1. Purpose and Target Group
Danish coordinators for Horizon Europe applications can now have their application pre-evaluated. The Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science will cover the fees when no more than two evaluators go through a draft application, and make suggestions for improvements prior to the application deadline for Horizon Europe.
The objective of the pre-evaluation scheme is to help more Danish actors take on the role of coordinators for Horizon Europe projects, ensure the success of their application and thus exert greater Danish influence on, and to get more out of, Horizon Europe projects. The pre-evaluation scheme is aimed at Danish actors (public and private) who are coordinators for a Horizon Europe collaborative project (see item 2.1).
Apart from greater influence from being a coordinator, more Danish coordinators are expected to help ensure more Danish participants in the projects.
Applications for funds from the pre-evaluation scheme can be submitted at any time.
2. Definitions
2.1 Collaborative Projects
The pre-evaluation scheme covers draft applications for Danish-coordinated collaborative projects for Horizon Europe. Such projects are defined as research and innovation projects with at least 3 participants from 3 different EU and associated countries. The pre-evaluation scheme can only be used for applications for phase 2 of Horizon Europe projects with a 2-phase application process.
2.2 Coordinator
A coordinator can only be defined as such if their institution is the formal coordinator of the consortium submitting the final application for Horizon Europe. A Danish coordinator is employed by, or in some other manner linked to, a Danish legal entity which is the formal coordinator for the final application for Horizon Europe.
For the European Research Council’s Synergy Grants, the Corresponding Principal Investigator can be accepted as the applicant if the consortium furthermore fulfills the above-mentioned requirement concerning at least 3 participants from 3 different EU and associated countries.
2.3 Pre-evaluators
Coordinators (hereinafter referred to as 'the applicant') choose 2 pre-evaluators themselves, who will evaluate their draft applications.
Neither of the two evaluators can be from the applicant's own organisation or from the other organisations participating in the application consortium.
The applicant is responsible for selecting evaluators with a suitable professional background in relation to the project draft to be evaluated and the topic that is the subject of the application.
All pre-evaluators must be familiar with the European Commission's guide for Horizon Europe evaluators.
When the European Commission’s guide is published, the Agency will add a link to the guide on this website .
2.4 Evaluation
The draft project must be sufficiently complete at the time it is pre-evaluated for an external evaluator to make a full and meaningful evaluation of all the main sections of the application, which the coordinator and other project members will benefit from. All main sections of the Horizon Europe application (Excellence/Impact/Implementation) must be evaluated.
The correct evaluation templates for the specific project type must be used.
Payment of the fee is contingent on the correct and fully-completed evaluation form being uploaded to e-grant within 24 hours of the final application deadline for Horizon Europe.
Applicant and pre-evaluator shall together agree on the best timing for pre-evaluation before the application deadline for Horizon Europe. The time for pre-evaluation should be determined on the basis of the following:
- The application must be almost complete
- The applicant must have time to incorporate suggested improvements before the final submission to Horizon Europe.
The best timing for pre-evaluation will often be 3-10 days before the final submission to Horizon Europe.
3. Payment of Fees
The funds earmarked for the scheme can only be used for payment of pre-evaluator fees and not, for example, for the actual project.
The fee comprises DKK 4,500, equivalent to an hourly rate of DKK 600, including overheads, for 7.5 hours.
4. Deadlines
Enrolment in the pre-evaluation scheme can be submitted at any time but no later than 7 days prior to the Horizon Europe application deadline. A draft of the application to be pre-evaluated must be uploaded to e-grant no later than 72 hours before the application deadline for Horizon Europe. The subsequent pre-evaluation report (correct, fully-completed evaluation form) must be uploaded to e-grant no later than 24 hours before the application deadline.
5. Fee Payment
The fee will be paid directly to the pre-evaluators when the evaluation and fee forms are registered in e-grant.
Payment is contingent on the evaluator providing an evaluation that fulfils the requirements laid down in items 2.3 and 2.4. If this is not the case, the fee will not be paid.
Evaluators must inform the Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science as soon as possible if the project draft is so incomplete that it makes no sense to perform an evaluation of all main sections. In such instances, a fee equivalent to one hour will be paid, i.e. DKK 600.
6. Guide to the Procedure
6.1 Applicant
The applicant must register in e-grant no later than 7 days before the application deadline for Horizon Europe, stating name, institutions and email addresses for up to 2 pre-evaluators who will perform the pre-evaluation. The applicant is responsible for agreeing with the pre-evaluators regarding precisely when pre-evaluation is to be performed. It is essential that the applicant states which work programme, topic and project type is involved in e-grant.
The applicant will then upload the draft for a Horizon Europe application. This can be done at any time in relation to the Horizon Europe application deadline. However, the draft must be uploaded to e-grant no later than 72 hours before the final application deadline. The applicant is responsible for sending the correct evaluation template and draft application to the evaluators.
6.2 The pre-evaluators
The pre-evaluators shall ensure that they use the correct evaluation template. Once the template is completed, it must be returned to the applicant along with the completed fee form. The evaluators are responsible for sending the completed evaluation report (completed template) and fee form to the applicant. The applicant is responsible for uploading the evaluation and fee forms to e-grant.
Payment by the Agency of the fee is contingent on the draft application being uploaded no later than 72 hours before the application deadline for Horizon Europe. Completed evaluation forms must be uploaded no later than 24 hours before the Horizon Europe application deadline. There is no deadline for the fee form, but the Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science cannot pay the fee to the evaluators until the form is uploaded.
The applicant must register in e-grant no later than 7 days before the application deadline for Horizon Europe, stating name, institutions and email addresses for up to 2 pre-evaluators who will perform the pre-evaluation. The applicant is responsible for agreeing with the pre-evaluators regarding precisely when pre-evaluation is to be performed. It is essential that the applicant states which work programme, topic and project type is involved in e-grant.