Automatic support - Module 3
Call for Proposals EAC/S28/2013
Session 1314
DISTRIBUTION
Automatic support – Module 3
Reinvestment in Distribution Costs
SELECTED PROJECTS – MONITORING
F.A.Q. - Frequently Asked Questions
Call for Proposals EAC/S28/2013Session 1314
These FAQ apply to the Call for Proposals and sessions as indicated above.
* To check the Call for Proposals:
The Call for Proposals under which your Grant Agreement/ Grant Decision has been issued is mentioned on the 1st page of your Agreement.
Frequently Asked QuestionsRelease Report
1. When do I have to submit the Release Report?
2. Do I have to send a poster along with the Release Report?
3. Which date is considered as the "first theatrical release"?
4. We organised an avant-première / a private screening for this film. Can this be considered as "first theatrical release" date?
5. The film was first screened in a film festival. Is this the first theatrical release date of the film?
Financial Statement
6. When is the Final Report due?
7. Where can I find the Final Report form?
8. Can I send the completed Excel file by e-mail?
9. What is the period of eligibility of costs?
10. How is the period of eligibility of costs calculated?
11. What costs are eligible?
12. What are "3.4 All other costs"?
13. We made "other costs" related to the distribution of the film, but they were not forecast at the time of the application. Can I include them in the Final Report?
14. Does the Final Report need to be certified by an approved auditor?
15. Documents to provide for a final payment?
16. The Structure of the Budget in the Final Report?
17. The General Conditions?
18. Digital costs and Invoices table?
19. The audit of the Final Report took place after the end of the eligibility period. Are these costs eligible?
20. Which exchange rate must I use?
21. The final budget is different from the forecast in the agreement. Do I have to send an explanation or a request for amendment in advance?
22. The final budget is different from the forecast in the agreement. Does this affect my MEDIA award?
23. When will I receive the pre-financing payment?
24. When and how can I request an extension of the release period and the period of eligibility of costs?
Release Report
1.Whendo I have to submit the Release Report?
The Release Report is due within one month after the date of the first theatrical release of the film in the territory.It can be sent as soon as you have the release results of the first week of release, in order to fill in the requested information.
2. Do I have to send a poster along with the Release Report?
Yes, when sending the Release Report you have to include a poster and / or a selection of promotion / advertising material. You can do this in electronic format.3. Which date is considered as the "first theatrical release"?
Considered as "first theatrical release" of a film is the official release date, i.e. the date in which the film was theatrically released for commercial purposes in the territory.This date is considered as the actual release date of the film.The date of first theatrical release of the film must take place from the sending date of the application of the reinvestment project until 31/07/2016.
4. We organised an avant-première / a private screening for this film. Can this be considered as "first theatrical release" date?
No, avant – premières or special / private / press screenings cannot be considered as the first theatrical release of a film. See FAQ 3.5. The film was first screened in a film festival. Is this the first theatrical release date of the film?
No, as in the cases above, the screening during a film festival cannot be considered as the first theatrical release date of the film.Final Report
6. When is the Final Report due?
- For single Agreements:
E.g. : Effective date of first theatrical release of the film: 12/02/2016
=> Final Report due by (latest) : 12/10/2016
- Forconsolidated Agreements:
These documents are due at the latest eight months after the date of first theatrical release of thelast released film in the package.
E.g. for a package of 4 films :
Effective date of theatrical release of film 1: 06/08/2015
Effective date of theatrical release of film 2: 14/05/2015
Effective date of theatrical release of film 3: 04/03/2016
Effective date of theatrical release of film 4: 11/02/2015
=> Final Report due by (latest) : 04/11/2016
7. Where can I find the Final Report form?
A sample of the forms for the Final Report and the Activity Report are available on the website of Creative Europe in the "Beneficiaries space".For reporting, please use the Excel file forms, sent to you by e-mail.
These forms already contain your Company name, the PIC Code, the reference number and original Title of the film.
The zones in red should be filled out; a warning sign will appear when not filled out. Fill them out, print them out and have them signed by the authorised signatory.
8. Can I send the completed Excel file by e-mail?
Yes, but first, the completed Excel file has to be printed out and signed where necessary .Then you should make a scan of the final -signed- documents and send them by e-mail, including also the latest Royalty Statement.
