diff --git a/dmp-backend/src/main/java/eu/eudat/dao/entities/ProjectDaoImpl.java b/dmp-backend/src/main/java/eu/eudat/dao/entities/ProjectDaoImpl.java
index fc60106c0..899b95084 100644
--- a/dmp-backend/src/main/java/eu/eudat/dao/entities/ProjectDaoImpl.java
+++ b/dmp-backend/src/main/java/eu/eudat/dao/entities/ProjectDaoImpl.java
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package eu.eudat.dao.entities;
 
 import java.util.UUID;
+
 import eu.eudat.dao.DatabaseAccess;
 import eu.eudat.dao.databaselayer.service.DatabaseService;
 import eu.eudat.entities.*;
@@ -13,48 +14,53 @@ import org.springframework.stereotype.Component;
 @Component("projectDao")
 public class ProjectDaoImpl extends DatabaseAccess<Project> implements ProjectDao {
 
-	@Autowired
-	public ProjectDaoImpl(DatabaseService<Project> databaseService) {
-		this.setDatabaseService(databaseService);
-	}
+    @Autowired
+    public ProjectDaoImpl(DatabaseService<Project> databaseService) {
+        this.setDatabaseService(databaseService);
+    }
 
-	@Override
-	public QueryableList<Project> getWithCriteria(ProjectCriteria criteria) {
-		QueryableList<Project> query = getDatabaseService().getQueryable(Project.class);
-		if(criteria.getLike()!=null&&!criteria.getLike().isEmpty())query.where((builder, root) -> builder.like(root.get("label"),"%"+criteria.getLike()+"%"));
-		if(criteria.getPeriodEnd()!=null)query.where((builder, root) -> builder.lessThan(root.get("enddate"),criteria.getPeriodEnd()));
-		if(criteria.getPeriodStart()!=null)query.where((builder, root) -> builder.greaterThan(root.get("startdate"),criteria.getPeriodStart()));
-		query.where((builder, root) -> builder.notEqual(root.get("status"), Project.Status.DELETED.getValue()));
-		return query;
-	}
+    @Override
+    public QueryableList<Project> getWithCriteria(ProjectCriteria criteria) {
+        QueryableList<Project> query = getDatabaseService().getQueryable(Project.class);
+        if (criteria.getLike() != null && !criteria.getLike().isEmpty())
+            query.where((builder, root) -> builder.like(root.get("label"), "%" + criteria.getLike() + "%"));
+        if (criteria.getPeriodEnd() != null)
+            query.where((builder, root) -> builder.lessThan(root.get("enddate"), criteria.getPeriodEnd()));
+        if (criteria.getPeriodStart() != null)
+            query.where((builder, root) -> builder.greaterThan(root.get("startdate"), criteria.getPeriodStart()));
+        if (criteria.getReference() != null)
+            query.where((builder, root) -> builder.equal(root.get("reference"), criteria.getReference()));
+        query.where((builder, root) -> builder.notEqual(root.get("status"), Project.Status.DELETED.getValue()));
+        return query;
+    }
 
-	@Override
-	public Project createOrUpdate(Project item) {
-		return getDatabaseService().createOrUpdate(item,Project.class);
-	}
+    @Override
+    public Project createOrUpdate(Project item) {
+        return getDatabaseService().createOrUpdate(item, Project.class);
+    }
 
-	@Override
-	public Project find(UUID id) {
-		return getDatabaseService().getQueryable(Project.class).where((builder, root) -> builder.equal((root.get("id")),id)).getSingle();
-	}
+    @Override
+    public Project find(UUID id) {
+        return getDatabaseService().getQueryable(Project.class).where((builder, root) -> builder.equal((root.get("id")), id)).getSingle();
+    }
 
-	@Override
-	public Long count() {
-		return this.getDatabaseService().count(Project.class);
-	}
+    @Override
+    public Long count() {
+        return this.getDatabaseService().count(Project.class);
+    }
 
-	@Override
-	public void delete(Project item) {
-		this.getDatabaseService().delete(item);
-	}
+    @Override
+    public void delete(Project item) {
+        this.getDatabaseService().delete(item);
+    }
 
-	@Override
-	public QueryableList<Project> asQueryable() {
-		return this.getDatabaseService().getQueryable(Project.class);
-	}
+    @Override
+    public QueryableList<Project> asQueryable() {
+        return this.getDatabaseService().getQueryable(Project.class);
+    }
 
