A:

The simple answer is ‘Yes’ as the DoW is only an indication. However, in this case only small, unimportant subcontracts will be allowed.

The Official Commission answer is:

“…It is possible to use some of the initial budget for costs that were not initially foreseen, as the initial budget indicated in Annex I of the contract is only an estimate of costs which will be incurred in the course of project realisation.

It should be mentioned, however, that according to Article II.6 of the FP6 model contract, core tasks of the project, as a general rule, cannot be subcontracted.

If some tasks related to the project core work need to be subcontracted, then these should be clearly identified in Annex I (which implies approval by the Commission) of the signed EC contract. If such tasks are identified during the course of the project, an amendment to the contract must be introduced. Subcontracts must be awarded to the bid offering best value for money under conditions of transparency and equal treatment, as specified in Annex II.6 of the contract…”