• 3.1

Preparing for the project

Seeking information, support, and partners

The search for information is an ongoing process, involving the formulation of the project idea and extending to the identification of the call for proposals, the presentation of the project, and even its subsequent execution.

In this first part we will give the insights for creating one’s own “toolbox” needed to deal with these preparatory activities. We will cover three main dimensions, calls, themes and actors, which are closely related to each other. A call for proposals can provide the impetus to explore a theme, and vice versa; an actor can signal themes or opportunities, or be contacted to address them more effectively.

Preparatory and information-seeking activities do not end when one finds a call for proposals or participates in a project: they must be an ongoing activity and an integral part of the processes of an organization that intends to work on European projects effectively and systematically.

This point is highlighted in the experience of many of the interviews collected in our “Stories” section.

1. Know the opportunities: find out about programs, calls and deadlines.

The search for information is first and foremost about monitoring the main sources of information on programs, calls and related deadlines, in order to gain timely knowledge of existing opportunities, to prepare and move in a timely manner. This is the purpose of much of the content in this Guide. The main sources of information are:

  • The Calls for Tenders page of this Guide, which offers a selection of both directly managed calls (community programs) and calls launched under the Structural Funds;
  • The Programs section of this Guide, which offers simple fact sheets that provide in-depth information, through direct links, on the genesis, documentation, relevant institutions, calls for proposals and results of all EU, national and regional programs;
  • The European Commission’s Funding&Tenders portal, which brings together information on calls for proposals, reference documents and results of EU programs;
  • The Italian government’s OpenCoesione portal, which groups together pages on the calls, themes, territories and results of programs financed by the Structural Funds;
  • Materials or information made available by national contact points of the various European programs, antennas or thematic networks (see below).

To avoid missing out on important opportunities, it is advisable to keep up to date with all of these platforms, at least in terms of the areas and programs of greatest interest.

2. Knowledge of the field: approaches, projects and experiences.

Second, but no less important, the search for information has a thematic purpose, related to the need to present a proposal that is as timely and up-to-date as possible, that responds to felt problems, contains elements of innovation, and is well informed with respect to other experiences, current or past. In this area, the possible sources of information are as broad as the specific areas in which a project is operating and can be implemented. We propose below a selection of sources for updates of a more general and cross-cutting nature, potentially useful for multiple sectors, programs and areas of intervention.

Let us first recall the in-depth tools offered by our Guide:

  • The regular publication of update articles, summarized in a monthly Newsletter;
  • A Guides and Tools section, which offers other sources of information and insight.

Among the proposals in our Guides and Tools section, we particularly highlight:

  • Some guides with a more general slant, such as the European Commission’s Fund Search page (with search by type, by program and by topic) and the EPRS (European Parliament Research Service) Guide;
  • A platform dedicated to the field of development cooperation, called Capacity4Dev, which contains analyses and thematic groups, articles, contacts and useful insights in a great many areas.

Recall also that some European programs also have specific guides, accessible through the Funding&Tenders portal or through the websites of their respective managing authorities, agencies and national contact points. In the same way, European umbrella organizations and their partners are, in all cases, a valuable source of inspiration and information.

Finally, you can keep up to date by actively participating in (or streaming) the most important events dedicated to your industry. We have devoted an article to this form of in-depth study. We take up its main points:

  • “European Weeks” and “European Days” are prime opportunities for updating and exchange between actors engaged in a given field: Digital, Youth, Environment, Development, Regions and Cities, Sports, Mobility, Industry, Data… just to name a few;
  • Infodays are organized in the context of European programs at the European and national levels to explain opportunities and news to potential beneficiaries, normally when new work programs and calls are launched;
  • The European Commission has a dedicated events page with workshops and webinars held daily and a streaming service to directly access related video materials. Executive agencies, national agencies, institutions, and major European programs also have their own YouTube channels through which to access other materials.

3. Getting to know the actors: partners and support networks.

Third, the preparatory work of approaching a European project has an important relational component. European projects require partnerships capable of bringing out the best ideas and bringing together the skills to implement them; and various organizations and support networks exist to bring European projects closer to their potential beneficiaries.

Relationships with partners and networks are an indispensable ingredient for building successful European projects and allow you to learn about news and opportunities in your field. We have therefore devoted several specific articles to this topic. We resume the main insights.

Regarding partner search:

  • As part of the Funding&Tenders portal (mentioned above) there is a unique partner search system and a unique search system for projects implemented on different European programs. The databases of completed projects are in fact both a source of updates on what has already been accomplished and a source of potential partners on topics and programs of interest;

Other important aspects regarding partnership management are explained in a dedicated chapter.

