Instructions for applying for payment, ERDF and JTF projects - Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia

Bulletin 25.8.2025: Change to the processing of personal data of project staff in EURA 2021

The implementation of the project is guided by the funding decision and the project plan attached to it, as well as the guidelines for ERDF and JTF projects funded by the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia, which are reviewed in the kick-off meetings organised for the projects.

Payment of the aid shall be made ex post, on the basis of the eligible costs actually incurred and paid or on the basis of costs reimbursed by simplified cost models. The payment application is submitted electronically in the EURA 2021 system Applicant (eura2021.fi), instructions for use EURA_2021_ user guide for _applicant_and_project implementer.pdf. Payment applications must be submitted in accordance with the terms of the funding decision, the instructions given by the programme's managing authority and the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia. The managing authority’s instructions for the implementation of the project and for information and communication can be found in: www.rakennerahastot.fi from the website.

The beneficiary must keep the EURA 2021 Messages and Support/Contacts page up to date so that the messages sent by the system reach the right people. In addition, the address of the project website must be saved at the bottom of the contact information page.

NB! If the projects employ people who are part-time within the organisation, please contact the funder to check the working time percentage of the job title!

Our guidelines on EURA 2021 attachments include the following:

The beneficiary must indicate: non-pseudonymised documents containing personal data encrypted attachments.
The visibility of encrypted attachments in group projects has been changed. The encrypted attachments of the co-implementers do not no longer visible to the main implementer.

List of mandatory annexes to the payment application (applies to all cost models and to all implementers, including sub-executors of a group project):

The allowed file formats are pdf and excel. The maximum size of a single attachment is 10 MB.
Relevant to this section minutes/memos of steering group meetings with appendices, for the first payment application also the minutes/memo of the kick-off meeting. EURA must contain the minutes/memos and appendices of all steering group meetings held, including e-mail meetings.
The first payment application for the project shall be accompanied by: Project A3 poster and a link to the project presentation on the project promoter's website.
The first payment application for the project shall also be accompanied by: the communication plan of the project;. In the future the implementation of communications must be reported in connection with each payment in the ‘Additional information’ section of the monitoring report, a separate annex is also available.
EURA's monitoring report functionality is now ready and when the payment application is opened, it will also open: follow-up report to be supplemented. The additional information section of the follow-up report reports on the communication activities carried out during the period, as there is no specific section on the basis of the communication activities or a separate annex is provided for the communication activities carried out during the period.. During this programming period, communication is subject to specific monitoring and shortcomings can be sanctioned.
When the last payment application is opened, the final report to be supplemented.

In addition, in accordance with the project cost model, the following mandatory annexes must be submitted:

Lump sum project:

In accordance with the Financing Decision output e.g. report, report or link to digital output.
External financing receipt and bank statement, if the project has external funding.

Flat rate 40 % wage costs actually incurred (standard scale of overheads):

Accounting ledger the payment period.
The first payment application (and if salary changes) will be submitted: salary report/pay slip, indicating the total monthly salary of the project person. Change in the processing of personal data as of 25 August 2025: The pay slips are delivered pseudonymised and encrypted.
Breakdown of salary costs by job title, if the wage costs are not specified in the general ledger. The breakdown must show the job title and the name of the person in accordance with the project plan. The use of working time is explained in the payment application under wage costs under Work packages during the payment period, mirroring the project plan, per measure/work package. A good description describes what concrete project work has been done/achieved during the payment period.

Flat rate 40 % unit cost model of wage costs:

Working time tracking, where at least the day and the number of hours, no explanation is required. Monthly hours are rounded down to the nearest full hour, but if the incomplete hours of the entire payment period become a full hour, you can apply for it. The use of working time is explained in the payment application under wage costs under Work packages during the payment period, mirroring the project plan, per measure/work package. A good description describes what concrete project work has been done/achieved during the payment period. Working time monitoring base, unit cost model. Working time tracking is provided without pseudonymisation, as an encrypted attachment with the employee's name and signed by the approver.

Flat rate 7 % and 1.5 % cost models:

Accounting ledger the payment period.
Breakdown of costs on a per-document basis in the payment application.
To be completed cumulatively list of contracts. Procurement list ERDF 2021-2027.
The first payment application shall be accompanied by all procurement-related documents: supporting documents. Subsequent payment applications will be accompanied by supporting documents exceeding EUR 3000, smaller ones will be requested if necessary.
For procurement above the threshold, the following shall be provided: tendering documents (e.g. contract notice, invitation to tender, winning bid, comparison of bids, award decision and contract) and for smaller contracts, notes or other explanations that must include price comparison information.
In addition to the actual travel expenses, the travel time shall be verified by: travel invoice (with annexes: taxi receipts, hotel receipts, flight receipts, etc.), indicating the start and end of the journey; and a travel or meeting report or other document confirming attendance, e.g. the programme of the event. The supporting evidence must clearly show the purpose of the trip for all participants and the fact that the trip is caused by the project. Non-receipt costs are included in the flat rate, as well as travel costs for journeys up to 15 km from the office, workplace or dwelling.
Serving costs be accompanied by the programme of the event and a list of participants.
The costs of information, notification or advertising shall be accompanied by: images of the material produced;.
For investment projects an image of a permanent data sign; as soon as the sign has been put in place. For ERDF projects with a total cost of €500,000 or more and JTF projects with a total cost of €100,000 or more.

Unit cost model for travel costs:

In the unit cost model for travel expenses, the payment application is accompanied by a travel time verification travel invoice, indicating the start and end of the journey. In addition, the following shall be provided: travel or meeting report or any other document confirming participation.

For small purchases

In the case of procurement below the national threshold of EUR 10 000 and above, the beneficiary must request a sufficient number of tenders (at least three) in an appropriate manner to demonstrate that the costs are reasonable.
In the case of purchases of EUR 3 000 or more but less than EUR 10 000, the beneficiary must establish the normal price level in order to demonstrate that the costs are reasonable. The determination of the normal price level shall be documented. The documentation shall indicate where, how and when the price information was obtained.
Even in the case of procurements of less than EUR 3 000, the beneficiary is responsible for ensuring that the costs of the procurement are reasonable. If requested by the intermediate body, the beneficiary must demonstrate that the costs of the contract are reasonable. The beneficiary must also keep appropriate records showing that the costs of such purchases are reasonable.

Purchases below the threshold, no justification for direct award and no price comparison, cut cost 100 % off, leaning on Cocof's instruction: Brussels, 14.5.2019 С(2019) 3452 final (No contract notice published. The contract notice has not been published in accordance with the relevant rules, e.g. when required by the Directives. Amount of correction 100 %.)