Approval is not the end of the project. That is when the proving begins.
Vemar runs the implementation of co-financed projects after the contract is signed: documentation, procurement, payment claims, amendments and final reporting. The focus is on deadlines, evidence, costs, indicators and the implementing body's questions.
Implementation must be set up before a cost is incurred.
The most common problems arise when the rules are first interpreted only after a cost has been incurred. That is why it matters to set up an overview of documentation, deadlines, procurement and communication with the implementing body in advance.
Implementation plan
We set up a calendar of activities, procurement, reports, evidence and internal responsibilities for each project.
Procurement and decisions
We prepare and check procurement procedures, documentation, quote comparisons and decisions.
Payment claims
We collect the supporting documents, compile the costs, check that they can be evidenced and close the payment claims.
Rhythm of payment claims
We collect materials a week before each deadline, and evidence is kept from day one. The contract sets the frequency.
Cost eligibility
We check the link between each cost and the activities, contract, budget and call rules before a problem arises.
Contract amendments
We prepare the justifications and documentation for amendments to the budget, deadlines, team, equipment or activities.
Annual and final reports
We bring together the narrative, costs, indicators, visibility and supporting documentation for the end of a phase or project.
Procurement threshold
The value above which a procurement must be published under the procurement rules for non-contracting authorities (NOJN). It is checked in the rules attached to the call - before the procurement plan, not after the order.
Payment claim (ZNS): the document that turns cost into payment.
The payment claim (ZNS) sets the rhythm of implementation: it proves activities, costs and procurements to the implementing body and requests payment of the grant. Those who take it seriously from day one get through without drama.
Typically quarterly
The frequency is set by the contract: quarterly or half-yearly, with a final claim that carries additional evidence (indicators, visibility, photos of results).
Everything incurred in the period
Salaries and timesheets, procurement with a decision trail, invoices and bank statements, evidence of activities - everything is submitted through the implementing body's system.
Preparation before the deadline, evidence from the start
We request materials from the team and partners no later than a week before the reporting deadline, and supporting documentation is kept continuously - not reconstructed after the fact.
Six mistakes that cost the most.
We have seen everything below in practice. Each is avoided with the same move: set the rules before the cost.
Cost before rules
Procurement or payment before the call's rules have been applied - the most common route to an ineligible cost.
Preparing the claim in the last week
Materials are gathered just before the deadline: something is missing, something is late, and the deadline does not wait.
Team change without a contract amendment
A new or departed team member without a timely amendment - payment stops until it is sorted out.
Procurement without a decision trail
Quotes and comparisons exist informally, but not in the documentation that is submitted and checked.
Visibility left to the end
Mandatory co-financing labelling is remembered only before the final report - yet it must be evidenced throughout implementation.
Indicators without a measurement plan
The contracted figures are not tracked from the start, so the final report has nothing to rest on.
Procurement above the threshold requires mandatory publication.
Most of our clients are not subject to the Public Procurement Act, so they procure under the procurement rules for non-contracting authorities (NOJN) annexed to each call. Thresholds and procedures depend on the programme and the version of the rules. Before procurement, we check whether publication is required, how to collect quotes, which criteria to apply and which evidence to keep. Related procurement items are assessed together; procurement is not split to avoid the prescribed procedure.
Procurement threshold
The threshold comes from the procurement rules attached to the call. Related purchases are added together.
The threshold decides the procedure
Above the threshold, procurement requires mandatory publication; below it, a documented market review. The threshold comes from the rules annexed to your call, not from habit.
Related procurements are assessed together
Artificially split procurement is the most common source of financial correction - the estimated value is calculated for related items together.
The decision trail comes before the cost
Specification, criteria, committee, no-conflict-of-interest statements and confirmation of receipt - all before the order, not after.
Deciding the next step before applying.
Implementation makes sense when there is contracted funding and the will to set the rules before costs are incurred - before applying, look at the calls.
Go
- The project is approved or contracted (EU call, HBOR, tax relief) and implementation is starting or already under way.
- You need discipline in procurement, payment claims and reporting, and your internal team lacks the capacity for it.
- The contract, budget and activity plan exist and you can share them with us.
- You want a single point of responsibility for deadlines, evidence and communication with the implementing body.
- You are ready to set the implementation rules BEFORE a cost is incurred.
No-go
- The project is not yet approved - that is the preparation phase: look at calls and instruments, not implementation.
- The cost has already been incurred outside the call's rules and you want the documentation tidied up after the fact.
- No access to the contract, budget or supporting documentation.
- Obligations are dealt with in the last week before the deadline, leaving no room for checks.
- The project has no co-financing - purely commercial operations are not our field.
Frequently asked questions about implementation.
What is a ZNS and how often is it submitted?
When does preparation of the payment claim start?
What if a team member or a piece of equipment changes during the project?
Does anyone check the project on site?
When must procurement be published?
If the project is already approved, we first look at where the risk is.
For a first review, the basic materials are enough: the contract, budget, activity plan and a short current status. From these we can see where the deadlines, evidence and open questions are.