Post Award Handbook
3. Project Spend and Monitoring
Key Users
- Research Finance
- Departmental & Finance Administrators
- Principal Investigators
At a glance
This section explains how projects are monitored to help keep them on track. It covers oversight activities, identifying potential risks early, and using reporting to provide timely support where it’s needed.Can't find what you are looking for?
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Contents:
Intro:
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is the UK's main public research funder, comprising seven research councils — EPSRC, BBSRC, ESRC, MRC, NERC, AHRC and STFC — plus Innovate UK and Research England. All UKRI awards are subject to standard terms and conditions, with some council-specific variations. UKRI funds at 80% fEC, with certain costs funded at 100% under the Exceptions heading. Income is paid quarterly via BACS according to the grant payment schedule. Document retention is 6 years after submission of the Final Expenditure Statement.
Key rules at a glance:
Start of project
- Projects can usually be delayed up to 6 months from the award letter date — beyond this, an exceptional slippage request is required
- Where a fixed start date is specified, no delays are permitted
- Costs before the official start date are permitted provided they do not precede the award letter date
- A start certificate must be submitted via the funder portal within 42 days of the project starting
During the project
- All directly incurred costs must be actual, evidenced, and within project dates
- DI staff working less than 100% FTE must complete monthly timesheets
- Research Fellows must be employed for the full fellowship duration
- Travel must demonstrate business need and value for money — standard/economy class only
- Equipment should not be purchased in the last 6 months without prior written approval from UKRI
- Equipment over £25,000 (excl. VAT) requires involvement of procurement staff before purchase
- Equipment costs are ring-fenced and cannot be transferred or repurposed
- Virements are permitted only within and between DI costs and Exceptions
- Redundancy, alcohol, holiday pay in lieu, bonuses, Open Access, and student-related costs are ineligible
End of project
- Final Expenditure Statement must be submitted within 90 days of the grant end date
- Late submission penalties: over 3 months = 20% of eligible costs sanctioned; over 6 months = 100% recovered
- A Supplementary Expenditure Statement must be submitted within 60 days of reconciliation payment where an error is identified
- PIs must submit research outputs annually and for 5 years after project end — failure results in financial sanctions
The following processes are particularly relevant to UKRI funded projects. Select a link to view the full guidance.
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PR12 — Start certificatesLink opens in a new window (section 2.6)
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PR18 — Research timesheet procedureLink opens in a new window (section 3.5)
- PR7 — Funder reportingLink opens in a new window (section 4.7)
- PR13 — Invoice and claim preparationLink opens in a new window (section 4.4)
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PE3 — Quarter end redundancy and relocation checksLink opens in a new window (section 3.11)
UKRI crib sheet
A summary of key UKRI terms, cost eligibility rules, funding rates, and reporting requirements for post-award management.
UKRI cost eligibility guide
PI and departmental guidance on eligible and ineligible costs for UKRI funded projects, covering staff, equipment, travel, and other costs.
UKRI FES checklist
A checklist to work through when preparing and submitting the Final Expenditure Statement on UKRI funded projects. .
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Intro:
Innovate UK is the UK's innovation agency and part of UKRI. It funds business-led innovation projects across a range of competition types, each with their own specific cost guidance. All awards are subject to Innovate UK standard terms and conditions, with eligible costs recovered on an actual cost basis. Claims are submitted quarterly via the Innovate Funding Service (IFS) portal. Document retention is 10 years from the date of final payment.
