With the deadline for the Q&A Tailored Lifestyle Programme approaching, we’re getting in more questions about the full proposals. We have listed your questions and our answers below for your convenience!
FAQ
Eligibility and Participation
Q: Is there more information available about the difference between the Signature and the Kickstart projects in the call?
A: From a content perspective, there is not much difference. The main difference is the amount of subsidy and the duration of the project. You can contact us at i4ph@ewuu.nl to check which type suits your project idea best.
Q: At what level does the technology or the science need to be in order to be eligible for grants from this initiative?
A:It can be at any level from TRL 1 to 7, as long as there is a combination of two research institutes from the EWUU alliance, an SME, and a societal partner involved.
Q: Can you be involved in multiple proposals, and if so, how should it be done in the signature and the Kickstarter?
A: Yes, you can be involved in more than one proposal.
Q: Can non-EU partners be involved in the proposal?
A: Yes, as long as two EWUU partners are also involved. Non-Dutch partners can be included, but only Dutch SMEs can use the PPP subsidy for cover part of their costs. These parties must contribute both in cash (at least 50% of their total contribution) and in kind. Any deviation from this requirement must be justified in the project proposal.
Q: Can governmental bodies provide cash or in-kind contributions?
A: Yes, governmental bodies can be included as partners and provide match funds, but they cannot use the subsidy for their own costs. They can provide cash as well as in-kind.
Q: Can a partner other than a knowledge institute or an SME receive subsidy?
A: No, only knowledge institutes and SME’s are eligible for subsidy
Q: Can any researcher within an EWUU organization be part of the consortium or are only people of certain groups or departments be part of a project?
A: Within an EWUU institute (TU/e, WUR, UU or UMCU) any researcher can be part of the consortium as long as at least 2 institutes are represented.
Q: Can TNO (type organisations) submit within this PPS?
A: Yes, this is possible.
Q: Are Medical Centers or hospitals considered to be the private partners?
A: The hospitals are considered as partners that need to contribute at least in kind. University Medical Centres are considered as knowledge providers and have to contribute at least 10% in kind and can to receive subsidy as well.
Q: Can mental health institution Parnassia be classified as a research organization?
A: No. See definition of a research organization: https://www.rvo.nl/onderwerpen/definities#onderzoeksinstelling
Q: I am looking for certain expertises within the EWUU alliance. Can you help to connect me with the right experts?
A: Yes, we can. Please indicate what kind of expertise you are looking for and within which institute. Give a short description of your project, so we can think along with you.
Q: Does the consortium agreement need to be fully executed (signed by all partners) when submitting the full proposal?
A: We’ve recently learned that Health~Holland is in the process of revising the Consortium Agreement template. This means that the version currently available on our website is outdated. Since it’s unclear when the new version will be published, we kindly ask you not to use the version on our site.
Instead, we request that you include the following information in your full proposal (or as a separate document):
- The statutory names of all consortium partners
- A description of the Field of Use
- Relevant background information on each partner
Having this information ready now will be useful later and is much less time-consuming than drafting a full Consortium Agreement at this stage.
Project Details and Focus
Q: What is understood as unusual collaboration?
A: Unusual collaborations involve people who do not usually work together naturally, such as a dietitian collaborating with a philosopher or the food industry.
Q: What is the boundary between industrial and experimental research?
A: Industrial research involves gaining new information and applying it to the development of your innovation. Experimental development involves improving a product with existing knowledge, often at a later stage of technology readiness levels (TRL 6-7). Industrial research is normally tested with a smaller group size. When you do a second round on a bigger group, you tend to go into experimental development and after experimental development your products should work. See also: Definities Onderzoek & ontwikkeling uit het EU Steunkader
Q: The call requires the integration of 4 aspects – behavior, lifestyle, enabling environment, and technology. Are all four need to be talked in the project?
A: The project may focus on a few aspects while making sure that the other are taken into consideration.
Q: What does inclusivity mean in this particular call?
A: Inclusivity means collaborating with people from low socio-economic backgrounds or vulnerable groups, involving them in the design and execution of the project.
Q: Can mental health qualify as a domain of lifestyle if it’s not related to nutrition and physical activity?
A: Yes, mental health can qualify.
Q: What is the status of the private healthcare providers (rehabilitation centres, elderly care) in the project and what contribution they can (and have to make)?
A: These are considered as partners that need to contribute at least in kind. They cannot receive subsidy.
Q: What does ‘Field of use’ and ‘Relevant Background’ mean?
