Co-authors Module
Many applications are not written alone: an association splits up the work, the project lead writes the concept, the treasurer supplies the budget, an external advisor proofreads. With the Co-authors module, the applicant invites these people directly in the portal. Everyone works on the same draft, changes appear live, and a field someone is currently editing is locked for the others. The application is still submitted by exactly one person.
At a glance
| For whom | Applicants in the portal, plus the organization’s team in the application view |
| Where | Co-authors button in the form toolbar in the portal; Co-authors block in the applicant card in the workspace |
| Co-authors per application | Up to 5 (open invitations included) |
| Invitation validity | 7 days, can be resent |
| Submitting | Only the applicant |
| Configuration | None: once activated, the feature is available in all portal forms |
| Activation | By Fundament, see Booking the module |
Flow in the portal
- The applicant opens a form and clicks Co-authors in the toolbar. This also works on an empty form: the draft is created at that point.
- In the Manage co-authors dialog, the applicant enters an email address and clicks Invite.
- The invited person receives the Invitation to collaborate email with the Accept invitation link. An existing account is not required: Fundament creates one if needed, and login works as usual with a code.
- After accepting, the application appears in the invited person’s application list. Open invitations are also shown on the portal start page under Collaboration invitations.
The dialog lists everyone involved with role (Applicant or Co-author) and status (Invited or Active). Open invitations can be resent (with a new link and a new 7-day period) or withdrawn, and active co-authors can be removed; access ends immediately.
Who can be invited
- Any email address, including people from the organization’s own team.
- Not possible: the applicant’s own address and people who are already invited or active.
- People who left the application or were removed can be invited again.
Working together live
- Live updates: other people’s changes appear in the form within a few seconds, without reloading.
- Field locking: a field someone is typing in is locked for the others, outlined in that person’s color and labeled «Name is editing this field». The lock is released as soon as the person leaves the field, after 30 seconds without input, or when their browser window is closed. A repeater counts as one field.
- Presence: next to the Co-authors button are the avatars of everyone involved, each person in a fixed color. A green dot shows who is online; invited people who have not accepted yet appear as an outline.
- Last saved: the draft notice shows when and by whom the draft was last saved, for example «Last saved: 14:32 by Anna Muster».
Who can do what
| Action | Applicant | Co-author |
|---|---|---|
| Edit all fields of the draft, upload and view files | yes | yes |
| Use the AI check (with the AI in the portal module) | yes | yes |
| Fill in the form with AI | yes | no |
| Invite co-authors, resend or withdraw invitations, remove people | yes | no |
| Leave the application | no | yes |
| Empty or delete the draft | yes | no |
| Submit the application | yes | no |
| Edit the requested fields during a revision | yes | yes |
| Submit the revision | yes | no |
For co-authors the submit button is disabled, with the notice «Only the applicant can submit the application.» After submission, co-authors keep read access to the application in their application list.
What the organization’s team sees
- Before submission, nothing: drafts do not appear in the application list, and neither do their co-authors.
- After submission, the application as usual, with the applicant as author. The applicant card of the application additionally shows the Co-authors block with everyone involved and their status (Active, Invited or Invitation expired).
- Owners and members can invite people by email there, resend or withdraw invitations and remove co-authors. This helps, for example, when another person should help with a revision. The invitation email then carries the name of the inviting team member.
- Voters (role User) do not see the block.
Email template
The invitation is sent as the Invitation to collaborate system email in the language of the application. It names the inviting person, the application and the organization, contains the link to accept and notes that the invitation is valid for 7 days and that only the applicant can submit. The text can be customized like the other system emails, see System Email Templates.
Data privacy
- The draft lives in the applicant’s account on Fundament’s infrastructure in Switzerland. The applicant decides whom to invite and can revoke access at any time. Invited people log in with their own account.
- The live presence display only transmits names, no application content.
- If the draft is deleted, it is gone for everyone involved, including files, invitations and co-authors.
- Drafts without activity are deleted automatically after 60 days. Reminders go to the applicant after 30 days and 7 days before deletion. A co-author opening or editing the draft also counts as activity. See Data & Privacy.
When the module is not active
Without the module there is no Co-authors button in the portal and no corresponding block in the workspace. If the module is deactivated after it has been used, existing co-authors keep their access; new invitations, resending and accepting open invitations are no longer possible. Anyone who opens such an invitation sees the notice «Collaboration not available».
Booking the module
Fundament activates the module for the organization. Requests go to contact@fundament-app.ch. Under Settings → Modules in the workspace, owners can see which modules are active for the organization. More in the modules overview.
The applicant’s perspective is also described under Working on an application together.