Slovenia: MVZI

Doroteja Zlobec

doroteja.zlobec@gov.si

8 research projects with Slovenian applicants.

Basic or industrial research TRL 1-6 (foreseen activities of the Slovenian partner).

The type of research to be carried out by Slovenian researchers must be identified and explained in the project proposal.

Legal basis:

• State Administration Act (Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia [Uradni list RS], Nos 113/05 – official consolidated version, 89/07 – Constitutional Court Decision, 126/07 – ZUP-E, 48/09, 8/10 – ZUP-G, 8/12 – ZVRS-F, 21/12, 47/13, 12/14, 90/14, 51/16, 36/21, 82/21, 189/21, 153/22 and 18/23; hereinafter: ZDU-1);
• Public Finance Act (Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia [Uradni list RS], Nos 11/11 – official consolidated text, 14/13 – corr., 101/13, 55/15 – ZFisP, 96/15 – ZIPRS1617, 13/18, 195/20 – Constitutional Court Decision, 18/23 – ZDU-1O and 76/23, hereinafter: ZJF);
• Scientific Research and Innovation Activity Act (Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia [Uradni list RS], Nos 186/21 and 40/23, hereinafter: ZZrID);
• Rules on co-funding scientific research activities (Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia [Uradni list RS], No 69/23);
• Rules determining special projects of national importance and the regulatory framework for the determination of salaries for researchers (Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia [Uradni list RS], No 126/23);
• Act Regulating the Implementation of the Budgets of the Republic of Slovenia for 2025 and 2026 – ZIPRS2526 (Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia [Uradni list RS], No 104/24);
• Budget of the Republic of Slovenia for 2025 (Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia [Uradni list RS], No 123/23 and 104/24), Budget of the Republic of Slovenia for 2026 (Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia [Uradni list RS], No 104/24);
• Integrity and Prevention of Corruption Act (Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia [Uradni list RS], No 69/11 – official consolidated text, 158/20, 3/22 – ZDeb and 16/23-ZZPri);
• Personal Data Protection Act (Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia [Uradni list RS], No 163/22; hereinafter: ZVOP-2);
• Trade Secrets Act (Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia [Uradni list RS], No 22/19, hereinafter: ZPosS);
• Public Procurement Act (Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia [Uradni list RS], Nos 91/15, 14/18, 121/21, 10/22, 74/22 – Constitutional Court Decision, 100/22 – ZNUZSZS, 28/23 and 88/23 – ZOPNN-F, hereinafter: ZJN-3);
• Resolution on the Slovenian Scientific Research and Innovation Strategy 2030 (Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia [Uradni list RS], No 49/22);
• Decree on scientific research public funding from the budget of the Republic of Slovenia (Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia [Uradni list RS], Nos 35/22, 144/22 and 79/23);
• The criteria for determining the achievement of internationally comparable research results and the period covering internationally comparable research achievements for research project or programme leaders, effective from 22 May 2024 (available at https://www.arrs.si/sl/akti/kriteriji-vodja-maj24.asp);
• Framework for State Aid for Research and Development and Innovation (2014/C 198/01);
• Programme of collaborative research and development and other projects subject to State aid from the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport 2022-2030, available at: https://www.gov.si/assets/ministrstva/MVZI/Znanost/Strategije-predpisi-in-drugi-dokumenti/Program-sodelovalnih-raziskovalno-razvojnih-projektov-in-drugih-projektov-ki-so-predmet-drzavnih-pomoci-MVZI-2022-2030.pdf);
• Decree on the implementation of scientific research work in accordance with the principles of open science (Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia [Uradni list RS], No 59/23);
• Open Science Action Plan for the implementation of Action 6.2: Open science to improve the quality, efficiency and responsiveness of research in the framework of the Resolution on the Scientific Research and Innovation Strategy of Slovenia 2030 of 31 May 2023, No 63100-1/2023/5 (available at: https://www.arrs.si/sl/dostop/inc/24/Akcijski_nacrt_odprta%20znanost.pdf).

"Research organisations", as defined in the ZZrID, are eligible for co-funding. All participating organisations must be registered in the register of research organisations of the Public Agency for Scientific Research and Innovation of the Republic of Slovenia (Slovenian Current Research Information System, hereinafter: the SICRIS).

The eligibility of the research leader and other members of the research team: The project activities of each Slovenian partner must be supervised by a research leader who fulfils the conditions for a project leader as defined in paragraph one of Article 63 of the ZzrID. Regarding the definition of internationally comparable research outputs, the criteria for determining the achievement of internationally comparable research results and the period covering internationally comparable research achievements for the management of a research project or programme of 22 May 2024 are available at https://www.arrs .si/sl/akti/kriteriji-vodja-maj24.asp

All participating researchers must be registered in the SICRIS and have available research hours.

The total funding requested per project for all Slovenian partners within a consortium may not exceed EUR 300,000.00 for the entire duration (3 years) of the project.

Eligible costs

The Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation will finance all eligible costs of Slovenian applicants in selected transnational projects, in accordance with the Decree on scientific research public funding from the budget of the Republic of Slovenia. Eligible costs must be directly related to the research carried out and must include all of the following categories of direct costs:

• Personnel (including social, health, pension and other contributions in accordance with national legislation);
• Materials (travel and meeting expenses, consumables, dissemination and knowledge exchange costs and other costs);
• Depreciation costs.
• Indirect costs are eligible for up to 25% of direct costs.

For more detailed explanations, please refer to the Navodila za prijavitelje in upravičence (Instructions for Applicants and Eligible Persons) (available at: https://www.gov.si/teme/javno-javna-partnerstva-na-podrocju-raziskav-in-inovacij/).

In the event of the application of the Rules determining special projects of national importance and the regulatory framework for the determination of salaries for researchers, costs will be planned in accordance with the provisions of this Annex.

Public expenditure eligibility period: from the financial year 2027, until the end of the financial year 2029.

Project expenditure eligibility period: From the start date of the transnational project, as specified in the National Documentation for the duration of the project, with the prescribed additional 30-day deadline for the payment of invoices related to the project costs. The project expenditure eligibility period starts after the entry into force of the consortium agreement between the selected consortium partners from the date on which the national co-funding contract enters into force.

The co-funding contract enters into force on the date of the fulfilment of the suspensive condition, i.e. on the date of the conclusion/signing of the consortium agreement. The consortium agreement shall be deemed to be signed when the last signatory party signs it. If the consortium agreement is not signed at the latest within one year from the date of the start of the project (as specified in the national documentation), the contract between the parties shall not enter into force and therefore no rights and obligations shall arise between them In this case, the contracting party cannot demand performance from the counterparty as agreed in the above-mentioned contract. As from the date of the entry into force of the contract, the eligible person shall be entitled to the payment of eligible costs and expenses incurred by it as a result of the implementation of the project from the date of the start of the project.

In accordance with the co-funding contract and the National Annex.