On October 16th, Carina Dantas, CEO of SHINE 2Europe, participated in the “Horizon Europe: Legal and Financial Aspects” session, organised by ANI (National Innovation Agency). This session, focused on legal and financial aspects of project management, provided insights into budgeting, financial reporting, auditing, third-party involvement, international cooperation, and the increased use of lump sum funding models in Horizon Europe projects.

Representing the SIRENE and INTEGER projects, Carina Dantas shared her experience with lump sum financing and its practical challenges. She highlighted key aspects of the SIRENE project, which aims to foster social innovation centred on smart homes and environments. The project created a social innovation framework and a sustainability strategy along with a European network of experts, supported by a digital platform (SIRENE Hub) for stakeholders to collaborate. She also showcased the “Garcia Family” model, a practical approach to addressing social challenges and developing solutions that resonate with the public.

Carina Dantas emphasised the complexity in budgeting for multifaceted projects such as SIRENE, which include various activities like events, conferences, and digital solution development, but highlighted that the lump-sum format worked extremely well for these projects and that there were no obstacles or issues with practical implementation, after a good initial planning.

The webinar featured a panel of experts, including Alexandre Manuel Ferreira Marques, Ana Li, and Maria João Fernandes, who engaged with around 500 participants. The event tackled numerous questions, particularly regarding lump sum financing and unit costs, crucial areas for the future of Horizon Europe projects. If you missed it, the session is available on YouTube.