A: The term “field of use” refers to the specific area of application in which the potential licensee is allowed to use the intellectual property created under this agreement. Defining this area of application is essential to clearly delineate the rights and limitations of use.
In practice, the field of use often corresponds to the consortium partner’s domain of expertise. For example: the production of plant-based proteins for use in high-protein foods.
A broad definition of the field of use is not desirable, as it may lead to overlapping rights and, consequently, conflicts between parties.
If a party wishes to obtain a license for an invention resulting from the research, the party for whom the invention falls within the agreed field of use shall have the first right to obtain a license.
“Relevant background” refers to existing knowledge, technology, expertise, or data sources that each partner brings into the project and on which the collaboration is built. This can be important for agreements concerning intellectual property, usage rights, and exploitation.
Q: In the call text indicated for the scientific quality criteria the following is written (page 16 of the call text): ‘The planned activities to further develop, disseminate, and implement the results of the proposed research (TRL9) are well thought out and described for the partners’. Normally, for HH calls, they don’t financially support developments of more than TRL 6. We currently intend to have one work package on dissemination, implementation and future development but are doubting whether this is in line with the call for proposal or if it is better to take it out (to avoid getting to TRL levels > 6).
A: In the Tailored Lifestyle call, PPS-subsidy can only be used for R&D activities within PPS-projects. While the call text refers to dissemination, implementation, and future development (TRL9), this should be interpreted in terms of planning and describing how results will eventually be used and transferred, rather than financing activities beyond TRL 6. Therefore, you may include a work package on dissemination and implementation, but it must remain focused on research-related activities that qualify as R&D. Any developments beyond TRL 6 cannot be subsidised.
Budget and Funding
Q: Can a partnership of physicians in a regional hospital receive a grant? They have a Chamber of Commerce (KvK) registration number. Do they fall under the definition of an SME?
A: A partnership of physicians (Maatschap) in a regional hospital can only receive subsidy under the Tailored Lifestyle call if they can demonstrate that they qualify as an enterprise. This means they need to show evidence such as their own bank account, Chamber of Commerce (KvK) registration, and VAT number. In addition, they must meet the criteria for being classified as an SME (see call text). If these conditions are fulfilled, they would be eligible to apply.
Q: Which cost calculation systems are parties required to use when applying PPS-subsidy, and what about parties that do not use PPS-subsidy?
A: Parties that make use of PPS-subsidy are required to apply one of the three cost calculation systems prescribed by the Kaderbesluit nationale EZK- en LNV-subsidies:
- Integral cost system – the applicant calculates direct and indirect costs per cost carrier in a tariff per unit of that cost carrier.
- Wage costs plus fixed surcharge system – direct wage costs plus a fixed surcharge of 50% of wage costs for indirect costs.
- Fixed hourly rate system – €60 per hour for all functions (only for staff employed by the organisation).
Parties that do not apply for PPS-subsidy are not obliged to use one of these three systems. Student assistants and external staff fall under the cost category “third parties” and must be declared at actual costs.
Q: Can knowledge institutions hire PhD students for the projects?
A: Yes, the projects can hire PhD students (given the costs it might be suitable for the Signature project). We also recommend considering Engineering Doctorate (EngD) programmes. For instance, in the TU/e the Engineering Doctorate in Data Science and other disciplines is a prestigious programme designed to develop highly skilled professionals in the specific fields. It is essentially a collaboration projects with industry partners (for example ASML, Unilever, Philips, and many others), providing trainees with real-world experience and networking opportunities. The programme format entails the following:
- Graduation Projects: EngD is placed for up to 12 months in the company as an individual 1FTE, starting in mid-January and September 1, to work on a real solution for a company. Projects include designing data-driven solutions, machine learning models, and implementation in Python and many more.
- Training Projects: 10 weeks, teams of 3-5 trainees, 50% workload, with three yearly sessions. Projects focus on data scans, data analysis, and high-level design of data-driven solutions.
- Data Challenge Weeks: 5 days, twice per year, covering up to six different topics.
- Financing: The total cost of the EngD programme is €100,000. Industrial partners finance between 50% to 80% of these costs, making the programme an interesting opportunity for public-private partnerships. A borader EngD programme also exists in WUR.
Q: What about the Co-financing part of it? What kind of subsidy you can get when you have industrial versus experimental versus fundamental research?
A: The subsidy percentage and required co-financing depend on the type of research (fundamental, industrial, or experimental, or a combination of thereof). They also depend on the total project costs incurred by the various partners (knowledge institutes vs. SMEs). The call text includes two examples in section 5 of the call text illustrating how this structure may look.
