Dissemination and Communication
The dissemination of project results to a specialist audience and the communication of project results within a broad social framework are central criteria for the evaluation of projects under the headings dissemination and communication and must be taken into account at the time of application and described in the application.
In the application and negotiation phase
The dissemination activities may be part of the evaluation criteria defined in the work programme.
Usually communication and dissemination activities are evaluated as part of the impact of the project. Dissemination is mainly understood as scientific dissemination and communication as science communication into society.
Create a detailed "Dissemination and Exploitation Plan" as well as a "Communication Plan" already in the application phase!
During the negotiation phase, the EU Commission may ask you to improve and expand your activities in this field.
During the project period
The EU Commission is authorised to publish information on projects.
The beneficiaries are obliged to provide reports (periodic and final reports) in a form that can be published by the Commission at specified times. The reports also contain information on the expected results of the project and their social impact.
As the Commission publishes the reports in a way that is generally accessible, their contents should also be presented in a way that is comprehensible to a wider public.
A link to the project website must exist and it must be ensured that it is up to date. The link will be published on the Commission's website with general information on each funded project.
Beneficiaries should take measures to contact the public and representatives of the media. This should highlight the financial support provided by the EU.
After the end of the project
Project results must be disseminated as quickly as possible.
Beneficiaries are obliged to provide free online access to all peer-reviewed publications.
As far as possible, research data must be made available through open repositories (see also Open Research Data Pilot).
The Commission may use and publish non-confidential materials and information received from beneficiaries free of charge.
Beneficiaries must also report to the EU Commission on the successful implementation of the "Dissemination and Exploitation Plan" and the "Communication Plan".
The final report must present a summary of the project in a form that can be published by the Commission. The summary shall include information on the results and social impact of the project.
The final report should include a plan for further dissemination of the project results in order to highlight the added value and positive impact of the project for the EU.
This final report should also include:
- a list of all scientific, peer-reviewed publications of the project results,
- a list of all applications for patents, trademarks, registered designs etc.,
- a list of all usable project results and
- a social impact report.
Any dissemination of project content can and must refer to EU funding (HE MGA: Art. 17 - Communication, dissemination and visibility) and include the EU-Emblem. ERC projects must be marked with the ERC emblem. Please refer to the relevant guidelines.
The funding must be indicated (for Horizon 2020 projects) e.g. as follows:
"This project has received funding from the [European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No [Number]]".