GROW Partner Fair18 January 2006

Workshop on Contracts and Finance

GROW SecretariatAlison Partridge and Sally Kneeshaw – Contract

Manager

Workshop Aims

To explain the GROW contracting regime

To introduce the finance and monitoring systems

To inform GROW participants of responsibilities of project management and monitoring

GROW Project Applications Process

1st call closed: 8 projects approved pending recommendations

2nd call deadline: 24 February 2006

Project activity:

June 2005- November 2007

GROW Project Applications Process

Project application Appraisal Decisions: Recommended with

conditions / Not recommended Contract Negotiation Meeting with

GROW Secretariat to resolve outstanding conditions

Revisions to application Contract signatures

GROW Project Contract Management

Delivery

Quarterly Monitoring on line

GROW Contract manager to verify

Internal and external audit

GROW Secretariat visits

GROW Contracts

1. Contract between GROW Secretariat and Lead Partner (in English & under UK Law)

2. Partnership Agreements between project partners

3. Letter of agreement between Regional Authority and Project Partners

GROW Contracts: GROW and Lead Partner

• Start & end date• Partners’ details• Outputs, results and milestones• Budget – by accounting period, partner

and expenditure item• ERDF Payment schedule

GROW Monitoring

WHY- accountability and project management tool

WHO- various levels of responsibilityProject PartnerLead PartnerRegional CoordinatorGROW SecretariatJTS

GROW Monitoring

WHEN: Quarterly HOW: Online Form + Paper copies. WHAT:

Same headings as application formNarrative:

• Outputs• Results

GROW Monitoring

WHAT Finance:

• Investment• Staff• Administration• Meetings, seminars, conferences• Travel and accommodation• Promotion• External Expertise, consultancy, external audit• Other

GROW Monitoring

Remember: Record Keeping and Evidence retention (3 years

after final payment) Match funding Eligibility Audit Trail Procurement & recruitment Currency VAT Assets

GROW Reporting and Payment System

GROW Monitoring Tips

Get your Finance colleagues on board / involved Set up monitoring systems at the start Set up audit file Go online to try out the reporting system Lead partner set internal deadlines for partner

information Attend project seminars ASK for help and advice from GROW Secretariat

and Regional Coordinators

AlisonPartridge@seeda.gov.uk