Relations between the EIT and the Innovation Communities, as the beneficiaries of the EIT grant, are laid down in agreements that set out their respective rights and obligations, ensure an adequate level of coordination, and outline the mechanism for reporting, payment and control arrangements, monitoring and evaluating Innovation Community activities and outcomes.

These comprise two types of agreements:

• The long-term cooperation between the EIT and each Innovation Community will be formalised within a seven-year Framework Partnership Agreement (FPA). This agreement specifies the general rights and obligations of each party. The FPA can be renewed, subject to the EIT Governing Board’s approval.
• The Specific Grant Agreement is the contractual instrument through which the EIT implements ‘specific grants’ – typically on an annual basis – to finance Innovation Community added-value activities (‘specific actions’) implemented by the Innovation Community.

The EIT is a part of the Horizon 2020 framework programme; consequently the texts of the agreements are based on the Horizon 2020 rules and the standard Horizon 2020 templates.

The agreements are signed by the EIT Director, as the EIT’s legal representative, and the Innovation Community CEO, as the Innovation Community’s legal representative. AnInnovation Community partner may benefit from the EIT grant through acceding to the FPA by signing an internal agreement with the Innovation Community Legal Entity and signing the Accession Form (Annex IV to the FPA).