diff --git a/base/proposal.cls b/base/proposal.cls
index c5520b8..8681ff5 100644
--- a/base/proposal.cls
+++ b/base/proposal.cls
@@ -18,11 +18,13 @@
 \newif\if@RAM\@RAMfalse
 \newif\if@svninfo\@svninfofalse
 \newif\if@gitinfo\@gitinfofalse
+\newif\if@numericcites\@numericcitesfalse
 \def\proposal@class{article}
 \DeclareOption{wpsubsection}{\@wpsubsectiontrue}
 \DeclareOption{submit}{\submittrue}
 \DeclareOption{grantagreement}{\grantagreementtrue}
 \DeclareOption{gitinfo}{\@gitinfotrue}
+\DeclareOption{numericcites}{\@numericcitestrue}
 \DeclareOption{svninfo}{\@svninfotrue}
 \DeclareOption{public}{\publictrue}
 \DeclareOption{noworkareas}{\work@areasfalse\PassOptionsToClass{\CurrentOption}{pdata}}
diff --git a/base/proposal.dtx b/base/proposal.dtx
index a08a7eb..0684cfb 100644
--- a/base/proposal.dtx
+++ b/base/proposal.dtx
@@ -605,11 +605,13 @@
 \newif\if@RAM\@RAMfalse
 \newif\if@svninfo\@svninfofalse
 \newif\if@gitinfo\@gitinfofalse
+\newif\if@numericcites\@numericcitesfalse
 \def\proposal@class{article}
 \DeclareOption{wpsubsection}{\@wpsubsectiontrue}
 \DeclareOption{submit}{\submittrue}
 \DeclareOption{grantagreement}{\grantagreementtrue}
 \DeclareOption{gitinfo}{\@gitinfotrue}
+\DeclareOption{numericcites}{\@numericcitestrue}
 \DeclareOption{svninfo}{\@svninfotrue}
 \DeclareOption{public}{\publictrue}
 \DeclareOption{noworkareas}{\work@areasfalse\PassOptionsToClass{\CurrentOption}{pdata}}
@@ -649,7 +651,11 @@
 \renewcommand{\familydefault}{\sfdefault}
 \RequirePackage[scaled=.90]{helvet}
 \RequirePackage{textcomp}
-\RequirePackage[hyperref=auto,defernumbers=true,backend=bibtex,firstinits=true,maxbibnames=9,maxcitenames=3]{biblatex}[2010/11-19]
+\if@numericcites
+\RequirePackage[style=numeric,hyperref=auto,defernumbers=true,backend=bibtex,firstinits=true,maxbibnames=9,maxcitenames=3]{biblatex}[2010/11-19]
+\else
+\RequirePackage[style=alphabetic,hyperref=auto,defernumbers=true,backend=bibtex,firstinits=true,maxbibnames=9,maxcitenames=3]{biblatex}[2010/11-19]
+\fi
 \RequirePackage{csquotes}
 \RequirePackage{mdframed}
 %    \end{macrocode}
diff --git a/base/proposal.pdf b/base/proposal.pdf
index f746502..be9820c 100644
Binary files a/base/proposal.pdf and b/base/proposal.pdf differ
diff --git a/base/proposal.sty b/base/proposal.sty
index e3c778c..aed681e 100644
--- a/base/proposal.sty
+++ b/base/proposal.sty
@@ -28,7 +28,11 @@
 \renewcommand{\familydefault}{\sfdefault}
 \RequirePackage[scaled=.90]{helvet}
 \RequirePackage{textcomp}
-\RequirePackage[hyperref=auto,defernumbers=true,backend=bibtex,firstinits=true,maxbibnames=9,maxcitenames=3]{biblatex}[2010/11-19]
+\if@numericcites
+\RequirePackage[style=numeric,hyperref=auto,defernumbers=true,backend=bibtex,firstinits=true,maxbibnames=9,maxcitenames=3]{biblatex}[2010/11-19]
+\else
+\RequirePackage[style=alphabetic,hyperref=auto,defernumbers=true,backend=bibtex,firstinits=true,maxbibnames=9,maxcitenames=3]{biblatex}[2010/11-19]
+\fi
 \RequirePackage{csquotes}
 \RequirePackage{mdframed}
 \RequirePackage{pdata}
diff --git a/base/reporting.cls b/base/reporting.cls
index aa5e487..c05ae24 100644
--- a/base/reporting.cls
+++ b/base/reporting.cls
@@ -18,11 +18,13 @@
 \newif\if@RAM\@RAMfalse
 \newif\if@svninfo\@svninfofalse
 \newif\if@gitinfo\@gitinfofalse
+\newif\if@numericcites\@numericcitesfalse
 \def\proposal@class{article}
 \DeclareOption{wpsubsection}{\@wpsubsectiontrue}
 \DeclareOption{submit}{\submittrue}
 \DeclareOption{grantagreement}{\grantagreementtrue}
 \DeclareOption{gitinfo}{\@gitinfotrue}
+\DeclareOption{numericcites}{\@numericcitestrue}
 \DeclareOption{svninfo}{\@svninfotrue}
 \DeclareOption{public}{\publictrue}
 \DeclareOption{noworkareas}{\work@areasfalse\PassOptionsToClass{\CurrentOption}{pdata}}
diff --git a/dfg/examples/proposal/proposal.pdf b/dfg/examples/proposal/proposal.pdf
index 707cbc1..8f00e03 100644
Binary files a/dfg/examples/proposal/proposal.pdf and b/dfg/examples/proposal/proposal.pdf differ
diff --git a/dfg/examples/report/finalreport.pdf b/dfg/examples/report/finalreport.pdf
index 4755ff9..ddd81bb 100644
Binary files a/dfg/examples/report/finalreport.pdf and b/dfg/examples/report/finalreport.pdf differ
diff --git a/dfg/examples/simple-proposal/proposal.pdf b/dfg/examples/simple-proposal/proposal.pdf
index 40e8524..4cfe628 100644
Binary files a/dfg/examples/simple-proposal/proposal.pdf and b/dfg/examples/simple-proposal/proposal.pdf differ
diff --git a/eu/examples/strep/propB.pdf b/eu/examples/strep/propB.pdf
index a5250a6..7fcc36b 100644
Binary files a/eu/examples/strep/propB.pdf and b/eu/examples/strep/propB.pdf differ