Horizon Europe Reporting: Is it Actually "Simplified"? (Insights from EARMA Odense 2024)

If you attended the EARMA 2024 Conference in Odense, you know the schedule was packed. To cut through the noise, I delivered a rapid-fire "Pecha Kucha" style presentation (20 slides, 20 seconds each)  to answer a burning question on every Research Manager's mind: Did Horizon Europe actually simplify project reporting?

Eight months into the new reporting cycles , we finally had enough data to compare Horizon 2020 with Horizon Europe (HEU).

Spoiler alert: My conclusion is a resounding "Not Simplified".

While the European Commission promised a streamlined experience, the reality on the Grant Management portal tells a slightly different story. Here is a breakdown of what has changed, what has stayed the same, and why your workload just expanded.

Delivering the hard truths on HEU reporting in a 20x20 Pecha Kucha format at EARMA Odense 2024

The "Same, But Different": Time and Financials

Let's start with the areas where the Commission introduced changes that are mostly cosmetic or mathematically equivalent.

1. Time Reporting: From Hours to Days HEU shifted the paradigm from reporting in hours to reporting in days. The math is straightforward:

• 1 day = 8 hours.

• 1 year = 215 days (which equals the classic 1720 hours). Ultimately, timesheets in hours are just converted to timesheets in days. It’s the same workload, just a different unit of measurement.

The new EU Grants Declaration of Days Worked—mathematically equivalent, but visually new

2. Financial Statements (IFS) & CFS The Financial Report remains largely the same, but with a few notable structural tweaks. "Other Direct Costs" (ODC) are now explicitly split into three categories: Travel and subsistence, Equipment, and Other goods, works and services.

As for the Certificate on the Financial Statements (CFS), the format has been revamped. It now features a long Terms of Reference (9 pages) and a short Certificate (2 pages). Importantly, the standard threshold has been raised to €430,000.

The Expanding Beast: Continuous Reporting

While the core narrative of the Progress/Technical Report hasn't seen major changes (aside from the cover page), the real shock for RMAs is the Continuous Reporting section.

It has exploded with new tabs.

To keep your project compliant, you now have to populate a myriad of new fields that require diligent, ongoing tracking throughout the project lifecycle. These include:

• Researchers involved in the project: A completely new, mandatory table where you must list at least one line of data.

• Impact & Impact Continuation: Granular tracking of your project's progression toward its scientific, economic, and societal goals.

• New Dedicated Tabs: Results , Other Results , Standards , Datasets , and Communication Activities.

  
  

Furthermore, Dissemination Activities have been entirely revamped. Instead of just plugging in accumulated numbers like in H2020, you now have to list out specific details for each activity.

The Continuous Reporting portal has expanded significantly, requiring RMAs to track much more granular data

The Orientos Takeaway

So, how complicated is HEU reporting?.

While the financial reporting mechanics haven't drastically shifted, the administrative burden of Continuous Reporting has undoubtedly expanded. For consortia, this means you can no longer leave portal updates until the last minute before a reporting period ends. Tracking impacts, datasets, and researcher demographics must become a monthly habit.

If your consortium is feeling overwhelmed by the expanding tabs and new formats, Orientos is here to help you navigate the portal efficiently so your researchers can get back to what they do best: excellent science.

Horizon Europe Reporting: Is it Actually "Simplified"? (Insights from EARMA Odense 2024)

Horizon Europe Reporting: Is it Actually "Simplified"? (Insights from EARMA Odense 2024)