Regional Action Plan to support the governance of Responsible Research & Innovation in the Southern & Eastern Regional Operational Programme 2014 - 2020
Financial Management
Funding for SFI is provided by Central Government, and will be maintained under a separate Sub-head to be provided by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (DJEI), on an annual basis to SFI. The “Finance and Operations” Unit of SFI will allocate funding on an instalment basis to the HEIs over the duration of the award. Such allocations will be made in line with the SFI awards selection criteria relevant to the specific programme and as detailed in the formal SFI “Letter of Offer” relating to the specific research award. SFI will enter into an Administrative Agreement with the Regional Assembly which will set out in detail the responsibilities at each level in respect of financial management and control. SFI will supply the Beneficiary with a document setting out the conditions for support for each operation, including procedures to ensure Beneficiaries maintain a separate accounting system or an adequate accounting code for all transactions relating to an operation. The HEIs will submit to SFI details of their research project(s) and, as the project(s) progress, request their funding requirements in instalments for the duration of the research project. SFI will examine, validate and process such requests and will authorise the SFI Finance and Operations Unit to make the necessary payments, by electronic transfer, to the relevant HEI bank account. The HEIs will provide, as requested, detailed certification reports (B1’s) to SFI outlining eligible expenditure claimed. SFI will examine such reports and will from time to time carry out spot checks to verify actuality of expenditure claimed. The books and accounts of the HEIs will be available on request for examination by SFI, the Managing Authority, the Certifying Authority, the Comptroller and Auditor General, the ERDF Financial Control Unit, the European Commission and the European Court of Auditors.
Document Retention
In accordance with Article140 of the Common Provisions Regulation (EC) 1303/2013 all supporting documents regarding expenditure, verification checks, certification and audits on operations for which total eligible expenditure is less than €1,000,000.00 will be kept available for the EU Commission and Court ofAuditors for a period of three years from31December following the submissionof the accounts in which the expenditure of the operation is included. In the case of operations over €1,000,000.00 all supporting documentation shall be kept for a 2 year period from31 December following the submission of accounts in which the final expenditure of the completed operation is included.
Southern Regional Assembly | Regional Action Plan
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