Yes. It is confirmed that universities fall within the category of “education and training organisations” and are therefore eligible applicants for project proposals under Specific Objective 4.1 – Enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of cooperation in the cross-border area.
Universities may participate in projects related to all the priority strategic areas identified in the Call, namely:
Innovation and economic development;
Skills strengthening;
Civil protection and emergency management;
Sustainable tourism and cultural heritage;
Nature protection and biodiversity.
It should be noted that, in accordance with Article 2, point 9 of Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 (Common Provisions Regulation), "any public or private body – with or without legal personality – or natural person responsible for initiating or implementing operations" assumes the status of beneficiary pursuant to the aforementioned regulation. Therefore, all entities submitting a project proposal in a partnership, should the proposal be accepted for funding, would assume the role of beneficiaries.
It should also be noted that, within a project proposal, the distinction between lead partner and partner pertains exclusively to the division of responsibilities, as governed by Article 26 of Regulation (EU) 2021/1059.
If your organization has not approved its financial statements for the last two years, it is possible to refer to the last approved financial statements to demonstrate its financial capacity based on the calculation method provided for in the Public Notice by completing Annex C. It is understood that the Managing Authority may proceed with further checks in accordance with Article 73 of Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 (Common Provisions Regulation).
For entities that, pursuant to applicable legislation, are not required to prepare financial statements, applicants may use and attach the latest accounting documents prepared in accordance with their respective national regulations, provided that they clearly identify their net worth. Applicants must, in any case, prepare Annex C of the Public Notice. It is understood that the Managing Authority may conduct further checks in accordance with Article 73 of Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 (Common Provisions Regulation).
Applicants are invited to indicate whether the project proposal falls under factsheet 1 or factsheet 2 in section "A.2 Project Summary" of the application form.
For Maltese beneficiaries, the national contribution amounting to 20% may be provided in kind, by charging to the project budget the costs of human resources employed under an employment contract.
In line with the Manual on expenditure reporting and management verifications (October 2025 version), the co-financing is therefore strictly financial and cannot take the form of voluntary work, which is consequently not permitted.
For Italian administrations, the use of a digital signature is mandatory and does not require the affixing of additional stamps. Digital signatures are accepted both in CAdES and PAdES format.
Maltese beneficiaries, if not equipped with a digital signature, may proceed with handwritten signature and affixing of the entity’s stamp.
In both cases, the contents of the annexes must be issued on the official letterhead of the respective entity.
Boxes 10, 11 and 12 must be selected. Although each partner completes the relevant self-assessment section in JEMS regarding the presence of State aid, the final assessment as to whether State aid exists falls under the responsibility of the Managing Authority.
The coverage of the 20% national contribution represents an expense borne by the entity, including through an in-kind contribution.
Once this amount has been quantified, it must be indicated in field 25 of Annex A:
“to provide the share of the national contribution (NC) equal to EURO ___, corresponding to 20% of the project budget, through”.
The same amount must also be entered under “its own financial resources for a value of € ___ (in the case of public partners, ‘bodies governed by public law’, Maltese private partners)”.
If the project proposal does not foresee “technological solutions”, the fields must be completed by indicating “0” in the relevant boxes.
The percentage must be calculated as follows:
budget allocated to the entity signing the declaration for technical WPs / total budget for technical WPs.
Accordingly, the percentage is given by the sum of the budgets of all WPs, excluding WP1, of the partner divided by the total project budget net of the overall WP1 of the project.
No predefined template is provided for drafting the formal administrative act approving the proposal. The document may therefore be freely prepared by the proposing entity, in accordance with its usual practices and provided that the minimum required content set out in Article 16 of the Call is respected.
The act referred to in point 4 of Article 16 must include at least an explicit declaration approving the proposal, signed by the authorised person / legal representative, and the indication of the total budget amount for the implementation of the project activities for the entire partnership.
The financial resources made available for the selection of cooperation projects are paid as reimbursement of expenses actually incurred by beneficiaries and deemed eligible, pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2021/1059 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2021, by the competent programme bodies.
However, it is possible to request an advance equal to 50% of the ERDF contribution of each partner within the approved project, subject to State aid rules, following the signing and approval of the grant contract. A subsequent tranche, equal to 30% of the budget, will be paid to partners who have spent and certified the entire amount previously advanced.
The timeframe for beneficiaries to receive the advance payments is estimated at approximately three months from the submission of the request to the Managing Authority, made by the Lead Partner on behalf of the partners.
