1. Area of application

1.1. These funding guidelines apply to all funding commitments of the Leopold Bachmann Foundation, unless otherwise expressly agreed in writing in individual cases.

 

1.2. The Leopold Bachmann Foundation's project partner is directly bound by the funding guidelines. The project partner must also ensure compliance with the funding guidelines and other contractual agreements when passing on the funding to third parties.

 

1.3. If funding relates to several project partners, the funding guidelines apply to all project partners. In principle, one of the project partners must be designated as the primary responsible party vis-à-vis the Leopold Bachmann Foundation.

 

2. Funding period

2.1. The funding duration and start date are defined in the grant agreement. The date of the transfer of the first instalment payment is deemed to be the start of funding.

 

2.2. The project partner must sign and return the grant agreement to the Leopold Bachmann Foundation in good time before the planned start of funding, at the latest within two working weeks of receipt. Otherwise, the Leopold Bachmann Foundation reserves the right to withdraw the funding commitment.

 

2.3. The schedule in the grant agreement shall enter into force as soon as all parties have signed the agreement and is binding. If the schedule cannot be adhered to, a written notification must be submitted to the foundation’s programme manager one month prior to the deadline stating the reasons for delays. The Leopold Bachmann Foundation reserves the right to cancel the grant agreement if the agreed schedule is not adhered to or if the foundation denies the requested deadline extension. In the case of a grant agreement cancellation, any funds that have been paid must then be repaid to the Leopold Bachmann Foundation.

 

2.4. If necessary in individual cases, the project partner may apply to the Leopold Bachmann Foundation for a postponement of the funding period before the planned start of funding. The application must be submitted in writing and justified.

 

2.5. If necessary in individual cases, the project partner may apply to the Leopold Bachmann Foundation for a no-cost extension before the planned end of the funding period. The application must be submitted in writing and justified.

 

3. Utilisation of funds

3.1. The funding is intended to support the project specified in the grant agreement. It must be used sparingly and economically. The project partner shall ensure that the funding is used correctly, for the intended purpose and free from corruption.

 

3.2. The approved budget in the grant agreement must be adhered to. Reallocation of budget line items must be approved by the programme manager. A written application must be submitted with justification and an adjusted financial plan. Special regulations apply in countries with hyperinflation.

 

3.3. Interest income generated during the funding period may be used to reinforce the approved funding.

 

3.4. Funding is not to be used for expenditures incurred after the conclusion of the grant agreement.

 

3.5. Generally, unused funding must be paid back to the Leopold Bachmann Foundation no later than the submission of the comprehensive final report. Exceptions to this are possible. A written application must be submitted outlining the reasons for the unused funding, and a detailed description of the intended use of the remaining funds must be provided.

 

3.6. Subsequent changes to the project budget and grant agreement are only permitted with the prior written consent of the Leopold Bachmann Foundation.

 

3.7. Funded salaries must be based on local conditions, job requirements and the respective employees' qualifications. The project partner is responsible for compliance with the applicable tax, labour and social security regulations. The Leopold Bachmann Foundation shall not become the employer of the employees or third parties involved by means of its funding. The project partner shall indemnify the Leopold Bachmann Foundation against any personnel claims. This clause also applies to the employment of freelancers.

 

3.8. If equipment and consumables are financed by the grant, the project partner must ensure that these are properly stored, used and maintained. The equipment and consumables shall become the property of the project partner through which they are procured and must be inventoried following its provisions. The transfer of equipment and consumables to another institution is only possible by mutual agreement between the project management, the project partner and the other institution and requires the prior written consent of the Leopold Bachmann Foundation.

 

3.9. Travel can be financed by the funding if and insofar as it is necessary for the realisation of the project. The choice of means of transport must consider economic efficiency and climate protection. In general, only costs for the most economic means of transport will be funded.

 

3.10. Publications may be financed by the grant if and insofar as they primarily serve to publish project results or are otherwise directly related to the approved project.

 

4. Request of funds

4.1. The Leopold Bachmann Foundation will only transfer funding after receiving a signed payment request.

 

4.2. The Leopold Bachmann Foundation only transfers funding to institutional bank accounts. Transfers to private individuals will not be made. The relevant details of the financial institution must be provided in the grant agreement.

 

4.3. Amendments to the grant agreement must be drawn up following a written request from the partner for any changes to payment amounts, banking details, and signatories.

 

5. Project reporting

5.1. Proper utilisation of the funds must be demonstrated to the Leopold Bachmann Foundation following the schedule in the grant agreement. Detailed annual financial reports are required, and at the end of the project a detailed comprehensive final report must be submitted by the date indicated in the grant agreement.  

