Europol Public Information  iii. Pre-financing guarantee 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 . Europol must release the guarantee within the following month. iv. Performance guarantee(s) covers performance of  Contractor’s obligations throughout the  Framework Contract  duration, as implemented by  Specific Contracts  and/or  Purchase Orders .  The amount of the performance guarantee shall not exceed 10 (ten) % of the total price of the  Specific Contract  or  Purchase Order . The guarantee shall provide that it remains in force until  Acceptance  of all deliverables. Europol shall release the guarantee following  Acceptance  (in  full), in accordance with the provisions of the  Specific Contract  or  Purchase Order .  v. Retention money guarantee covers performance of  Contractor’s obligations in accordance  with the terms set out in the  Framework Contract , as implemented by  Specific Contracts  or  Purchase Orders  within the contract liability period (i.e. from the moment that the  Contractor claims satisfactory execution until  Acceptance  of deliverables by Europol). The retention  money guarantee must not exceed 10 (ten) % of the total price of the  Specific Contract  or  Purchase Order . Europol shall release the guarantee following the date of  Acceptance  (in full),  in accordance with the provisions of the  Specific Contract  or  Purchase Order .  vi. Europol shall not request a retention money guarantee for a  Specific Contract or  Purchase  Order  where it has requested a performance guarantee.  7. Interim payments and payment of the balance: i. The  Contractor shall submit an invoice for interim payment, if foreseen in the Special  Conditions and in accordance with a  Specific Contract  or  Purchase Order . ii. The  Contractor shall submit an invoice for payment of the balance within 60 (sixty) days  following completion of the services and/or delivery of goods as stipulated in the Special  Conditions or in a  Specific Contract  or  Purchase Order . iii. Upon receipt of the invoice, Europol shall pay the amount due [as interim or final payment],  within the periods specified in the Special Conditions provided that the invoice and supporting  documents have been approved and without prejudice to Europol’s possibility to suspend the  payment as stipulated at paragraph (8) below. iv. In the event of a payment taking place prior to  Acceptance  (e.g. in error), such payment shall  be considered as a pre-payment for which full sanitisation of any issues preventing acceptance  is required. Europol is entitled to off-set any such pre-payments against future invoices in  accordance with Article II-11 (“Reduction in payment and off-setting”) below. Payment of the  balance may take the form of recovery.  8. Suspension of the time allowed for payment: a) The invoice does not comply with the provisions of the  Framework Contract , or the  provisions of a Specific Contract  or  Purchase Order ; b) The invoice is not supported by appropriate documents or  Deliverables  as indicated in the  Framework Contract , or a  Specific Contract  or  Purchase Order ; c) Europol raises objections in relation to such supporting documents or deliverables. i. Europol may suspend the payment periods specified in the Special Conditions at any time by  notifying the Contractor in writing that its invoice cannot be processed for any of the following  reasons: Page 36 of 79  Europol’s initials:  Contractor’s initials: 