Dear Education and Culture,

The UK National Agency in relation to the Erasmus+ Programmme (Key Action 1: VET Learner) is Ecorys and is an agent of the European Commission which is contracted by the EC to administer and manage the KA1 VET Learner programme in the UK.

Adjuvant Limited submitted an application in February 2016 (Application ref: 2016-1-UK01-KA102-023895). Ecorys rejected our application which was submitted in February 2016 under the Erasmus+ Key Action 1 VET Learner Mobility strand of the programme on the basis that it contained duplicate material and that this constituted a risk of double-funding as described in the EC Erasmus+ Guidelines and specified in the section entitled “NON-CUMULATIVE AWARD. Ecorys has consistently refused to provide detailed reasoning to Adjuvant Limited relating to the criteria used to justify rejection of our application, despite a contractual and legal obligation on Ecorys to provide applicants with feedback which shows in a clear and unequivocal fashion the reasoning which was followed in rejecting any application. Ecorys has also refused to provide us with the supporting evidence that they used to reach that decision.

Ecorys, in a telephone conversation with Adjuvant Limited, stated that their staff had been instructed to inspect Erasmus+ KA1 VET Learner applications with the objective of identifying application(s) which contained duplicate material. These applications identified as possibly containing duplicate material were then submitted to the Ecorys “Assurance team” for evaluation. Ecorys also stated that they had sought guidance and gained approval for their actions in relation to the rejection of applications based on the double-funding issue from the European Commission Erasmus+ Desk Officer.

Under the right of access to documents in the EU treaties, as developed in Regulation 1049/2001, I am requesting documents which contain the following information:

1. The instructions issued by Ecorys and/or by the Assurance team to their staff relating to the criteria which were to be used by these staff in identifying applications containing duplicate material.
2. The specific evaluation or assessment report produced by the Assurance team in relation to our rejected Erasmus+ application (2016-1-UK01-KA102-023895) .
3. The general procedures used by the NA to evaluate the risk of double funding in relation to the Erasmus+ funding applications.
4. Copies of all email correspondence between the Assurance team and Ecorys staff/Project Managers relating to our Erasmus+ application (2016-1-UK01-KA102-023895).
5. Copies of all correspondence and written material (to include emails, memos and minutes of meetings) held by Ecorys staff relating to our Erasmus+ application (2016-1-UK01-KA102-023895).
6. Copies and all correspondence and written material (to include emails, memos and minutes of meetings) between Ecorys and the European Commission from February 2015 to date in relation to the duplication of application content and double-funding (non-cumulative awards).
7. A list of applicant organisations approved by Ecorys for Erasmus+ Key Action 1 VET Learner mobility funding in April 2016, together with the amounts awarded.
8. A list of applicant organisations rejected by Ecorys for Erasmus+ Key Action 1 VET Learner mobility funding in April 2016 on the basis of duplicate material content, together with the amounts of funding requested.

As the Erasmus+ programme is governed and funded by the European Commission (EC) and Ecorys is acting as an agent of the EC, I would be grateful if you would supply the above material under the right of access to documents specified in the EU treaties, as developed in Regulation 1049/2001.

Yours faithfully,

Patrick Harte
Adjuvant Limited

Dear EC ARES NOREPLY,

My postal address is:
PATRICK HARTE
67 MIDDLEPENNY ROAD
LANGBANK
RENFREWSHIRE PA14 6XF
UNITED KINGDOM

Yours sincerely,

Patrick Harte

Dear Education and Culture,

My postal address is:
PATRICK HARTE
67 MIDDLEPENNY ROAD
LANGBANK
RENFREWSHIRE PA14 6XF
UNITED KINGDOM

Yours faithfully,

Patrick Harte