Regarding support structures, we recommend:

  • Get information and learn about specific support initiatives in your area, including those organized by the Guide’s partners;
  • Refer to agencies and national contact points, which are specifically aimed at bringing national beneficiaries closer to the opportunities offered by European programs;
  • Contact and join organizations-umbrella organizations that are active at the European level in a wide variety of areas, useful for learning about opportunities, learning about good practices and developments in your sector, establishing constructive dialogue with European institutions, and meeting new partners across Europe;

Beginning its experience in the area of European projects in partnership with organizations that have already worked successfully in this area and are willing to play the lead role. Also considering the involvement of experienced consultants in the area of European projects (whose role should be well integrated into that of the organization) and a strengthening of its staff through dedicated courses and specialization courses.

Choose the announcement

The first discriminator in choosing a call is the thematic and substantive correspondence between the objectives of the project and the goals of the call. As explained above, every European call is intended to respond to policy priorities defined by the funder and manager. Each project proposal must make a convincing contribution to these priorities.

Before monitoring calls for proposals, therefore, it is a good idea to clearly define the overall objective and intervention logic of your project. This does not preclude tailoring the project idea to a specific call, but it does prevent the association of a call with the project idea from being overly complex or suboptimal. In fact, there is a wide variety of published calls, and each call differs in eligibility criteria and types of actions eligible for funding. We have a separate article on this topic.

In addition, depending on the type of program and the type of intervention chosen, the degree of complexity of the calls also varies. There is a difference between calls funded by structural funds and those funded by European programs, explained below. But even within the European programs there is a different degree of elaboration and complexity between programs whose mission is to innovate and advance Europe in “frontier” areas, or on the grand challenges of today’s world (e.g., Horizon Europe) and programs whose mission is to engage citizens or implement projects for young people (e.g., Erasmus+ and CERV). Not forgetting the support of national contact points, which, in all cases, aim to bring European projects closer to citizens, as explained above. We have also devoted a separate article to the issue of “feasibility” of a project for less structured organizations.

The second discriminator for the choice of the call for proposals is the territoriality of the project idea: the project may gain more concreteness and impact with implementation at the European level (involving actors in other states) or at the local level

Where territorial cooperation programs and calls financed by structural funds apply by definition to a specific territory, directly managed community programs are more focused on a specific theme (environment, health, citizenship, etc…). In addition, calls financed by structural funds have at their core the implementation of useful and effective actions for the target territory, while calls financed by European programs normally require interventions capable of bringing a contribution to more countries and territories in Europe, with more stringent characteristics in terms of innovativeness, replicability, “European added value” and scalability.

This first consideration makes it possible to define which of the major types of European projects the project idea may refer to: structural funds, territorial cooperation programs or community programs.

In order to get more chances for funding, the proposal must decline as required by the call, otherwise it will be irrelevant or unsuitable to meet the requirements of the funding body. What it provides (in terms of priorities and actions, but also eligibility, territoriality and other formal criteria) must therefore be carefully analyzed and critically compared with one’s own project idea.

In fact, a third and very important discriminator is the eligibility criteria, which can cover various dimensions:

  • the type of organizations eligible for funding (e.g., calls may or may not be open to “for-profit” entities, public entities, or different forms of associations or businesses),
  • eligible territories (see above),
  • the types of eligible actions (e.g., training, dissemination and dissemination, exchange of best practices, research, platform building, prototype development, etc.) may or may not be eligible,
  • the types of eligible costs (e.g., reimbursement of staff costs, administrative costs, travel costs, for equipment, materials, outside services, etc. may or may not be eligible), as well as the maximum threshold of funding that can be disbursed (expressed both in absolute value and as a percentage) of total project costs;
  • formal criteria of various kinds, such as the size and geographic coverage of the partnership, capacity and level of prior experience on technical issues, organizational and staffing capacities of the proposing organizations, financial balance, and absence of exclusionary situations (bankruptcy, fraud, judicial and administrative proceedings, tax and contribution irregularities, etc.).

When selecting a call for proposals, it is therefore necessary to check that these criteria are compatible with the nature of the organization, partnership and type of project to be implemented. Failure to meet the eligibility criteria can produce an immediate rejection of the proposal.

A specific aspect of the eligibility criteria, as well as a , concerns the resources required for the project. The benefits of the project must be commensurate with the resources to be made available, the time devoted, and the expected workload. In fact, the preparation of the project, and then the implementation of the project itself, is an activity that employs resources of time and personnel to be devoted to the technical and substantive aspects of the activity, and to the aspects of project management, reporting, coordination with partners, management of the administrative side, and reporting.

In addition, almost all calls include a co-financing constraint: the community contribution is conditional on some form of investment by the proposing entities, with the percentage varying depending on the call and the type of project. Part of the co-financing can normally be covered directly by project partners through the enhancement of internal staff (man hours) or by external resources and contributions. European projects prohibit forms of double funding and the realization of profit or surplus through the funding received.

