DESCA, which stand for Development of a Simplified Consortium Agreement, is a comprehensive Model Consortium Agreement which offers a reliable frame of reference for project consortia. DESCA enjoys broad support within the EU framework programme community.
The signature of a Consortium Agreement between the partners of a research project is mandatory for most EU research projects. The European Commission offers general guidance for the drafting of consortium agreements, but rightfully does not endorse a specific model consortium agreement.
The DESCA Model Consortium Agreement has been developed by key Horizon stakeholders (ANRT, EARTO, KoWi, LERU, VTT, ZENIT and coordinated by Fraunhofer and the Helmholtz Association.).
The DESCA Model Consortium Agreement is specifically designed for collaborative research projects as the “Research and Innovation Actions” and “Innovation Actions” of Horizon Europe.
NOTE: DESCA is a model which needs to be adapted to the circumstances of the individual project. Especially in projects with lump sum funding you may wish to modify the text, notably regarding financial management and decision-making.