As with all sectors and all aspects of daily and professional life, this is a special time for European calls for proposals. For our “one question, one answer” column, we analyze today an issue that is very much in the news these days:
What are the most obvious aspects of Covid-19’s impact on European projects?
The answer is not easy, because the situation is constantly evolving and changes a lot, not only from day to day, but also depending on sectors, types of projects, and what we mean by “European funds.”
But let’s try to summarize below the points that we believe are fundamental. What do you think and what are (and/or were) the most significant aspects of this period for you? Write to us and bring us your point of view!
Deadlines and daily life of projects
First, the coronavirus and the restrictive measures taken in all European countries have led program management authorities (at all levels, European, national and regional) to move forward the deadlines of many calls for proposals (we have discussed this: here and here). For what reason? There are several, obvious ones:
- To enable proponents to organize themselves logistically: for many, it is more difficult to finalize a project in quarantine, for example, in coordinating with partners and internal structures in their organization, or working without the tools and focus of an office;
- To enable proposing parties to organize themselves in conceptual terms: the Covid-19 marked a paradigm shift in many areas, priorities and reference tools, even if only (to stay on simple and universal examples), hindering the movement of people between European countries, a basic element of many calls and projects;
- To allow managing authorities to organize internally: in fact, the same offices responsible for launching calls, evaluating projects and monitoring interventions are subject to organizational difficulties very similar to ours.
In this regard, we encourage you to regularly consult the call alert services (including the one made available by CSVnet starting from our homepage) and (even better) the official information sources of the calls in which you are interested.
It is also important to make the most of the additional time that is given to revise the rationale for the projects we present in light of the changed European situation: for example, envisaging greater use of communication and remote co-working technologies, or a revisiting of interventions to mitigate (in each area of intervention) the effects not only of health, but also of economic, social and educational effects of the coronavirus-induced crisis. It will certainly be an important element in evaluations of current and upcoming projects.
Project implementation was also affected by Covid-19: project activities postponed or canceled, difficulties in maintaining contact between partners and with managing authorities, and the need to revise planned actions based on changed context conditions. Reference sites and contact with the respective contact persons should make it possible to solve most of the problems, but negative effects are inevitable for projects that by their nature involve the mobility of people between European countries and the exchange of experience. Here are some examples of web pages devoted to this issue, on some European programs:
- For the Erasmus+, Creative Europe and Europe for Citizens programs: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5
- For the Horizon2020, COSME and LIFE programs: 1 | 2
It is necessary to approach this period in the life of our projects with a good dose of flexibility, creativity and attention to opportunities: it is in periods like this that new solutions and new ways of approaching problems arise, which in these changed conditions are analyzed from a different point of view. In addition, increased time spent online in our working lives can (paradoxically) lead us to explore realities and develop contacts far from our usual networks.
New funding lines
Of course, as mentioned in previous posts (see here and here), the European Union’s response to the new challenges posed by the coronavirus is also seen through the provision of new funding lines and calls specifically for the time of emergency. In this regard, for the sake of clarity for those involved in Europrojecting, it is useful to make a distinction between four main types of “funding-Covid.”
- Some lines of financing consist of zero- or low-interest loans and grants for businesses, which are useful in coping with the period of economic hardship and the related employment and social fallout. These funding lines do not require the development of an actual project. Others, on the other hand, are channelled through the Structural Funds the relevant managing authorities at the Member State level, which can use them for actions, initiatives and calls of various kinds: this is the case of theInvestment initiative in response to coronavirus (and of the its “plus” version), about which you can find here e here the relevant regulations. Given their connection with Structural Funds, some of these actions may require project development (thus fall within the scope of our readers’ priority interest), but it is necessary to monitor their nature, timing and how to apply or participate on the websites of various national and regional authorities. The Structural Funds (in particular, the European Social Fund and the European Regional Development Fund) are, after all, the most relevant way to implement projects at the local, social and business levels. The European Fund for Aid to the Indigent is also of particular relevance in addressing the most acute social effects of the emergency. We recommend below some national and regional sources where to find more information:
Ministry of Economy and Finance -measuresto support health and the economy
Piedmont Region – European Funds(Calls / ESF / ERDF / EAFRD) and measures for Covid-19
Lombardy Region – European Funds(Calls / ESF / ERDF / EAFRD) and measures for Covid-19
Lazio Region- European Funds(Calls / ESF / ERDF / EAFRD) and measures for Covid-19
- Some funding lines are actually made available at the European level through directly managed calls expressly dedicated to the Covid-19 emergency. However, they mostly have a focus on health and technology issues-that is, on the solutions and initiatives most directly related to combating the virus and the forms of mitigation needed to counter its effects (medical, pharmacological and biological research; technology research on data, ICT systems and technical solutions; and mobilization of laboratory, technical and scientific capacity and infrastructure). All of these opportunities are collected in a portal dedicated to EU emergency calls-Covid. As a reminder, the portal presents (on the left side of the page) the ability to search for specific calls and programs. A collection of calls and opportunities dedicated to the Italian public is also produced by the Agency for the Promotion of European Research(APRE). Given the significant employment and social impact of the emergency, we also point out the EaSI Program calls( Employment and Social InnovationProgram-calls also available here);
- Finally, some funding lines do not strictly concern European projects, but are made available by organizations, associations, entities and foundations with a philanthropic vocation or intent on making their own contribution in the fight against the virus. The source of these funds is private or public-private and may include community co-financing. However, the procedures can be very varied, as can the sources of information and reference. For example, theEuropean Youth Foundation has launched a call for youth initiatives in combating Covid-19, and the Central European Initiative recently concluded a call dedicated to emergency responses. Where to gather information about this? The European Network of Donors and Foundations publishes and constantly updates a list of initiatives dedicated to the topic(direct link here). We’ve talked about it here before: philanthropy (and worldwide) is responding loudly to this challenge, and the European Foundation Centre (EFC) website also captures the most important initiatives on a dedicated page. In addition, CSVnet’s infobandi service(accessible here) reports on some of the most interesting opportunities from non-EU sources, as does the European Commission’s dedicated portal.
As this quick review shows, there is a need for a broad view of European funds and even broader monitoring of opportunities to find “the ideal call” at this particularly difficult time for everyone-individuals, businesses, institutions and associations in the area. We hope that the information and links in this post will be a real help in this regard!
A broader vision
Last but not least, remember that this period has seen the spread of various online training and self-education initiatives: an opportunity to which we have dedicated and will dedicate many insights within our Guide! Another very interesting aspect we intend to explore is the impact of Covid-19 on two particularly important issues of recent months-and the months to come: the 2021-2027 financial framework and Brexit(1 | 2). Because to immediate effects on calls for proposals, coronavirus could also have an impact on the evolution of policies and the very framework in which European projects are created and funded. This year’s European budget itself was (of course) amended to address the emergency (aninfographic here).
We will be back there soon!
