Onboarding webinar: Contribution Agreement features and functionalities in the Funding and Tenders Portal for pillar assessed organisations

From 1 February 2024, the encoding of certain types of Contribution Agreements under EU External Actions through a module in OPSYS will become mandatory.

Currently, participation in the initial phase of the Contribution Agreement module rollout in OPSYS is on a voluntary basis. As an entrusted partner of the European Commission, and following your prior agreement with the Contracting Authority, during this voluntary phase you can sign (with or without e-signature) and manage your Contribution Agreements from the Funding and Tender Opportunities Portal (OPSYS).

To sign Contracts electronically, and apart from a valid PIC (Participant Identification Code), you will need to have a LEAR (Legal Entity Appointed Representative). Should you have any questions related to PIC registration/validation and LEAR appointment for your entrusted entity, please contact INTPA-PIC-MANAGEMENTec [dot] europa [dot] eu (INTPA-PIC-MANAGEMENT[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu) for support.

In the Funding and Tenders Portal, you will be able to manage information concerning your organisation, and manage your contracts, which includes e-signature, submission of deliverables (inception reports, progress reports, final reports, etc.), launch of amendments to your Contracts, and manage results and indicators. Please view the dedicated online documentation on our EXACT – External Action Wiki.

Even though this initial rollout phase of Contribution Agreements in OPSYS is on a voluntary basis, we strongly advise your participation (providing you meet the requirements to sign electronically). Your participation in this voluntary phase will contribute to the preparedness of your organisation to the full and required rollout in Q1 – 2024.

If you choose not to participate in the initial rollout phase, for any reason, there is no modification in the actual procedure for Contribution Agreements. Also note that the following Contribution Agreements are not yet managed in OPSYS, so are not concerned by this initial rollout:

• Contribution Agreements with Financial Instruments (CAFI)
• Contribution Agreements with European Bank of Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
• Contribution Agreements with European Investment Bank (EIB)
• Contribution Agreements with World Bank Group (WBG)
• Contribution Agreements in foreign currency
• Contribution Agreements in direct management (including Calls for Proposals)
• Sensitive contracts (non-classified)

To support partners in this transition, we have organised an onboarding webinaron the Contribution Agreement features and functionalities in the Funding and Tenders Portal for pillar assessed organisations on 28 November 2023 from 14.00 to 16.00 (CET). The webinar will be recorded and disseminated via INTPA Academy under the category ‘Financial and Contractual Procedures’.