Can equipment be purchased using the account for non-personnel costs?

Equipment up to a value of €1,500.00 (including VAT) can be purchased using funds for non-personnel costs. 

Pieces of equipment costing more than €1,500.00 are subject to the new equipment process and must be purchased by the respective research institution that has an agreement with the FWF. These costs can be reimbursed afterwards by the FWF from the respective project funds by means of a detailed reimbursement process.

Can I as the research partner or project part leader purchase equipment costing more than €1,500.00?

Yes, if the research institution with which you are affiliated has an equipment contract with the FWF, and the principal investigator has given his/her consent.

What happens with the equipment when the project is over?

Upon payment, the equipment becomes the property of the research institution. The consent of the FWF must be obtained before selling or donating the equipment.

Is there a maximum limit on equipment costs?

The amount of equipment costs covered is based essentially on the vendor quotes presented in the application.

What do I have to keep in mind if the vendor quotes from the application phase have changed?

In this case, you must inform the FWF about the cost changes and submit a new vendor quote and a new cost justification. The costs indicated in the vendor quote must be the same amount as those mentioned in the text of the cost justification. The costs in both the vendor quote and the text must be clearly justified and identical down to the last detail. The specific service, the number of services or working hours, and the corresponding costs must be able to be identified.

My project was approved before 1 October 2015. Where can I find more detailed information?

Please contact the FWF Office, and more specifically, the project audit team.

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