Signing your proposals and receipts

Receipts can be signed in two ways:

• by hand

If a document is signed by hand, its scan should be added to the proposal using the Add Receipt Scan option. The original should be stored until the end of the review process or, if the proposal qualifies for funding, until the day the funding agreement is signed.

• by qualified electronic signature in PAdES format

If a document bears an electronic signature, it should be entered via the Add Electronically Signed Receipt option. If the confirmation has been signed by someone other than the head or an authorised representative of the appropriate institution, a relevant authorisation or power of attorney should be submitted to that institution. Authorisations to sign documents can be scanned and attached with a confirmation receipt, or submitted to an electronic inbox.

When you attach a file with an electronic signature, OSF will verify whether the document matches your proposal and its final version, and whether it contains an OPI seal and electronic signature. OSF only accepts electronic signature in PAdES format.