-	public QueryableList<Project> getAuthenticated(QueryableList<Project> query, UserInfo principal) {
-		query.where((builder, root) -> builder.equal(root.get("creator"), principal));
-		return query;
-	}
+    public QueryableList<Project> getAuthenticated(QueryableList<Project> query, UserInfo principal) {
+        query.where((builder, root) -> builder.equal(root.get("creator"), principal));
+        return query;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/dmp-backend/src/main/java/eu/eudat/entities/DMP.java b/dmp-backend/src/main/java/eu/eudat/entities/DMP.java
index 68bebb450..acc9935ca 100644
--- a/dmp-backend/src/main/java/eu/eudat/entities/DMP.java
+++ b/dmp-backend/src/main/java/eu/eudat/entities/DMP.java
@@ -258,6 +258,7 @@ public class DMP implements Serializable, DataEntity<DMP> {
         this.label = entity.getLabel();
         this.status = entity.getStatus();
         this.created = entity.created;
+        this.project = entity.getProject();
         this.description = entity.getDescription();
         this.researchers = entity.getResearchers();
         this.organisations = entity.getOrganisations();
diff --git a/dmp-backend/src/main/java/eu/eudat/managers/DataManagementPlanManager.java b/dmp-backend/src/main/java/eu/eudat/managers/DataManagementPlanManager.java
index e7d26aa5b..374094630 100644
--- a/dmp-backend/src/main/java/eu/eudat/managers/DataManagementPlanManager.java
+++ b/dmp-backend/src/main/java/eu/eudat/managers/DataManagementPlanManager.java
@@ -106,9 +106,9 @@ public class DataManagementPlanManager {
         if (newDmp.getProject() != null) {
             Project project = newDmp.getProject();
             ProjectCriteria criteria = new ProjectCriteria();
-            criteria.setLike(project.getReference());
-            List<eu.eudat.entities.Project> entries = projectDao.getWithCriteria(criteria).toList();
-            if (entries != null && !entries.isEmpty()) project.setId(entries.get(0).getId());
+            criteria.setReference(project.getReference());
+            eu.eudat.entities.Project projectEntity = projectDao.getWithCriteria(criteria).getSingleOrDefault();
+            if (projectEntity != null) project.setId(projectEntity.getId());
             else {
                 project.setCreationUser(userInfo);
                 projectDao.createOrUpdate(project);
diff --git a/dmp-backend/src/main/java/eu/eudat/models/criteria/ProjectCriteria.java b/dmp-backend/src/main/java/eu/eudat/models/criteria/ProjectCriteria.java
index 9255fffef..e8b1216d7 100644
--- a/dmp-backend/src/main/java/eu/eudat/models/criteria/ProjectCriteria.java
+++ b/dmp-backend/src/main/java/eu/eudat/models/criteria/ProjectCriteria.java
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import java.util.Date;
 public class ProjectCriteria extends Criteria<Project>{
     private Date periodStart;
     private Date periodEnd;
-
+    private String reference;
     public Date getPeriodStart() {
         return periodStart;
     }
@@ -23,4 +23,12 @@ public class ProjectCriteria extends Criteria<Project>{
     public void setPeriodEnd(Date periodEnd) {
         this.periodEnd = periodEnd;
     }
+
+    public String getReference() {
+        return reference;
+    }
+
+    public void setReference(String reference) {
+        this.reference = reference;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/dmp-backend/src/main/java/eu/eudat/models/project/Project.java b/dmp-backend/src/main/java/eu/eudat/models/project/Project.java
index 8bba817b1..d6dfb2876 100644
--- a/dmp-backend/src/main/java/eu/eudat/models/project/Project.java
+++ b/dmp-backend/src/main/java/eu/eudat/models/project/Project.java
@@ -12,9 +12,6 @@ import eu.eudat.models.dmp.DataManagementPlan;
 
 public class Project implements DataModel<eu.eudat.entities.Project> {
 
-
-
-
     private UUID id;
 
     private List<DataManagementPlan> dmps;
@@ -170,7 +167,6 @@ public class Project implements DataModel<eu.eudat.entities.Project> {
         this.created = entity.getCreated();
         this.modified = entity.getModified();
         this.description = entity.getDescription();
-
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -179,7 +175,7 @@ public class Project implements DataModel<eu.eudat.entities.Project> {
         entity.setId(this.id);
         entity.setAbbreviation(this.abbreviation);
         entity.setLabel(this.label);
-        entity.setReference(this.reference);
+        entity.setReference(this.reference == null ? "dmp:"+this.label : this.reference);
         entity.setUri(this.uri);
         entity.setDefinition(this.definition);
         entity.setStartdate(this.startDate);