Key rules at a glance:
Start of project
- Eligible costs can only be incurred from the start date stated in the Grant Offer Letter
- A monthly baseline spend profile must be submitted via the portal before the project start date
During the project
- All costs must be listed in the approved application, actual, evidenced, and fall within project dates
- DI staff not working 100% on the project must complete timesheets
- Overheads are allowed only for eligible posts, proportionate to FTE and claimed per period
- Virements between fund headings are not permitted without prior approval — submit a Project Change Request (PCR)
- All project changes including extensions, partner changes, and budget reallocations must be submitted via PCR by the lead partner
- Redundancy, bonuses, merit pay, holiday pay in lieu, audit fees, and Open Access costs are ineligible
Claims and reporting
- Claims submitted quarterly in arrears, within 30 days of the end of each reporting period
- All claims must cover only incurred and defrayed costs and include a salary reconciliation and transaction listing for non-staff costs
- Include at least 3 supporting documents per cost item where no IAR is submitted
- Audit requirement depends on grant value — under £50k requires a Statement of Expenditure; £50k and above requires an Independent Accountant's Report (IAR)
- If IAR is in progress at the submission deadline, save a draft claim in the portal by the deadline and submit the full claim once the IAR is complete
- Final claim must be submitted within 90 days of project end; draft final claim within 30 days
- All costs must be defrayed within 30 days of project end
The following processes are particularly relevant to UKRI funded projects. Select a link to view the full guidance.
-
PR12 —Start certificatesLink opens in a new windowLink opens in a new window (section 2.6)
-
PR18 — Research timesheet procedureLink opens in a new windowLink opens in a new window (section 3.5)
- PR7 — Funder reportingLink opens in a new windowLink opens in a new window (section 4.7)
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PR13 — Invoice and claim preparationLink opens in a new windowLink opens in a new window (section 4.4)
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PE3 — Quarter end redundancy and relocation checksLink opens in a new windowLink opens in a new window (section 3.11)
IUK crib sheet
A summary of key Innovate UK terms, cost eligibility rules, claim requirements, and reporting deadlines for post-award management.
Innovate UK cost guidance
Audit preparation guidance
A guide to organising and uploading project audit documentation to the Huddle portal, covering folder structure, naming conventions, and evidence requirements.
Annex 5 - Standard terms of engagement of accountants
The pre-agreed terms under which Innovate UK grant recipients engage an independent accountant to carry out a reasonable assurance engagement and produce an Independent Accountant's Report.
Annex 6 - IUK audit thresholds
Sets out the audit requirements for Innovate UK funded projects based on grant value, including when an Independent Accountant's Report is required.
Annex 7 - IAR template
The required template for completing an Independent Accountant's Report on Innovate UK funded projects.
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For comprehensive guidance on European Commission funded projects including Horizon Europe, H2020, and MSCA, visit the Research Finance EC funding guidance pages.
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Worktribe tasks are internal reminders that help Research Finance track what needs to happen on a project and when. Each task is linked to a live project and can be assigned to a team member, given a due date, and updated with comments as work progresses. Using tasks consistently means nothing gets missed, responsibilities are clear, and the whole team can see the status of work across their portfolio. For most funders, tasks are created automatically using templates that pull in project dates — so there's no need to add each action individually.
Worktribe task management
Use when creating, editing, closing or delegating tasks in Worktribe, or setting up tasks using funder templates.Worktribe managing and closing tasks
Use when reviewing the tasks due report, closing tasks, or changing project end dates in Worktribe.Getting started in Worktribe
An introductory guide covering how to access Worktribe, navigate the system, download the post-award template and budgets, complete and validate data, and maintain an audit trail through comments.
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VASE covers the main types of changes that can be made to a live research project in Worktribe — virements, adjustments, supplements, and extensions. In practice, the most common are virements (moving budget between lines) and extensions (changing a project's end date). Both need to go through an approval process involving the department, R&IS, and Research Finance before they take effect. Getting these right and doing them promptly keeps project records accurate in both Worktribe and SAP.
VASE — virements and extensions in Worktribe
A training guide covering how to create and submit virements and extensions in Worktribe, including the approval process and key rules for each.
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The Exception Report is the key project monitoring tool maintained by the Research Finance team. It covers all live SAP research projects and uses a traffic light system to highlight projects deviating from acceptable thresholds e.g. leads and lags. The report is used to identify risks early and support timely corrective action, helping projects stay on track and aligned with budgets and funder requirements. It gives managers a clear view of how projects are performing and supports decision-making for budgets, reporting, and overall project management.
