Contract number: ECHA/2020/724  Restricted  Service contract conditions of December 2018  (a) the financial guarantee is provided by a bank or a financial institution approved by the  contracting authority or, at the request of the contractor and with the agreement of the  contracting authority, by a third party; and  (b) the guarantee shall have the effect of making the bank or financial institution or the third  party provide irrevocable collateral security, or stand as first-call guarantor of the  contractor's obligations without requiring that the contracting authority has recourse  against the principal debtor (the contractor).  (a) because it does not comply with the contract; (b) because the contractor has not produced the appropriate documents or deliverables; or (c) because the contracting authority has observations on the documents or deliverables  submitted with the invoice. The contractor bears the cost of providing such guarantee.  Pre-financing guarantees must remain in force until the pre-financing is cleared against interim  payments or payment of the balance. Where the payment of the balance takes the form of a  debit note, the pre-financing guarantee must remain in force for three months after the debit  note is sent to the contractor. The contracting authority must release the guarantee within the  following month. Performance guarantees cover compliance with substantial contractual obligations until the  contracting authority has given its final approval for the service. The performance guarantee  must not exceed 10 % of the total price of the contract. The contracting authority must release  the guarantee fully after final approval of the service, as provided for in the contract. Retention money guarantees cover full delivery of the service in accordance with the contract  including during the contract liability period and until its final approval by the contracting  authority. The retention money guarantee must not exceed 10 % of the total price of the  contract. The contracting authority must release the guarantee after the expiry of the contract  liability period as provided for in the contract.  The contracting authority must not request a retention money guarantee where it has requested  a performance guarantee. The contractor (or leader in the case of a joint tender) must send an invoice for interim payment,  as provided for in Article I.5 or in the tender specifications. The contractor (or leader in the case of a joint tender) must send an invoice for payment of the  balance within 60 days of the end of the period of provision of the services, as provided for in  Article I.5 or in the tender specifications. Payment of the invoice and approval of documents does not imply recognition of the regularity,  authenticity, completeness and correctness of the declarations and information they contain. Payment of the balance may take the form of recovery. The contracting authority may suspend the payment periods specified in Article I.5 at any time  by  notifying  the contractor (or leader in the case of a joint tender) that its invoice cannot be  processed. The reasons the contracting authority may cite for not being able to process an  invoice are:  The contracting authority must  notify  the contractor (or leader in the case of joint tender) as  soon as possible of any such suspension, giving the reasons for it. In cases b) and c) referred  above, the contracting authority shall notify the contractor (or leader in case of a joint tender)  29  II.21.7. Suspension of the time allowed for payment  II.21.6. Interim payments and payment of the balance 