IGLO report on Lump Sum Funding

In May 2026, a total of 67 research managers from 23 European countries came together for the third edition of IGLO in Action on Lump Sum Funding. Organised jointly by KoWi and NORCORE in cooperation with the IGLO network, the online workshop provided a platform for practitioners to exchange experiences with the implementation of lump sum funding in collaborative projects under Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe.

The newly published report documents the participants’ experiences and discussions across key aspects of project implementation. These include documentation and evidence requirements in lump sum projects, the management of changes during the project lifecycle, the implementation and monitoring of work packages, collaboration with consortium partners, and the impact of the funding model on institutional project management processes.

The discussions showed that simplified financial reporting is widely perceived as a benefit. At the same time, participants highlighted that questions surrounding the documentation of project progress, the assessment of work package completion, and the management of changes and risks continue to generate extensive debate within the research community.

The experiences shared during the workshop demonstrate that the practical use of lump sum funding is steadily increasing across Europe. However, further experience will be needed before a comprehensive assessment can be made of the funding model and its potential to simplify project implementation. The report summarises the main observations, experiences and open questions, providing an up-to-date insight into the implementation of lump sum funding in European collaborative research projects.

IGLO REPORT ON LUMP SUM FUNDING

Source: KoWi