5.1.3 Challenges of national contract preparation

In the case of a virtual common pot, separate contracts are concluded by the single agencies.

Each agency should therefore see for an efficient and timely contract preparation. In order to reach a maximum of harmonization between the different national funding rules and procedures, the agencies should achieve agreement on the following points – in consistence with their applicable national provisions preferably before the process starts: (i) agreed (usually identical) duration for all participants of a project, (ii) requirements for additional joint reporting, (iii) rules for IPR distribution and the exploitation of results - usually established in a consortium agreement between the project participants, and (iv) the necessity of a consortium agreement for contracting.

In the case of Real Common Pots (or the joint funds of a mixed mode), the contracts for individual project participants are exclusively based on jointly agreed provisions of the ERA-NET, and the contracts are concluded accordingly by the secretariat.