Q: What is the maximum cost you can declare as a research organization?
A: The maximum cost you can declare is 70%, but the minimum required contribution is 10%. The remaining 20% can be filled with Co-funding cash or in-kind contributions by partners. Knowledge institutes can also provide additional in-kind contributions themselves (as shown in one of the examples in section 5 of the call text).
Q: The universities’ cost can be covered up to 70%. Is it for each university 70% or for one it can be 60% and for another – 80% with cumulative sum equal to 70%?
A: There is a max of 70% of costs which can be covered by the subsidy per knowledge institution. Lower percentage is possible, higher – is not.
Q: Can governmental bodies provide cash?
A: Yes.
Q: What can be contributed as in kind contributions?
A: Personnel time, use of facilities & equipment, use of existing datasets, use of proprietary software, provision of consumables/reagents/biological samples/essential materials, training & expertise, use of buildings, meeting rooms, office space etc., support in recruiting study participants, stakeholder engagement, access to industry contacts etc.
Q: Do we need to fill in and submit the budget form for the preproposal as well?
A: No, the table in the preproposal form is sufficient. The budget form can be used to calculate for yourself. The full proposal needs to be accompanied by the budget form.
Q: How much can the budget in the pre-proposal differ from the full proposal?
A: The total budget may vary by up to 5%. The distribution of funds among partners should remain largely unchanged. If the deviation exceeds 5% or if there are significant changes in the budget allocation between partners, a justification must be provided in the full proposal.
Q: Will the funds be given in one go or in instalments?
A: The funds will be given in instalments
Q: Does the SME involved in the Tailored Lifestyle Programme need to pay tax (VAT) on the subsidy?
A: The VAT position regarding the received subsidy depends on several factors, including:
- The nature of the activity between the paying and receiving party,
- The fiscal status of the receiving party,
- The annual turnover and other relevant aspects.
Each consortium partner is individually responsible for assessing and determining their own VAT position. This also means that each party is responsible for remitting any VAT that may be due on the subsidy received.
Please note that the granted subsidy amount is inclusive of any applicable VAT.
Q: Is it possible to put 3-year Phd in the budget sheet instead of 4 years? The actual appointment will be 4 years and the project duration also will be 4 years.
A: There are no specific rules that determine whether the costs for a PhD should be declared over 3 or 4 years. As long as these costs fall within the available budget and within the project duration, this is generally allowed.
Q: For the justification of the in-kind contribution, is a board declaration sufficient? Or is additional documentation required, such as time registration?
A: All partners within a project are required to maintain time registration, regardless of the form of accountability. The following information is normally provided to projects for this purpose:
Time Registration
Throughout the entire project period, a complete time registration must be maintained for every employee working on the project. The allocation of hours must be recorded per type of research, especially in cases where multiple research types are distinguished within the project.
Final Report
Within eight weeks after the project end date, the lead partner must submit a final report. The final report consists of a Word document for the substantive report and the same Excel file used for the financial accountability and output. The lead partner will receive the forms for the final report by email, and the Word document is also included with this document for reference (Appendix B1).
Board/Management Declaration
If a consortium partner within the project has used EUR 0 or less than EUR 125,000 in PPS subsidy, a board/management declaration must be submitted regarding the total project costs, in-kind contribution, any received PPS subsidy, and/or any in-cash contribution from that consortium partner. To demonstrate that the signatory of the board declaration is authorized to sign, an extract from the Chamber of Commerce (KvK) must be submitted with each board/management declaration, possibly supplemented by a mandate authorization. This is required for all Dutch consortium partners. A Dutch and English version of the board/management declaration template is included with this document for reference (Appendix C).
Audit Statement
If a consortium partner has used more than EUR 125,000 in PPS subsidy within the project, an audit statement must be submitted regarding the total project costs of that consortium partner. The audit protocol for PPS subsidy is included with this document for reference (Appendix D).
Note: Audit costs are not eligible for subsidy. Therefore, PPS subsidy may not be used to cover these costs.
Q: For PPS projects in which a participating party receives €125,000 or more in PPS subsidy, an audit statement must be submitted. Is this statement required for the entire project period, or for each reporting period in which the amount is exceeded?
A: The audit statement must cover the entire project period. Please ensure that the official start and end dates (as stated in both the auditor’s report and the project’s grant approval letter) match exactly.
