IKI Corona FAQ

For example, personnel expenses, rental expenses for project offices, etc.

Additional expenses beyond your control that continue to be incurred are eligible for reimbursement on the basis of verification and in the spirit of frugality. Because experience has shown us that projects often generate savings over the project’s lifetime, we ask that you initially continue to fund these unavoidable additional expenses using the funds available based on the project stage. You should only request to extend the term of your project towards the end of its original term (see question: Changes during the project term).

While pandemic-related restrictions are ongoing, please try in particular to push forward as well and as efficiently as you can manage those project activities that can be implemented and/or for which preparations can be made, even under these difficult circumstances.

Bookings where cancellation is not possible/cancellation fees, e.g. when cancelling workshops and events

If possible, please cancel contractual commitments (e.g. for events or travel, etc.) and proactively seek reimbursement from your contractual partners for any expenses incurred. Please check whether any insurance cover applies.

Please let your IKI office at Zukunft – Umwelt – Gesellschaft (ZUG) contact(s) know about foreseeable cancellation fees. Bookings where cancellation is not possible/non-culpable cancellation fees must be verified in writing. Please clearly state the efforts you have taken to obtain reimbursement. Subject to a review as part of the final report, cancellation fees (e.g. for rent fees, technology, services, speakers, catering, etc.) may be eligible for funding and settled. Please compile and document all receipts incurred for unavoidable downtime expenses and cancellation fees given the current restrictions in place as a result of the coronavirus pandemic to facilitate the subsequent review of their eligibility for funding.

Where possible, please conduct scheduled workshops or events as video conferences. In addition, please cancel any relevant contractual commitments (e.g. for event venues) as promptly and as far in advance as possible.

All business trips (e.g. for country missions, kick-off meetings, events)

Wherever possible, please cancel relevant contractual commitments (e.g. hotels, railway journeys, flights, etc.) and proactively seek reimbursement from your contractual partners for any expenses incurred. Please check whether any insurance cover applies.

Please let your IKI office contact(s) at ZUG know about foreseeable cancellation fees. Bookings where cancellation is not possible/non-culpable cancellation fees must be verified in writing. Please clearly state the efforts you have taken to obtain reimbursement. Subject to a review as part of the final report, cancellation fees (e.g. for travel expenses and hotel bookings) may be eligible for funding and settled. Please compile and document all receipts incurred for unavoidable downtime expenses and cancellation fees given the current restrictions in place as a result of the coronavirus pandemic to facilitate the subsequent review of their eligibility for funding.

Yes, these kinds of expenses are eligible for funding. To receive reimbursement, expenses must be directly and, above all, justifiably connected to project activities and therefore to achieving the project’s objective. Example: purchasing personal protective equipment (PPE) would allow a particular project activity/event to go ahead where it otherwise would not have been feasible. As with all other project expenditure, expenditure for PPE must be justified as absolutely necessary, including in terms of quantity and financial feasibility.

You have the option of requesting that unneeded funds be deferred to the subsequent year(s) by submitting your request by email (no form required). (See question: How do I request necessary changes during the project term?)

Please promptly inform the IKI office at ZUG if you believe the requested funds cannot be spent within the relevant utilisation period. The steps taken thereafter (e.g. remitting funds, offsetting funds against upcoming funding requests, etc.) should be carried out in close coordination with the BMWK or BMUV. Please do not process German federal treasury (Bundeskasse) refunds without first consulting with your IKI office contact(s) at ZUG.

The huge range of different IKI projects (consulting vs. field projects) means we can only identify potential savings on a project-specific basis. Those with the most expertise at this point are project managers themselves. However, our experience overall has shown that travel expenses in particular hold considerable potential for savings. This means that switching to virtual meetings can generate savings that can then be used to cover additional expenditure elsewhere.

Example of reallocating funds: Foregoing an international trip can result in savings that can be used to cover other expenses (e.g. personnel expenses).

However, please note that, unless the grant decision/grant agreement stipulates a fixed-sum financing mode, the individual budget lines included in the financing/budgeting plan only up to may be exceeded by a maximum of 20% (if savings are generated elsewhere) without the prior approval of the BMWK or BMUV (see General ancillary provisions for grants to fund projects [ANBest-P, no. 1.2] or the conditions of the grant agreement).

If individual budgets lines are exceeded by more than 20%, the BMWK or BMUV must be notified of and approve fund reallocation.

Specific project activities are delayed, but can probably be conducted at a later date / There are uncertainties about the ability to meet contractual obligations.

Please let us know about foreseeable delays or bottlenecks in project implementation by communicating promptly with your IKI office contact(s) to prevent loss of expenditure as much as possible.

You must notify the IKI of project changes during the course of the project if those changes:

• impact the project output or impact the outcome level,
• cause the project budget to incur additional expenses,
• necessitate a project extension or
• mean the annual budget can no longer be adhered to as per the specific funding document (grant decision or notice of amendment/grant contract/grant agreement).

To request necessary changes during the project term, please be sure that you always use the change request form provided on the IKI website to submit an amendment request.

Please refer to the form for details on how and where to send the form.

Please also take a moment to look through the FAQs below.

Yes, the same procedures detailed above should be followed for projects in a preparation phase.

Interim reports, final reports

Please inform your IKI office contact(s) promptly if deadlines for interim reports or final reports cannot be met. If necessary, we can agree a deadline extension.

We have a great deal of understanding that the coronavirus pandemic will have caused issues with the current situation, and that there may be delays in drafting project applications (in particular in terms of coordinating with consortium and partner organisations or partner countries). If these delays are foreseeable, please promptly inform your IKI office contact(s) at ZUG that the deadlines agreed cannot be met. Wherever possible, we ask that video conferencing and other virtual formats be used to ensure you can continue to make appropriate project preparations and do as much as possible to avoid delays.

Requests of funds can be sent by email to Buero-KD1(at)bmwk.bund.de.

For projects in the biodiversity sector, please send your requests of funds by email to NI5-IKI(at)bmuv.bund.de.

It is no longer necessary to submit requests for funds in writing.

If you are considering making changes to your planned project activities, please promptly inform your IKI office contact(s) at ZUG of this.

We have a great deal of understanding that the coronavirus pandemic will have caused issues with the current situation, and that there may be delays (in particular in terms of coordinating with consortium and partner organisations or partner countries). If these delays are foreseeable, please promptly inform your IKI office contact(s) at ZUG that the deadlines agreed cannot be met. Wherever possible, we ask that video conferencing and other virtual formats be used to ensure you can continue to make appropriate project preparations and do as much as possible to avoid delays.

In general, projects are only commissioned after successful political endorsement. Exceptions can only be made in certain circumstances on a case-by-case basis.

Information on intermediate steps being taken for each selection procedure is provided on our website. All organisations submitting an outline to one of our ideas competitions will be informed of the results once the selection procedure in question has been completed. We therefore request that you refrain from sending individual queries to the IKI office at ZUG.