JISC

11 October 2006 town meeting

What are the fEC requirements for FE Colleges?           
FE Colleges are not subject to fEC and TRAC methodology. They should calculate the cost of the project using their existing costing practices/mechanisms.

Are there any methods of making yourself more available to become part of a partnership?        
JISC does not offer ‘match-making’ facilities for partnerships. ALT is looking to facilitate/introduce partnerships as part of the e-learning strand of the programme. Please contact Rhonda Riachi at ALT for further information.  Email: alt@brookes.ac.uk Tel: +44 (0)1865 484125 Fax: +44 (0)1865 484165

Is there a bias in marking toward collaboration?
No, not unless specifically stated. Where partnerships exist, they should be strategically important to the project.

Is there a bias in marking towards projects which benefit the UK market, not just England or Wales?
International benefits will be noted but not evaluated as part of the marking process.

Will matched funding from institutions be required?       
The repositories strand of the programme requires a minimum of 50% matched funding. For other strands institutions should look at the benefits to the institutions and any project partners, and the benefits to the sector and come up with a reasonable contribution.

Where should I submit the bid?            
All bids should be submitted electronically, hard copies will not be accepted. Details of where you should send the bids are outlined in the ‘submissions’ section in the relevant appendix of JISC Circular 4/06.

When marking bids will the evaluation percentage for value for money be greater than 15%?     
The evaluation criteria will be weighted as follows:

• Quality of proposal & workplan (30%)
• Impact (30%)
• Partnership & dissemination (10%)
• Value for money (15%)
• Experience (15%)

If bids are to be submitted electronically how do I submit supporting letters from my institution and partners?
JISC will only accept electronic bids for this capital call. Any supporting letters should be scanned and submitted electronically.

Can Scottish partners have project funding?     
Scottish partners who are led by an English or Welsh institution are able to have project funding however, the majority of funding should not be going to the Scottish partner

When using the 80% rule in calculating fEC how do you calculate the cost of sub contracting?   
JISC has not stated fEC should be calculated on an 80% basis, funding contributions should depend on the nature and value of the project to project partners and the sector as a whole. When sub contracting within a project institutions should go through the necessary procurement process.

Is there any flexibility on the number HE FTEs in FE institutions when consider eligibility to bid?  
No. Bids may only be submitted by FE institutions in England which teach HE to more than 100 FTEs.

What is the difference between a sub contractor and a partner?            
Partners should be bringing something ‘to the table’ for your project and are part of the project team in the bidding process. Sub contractors are not up front and should be sought once a project has been awarded funding through the appropriate procurement methods.

Do all projects have to start in March 2007?    
Yes. Funding is available for projects staring in March 2007 for up to two years depending on the area of work. All projects must be complete by the end of March 2009.

When calculating budgets what should the inflationary percentage be?   
There is no fixed percentage for inflationary costs. Inflationary costs are usually associated with staff salaries and should be calculated in line with current predictions.

Is there a limit on collaboration with international partners e.g. US or European?            
There is no limit but institutions should be realistic about partnerships.  However, the majority of funding should not go to overseas partners.

In cases where there is funding for six months, is it possible to submit more than one bid which would run concurrently?
No. JISC would not want a second six month project starting after the initial one had finished.

How ‘creative’ can matched funding be?          
Matched funding for the repository strand stands at 50%. However, this can include indirect costs.

Should JISC Programme Managers be involved with project steering committees?        
It will not be possible for JISC Programme Managers to be involved with project steering committees due to time constraints, but clear lines of communications are essential. JISC Programme Managers should only be involved of the project is transitioning to a service.

Is it possible to make a profit from any services or tools produced from projects?         
Anything produced through JISC funding needs to be made freely available to the sector but this does not exclude institutions going outside the sector to make a profit.

Has there ever been a case when two rival bids were very similar and how was it decided to fund the chosen project?
The panel could not recall a case where two bids were very similar as JISC receives a large variety of submissions.

Concerning the evaluation weighting of 10% for partnerships and dissemination, would an individual bid be less likely to succeed rather than a bid which was a partnership?      
The term ‘partnership’ in that context refers to the partnership of working with JISC. ‘Partnership and dissemination – the degree to which the proposal demonstrates an openness and willingness to work in partnership with JISC in forward planning, dissemination and evaluation, and the potential for extended partnership beyond the funding period (10%).’

Would JISC prefer to fund a multi-institutional bid or one from a single institution?         
There is no preference towards partnership bids unless explicitly stated in a particular call. Institutions must bear in mind the benefits to the sector when scoping a project.