Therefore, without prejudice to the possibility of requesting an advance, each beneficiary (Lead Partner and Partners) must ensure—following approval of the project proposal—the necessary financial resources for the start of project activities.
The disbursement of the advance to private entities is subject to the provision of a guarantee covering the amount requested as an advance.
In the absence of such a guarantee, the Managing Authority will reimburse the expenses incurred following their reporting, in accordance with the deadlines set out in the Manual on expenditure reporting procedures and management verifications, available at the following link:
https://italiamalta.eu/manuale-di-rendicontazione-aggiornamento-ottobre-2025/
As provided for in Article 8 of Public Call 02/2025, for Italian beneficiaries only (public bodies, bodies governed by public law and private entities), the national contribution equal to 20% is ensured by the National Rotation Fund, subject to State aid rules.
The reference to technological solutions within Call 02/2025 is included in Sheet 1, aimed at promoting cross-border collaborative research through the development of project proposals primarily oriented towards prototypes and validated tests supported by real scalability, avoiding purely exploratory project proposals.
The solutions developed must foresee technological development from a minimum TRL of 3 up to at least TRL 5. The definition of the starting TRL must be demonstrated at the project submission stage through an assessment by individual experts or independent evaluation bodies with proven experience in the relevant disciplinary field.
In general terms, a public investment may be defined as the set of expenditures for the acquisition of tools and/or infrastructure aimed at achieving an objective (e.g. enhancement of a laboratory, product prototyping, digital infrastructure, restoration of an area).
A research contract falls under the “Personnel costs” category. In the event of project approval, the related expenditure may be reported exclusively under this category, provided that the beneficiary has opted for reporting on the basis of real costs.
Where the beneficiary has opted for the flat-rate method for personnel costs, these are calculated as a fixed rate equal to 20% of direct costs other than direct personnel costs, and the expenditure is not subject to reporting.
It is not possible to report the research contract under other cost categories. The choice between real costs and flat-rate is made by each beneficiary at the project submission stage and cannot be changed in the event of approval.
Regulation (EU) 2021/1059, Articles 39 and 42, governs the characteristics of “personnel costs” and “costs for external consultancy and services”. These provisions are further detailed in the Manual on expenditure reporting procedures and management verifications (October 2025 version), available on the programme website at the following link:
https://italiamalta.eu/manuale-di-rendicontazione-aggiornamento-ottobre-2025/
According to the manual, in order to determine the correct allocation, it is necessary to verify the prevailing nature of the service:
when it is of a subordinate nature or comparable to a quasi-subordinate employment relationship with continuous involvement in project implementation, the related costs fall under “internal staff”;
if it has the characteristics of an occasional, temporary and specific service, similar to a service or consultancy, the related costs fall under “costs for external consultancy and services”;
costs for individual assignments awarded pursuant to Legislative Decree No. 165/2001 are allocated to “costs for external consultancy and services”.
For equipment costs, it is essential to distinguish between:
Support equipment for project implementation – The full purchase price is eligible provided that use is exclusive to the project and the depreciation period is equal to or shorter than the remaining project lifetime. Cost allocation (depreciation) must be based on actual use, in accordance with the accounting rules applicable to each asset. If the useful life exceeds the remaining project lifetime, only depreciation costs may be reimbursed, provided they are calculated in accordance with national rules and in relation to the project co-financing period, and that no other EU or national contribution has already been granted for the same purchase.
Thematic and project-specific equipment – This category includes all equipment forming part of the main subject of the interventions, whose exclusive use is essential for achieving the project objectives (e.g. specific software, technical instruments). For this type of equipment, the full cost is eligible provided that ownership and intended use are maintained for at least five years from 31 December of the last year of the final payment by the Managing Authority to the Lead Partner, and ten years where the operation falls under State aid rules.
For assets with a unit cost not exceeding €516.00, full deduction of acquisition costs in the year incurred is permitted.
Ancillary costs such as transport, installation and delivery are also eligible.
Where applicable, depreciation must be recorded in compliance with the legislation in force in the countries participating in the programme and with the civil and tax depreciation coefficients indicated in the register of depreciable assets.
The rental, leasing and purchase of equipment (e.g. machinery, devices and fittings/equipment) are eligible provided that the use of such assets is strictly necessary for the implementation of the operation and for achieving its objectives.