Higher Education Partnership (HEP) Programme 2023-2026

Submission

The call for applications is opened on the 27th of February 2023.

The applications, together with the required attachments, are submitted through the electronic government grant application system.

The deadline for the applications is 26th May at 16.15 (UTC+3).

Signatures

The Project Document is to be signed by the Finnish Coordinator and all the partners, by a person legally entitled to sign on behalf of the Higher Education Institution.

All signatures should preferably be in the same project document but if this is not possible and the signatures are on separate sheets, the project name should be clearly indicated, as well as the date of the application, to guarantee that the partners have committed to and approve the very same Project Document. Scanned signatures are accepted.

Agencies to be subcontracted do not have to sign the Project Document.

EDUFI performs the technical eligibility check of the applications, and applications meeting the eligibility criteria will be sent for further qualitative evaluation.

The eligible project applications are evaluated in three phases. First, external evaluators perform a qualitative evaluation, based on set HEP project evaluation criteria. As a result of the consolidation meeting of the external experts, an application shortlist is produced. The number of the shortlisted applications is such that they amount together to twice the available funding.

Secondly, the MFA (regional departments, Embassies and sectoral policy advisors) will assess the development policy relevance and complementarity of the shortlisted applications.

Finally, the short list is discussed in an assessment meeting between the MFA, EDUFI and the representative of the group of external evaluators. The meeting should not change the score of any shortlisted project more than +/-5 % of the total initial score.

The MFA makes the final state aid decision within the framework of the appropriations approved by the Finnish Parliament. Decisions are based on the Act on Discretionary Government Transfers (Valtionavustuslaki 688/2001).

The MFA sends applicants either a positive or a negative financing decision. The applicants with positive decision are also provided with information on the conditions and applicable costs, as well as reporting and billing requirements. The decisions are expected towards the end of 2023.

After the Finnish HEI approves the decision on state aid, the project implementation can begin. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs is in charge of administrative procedures, including the payment of state aid. State aid is paid into the coordinating Finnish HEI’s account. However, EDUFI provides first-hand guidance and training as well as comments on the reports.

Schedule

Information on budgeting and cost items is found in the Programme Document.

The project-specific payment schedule is based on the available annual financing budgets. Each year there are 1-2 financial allocations to the HEIs. This means that the payments are made mainly retrospectively based on the realized costs. The first payment in 2024 is made as an advance payment.

The applicant can design the schedule for the project according to its needs. However, the financing (i.e., billing schedule) is based on available financing. The financing is available roughly as follows:

2024     Advance payment in January 2024 – 20 %

2025   Against approved annual report 2024 – 15 %

2026   Against approved annual report 2025 – 55 %

2026   Final payment based on approved completion report – 10 %  

The project may create costs in a more balanced schedule. However, the Government of Finland does not have possibility to make payments in a more frontloaded manner.

Funds are available for the financing subject to the annual budget allocation by the Government. This is a standard clause in the MFA financed development cooperation covering several years.

The extension of the financing period is heavily discouraged and subject to prior approval.