MEASURES TAKEN BY THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH REGARDING ELIGIBLE COSTS IN ONGOING PROJECTS IN 2021 DUE TO THE COVID-19 EPIDEMIC
In an effort to improve the situation for the research teams in the context of the ongoing adverse epidemiological situation in ČR, restrictions on movement and personal communication due to the spread of COVID-19, the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the Agency for Health Research ČR , has approved the extension of the transitional changes in the determination of eligible costs for ongoing projects also in 2021.
- The following costs may be included in eligible costs paid from earmarked funds until the end of 2021, if they are directly related to the restrictions adopted to combat the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic:
- fees and travel costs for permanently cancelled or missed conferences in 2021 (up to 100%);
NB However, if the conference is rescheduled, the notice here http://azvcr.cz/aktuality/upozorneni-k-zahranicnim-pracovnim-cestam-v-souvislosti-se-sirenim-koronaviru still applies .
In the event that you are reimbursed in 2021 for funds from previous years, e.g. from rescheduled and subsequently cancelled conferences, we recommend that you return these funds to the MoH provider ČR (to the MoH foreign funds account No. 6015-2528001/0710 with notification to email ).
- other unrealised business trips, resp. travel costs (up to 100 %);
- costs of telecommunication services, costs of acquisition, repair and maintenance of devices and equipment in the field of communication technology and technology;
- additional (overhead) costs may include other costs incurred in connection with the resolution of this crisis situation;
- additional costs incurred in connection with the handling of this crisis situation may be included in personnel or operating costs; the drawdown in personnel costs may be adequate to the handling of the project; the drawdown in operating costs must be according to the recruitment of patients, trials carried out, etc. This is based on the activities carried out, i.e. on the activities supported. If the timetable is not met, the project must be guaranteed to meet its final completion, e.g. by extending the solution, etc. If the situation does not allow the project to continue, it is possible to request the termination of the project for objective reasons.
The unspent funds from the travel appropriation in 2020/2021 can be used and drawn (when the FUP, NUPF is created) in 2021/2022.The travel limit will be increased by these funds.
Transfers of earmarked funds allocated to beneficiaries or co-beneficiaries between the headings Personnel costs and Other operating costs may be carried out up to a maximum of CZK 50 000,- without a request for approval of the change (no amendment or new decision will be required), and these transfers are possible until the end of 2021.
All changes, transfers, costs must be specified and properly justified in the partial or final report. The justification must show that they are necessary for the project, are efficient, cost-effective, effective and are related to the situation created by the declaration of a state of emergency, the restrictions issued and the fight against the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic.
In addition, project promoters are advised that if there is a delay in the project schedule in connection with the handling of this crisis situation, it is also necessary to justify everything in the following partial or final report.
The extension of projects is possible (without the right to further earmarked support) within the duration of the programme (i.e. until 2022 or 2026), for the time being all projects except for the projects from the VES 2019 competition can apply for extension (the MoH has already applied for the extension of the programme, the opinion of the RVVI is positive so far, but the extension of the programme still needs to be approved by the government). For projects ending on 31 December 2021, it is possible to apply for an extension, but the application must be submitted before the actual end of the project (at the latest by the end of October, earlier is preferable). The project can be extended for e.g. six months or a year. Extended projects must find funding within the allocated and approved earmarked support, i.e. by transferring the FUP or NUPF, or must inject funding from other sources (often institutional). The beneficiary is obliged to exhaust and account for the UIPF or UIPF thus created during the course of the project at the latest on the last day of the project.
In case the co/recipient cannot form a UUP on the basis of its internal rules (and has no other possibilities, e.g. to form a UUP up to 5 % of the allocated earmarked aid), it is possible to request a reduction of the earmarked aid for the given year and a transfer of the financial amount in question to the following year on the basis of a change request. A prerequisite for the increase in the following year is the submission (by the end of October) and processing of the amendment request, including the entry into force of the amendment and the reimbursement of the amount of the financial amount in question to the MoH expenditure account (2528001/0710 with notification to the email )before the end of the year! If this is not done, the amount of money for the following year cannot be paid.
If part of the project is financed by the co-beneficiaries' own contributions and if these funds have not been used in a given year, they should be invested in the following year (or the percentage of the earmarking rate must be respected). The own resources (indicated in the project proposal) should be exhausted by the last day of the project.
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