Travel expense options
Unit cost option for travel expenses
A unit cost option for travel expenses is being used during the programme period 2021–2027 for specific projects funded pursuant to the Act on the Financing of Regional Development and European Union Regional and Structural Policy Projects 13 August 2021/757 (Link to external site).
In the option, eligible travel expenses of a project are calculated by multiplying the unit cost applicable to the trip by the eligible units, i.e. the eligible travel days. A travel day (a period of up to 24 hours) starts when a person leaves their place of employment or residence and ends when they return to their place of employment or residence. Each starting travel day entitles the person to reimbursement at the unit cost.
The unit costs for travel expenses are:
- Travel expenses for domestic journeys in connection with a project where a one-way journey of more than 15 km from the person’s place of employment or residence takes place:
a) for project staff, the unit cost is €176 per travel day; and
b) for representatives of the project target group and participating organisations, the unit cost is €132 per travel day; - Travel expenses for trips abroad in connection with a project:
a) the unit cost of travel to Europe is €368 per travel day; and
b) the unit cost of travel outside Europe is €720 per travel day.
In the case of trips abroad, the unit costs do not differ between project staff and representatives of a target group or a participating organisation.
In the case of trips abroad, the unit cost option for travel expenses may be used for projects funded pursuant to the Act on the Financing of Regional Development and European Union Regional and Structural Policy Projects (Link to external site, in Finnish) of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) and the Just Transition Fund (JTF) where the flat rate 7% option is used. The option may also be used as support for the preparation of a cost estimate for lump-sum compensation projects funded pursuant to the Act on the Financing of Regional Development and European Union Regional and Structural Policy Projects. The option is not applied to business subsidies and business environment development subsidies pursuant to the Act on the Development of State Aid for Business Development in 2021–2028 758/2021 (Link to external site, in Finnish).
The intermediate body indicates the cost options available for a project funding call in the call for applications. In accordance with the principles of transparency and equal treatment of applicants, the intermediate body must also indicate in the call for applications and the guidelines for applicants in advance on a case-by-case basis the procedures for calculating the cost estimates for lump-sum compensation projects.
When using the unit cost option for travel expenses, special attention must be paid in the preparation of the project plan to ensure that the travel expenses presented in the project plan are sufficient for the content of the project, but also realistic and appropriate.
To qualify for the reimbursement of travel expenses, the beneficiary must provide proof of trips and travel days incurred in the application for payment of the subsidy with
- a travel expense report verifying the duration of the trip and indicating the starting and ending times of the trip; and
- a travel or meeting report or other document verifying participation. The verifying documents must clearly indicate the purpose of the trip for all the participants and the fact that the trip was due to the project.
The unit costs for travel expenses are valid at the current confirmed rate, and the unit costs valid on the date of the decision on the subsidy must be applied to the project for its entire duration. The managing authority will review the need to adjust the unit cost rate on an annual basis.