The participant portal has been designed as the single interface for all interactions between participants in both the 7th Research Framework Programme and the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP) of the Commission. The result shall be a simplified procedure for proposal submission as well as for project- and proposal management. The participant portal is going to be fully operational by end-2012.
Getting accession to the participant portal requires a registration through ECAS (European Commission’s Authentication Service) by each individual participant. Registered participants can take over different functions (roles) within the participant portal for which they will receive the necessary access rights to project and organisation data.
Currently, the participant portal is offering the following functions:
- Provision of relevant FP7 documents, including call documents and a comprehensive archive
- URF-PDM – participant registration: Registration of an organisation’s basic data in the Unique Registration Facility (URF) and receipt of the Participant Identification Code (PIC) as well as Financial Viability Check
- Search functions: organisations registered in URF and their PIC; Commission contacts for project coordinators
- Access to EPSS for proposal submission
- Contract negotiation via the Negotiation Facility NEF
- Technical (deliverables) and financial (Form C) reporting (SESAM, FORCE, NEF), as well as project reviews
- Amendments of the Grant Agreement through NEF
Future Functions:
- Electronic signature (replacing reporting by mail)
- Direct application submission within the portal
Roles and access rights
Organisation Members (acting on behalf of a legal entity)
- LEAR (Legal Entity Appointed Representative): The LEAR represents his/her organisation and provides the Commission with up-to-date legal and financial data in the portal. He has to apply to receive his access rights from the Commission and can delegate them to other persons (Account Administrators). The LEAR can view the project members, roles, project information and amendments.
- Account Administrator: is nominated by the LEAR and supports him in the administration of data
Project Participants (Members of an organisation who participate in a project or a proposal)
- First level: Coordinator Contact: coordinates a project or proposal and acts as the primary contact person for the Commission, which also grants the necessary access rights. Coordinator Contacts can grant and revoke access rights of the Participant Contacts.
- Second level: Participant Contacts: represent the participating organisations within a consortium. They receive access rights to the portal through the Coordinator Contact. Participant Contacts can nominate persons within their organization for roles on the third and fourth level.
- Third level: Named Representatives: Administrative and Legal Representative (ALR), Financial Representative (FR), Proposed Signatory (PS), Scientific and Technical Representative (STR)
- Fourth level: Team Member (read-only rights) and Task Manager (extended rights: submission, update and deletion of actions)
On level three and four several persons can be nominated for the same role, and the same person can be nominated for several roles. At the first and second level this is not possible.