PR2 - Exception Report Data Refresh (FM)
Use when refreshing the Exception Report with current SAP data at month end, covering SAP downloads, updating project balances, income data, and WBS information across all departmental reports.
PR3 - Exception Report Review
Use when reviewing the Exception Report to assess and follow up on material project exceptions, including cost and income variances, pending closures, overspends, early codes, and outstanding actions.
PR5 - Joint Monitoring Meetings and Co-location
Use when preparing for and conducting a joint monitoring meeting with a department, covering meeting format, agenda preparation, exception thresholds to review, and recording and following up on actions.
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An Approval to Appoint (ATA) is required when a department wishes to recruit to a post funded by a research project. Where an ATA relates to a research project, Research Finance may be delegated approval responsibility within the Success Factors system. This section explains the checks Research Finance carries out before approving an ATA, including confirming a valid project code, sufficient budget, and that the proposed dates fall within the award period. Completing these checks promptly supports timely recruitment and helps ensure that project funds are committed appropriately.
RF2 — Approvals to Appoint (ATA) — Success Factors
Use when delegated approval of an ATA has been received in Success Factors and checks are required before approving, declining, or sending back the request.No tools yet in this section. If there's something you'd find useful, please let us know.
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Timesheets are a compulsory funder requirement for certain research projects, providing evidence of the actual hours worked and supporting the salary costs claimed. This section sets out who is required to complete timesheets, the acceptable formats, how timesheets are approved, and how they are reconciled with SAP payroll. Compliance with timesheet requirements is essential — failure to maintain properly completed and authorised timesheets can result in salary costs being declared ineligible at audit.
PR18 — Research timesheet procedure
Use when guidance is needed on timesheet requirements for research projects, covering who must complete timesheets, acceptable formats, approval, reconciliation with SAP payroll, and retention periods.
PR19 — Research timesheet provision and cost write off procedure
Use when salary costs are at risk due to late or missing timesheets, and guidance is needed on whether to raise a provision or remove costs from a claim for UKRI, EU, or Innovate UK funded projects.
PR18a - Staff timesheet guidance
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PR4 — Research project costs
Use when guidance is needed on how different cost types should be charged to a research project, covering directly incurred and directly allocated payroll costs, purchase orders, expense claims, stores issues, and research overheads.
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Reconciliations are carried out to check that project financial records are accurate and complete. This involves reviewing project accounts and comparing transactions recorded in the finance system with supporting information, such as invoices, payroll charges, or departmental records. Regular reconciliations help ensure that costs and income have been recorded correctly and allow any issues to be identified and resolved early.
PR6 — Accounting adjustments
Use when an accounting adjustment is needed on a research project, and guidance is required on selecting the correct SAP journal type, maintaining an audit trail, and processing salary corrections via retros or salary journals.
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Forecasting is used to estimate how project funds will be spent over the remaining life of a project. It involves reviewing current spending and planned activities to predict future costs. Forecasts support effective project monitoring and may also be required by some funders to support claims, payment profiles, or financial reporting.
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Forecast template
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Research collaborations occur when the University of Warwick leads a jointly funded project alongside other organisations, such as universities, charities, government bodies, or companies. Each collaborator manages their own budget and claims expenses from Warwick as project lead, in line with a collaboration agreement that sets out the financial and contractual arrangements between all parties.
Managing these relationships effectively ensures payments are accurate and timely, budgets are monitored appropriately, and the University meets its obligations to both collaborators and the funder throughout the project lifecycle.
PR 17 - Collaborator invoices
Use when handling an invoice received from a research collaborator on a Warwick-led project, covering VAT treatment, purchase orders, and recording and approving expenditure.