Therefore, the audit statement must only be submitted at the end of the project, together with the final report, and only for those partners who have used €125,000 or more in PPS subsidy.
Q: According to table 1A and 1B below, the maximum PPS subsidy is calculated at the partner level, while the minimum own contribution is calculated at the project level. If the requirements of Table 1B are met at project level, is there still a minimum own contribution required per individual partner? The regulation states:
“All consortium partners must contribute in-kind. This means, among other things, that all consortium partners must incur personnel costs and provide an in-kind contribution, and that these costs and contributions must be visible in the budget form (Excel).”
A: Indeed, a minimum percentage applies at the project level for the contributions from research organizations (collectively) and companies (collectively).
There is no minimum percentage of own contribution per partner, but a partner’s costs may not be fully financed by external funds (such as PPS subsidy, cash from another consortium partner, or external funding such as from a health foundation, etc.).
Q: Is it allowed to calculate the own contribution (both in-kind and cash) at total project level and then allocate it proportionally across the partners? For example:
- Partner X provides an in-kind and/or cash contribution that (partially) covers the in-kind contribution of Partner Y.
- Partner Y is then (partially) reimbursed from the cash contribution of Partner Y.
A: There is only an in-kind contribution if Partner X finances a portion of their own incurred costs. An in-kind contribution from one partner, Partner X, cannot be used to cover the costs of Partner Y.
If there is a cash contribution from a partner, it must always be used to cover the costs of another partner.
So if Partner Y makes a cash contribution, and Partner X uses this cash to finance part of their own costs, this is allowed.
Q: In the budget form, the total in-kind contribution from non-profit organizations is not included in the calculation “Minimum required contribution – For-profit and non-profit enterprises” (cell AB-195). Is it allowed to adjust this formula so that this contribution is included?
A: This was indeed a mistake in a previous version of the Budget form. Therefore, the formula in cell AB-195 may be adjusted to:
=IF((T170+T177)>=AA195,”YES”,”NO”)
so that the contribution from non-profit enterprises is also included.
A revised Budget form can be found on our website.
Q: Is it correct that participating healthcare organizations may be classified as “non-profit enterprises”, as long as they are not public research institutions or government bodies (e.g., foundations or associations without profit motive)?
And does their in-kind contribution count toward the total in-kind contribution from all non-research institutions, and can these organizations receive PPS subsidy?
A: Organizations must demonstrate themselves that they meet the definition of a non-profit enterprise. Some healthcare institutions that do not operate under ANBI status can indeed meet this definition.
If so, their in-kind contribution counts toward the required minimum private contribution.
However, only SME-sized (small and medium-sized) non-profit enterprises are eligible to receive PPS subsidy.
Large non-profit enterprises are not eligible to receive PPS subsidy.
Q: What is an in-kind contribution in scientific research?
A: An in-kind contribution refers to non-monetary support provided by a project partner that adds measurable value to a research project. Instead of contributing cash, partners offer resources such as time, expertise, facilities, equipment, or data that would otherwise incur costs.
Examples include:
- Staff time
Personnel hours dedicated to the project, such as researchers, data analysts, policy officers, or support staff. These hours are calculated using realistic hourly rates based on actual salary costs or standard rates.
- Access to facilities
Use of laboratories, office space, clinical sites, meeting rooms, or other infrastructure relevant to the project.
- Equipment and technology
Use of existing equipment, lab instruments, software, or IT systems made available for project activities.
- Access to data
Provision of existing datasets, registries, patient records (anonymized), or sensor data that are valuable for research purposes.
- Education and training
Offering workshops, supervision, or coaching relevant to the research. This may also include hosting interns or PhD candidates.
- Practice involvement / implementation setting
Contributing a real-world environment for testing, piloting, or applying innovations developed during the project.
- Communication and outreach
Supporting dissemination, stakeholder engagement, or use of networks to share results or recruit participants.
What are the conditions for an in-kind contribution?
- The contribution must be relevant to the project objectives.
- The value should be clearly justified and realistically calculated.
- It must be verifiable (e.g., through time registration).
- The contribution cannot be double-funded (e.g., already covered by another grant)
Letters of Intent
Q: Is a Letter of intent (LoI) binding for the next step (full proposal)?
A: No, this is not binding. For the full proposal phase we request Letters of Commitment, which are legally binding.
Q: Do all letters of intent have to be submitted with the pre-proposal?
A: Yes, the letters of intent need to be there already in the pre-proposal phase. They do not have to be signed by someone authorized to put signatures. But have