There is no more obligation to send the original documents by post.
9. What is the period of eligibility of costs?
The period of eligibility of costs (or the "eligibility period") is the time-frame during which costs made for the distribution of the film are considered "eligible". This means that they must have been incurred during this period, in order to be acceptable.Accordingly, the Financial Statement must include only costs incurred during the eligibility period.
10. How is the period of eligibility of costs calculated?
The period of eligibility of costs starts 6 months before the earliest possible start date of a project, and ends 12 months after the latest possible release date=> Period of eligibility of costs: from 1/02/2014 until 31/07/2017
The Period of eligibility of costs is explicitly indicated in Art. I.2.2 of your Grant Agreement / Art. 2.2 of your Grant Decision.
11. What costs are eligible?
You can find an explanation and an extensive list of eligible costs in the guidelines to call for proposals EAC/S28/2013.In the Article II.19 of the General Conditions, the conditions of the eligibility of costs have been also listed:
12. What are "3.4 All other costs"?
A space is provided in the form for the disclosure of other costs directly linked to the actions, which are not expressly provided for in the form. They have to be clearly identified and detailed in the application form and in the final report for them to be eligible. They must have been included in the estimated budget annexed to the Grant Agreement / Grant Decision.Costs normally associated with the running of the company are not eligible under this subheading.
13. We made "other costs" related to the distribution of the film, but they were not forecast at the time of the application. Can I include them in the Final Report?
The budget and the Final Report is structured as follows:1. Heading
1.1 Sub-heading
Costs that are not foreseen can only be added after the Agency's approval of your request and subsequent amendment to the grant agreement / grant decision.
14. Does the final Report need to be certified by an approved auditor?
- when the grant as stated in art. I.3 of the grant agreement / art. 3 of the grant decision is EUR 60.000 or less, there is no need for an audit certification. Only the authorised signatory signs the report. However you need to submit to us the invoices for the subheading 2.2 Digital costs and fill out the form in the final report.
- where the grant is more than EUR 60.000 and less than EUR 750.000, the final report needs to be accompanied by the Report of Factual Findings on the Final Financial Report – Type I:
- Where the grant is equal to or more than EUR 750.000, the final report needs to be accompanied by the Report of Factual Findings on the Final Financial Report – Type II
15. Documents to provide for a final payment?
If the Grant is below 60.000€- The activity report (excel file)
- The final report (excel file).
- The invoices table (excel file) (subheading 2.2).
- The invoices related to the digital costs.
- The royalty statement.
- The activity report (excel file)
- The final report (excel file).
- The report of factual findings on the Final Financial Report TYPE1" (Please follow explanation here:
- The royalty statement.
- The activity report (excel file)
- The final report (excel file).
- The report of factual findings on the Final Financial Report TYPE2" (Please follow explanation here:
- The royalty statement.
16. The Structure of the Budget in the Final Report
The estimated budget and the final report have to be presented in exactly the same way and structured as follows:1. Heading (level to verify the transfers allowed)
1.1. Sub-heading (expense category)
To avoid rejection of expenses when submitting the final report, rules described below must be respected when carrying out the action:
1. Heading
The number of headings cannot be changed.
1.1. Sub-heading
Additional sub-headings can be added through a prior approval by the Agency by amendment to the initial estimated budget.
17. The General Conditions
Please read carefully your general conditions which can be downloaded here:18. Digital costs and Invoices table
The total amount of your digital costs mentioned in the Sub Heading 2.2 of your final report (AnnexV) must correspond to the TOTAL Digital costs of your "Invoices table" (included in the Excel sheet).In this "invoices table", you must indicate all the amounts corresponding to your total digital costs. All the invoices related to this total amount are requested.
To facilitate the calculation of this amount, please list in the table all your invoices:
- the date and the invoice number
- the description of this cost
- the amount in local currency
- the amount in Euro
PLEASE BE SURE THAT YOUR COSTS MENTIONED IN YOUR "INVOICES TABLE" ARE WITHIN THE ELIGIBILITY PERIOD (01/02/2014-31/07/2017)
19. The audit of the Final Report took place after the end of the eligibility period. Are these costs eligible?
Yes, the costs related to the Audit Certification are eligible.20. Which exchange rate must I use?
