Guidance on new 'Bonus' financial support for FP6 projects now on CORDIS

Brussels, 25 Apr 2005

The CORDIS FP6 service now includes a step-by-step guide to accessing additional 'Bonus' funding, through the Structural Funds, for Sixth Framework Programme (FP6) project participants based in 'Objective 1' regions of the European Union.

Following the decision of the European Parliament and Council in establishing FP6 in 2002, it became possible, in certain cases, for the European Community to provide projects with additional funding through the Structural Funds for regional development. The aim of such 'Bonus' funding is to compensate project contractors from less prosperous regions for the resources required for participation in FP6, and it can be accessed by project participants applying directly to the Structural Funds Managing Authority for their region.

The four Structural Funds, each aimed at specific objectives such as rural development or human resources, co-finance investment in Europe's less prosperous regions in order to redress economic and social disparities. It is estimated that the main such fund for supporting business and infrastructure, the European Regional Development Fund, could provide as much as 10 billion euro investment in research, development and innovation during the lifetime of FP6.

Access to such funding cannot be taken for granted, however, even for those project participants based as a legal entity in a region identified for 'Objective 1' funding by the EU. The full eligibility criteria and application procedure for receiving 'Bonus' financing is explained in a step-by-step guide on the CORDIS FP6 service. The policy background is explained further in the CORDIS ERA service.

The step-by-step service includes a questionnaire for project contractors to self-check their eligibility. Since the regional development programmes are independent of the research framework programmes, however, 'Bonus' financial support cannot be guaranteed. All the necessary official documents, including the list of eligible 'Objective 1' regions and the relevant Structural Funds Managing Authorities, are accessible through CORDIS. The FP6 step-by-step guide to the 'Bonus' funding scheme is available at:

http:///www.cordis.lu/fp6/stepbystep/bonu s.htm

More information on the 'Bonus' financing tool using the Structural Funds can also be found at:

http://www.cordis.lu/era/bonus.htm

CORDIS RTD-NEWS / © European Communities
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