VAT guidance — supply of staff between organisations
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Foreign exchange management applies where research funding or project costs are received or incurred in a currency other than pounds sterling. Changes in exchange rates can affect the value of project income or expenditure when converted into sterling. Monitoring foreign exchange ensures that project budgets remain accurate and financial records reflect the true value of income and expenditure.
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PR20 - FX rates — Euro and US dollar reference
Current exchange rates used for costings, budget conversion, and Marie Curie salary payments, including spot rates and fixed rates for Horizon Guarantee awards. Post-award rates highlighted in yellow.
Research application exchange rate protocol
The approved protocol setting out how forward exchange rates for research applications are determined, including contingency buffers and the review and approval process.
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At the end of each reporting period, Research Finance carries out a number of key procedures to review and update research project accounts. These checks take place once all transactions for the period have been posted. The process ensures that project costs are correctly recorded, funded costs are reflected on the project, and research income is accurately recognised in the University’s accounts.
PE1 — Period end: fixed assessment overhead and RA settlement
Use when carrying out month end procedures for research projects, covering uploading fixed assessment journals, running overheads, and running results analysis and settlement in SAP.
PE3 — Period end: redundancy and relocation cost checks
Use when carrying out quarterly checks to identify and remove ineligible redundancy and relocation costs from UKRI funded research projects in SAP.
PE4 — VAT jurisdiction checks
Use when carrying out quarterly checks to identify and remove ineligible redundancy and relocation costs from UKRI funded research projects in SAP.
PE5 — Early code provision
Use when posting the quarterly early code provision journal at quarter end, covering the reversal and reposting of provisions for projects with a debit balance where the award is not yet certain.
PE6 — UKRI payroll blanket journal
Use when completing the quarterly blanket journal to remove ineligible payroll elements from UKRI funded projects, covering allowances, honoraria, redundancy, merit pay, and other disallowed pay components.
PE7 — Je-S status report
Use when producing or reviewing the weekly Je-S status report to identify and manage outstanding UKRI actions, including financial reports and start certificates approaching their deadline
PE9 — Early code monthly report for R&IS
Use when producing the monthly early code report for R&IS, covering identification of XPRE status projects in SAP, checking award status in Worktribe, and circulating the report to R&IS contacts.
PE10 — Stationery and consumables blanket journal
Use when completing the monthly blanket journal to remove ineligible stationery and consumable costs from UKRI funded projects.
PE10a — UKRI payroll blanket journal
Use when completing the quarterly blanket journal to remove ineligible payroll elements from UKRI funded projects, covering allowances, honoraria, redundancy, merit pay, and other disallowed pay components.
PE12 — G code spend report for FCCG
Use when reconciling research project balance sheet codes in SAP at quarter end, covering accrued income and receipts in advance for R and G codes.
PE14 — Balance sheet reconciliation
Use when reconciling research project balance sheet codes in SAP at quarter end, covering accrued income and receipts in advance for R and G codes.
PE1a — Month end routines quick reference
A quick reference checklist of the key month end tasks in sequence, covering fixed assessments, ineligible cost journals, exception reports, estates and indirect postings, income journals, overheads, results analysis, and settlement.
Debtor review guidance
A checklist for reviewing research project debtors on the exception report at period end, covering income checks, linked codes, reconciling adjustments, and outstanding balances on ended projects.
WIP and correction journals — worked example
A worked example showing how correction journals work across lead and sub codes, including WIP treatment and the impact on profit centre and balance sheet codes.
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With year end on 31 July 2026, departments and Research Finance are required to complete a number of actions to ensure research project accounts are accurate and compliant ahead of the external audit by KPMG.
The key processes are set out on the year end preparation page and cover departmental responsibilities, Research Finance actions, and areas requiring joint attention.
Year-end procedures are published annually on the Research Finance Year-End Preparation page, covering review of project costs, underspends, overspends, timesheets, salary reconciliations, project closure, accruals, and outstanding travel claims.
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