For the conversion of actual costs into Euro you must use the exchange rate established by the European Commission that is applicable on the month in which you draft the Financial Report.Please use 4 decimal points.
You can find this exchange rate in the following website:
Please date and sign the final report in the same month you draft it.
For the consolidated agreements, please fill in the exchange rate on the first page of the first film in the package. It will then be automatically applied to all films in the package.
21. The final budget is different from the forecast in the agreement. Do I have to send an explanation or a request for amendment in advance?
A variation of maximum 10% of the total of the eligible estimated budget per budget heading is allowed without prior request.This means that you may vary up to 10% of the total estimated costs in each budget heading individually (and irrespectively of the variation in the global budget, or between the various budget headings).
If you have underspending of more than 10% in a budget heading, you have to send an explanation along with the Financial Statement, explaining the reasons for e.g. reducing your budget and/or cancelling specific budget items.
Overspending of more than 10% will be rejected. Please note that the MEDIA award cannot be higher than the maximum amount foreseen in your grant agreement as in art. I.3 / grant decision as in art. 3 , even if you have increased expenses. (see also FAQ 19)
Finally, if an amendment to the budget is necessary, any such request has to be sent to EACEA in good time before the expenditure is incurred, and at all events 1 month before the closing date of the action (please see General Condition N°12 of your Grant Decision / art II.12 of your Grant Agreement).
In any case please inform us as soon as you foresee an important variation from your estimated budget.
For the consolidated agreements, these budget variations do not apply to the individual films in the package, but only to the consolidated Financial Statement. For the individual films, you inform us of any major variations in the description on the first page of the respectiveActivity Report.
22. The final budget is different from the forecast in the agreement. Does this affect my MEDIA award?
The MEDIA award can never be higher than:a)the amount specified in your agreement (art. I.3 of the Gratn Agreement / art 3 of the grant decision), and
b)the percentage of the final eligible costs as this is specified in your agreement. In the Automatic scheme, Module 3, this can be 50% or 60%.
* This means that in case of overspending, you shall receive the maximum amount mentioned in your agreement, i.e. your award will not be higher because of increased expenses.
* In case of underspending, you shall receive the 50% or 60% of your final eligible costs, i.e. after the analysis of the Final report by EACEA.
Example:
Estimated budget: € 10.000
Forecast award: € 5.000 or 50% of the final eligible costs
=>
a) overspending:
Final budget (approved): € 12.000
=> Final MEDIA award: € 5.000 (= maximum amount)
b) underspending:
Final budget (approved): € 8.000
=> Final MEDIA award: € 4.000 (= 50% of the final eligible costs)
23. When will I receive the pre-financing payment?
There are different possibilities regarding the pre-financing payment:a) You receive the pre-financing payment 60% of the forecast awardafter the signature of your agreement by the last of the two parties, i.e. by EACEA.
b) You do not receive a pre-financing payment, but only a final payment once you have submitted the Release Report(s) andFinal report.
For the consolidated agreements, the second possibility means that the final payment can only take place after the submission of the Final Report and requested reports (Release Reports and Activity Reports) for all the films of the package.
To verify which condition your payments depend upon, please always check article I.4.1 of your grant agreement / article 4 of your grant decision!
24. When and how can I request an extension of the release period and the period of eligibility of costs?
You should inform us as soon as you know that you cannot release the film within the release period stated in Annex I.IV.Please send us as soon as possible and at the latest one month before the end of the eligibility period
a written request, justifying the reasons for this extension. This request has to be signed by the authorized signatory of the company (see Art. 3.2 of the Guidelines).
After evaluation of your request and if accepted, a maximum extension of 6 additional months to the latest release date and eligible period will be given. EACEA will then issue an amendment to the Agreement with the new dates of the release and eligibility period.
Example:
Art. I.2.2: The Action and the period of eligibility of costs shall begin on 01/02/2014 and shall end on 31/07/2017 (the "closing date of the Action").
The release date of the film contained in the Action should take place between 15/01/2015and 31/07/2016.
=> Consequently:
- You have to send your request in writing at the latest by 31/06/2017
- The maximum new latest release date will be: 31/07/2016 + 6 months = 31/01/2017
- The new end date of the period of eligibility of costs will be: 31/07/2017 + 6 months = 31/01/2018
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