EPSS

1
Electronic Proposal Submission System
European Commission Research DG Hubert van
DELFT Hubert-Yves.van-DELFT(at)ec.europa.eu
2

• Note that the presentation is based on advance
  information on the EPSS. Actual implementation
  may differ
• Watch http//www.esp-fp7.org for more information
• 22 January 2006

3
EPSS for FP7

• Agenda
• Scope of the EPSS, infrastructure needed, process
  overview
• Achievements and lessons learned in FP6
• Changes from FP6
• Changes needed to comply with the rules of
  participation
• Immediate planning
• EPSS phase two further simplification
• Quick demonstration (if test system is available)
• Question time

4
EPSS for FP7

• What is the EPSS ?
• An electronic system enabling project
  coordinators to prepare and submit their proposal
  online through the Internet using a web site
  accessed seamlessly from Cordis or accessed
  directly once the participant is registered
• Operating 7 days a week, operating 24 hours a
  day, free of charge to the participants,
  supporting most IT configs
• Avoiding paper based submission costs and issues
• What is needed to use it ?
• An access to the Internet the faster, the
  better though the system works even with dial-up
  connections
• A computer most of the platforms are supported,
  even old ones

5
EPSS for FP7

• The FP7 proposal-project time line

EPSS closes
Projectstarts
Evaluation finishes
Decision is taken
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EPSS for FP7

• EPSS in the process chain

CALLSPUBLICATION CORDIS
PUBLICATION OF RESULTS CORDIS
PROPOSALS
e
e
CONTRACTINGPROJECT MANAGEMENT FINANCING REPORTING
RANKING NEGOTIATION COM DECISION
ELECTRONIC PROPOSAL SUBMISSION SYSTEM
e
e
e
edenotes electronic information transfer
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EPSS for FP7

• Achievements and lessons learned in FP6

gt 38.950 proposals
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EPSS for FP7

• Achievements and lessons learned in FP6
• Confidence has been built into the online version

Over 350.000 unique users during FP6 The offline
preparation tool was identified very early as a
trouble maker
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EPSS for FP7

• Similarities from FP6 to FP7

• Registration, navigation, data entry
• One account for each proposal
• Multiple submission possible
• Continuous, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
  operation
• Monitoring of issues at submission stage by the
  Commission
• Telephone support operated from Brussels 0800 to
  1800

• Stays identical
• Stays identical
• Stays identical
• Stays identical
• Stays identical
• Stays identical

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EPSS for FP7

• Changes from FP6 to FP7

• Paper submission was a valid submission method
• Choice possible of off-line preparation and
  online submission
• Break in the submission activity (disclaimer)
• Internet address pointed to the sixth framework
  program
• Paper forms present in the EC documents

• No paper submission without prior authorisation
• No offline preparation tool to download
  everything happens online
• Streamlining of the submission process no break
• Internet address will be https//www.epss-fp7.org
  
• Focus on information collection, see EPSS
  documentation

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EPSS for FP7

• Changes needed to comply with the simplification
  and rules of participation
• Data entry screens have been changed to reflect
  the changes in the rules for participation
• Participant identification code appears on first
  form for later user. The PIC is equivalent to a
  participant account number
• Extension of the participant information all
  field must be completed, notably SME information
  is now imperative
• Budgets are no longer a unique screen but are
  implemented as one screen for each participant
  in other words the coordinator has to enter
  detailed budget information for each participant

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EPSS for FP7

• Administrative forms changes from FP6 to FP7

• FP7

• FP6

A3
A1
A2
A3.1
A3.2
A1
A2
A3.1
A2
A2
A3.1
A2
A2
A3.1
A2
A2
Submit
Submit
Part B PDF
Part B PDF
Proposal coordinator actions
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EPSS for FP7

• Changes from FP7 phase 1 to FP7 phase 2

• One account (user id and password) for each
  submission
• Repeated (but simple) information submission in
  part A during the process cycle
• Limited reported facilities offered to end users
• No intelligence at the submission stage only
  simple computation (additions) provided.