 

5.2. Individual expenditure receipts must be kept by the project partner following the applicable retention periods.

 

5.3. The Leopold Bachmann Foundation or a person authorised by the foundation is entitled to request books, receipts and other business documents from the project partner at any time and to check the use of the funding on-site.

 

5.4. The interim and annual reports must present the achieved project results. The Leopold Bachmann Foundation will provide reporting templates. The foundation reserves the right to forward and to publish these reports after consultation and in agreement with project partners.

 

6. Press and public relations work

6.1. When the project partner conducts any project-related press and public relations work, prior approval from the Leopold Bachmann Foundation is required. To this end, the planned activities and communication measures must be sent in writing to the responsible programme manager in good time. The latter will review the request and will provide the logo as well as a binding guideline for its use and the use of the foundation’s name.

 

6.2. The Leopold Bachmann Foundation reserves the right to inform the press and the public about the projects it supports, the project partners or initiators and the amount of funding. On request, the project partner will provide the Leopold Bachmann Foundation with informative text and digital material to ensure that the external presentation of the project is standardised.

 

7. Cooperation

7.1. The Leopold Bachmann Foundation and the project partner work together in a spirit of trust and respect. They shall maintain discretion regarding confidential information that they obtain during the implementation of the funded project.

 

7.2. The project partner is obliged to inform the Leopold Bachmann Foundation without being asked and without delay of all events that significantly affect the funded project. This applies, in particular, to circumstances and events that could jeopardise the implementation of the project or the achievement of its objectives or lead to foreseeable delays.

 

7.3. The Leopold Bachmann Foundation regularly evaluates its funding and the effects it has achieved. The project partner shall support the Leopold Bachmann Foundation, or the persons commissioned by the foundation, in carrying out the evaluation to an appropriate extent by providing the documents and overviews required for the evaluation and by facilitating interviews with project participants.

 

8. Child and youth protection

8.1. The Leopold Bachmann Foundation expects its project partners to comply with applicable international and national legislation. This is also expected outside of the workplace and during non-working hours.

 

8.2. Children and youth need special care and protection. Their welfare is a top priority for the Leopold Bachmann Foundation in all projects and programmes. The Foundation prohibits any behaviour that could cause harm to children. Employees and participants in Leopold Bachmann Foundation projects must condemn any form of child abuse. They must act accordingly and work to protect children.

 

9. Cancellation, reclaim and discontinuation

9.1. The Leopold Bachmann Foundation reserves the right to revoke the approval, not to disburse funds, to reclaim funds already paid and to discontinue future funding if an essential aspect of these funding guidelines or the special conditions of approval contained in the grant agreement have been seriously or repeatedly violated. This applies in particular to the following cases:

• if approval was obtained based on incorrect or incomplete information;
• if funds are not used for the intended purpose;
• if evidence of the use of funds is not provided or not provided in a timely manner;
• if the project partner breaches other material contractual obligations.

The same applies if essential prerequisites for the realisation of the project have ceased to exist or the project's objectives are no longer achievable.

 

9.2. In the aforementioned cases, the assertion of any fulfilment or compensation claims by the project partner is excluded. Should the Leopold Bachmann Foundation reclaim funds, the project partner waives the right to plead the statute of limitations by accepting these funding guidelines.

10. Final provisions

10.1. The project partner is obliged to carry out the project supported by the Leopold Bachmann Foundation with the utmost diligence and in consideration of the charitable purposes pursued by the Leopold Bachmann Foundation.

 

10.2. The Leopold Bachmann Foundation assumes no guarantee and no liability for the realisation and achievement of the objectives of the funded project.

 

10.3. Amendments or additions to these funding guidelines must be made in writing. The Leopold Bachmann Foundation reserves the right to amend these funding guidelines at any time, provided that the amendments are reasonable for the project partner, taking into account the interests of the Leopold Bachmann Foundation. Changes will be announced in writing in good time. The amendments shall be deemed approved if the project partner does not raise an objection in writing within two weeks.

 

10.4. The invalidity of a contractual provision shall not affect the validity of the remaining contractual provisions. In place of an invalid or unenforceable provision, a valid and enforceable provision that comes as close as possible to the purpose of the invalid or unenforceable provision shall be deemed to have been agreed upon. Any contractual loopholes shall be closed in the spirit of the overall agreement.

 

10.5. Swiss law shall apply without international conflict of laws rules. The place of jurisdiction is Zurich.

 

As off: October 2024