Coordination and support actions (CASA)

Purpose:This funding scheme allows for two different types of actions to be financed:

  • “Co-ordination (or networking) actions” aimed at coordinating research activities and policies.
  • “Support actions" aimed at contributing to the implementation of the Framework Program­mes and the preparation of future Community research and technological development policy or the development of synergies with other policies, or to stimulate, encourage and facilitate the participation of SMEs, civil society organisations and their networks, small research teams and newly developed or remote research centres in the activities of the thematic areas of the Cooperation programme, or for setting up of research intensive clusters across the EU regions.

Specific Programmes concerned: This Funding Scheme is to be used for the implementation of the actions under the Specific Programmes “Cooperation”, "Capacities", "People" and, Ideas".

Participation: For Coordination (or networking) actions whose purpose is to coordinate research activities. There must be at least three ‘legal entities’ established in different EU Member States or Associated countries* (the countries concerned are listed in section 3). The entities must be independent of each other.
For other coordination actions and support actions, the minimum condition shall be the participation of one legal entity. A higher number of participants may be specified on a call-by-call basis (See the call fiche).

Size and resources: The size, scope and internal organisation of coordination actions and support actions can vary from research theme to research theme and from topic to topic.

Indicative average Durata: Coordination actions are expected to have a duration of typically two to four years, while support actions are expected to have a shorter duration from some months to two to four years. However, there will be no formal minimum or maximum duration.

Activities: Coordination (or networking) actions may cover activities such as:

  • the organisation of events - including conferences, meetings, workshops or seminars -, related studies, exchanges of personnel, exchange and dissemination of good practices, and, if necessary, the definition, organisation and management of joint or common initiatives, together with management of the action.
  • Support actions may cover activities, depending on their nature such as:
    • monitoring and assessment;
    • conferences;
    • seminars;
    • studies;
    • expert groups or individual expert appointment letters;
    • high level scientific awards and competitions;
    • operational support;
    • data access and dissemination, information and communication activities;
    • specific services activities related to research infrastructures, such as for example transnational access;
    • preparatory technical work, including feasibility studies for the development of new infrastructures;
    • contribution to the construction of new infrastructures;
    • cooperation with other European research schemes;
    • or a combination of these.

Form of Reimbursement: Reimbursement will be based on eligible costs (based on maximum rates of reimbursement specified in the grant agreement for different types of activities within the project) in some cases the reimbursement of indirect costs is based on a flat rate. The work programmes shall specify if other forms of reimbursement are to be used in the actions concerned.