Under many European programs, contact persons and national contact points offer information and various forms of support. Let’s find out together.
National contact points: for “closer” European programs
We have already dedicated one of our “FAQs” and some articles (such as this e this one ) to the issue of proximity and feasibility of European programs. After all, making European funds and programs more accessible is the main goal of this Guide.
We have not yet devoted specific space to the role of national contact points, which help in various ways those who participate (or intend to participate) in major community programs . These contact points can be called in various ways: National Contact Points (abbreviated as NCPs), Desks, Antennas or National Agencies.
They have different structures and responsibilities depending on the target programs; they are not present for all programs, but when they exist they are important interlocutors for beneficiaries and would-be beneficiaries in every European country.
The experience of National Contact Points in a dedicated event
On the very day of May 22 is scheduled for a meeting dedicated to the “networking” of national contact points as an opportunity for Italy to grow and enhance the use and impact of European funds in our country.
Find all the information about the event here. , which includes – among other interventions – the participation of the contact points of the programs LIFE (environment and climate), CERV (citizens, equality, rights and values), Horizon Europe (research and innovation) and Erasmus+ (education and training, youth and sports). The event is organized by the Department for European Affairs of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, in its role of coordination and support on issues of European funds and reforms.
This is the link to register for the event , for those interested in learning more about the experience and role of national contact points dedicated to community programs. Participate in large numbers!
Let us now discover together the National Contact Points the most important ones in a brief review.
Our contacts (or social channels Facebook / LinkedIn ) remain available to receive further advice and guidance.
Horizon Europe: the APRE Agency and PCNs.
Horizon Europe , the largest of the directly managed EU programs, has in APRE (Agency for the Promotion of European Research) the main point of reference for Italian beneficiaries of the program.
Established in 1989, APRE aims to support Italian participation in European programs in the area of research and innovation. It offers services of information , training e assistance , on calls, financial instruments, procedures, partner search and aspects of proposal preparation. It curates a series of publications dedicated, a information site dedicated to Horizon Europe and offers a wide network that includes points of contact at the national level, regional desks and a liaison office in Brussels.
Horizon Europe national contact points (also linked to other institutions besides APRE) are indicated on a dedicated page of the Funding & Tenders portal.
Erasmus+: three agencies for a “close” program
Erasmus+ is the European program that targets youth, sports, and the world of education and training. By its very nature, it is a program “close” to citizens, with some of the actions being managed in a decentralized way by national agencies .
In this case the agencies perform at the same time: 1) a supporting role (information, promotion, advice, guidance, partner search, and training and information activities, throughout the project life cycle); 2) an operational role (implementation of indirect program management actions, evaluation and selection of applications, monitoring of projects, management of funding to beneficiaries).
The lead agencies for Erasmus+ are. INDIRE (National Institute for Educational Documentation and Research Innovation), which focuses on School Education, Higher Education and Adult Education, INAPP (National Institute for Public Policy), which deals with Vocational Education and Training and AIG (Italian Youth Agency), which deals with Youth.
The action carried out by national agencies under the Erasmus+ program is organized in a single national portal (erasmusplus.co.uk), which provides information and support in different areas of action: School education, Vocational training, Higher Education, Youth, Adult education e Sports.
Creative Europe: help desks and offices
Also Creative Europe offers a support network in each country , to promote the Program and offer free information and support to professionals, businesses and operators in the cultural and creative sectors.
The structure of the Creative Europe Desk Italy consists of a Culture Office in Rome, managed by the Ministry of Culture, which is directly in charge of the Culture component of Creative Europe, and by Media Offices a Rome, Turin e Bari that deal directly with the Media component of the program.
The Culture and Media offices provide assistance to practitioners wishing to participate in the program, promote the program through visibility, information and training actions (e.g., infodays, seminars and workshops) and through information and analysis materials on various aspects of the program.
Also as part of the support tools offered by Creative Europe, we point to a special Guide dedicated to funds and programs for culture and the creative industry (which we have already discussed here ).
CERVitalia, a point of contact dedicated to Citizenship, equality, rights and values
The program Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values. (abbreviated to CERV, based on its English name), which is also by its nature particularly close to citizens in terms of subject matter and target beneficiaries, has a dedicated point of contact: the CERVitalia.info portal .
CERVitalia provides information and technical assistance on the program, which includes a call reporting, a contact form and a newsletter; a support service in the search for partners, by linking with the network of other points of contact; it also provides visibility to information and promotion events related to the CERV program and project results.
EaSI: an Italian point of contact for social innovation
As explained in the appropriate section of the Guide. , specific initiatives dedicated to employment and social innovation fall under the umbrella of the European Social Fund (in addition to programs under regional and national management).
This ESF+ component (called “EaSI,” from the English acronym Employment and Social Innovation) supports various activities useful in promoting more effective policies in the areas of employment and social policies: study support and observatories, networking activities, capacity building, communication and dissemination, and partnership and service development.
The Giacomo Brodolini Foundation is the Italian National Contact Point for EaSI, which operates within the framework of Open Incet , the open innovation center of the city of Turin. The National Contact Point promotes information and networking initiatives, dissemination of best practices, and exchange and training actions.
Other European programs: experts and national contact points
For some other European programs, too, there are national contact points and networks of experts, made available (usually by the referring ministry in the respective thematic area) to provide support in the application processes of national organizations, organize information and networking events, and support the dissemination of project results.
National Contact Points of the LIFE Program. : EU Page (CINEA) | Ministry Page
National Contact Points of the EU4Health Program. : EU Page (HADEA) | Ministry Page
National Contact Points of the Digital Europe Program. : EU Page (Funding & Tenders)
National Contact Points of the European Defense Fund. : EU Page
