Consultancy as an eligible expense covers external professional services needed to prepare or implement a project – process analysis, solution design, supplier selection, legal and technological consultations, or preparation of documentation. Calls generally allow it, but limit it to a percentage share of the budget, so the project is not made up predominantly of services. A condition for recognition is a tangible output: a document, an analysis, a design, or a report, not just a record of hours worked. The reasonableness of the price against usual market rates is also assessed. Expenditure on preparing the application itself tends to be eligible only exceptionally, and this must be checked in the call. The contract with the consultant should therefore precisely define the outputs, deadlines, and the method of acceptance. Acceptance of the output is documented by a handover protocol, which an inspection will request together with the invoice when verifying.
See also: Advisory voucher, Verification of cost-effectiveness of expenditure, Grant Advisor.
