FUNDING AND SUPPORT

Budget
The REFLESS Project budget is a planned projection of funds necessary for its realization - 925 592,80 €, out of which 830 592,80 € is TEMPUS program grant financed by EACEA and the rest (95 000,00 €) is co-financed by the members of a Consortium. During realization, the budget distribution can be adjusted to the needs of the project according to the EACEA rules and with prior agreement of all members of of the Consortium.

Financial management
University of Belgrade, as a coordinator of the project, is responsible for grant administration in accordance with the terms presented in agreement and annex IV. Money administration is always a big responsibility, therefore, we've introduced an online, real-time cash-flow chart which makes our financial management visible and transparent to all the members of the Consortium. Having transparency and agility in mind as the highest values of the project, the consortium members have introduced iterative budget revisions (every 6 months) in order to provide better resources distribution and additional guarantee that the grant is being administrated well and in accordance with needs of the project.

Project costs (direct and indirect)
Realization of the project of this scope and reach takes a lot of time and energy and we understand that people need to be appropriately compensated for their creative work on the project in line with expectations and requirements. The first thing to look at is that the staff budget (which cannot exceed 40% of total eligible direct costs) for over 150 people in a 3-year period is 279 640,00 €.

Working visits and trainings are one of the major sources of professional information, and they benefit the speed and quality of the project’s progress. In order to carry out the reform of language studies in accordance with European standards, we have to make sure that we know them first. By learning from successful examples, we are preventing the ‘learn-from-mistakes’ or experimental style that would bring about significant unplanned and unnecessary costs. Working visits give us a chance to learn in situ from our partners’ experience and implement or adjust elements of their practice to our context, and the part of the budget for travel costs and costs of stay is 416 400, 00 €. Since coordination visits have an important role in a successful management of the project, this part of budget covers their expenses too.

The equipment relevant for the project’s efficiency and quality of outputs has the budget portion of 125 300,00 €. Our obligation is to keep publishing project’s progress and results of our work (both in paper and electronic format), as well as materials necessary for successful implementation of our specific objectives, for which we have 8 700,00 € on our disposal for the 3 year period.

Other costs, such as costs for dissemination of information (advertising in the media, promotional materials), hire of premises for dissemination activities, inter-project coaching, external audit etc., account for another 35 000,00 €.

The total amount for indirect costs (which include stationery, general photocopying, office supplies, Internet, postage and telecommunication directly related to the project, etc.) is fixed at 7% of total eligible costs, i.e. 60 552,80 €.

The expenses described above are budget projections which are subject to adjustments if necessary, but respecting our obligations and budget distribution restrictions proscribed in the Annex IV of Grant Agreement.

Our obligations are put forth in the project proposal, and we are responsible towards the TEMPUS program of the European Commision and to our immense desire to help Serbia become a full member of the EU family of nations speaking many different languages but perfectly understanding each other regardless.

PROJECT COSTS SUMMARY

TOTAL ELIGIBLE COST	925 592,80 €
Direct cost	865 040,00 €
Staff costs	279 640,00 €
Travel costs and costs of stay	416 400,00 €
Equipment	125 300,00 €
Printing & Publishing	8 700,00 €
Other costs	35 000,00 €
Indirect costs	60 552,80 €

REFLESS PROJECT INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT

REFLESS TEMPUS project has gained support of all national policy and decision makers in the in the area of higher education, language education policy and European integrations. Together with the consortium members, the project’s wider and specific objectives are also supported by:

National Council for Science - headed by Prof. Dr Vera Dondur, with her significant contribution to the higher education reform in Serbia from the very beginning of the accreditation process. She is actively participating in project’s activities. Thanks to prof. Dondur’s initiative, the work on suggestions for legislative changes has started, and this would enable professionals to teach at the higher education level. The other change proposed includes introducing obligatory level B2 foreign language at master level for all primary (from 5th grade) and secondary school teachers. Also, the presence of foreign languages in the curricula of non-native disciplines is being analyzed thanks to professor Dondur. She is also the chair of The team for reform of higher education - HERE team, whose member is the REFLESS project coordinator Jasmina Nikolic. Another HERE team member, professor Zorana Luzanin, helps the project during the phase of analysis of the first labor market survey.

Commission for Accreditation and Quality Assurance of the Republic of Serbia, headed by professor Vera Vujičić has also provided us with valuable support. The work on defining benchmarks for foreign languages and related subjects as a discipline and on standards for language, translation and interpretation has started due to the initiative of professor Vujičić.

National Higher Education Council participates in all the meetings of the REFLESS project consortium and contributes actively to the quality of project’s work.

Council of Europe Office to the Republic of Serbia, European Commission Office to the Republic of Serbia, European Center for Modern Languages in Graz, Subject Center for Langauges, Linguistics and Area Studies in the UK, National Center for Languages (CILT), Directorate General for Interpretation of the European Commission have also given their support to the REFLESS project.