What is an audit of a special type?

“An auditor often becomes a communication bridge between the scientists and the accounting department.”

The idea that the objective of an audit of a special type is only to check the eligibility of the claimed expenses within each grant is very widespread, very simplifying and – above all – incorrect.

The audit also plays a significant and very beneficial role in the checking and description of the processes within the organization.

It is not a rare occurrence that an accounting department which otherwise performs excellent work does not know how to communicate with the project manager and vice versa. The fact that a scientist cannot hire an “economic secretary” for economic management of the project and at the same time is unable to explain the principles of funding defined by the signed grant agreement to the staff of the accounting department, or that the staff of the accounting department often speak no English and have no experience in the funding of these grants ultimately results in unnecessary errors.

An auditor, in addition to checking the legitimacy of the use of the project costs in accordance with the provider’s conditions and the contractual relations of the project, presents recommendations, based on its experience with the particular type of audit, improving the organization’s internal controls.

Forms of audits of a special type:

1. Certificate of audited bill

The contracting party (grant recipient) obtains this certificate which is presented by an independent auditor. A Financial Audit Agreement is entered into by and between the contracting party and the auditor. The European Commission does not interfere with this agreement. The auditor’s statement in this case is issued for the contracting party’s use.

2. Audit ordered by the European Commission

Scientific, technological ethical, financial. It can be ordered at any time during the project and also up to five years after the end of the project. It can be performed by the Commission’s auditor, the European Court of Auditors, or an external auditor which was appointed by the European Commission. The costs which such auditor considers ineligible will be required back including penalties and fines.