 2017 in line with the first annual work programme.

5. Activities may be funded under PRIMA only if they are set out in the annual work programme. The annual work programme shall distinguish between the activities referred to in paragraph 1, point (a), of this Article, the activities referred to in paragraph 1, point (b), of this Article and the administrative costs of PRIMA-IS. It shall provide for their corresponding expenditure estimates as well as for the budget allocation to activities funded with the Union financial contribution referred to in Article 3(1) and to activities funded by the Participating States without the Union financial contribution referred to in Article 3(1). The annual work programme shall also include the estimated value of the Participating States’ in-kind contributions referred to in Article 5(2), point (b).

6. Amended annual work programmes for a reference year and annual work programmes for subsequent reference years shall take into account the results of previous calls for proposals. They shall endeavour to address insufficient coverage of scientific topics, in particular those initially addressed in activities under paragraph 1, point (b) that could not be adequately funded.

7. The final activities to be funded, including the final calls for proposals under the relevant annual work programmes shall be launched by 31 December 2027. In duly justified cases, they may be launched by 31 December 2028.

8. Activities to be funded by the Participating States without the Union financial contribution referred to in Article 3(1) may be included in the annual work programme only following the positive outcome of their external independent evaluation by international peer review with regard to the objectives of PRIMA, as organised by PRIMA-IS.

9. Activities included in the annual work programme that are funded by the Participating States in accordance with paragraph 1, point (b), of this Article shall be implemented in compliance with common principles to be adopted by PRIMA-IS, after obtaining approval from the Commission. The common principles shall take into account the principles set out in this Decision, in Title VIII of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046 and in Chapter II of Regulation (EU) 2021/695. PRIMA-IS shall also adopt, after obtaining approval from the Commission, the reporting requirements of the Participating States to PRIMA-IS, including with regard to indicators inserted into each of those activities.

10. The activities referred to in paragraph 1, point (b)(i), shall, in addition to the common principles referred to in paragraph 9, comply with the following conditions:

(a) the proposals shall be for transnational projects, with a minimum participation of at least three independent legal entities, which are established in three different countries that are considered to be Participating States in accordance with this Decision by the submission deadline under the relevant call for proposals, of which:

(i) at least one is established in a Member State or third country associated to Horizon 2020 or Horizon Europe, as applicable, and does not fall under point (ii); and (ii) at least one is established in a third country listed in Article 1(2), or in a third country bordering the Mediterranean Sea;

(b) the proposals shall be selected following transnational calls for proposals and shall be evaluated by at least three independent experts, on the basis of the following award criteria: excellence, impact, and quality and efficiency of implementation;

(c) the proposals shall be ranked according to the results of the evaluation referred to in point (b), the selection shall be made by PRIMA-IS and follow that ranking, and the Participating States shall agree on an adequate funding mode that allows for maximising the number of proposals above threshold to be funded on the basis of that ranking, in particular, by providing reserve amounts to the national contributions for calls for proposals.

With regard to the ranking referred to in point (c), in the event that one or more projects cannot be funded, the projects following directly in the ranking may be selected.

11. PRIMA-IS shall monitor and report annually to the Commission on the implementation of all activities included in the annual work programme.

12. Any communication or publication relating to the activities of PRIMA, and performed in cooperation with PRIMA, whether undertaken by PRIMA-IS, a Participating State, the national funding bodies of a Participating State, or participants in an activity, shall be labelled or co-labelled as follows: “[name of the activity] is part of PRIMA co-funded by the European Union”.