• One account by participant, at the legal entity
  level
• Single information submission, occurring
  independently of the submission cycle (URF)
• Information consolidation possible (PDM)
• Better eligibility guidance and information, with
  computation of reimbursement of costs ceilings

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EPSS for FP7

• Quick demonstration steps to submission
• Identify call and funding scheme on Cordis
• Register on the EPSS give basic details on
  project
• EPSS mails the user id and password to the
  proposal co-ordinator Watch your electronic
  mail
• Go straight to the EPSS or go to the EPSS via
  Cordis
• Enter user-id and password
• Set up the consortium or enter participant
  detail
• Enter the relevant information
• see next slide
• Submit the proposal and log-out

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EPSS for FP7

• Quick demonstration steps to submission
• Relevant information to enter in order to submit
  proposal
• The object of the proposal one entry screen
  entered by the coordinator (A1)
• The participants one entry screen by
  participant entered by the coordinator or the
  partner to the proposal (A2)
• The budget one entry screen by participant
  entered by the coordinator (A3)
• Feedback provided by the system
• Overall budget computation
• History of actions performed audit logs
• Proposal submission status NOT SUBMITTED at
  thisstage part B upload is needed

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EPSS for FP7

• Quick demonstration steps to submission
• Uploading the proposal is not a submission
  action. A transfer of the proposal document must
  be followed by a submission action.
• The proposal file must use the Adobe PDF format,
  with embedded fonts, no password, no print
  prevention mechanism
• The proposal file name must use the letters
  A-Z, the numbers 0-9, the - sign. All other
  characters, including the space, the point, the
  ampersand, etc. are may cause upload problems
• At the end of the upload, you will be prompted to
  perform the submit
• Feedback provided by the system
• History of actions performed audit logs
• Proposal submission status SUBMITTED
  completedby an email sent to the coordinator of
  the proposal

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EPSS for FP7

• Quick demonstration steps to submission
• Warnings issued by the system
• do not prevent submission
• are potentially linked to the eligibility issues
• EPSS system requests information in the form of a
  text box
• Errors issued by the system
• prevent submissions
• are linked to missing documents and information
• must be corrected by the proposal coordinator

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EPSS for FP7

• Immediate planning of the EPSS
• System set-up
• Opening for testing (identifying boundaries in
  terms of load expressed in concurrent users and
  performing cycle testing)
• Opening to the public(actual use)
• First closure of the system
• First eligibility committee
• First evaluation of proposals

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EPSS for FP7

• Using the EPSS successfully
• The submit button disappears at 170000.000, CET
• In case of doubt, get support early. Phone. Do
  not wait
• No special characters in file names. Stick to
  A-Z, 0-9, -
• The system allows multiple submissions. Use the
  facility but do not abuse.
• Do not change budgets at the last moment this
  may prevent you from getting the proposal
  submitted on time
• Do not upload the proposal at the last moment
  this invalidates the previous submission
• Monitor CORDIS, you email should the EPSS
  encounter technical problems the two systems are
  independent

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EPSS for FP7

• How should I proceed as a coordinator?
• Access the Cordis website for a specific call,
  register on the EPSS
• Check your electronic mail for the EPSS access
  details FAQ
• Login for accessing the online EPSS
• Change the passwords for the coordinator and the
  partners
• Send the partners username and password to the
  partners
• Set-up the proposal by indicating the number of
  participants, their participant id, name and
  email addresses, once in the registration process
  and after in the proposal setup screen
• Edit Part A forms (object, participants, budget)
• Upload the Part B file (detailed proposal text)
• Upload Part B annexes if needed or required
• Validate proposal to ensure basic checks are
  satisfied
• Submit the proposal to modify, go back to step
  6, 7 or 8
• Verify that the system gives a proposal number
• Logout and check your email for a confirmation
  mail

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• More information on the EPSS will be available
  from the EPSS itself
• Electronic mail support _at_ epss fp7.org
• To help the Commission in the initial testing of
  the EPSS or request a test account, please
  contact
• hubert yves . van delft _at_ ec.europa.eu