Examples
Worked examples
- Is an instance
A Horizon Europe project undergoes a periodic technical review at month 18, attended by two external experts and the Project Officer.
- Is an instance
An ERC Consolidator Grant has a mid-term review at month 30 of a 60-month grant.
Counter-examples
Looks similar, but isn't
- Not an instance
Routine internal consortium meetings are not formal interim reviews.
- Not an instance
A closeout final review is end-of-project, not interim.
Editorial commentary
An interim project review is a formal progress check a funder conducts at a set point during a multi-year project’s life — not at the end, and not on a whim, but at a mid-point defined in the award terms. It exists to confirm the project is on track before the funder commits further resources or lets it continue unchanged.
Timing
The timing is fixed by the mechanism, not the recipient. Horizon Europe projects can undergo a periodic technical review at a defined point (for example, month 18 of a multi-year action), attended by external experts and the Project Officer. ERC Consolidator Grants include a mid-term review, commonly around the midpoint of the award’s typical five-year (60-month) duration.
What it produces
Unlike a routine reporting cycle, an interim project review can require a corrective action plan if progress is judged insufficient, and for genuinely renewable multi-year mechanisms it can influence whether continued funding proceeds as planned. It is a heavier-weight check than an ordinary periodic report review.
vs. the interim report
The review and the report are not the same thing. The interim report is the document — narrative and financial content covering a defined reporting period. The interim project review is the evaluative process built around that document, often including a live meeting or panel assessment that goes beyond simply reading the submitted report.
vs. end-of-project review and impact evaluation
An end-of-project review asks the same “on track against the plan” question, but only once, at the project’s conclusion, rather than at a mid-point with the project still running. An impact evaluation is a different exercise again — broader in scope, later in timing, and typically conducted independently of the project’s own reporting cycle.
Also known as
Periodic review · Mid-project review · Interim review · Periodic technical review
Machine-readable encodings
Use in your systems
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