A practical guide to tracking Horizon Europe deliverables using everyday tools
Deliverables are at the heart of every Horizon Europe project.
They represent the tangible outputs that demonstrate project progress and contractual compliance. Missing a deliverable deadline—or submitting an incomplete one—can affect reporting, create unnecessary stress within the consortium and damage the project's overall coordination.
Many smaller consortia, research groups and SMEs choose not to use dedicated project management software. Instead, they rely on familiar tools such as Excel, Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, Google Workspace or simple spreadsheets.
Can you successfully manage Horizon Europe deliverables without specialised software?
Yes.
Many projects do exactly that. The key is having a clear process rather than sophisticated technology.
This guide explains how to organise deliverable management using tools you probably already have.
Step 1. Create a Deliverables Register
Start with a single document that lists every contractual deliverable.
Typical columns include:
- Deliverable number
- Deliverable title
- Work Package
- Lead beneficiary
- Contributors
- Due month
- Planned submission date
- Current status
- Reviewer
- Submission completed
This becomes the project's master deliverables register.
Whether you use Excel, Airtable or another spreadsheet, everyone should refer to the same document.
Step 2. Assign Clear Ownership
Every deliverable should have one clearly identified owner.
Although several partners may contribute, one organisation should always remain responsible for:
- Coordinating contributors
- Producing the draft
- Managing reviews
- Delivering the final version on time
Without clear ownership, responsibilities quickly become blurred.
Step 3. Plan Backwards from the Deadline
The official submission date should never be your internal deadline.
Instead, work backwards.
For example:
- Submission to the European Commission
- Internal approval
- Consortium review
- First complete draft
- Content contributions from partners
This creates sufficient time for revisions before submission.
Step 4. Standardise Deliverable Templates
Using a common template improves consistency across the project.
Templates typically include:
- Cover page
- Version history
- Executive summary
- Main content
- Conclusions
- References
Providing templates early saves considerable editing time later.
Step 5. Track Progress Regularly
A deliverable should never disappear until the month before its deadline.
Schedule regular reviews during project meetings.
Typical status values include:
- Not started
- In preparation
- First draft
- Under internal review
- Final revision
- Submitted
This allows coordinators to identify delays before they become critical.
Step 6. Organise Documents Consistently
Every deliverable should have a clearly defined storage location.
For example:
Work Package 3
├── D3.1
├── D3.2
├── D3.3
Within each folder, store:
- Working draft
- Review comments
- Final version
- Submitted version
Good organisation prevents partners from working on outdated documents.
Step 7. Keep a Submission Log
Once a deliverable has been submitted, record:
- Submission date
- Submitted version
- Responsible person
- Confirmation received
- Link to the final document
Over multi-year projects, this log becomes an invaluable reference.
Advantages of the DIY Approach
Managing deliverables with standard office tools offers several benefits.
No additional software
Most organisations already have spreadsheets and shared document platforms.
Complete flexibility
The process can be adapted to the consortium's preferences.
Familiar tools
Little or no additional training is required.
Low cost
No dedicated project management licences are necessary.
Limitations to Consider
As projects become larger, manual management also becomes more demanding.
Manual updates
Every status change must be entered manually.
Limited visibility
Project coordinators often need to consult several documents before understanding overall progress.
Higher risk of missed deadlines
Without automated reminders, important milestones may be overlooked.
Information fragmentation
Deliverables, documents, meeting minutes and action items often end up scattered across different tools.
Difficult reporting
Preparing management reports usually requires manually consolidating information from multiple sources.
Digital Sovereignty Considerations
One advantage of the DIY approach is that organisations can choose the tools that best align with their own IT policies.
Some consortia rely on Microsoft 365, others on Google Workspace, Nextcloud or self-hosted document platforms. Increasingly, European research organisations are also considering digital sovereignty when selecting collaboration tools, particularly for long-term research projects involving sensitive information.
A flexible DIY workflow makes it easier to adapt to these institutional requirements.
A More Structured Alternative
Managing deliverables manually works well for many projects, particularly smaller consortia or organisations with established internal processes.
However, as the number of work packages, partners and reporting periods grows, maintaining a spreadsheet-based register often becomes increasingly time-consuming.
Dedicated solutions such as Grant Planner organise deliverables directly within the project structure. Each deliverable remains linked to its work package, milestones, responsible partners and project timeline, providing coordinators with a real-time overview of project progress rather than a manually maintained tracking sheet. Supporting documents can also be centralised in Grant Hub, reducing the need to navigate between multiple folders and repositories.
The objective is not necessarily to replace familiar office tools, but to reduce manual administration while keeping every deliverable connected to the broader context of the project.
Final Thoughts
It is entirely possible to manage Horizon Europe deliverables without dedicated project management software.
With a well-designed register, clear responsibilities, consistent document organisation and regular progress reviews, many consortia successfully deliver projects using everyday office tools.
The challenge comes as projects become more complex. Manual tracking scales less easily, coordination requires more effort and maintaining an accurate overview becomes increasingly difficult.
For organisations managing larger collaborative projects, combining familiar document tools with software specifically designed for Horizon Europe can help reduce administrative workload while improving visibility across the entire deliverable lifecycle.