How to document expenses in an EU project correctly
A complete guide to EU project expense documentation — what documents are required, how to organise them, and what verifiers check.
Documentation is the difference between a verified and rejected expense
Under EU funding it is not enough to simply incur the expense. You must prove it with a complete document package. Expenses without proper documentation can be rejected at verification and the money demanded back.
Mandatory documents for every expense
For every amount paid under an EU project, the following set of documents is required:
Contractual basis: - Contract with the supplier (or quote + order for small amounts) - Public invitation or supplier selection procedure (for amounts above thresholds) - Technical specification (for system or equipment delivery)
Delivery: - Acceptance protocol or completion act - Installation protocol (for systems) - Training protocol (if training is included)
Financial trail: - Original invoice with all mandatory details - Bank statement showing the payment - Accounting entry (from ERP or accounting software)
Approval: - Documented internal approval (approval history from the system or signed document) - Management body decision for strategic expenditures
Specifics when purchasing business systems
When purchasing an ERP, CRM, DMS, or BI system with EU funding, the documentation has additional requirements:
System technical passport: Description of features, capacity, integrations, and technical parameters.
Proof of implementation: Not just delivery, but a working system. Typically — screenshots from a productive environment, a list of active users, or a test protocol.
Licence agreement: If the system is licensed — the contract must be perpetual or cover the EU retention period (usually 5 years).
Warranty document: The supplier must provide an official warranty document with a clear period.
How to organise the documentation
The typical mistake is to store everything in shared folders without structure. At verification you must be able to find the full document package for every expense within seconds.
Recommended structure: ``` EU Project [Number] └── Expense 1 — [System X] ├── 01_Supplier_Contract.pdf ├── 02_Technical_Specification.pdf ├── 03_Acceptance_Protocol.pdf ├── 04_Invoice.pdf ├── 05_Bank_Statement.pdf └── 06_Approval.pdf ```
With a DMS system this structure is automatic. Documents are loaded into the correct folder, versions are retained, access is controlled, and the audit trail is built in.
Common documentation mistakes
Invoice without an acceptance protocol: The supplier has invoiced but there is no document proving acceptance of the work.
Bank statement without visible VAT split: It must be clear which amounts are net and which are VAT (if VAT is an eligible expense).
Late payments outside the eligible period: EU programmes have clear start and end dates for eligible expenditure.
Foreign-language documents without translation: If the supplier is foreign, verifiers require a Bulgarian translation.
No evidence of competitive quote comparison: Above certain thresholds you must prove you chose the most advantageous offer.
How Jilanovi LTD helps
Beyond the implementation itself, we: - Prepare the complete technical documentation for the system - Provide a standardised acceptance protocol - Assist in structuring the document archive - Issue an official warranty document - Are available to communicate with verifiers when needed