These aspects are further explored in a separate chapter on reporting.

Finally, a fifth discriminator is the time dimension, which must be considered before, during and at the end of project implementation. “Coming to terms with the timetable” is necessary to make sure you have enough time to prepare a complete project proposal, including considering the time to reread and proofread the entire project before submitting the proposal. Therefore, the deadline is one of the first aspects of a notice to pay attention to.

The duration of the project also needs to be carefully considered, as the required implementation time and the order in which the activities are carried out are important evaluation factors and must be consistent with what is stipulated in the announcement.

Analysis of the time dimension of a project is typically done through a “time schedule” or “Gantt chart” (example below).

The main elements of a call and proposal

The activity of preparing a project begins with an extremely careful reading of the call for proposals. The elements of a project proposal follow a similar general structure, while varying according to the type of project. The following text gives (in a concise and non-exhaustive way) the most typical contents of a call and project proposal.

Structural Funds: main sections and contents of a call for proposals.

  • Notice: information on the Contracting Authority, the subject matter of the project and the reference amount; legal, economic, financial and technical information (required sureties and guarantees, payment methods, legal forms allowed in case of consortia, economic and financial capacity requirements, technical capacity requirements); award criteria, timelines and deadlines.
  • Decree: issued by the Managing Authority, expresses official approval for the publication of the public notice.
  • Background document: indication of relevant regional, national and European documentation.
  • Specification: incorporates all the points expressed in the notice and presents some supplementary rules: procedures for participation, award procedures, timeframe, and how to submit bids (normally divided into administrative documentation, technical documentation, and economic bid).
  • Specifications: technical document outlining the specifications required for the implementation of the project: description of the purpose and expected results, characteristics of the required activities, mode of execution, presentation of the working group. Specifications and specifications are often presented together.

Structural Funds: main sections and contents of a proposal.

  • Application for Participation: a document in which the proposer submits his/her personal details and formally requests to be admitted to the call.
  • Administrative documents: documents related to the submission of declarations in lieu (in accordance with Presidential Decree 445/2000), financial statements, technical and economic capacity documents.
  • Technical documentation: presentation of the project in accordance with the specifications, including annexes (e.g. resumes of working group participants).
  • Financial documentation: economic offer indicating the consideration required for the implementation of all activities, formulated taking into account all the elements described in the technical offer, the detailed elements required and the amounts/maximum shares of funding.

Community programs: main sections and contents of a call for proposals.

  • Guidelines for grant applicants, or the notice proper. Includes information:

    1. Of background (strategic foundations and needs that the call intends to address),
    2. On goals (to be taken up in one’s project),
    3. On the available budget (total, maximum and minimum for each project and funding shares),
    4. On timing (for proposal submission and next steps), On eligibility criteria (of proposers, actions and cost types),
    5. On how to participate (portals, selection process, forms and other information).

      Some calls are actually “clusters of calls” that include within them specific objectives, budgets and criteria for each of the individual calls proper.

  • The main annexes normally associated with each notice include:
    1. The application form (template for project submission);
    2. The evaluation grid (criteria and scores on the basis of which the proposal will be evaluated; they generally include an assessment of the capabilities of the consortium and the team, the relevance of the action to the objectives and needs expressed in the call, the coherence and soundness of the proposal, the approach identified, its feasibility, its potential impact and sustainability, and its effectiveness in relation to the resources employed);
    3. Other attachments and templates (e.g. of budget, logical framework and grant agreement; administrative and procedure checklists; documents to be attached; etc.).

Community programs: main sections and contents of a proposal.

  • Application form: this is the most “substantive” part of a project proposal. It may include a brief Concept Note, which in some cases is evaluated to pre-select projects before the actual proposal is submitted. Within the Application form, elements of formal identification of the consortium participants and their associates, elements of a technical nature (i.e.: project description, approach, action plan, project team, in some cases the logical framework and other aspects) should be indicated;
  • Supporting documents: supporting documents may need to be attached to the Application form (or uploaded to the project submission platform) to confirm the partners’ eligibility against the exclusion criteria and criteria related to their technical and financial capacity;
  • Budget: the project budget is normally a spreadsheet divided into various sections and cost lines: human resources, travel, equipment and materials, office costs, other specific types of costs, contingency reserve, fees and charges, volunteer labor and “in kind” contributions, and sources of co-financing. It may be required to include quantities, unit costs, and an explanation and justification of the costs presented by the budget. The nature of the budget may also change depending on the reporting arrangements in the project (see dedicated section). Costs, co-funding (and related types and percentages) must be in line with the constraints indicated in the call for proposals.