How to Get/ Obtain European Funds?

1. How to Get/ Obtain European Funds? GRU-o9-GRAT-13-IS Iaşi, Nov 2009, Trainer: Cristina Cherţ

2. How to get European Funds? • Anticipate • Formalize • Accomplish / Realize • Create and use package of necessary tools / use the convenient set of knowledge! • Optimize your approach

3. How to get European Funds? 1. ANTICIPATE 1.1. Design of project sheet/ 1.2. Organize the partnership / Partnership structure/ 1.3. Achieving/ reaching community expectations 1.4. Understanding of the functioning mechanisms of financing programs

4. How to get European funds? 2. FORMALIZE 2.1. Identification of relevant programs 2.2. Organizing and structuring the project 2.3. Budget design 2.4. Achieving the criteria for the selection of projects /Understand very well the selection criteria for your project

5. How to get European Funds? 3. ACCOMPLISH/REALIZE 3.1. Contract sign 3.2. Implementation

6. How to get European funds? 4. CREATE AND USE PACKAGE OF NECESSARY TOOLS to: 4.1. Anticipate 4.2. Formalize 4.3. Accomplish/ Realize

7. How to get European funds? 5. OPTIMIZE the APPROACH 5.1. Organize a monitoring system of funding programs 5.2. Cooperation with European networks 5.3. Take into account of other funding opportunities

8. 1. ANTICIPATE1.1. Designing the project‘s major aspects • Actual situation, specific and global objectives • Target groups(directe, indirecte) • Activities, stages • Skills, expertise • Geographical area • Products, impact • Why- MOTIVATION • For whom- DESTINATION • How- MEANS • Whom with- PARTNERS • Where- ACTION FIELD • With what results- EXPECTATIONS

9. REMEMBER: For the European Commission • Your project • represents: - a future projection - a vision on many levels - multidisciplinary - a unique type of action (detached from the current activities of your organization) • it requires the creation of a specific, temporary organization • it must be gainful for: - the target group - the applying organization / The lider of the organization - the European Commission

10. KEY INGREDIENTS • European dimension Partnership, the action map, the “know how“ exchange & the good practicies, mobility, data situation (benchmarking) • Innovation New work methodes, new topics, different instruments, innovative fields of application and products, the partnership composition • Impact The operation and the dissemination of the results, exact copy of the actions, multiplier effects, promotion and comunication instruments • Evaluation The evaluation of the implementation of the project (internal and external), monitoring indicators (based on the project's results and realisations).

11. OTHER INGREDIENTSthe EU interdisciplinary priorities Thematic: • Sustainable development • Equality of chances and between gender • Labor occupation • Integration of the persons with disability • TIC

12. 1. ANTICIPATION1.2. Organising the partnership • Identifying the potential partners • Chosing the right partner(s) • Develop a set of rules for the partnership management

13. The main aspects of the partnership network • Partners: • They belong to different areas of expertise and states; • They have common objectives materialised in concrete actions/projects; • They don't need a legal status (they are flexible); • They bring their competences into the project to ensure the expected success ; • They respond to a unique coordination/ to the leader of the project, responsable in front of the European Commission for the realisations of the project. Partener's network: • It creates a multicultural environment, that sometimes knows different social or economical difficulties.

14. 1. ANTICIPATION1.2. Organising partnership IDENTIFICATION OF THE PARTNERS • Lists with projects financed/ funded, successful projects etc. • Specialized databases • Days information on programs • Agencies and National Coordination Offices • European networks

15. 1. ANTICIPATION1.2. Organising partnership CHOOSING THE RIGHT PARTNER For the pre-selected partners: • Send the project summary; send the project schedule • Explain the role of the leading/coordinating organisation; • Suggest the partner profile.

16. 1. ANTICIPATION1.2. Organising partnership PARTNER PROFILE DESIGN • Technical and language skills; • International project management capacity; • Financial stability (annual budgets, budget plan for next year); • Commitment and motivation of the partner, organization involvement; • Contact persons from the partner organization.

17. 1. ANTICIPATION1.2. Organising partnership ELABORAREA REGULILOR MANAGERIALE PENTRU PARTENERIAT • Organize an internal information system • Leading a balanced partnership • Establish appropriate rules for financial management

18. a) Organize an internal information system Communicate regularly,often, simultaneously, with all network members. Tools: • e-mail; • Virtual Office working on the project; • Tele-conferences.

19. a) Organize an internal information system Virtual Office of working the project/ a virtual database on the project, which will allow: • exchange of information and worksheets; • publication of documents with …. and online publishing; • meetings development; • step by step project implementation (compliance schedule and timing, delegation of tasks, etc.); • work access both online and offline.

20. b) Leading a balanced partnership • active participation of all partners; • assuming risks by all partners; • democratic rules for decision making.

21. c)Establish appropriate rules for financial management Anticipation of difficulties: • development plan revenue from the project budget; • transparency of all financial elements: cost, delay, payments, reports; • analytical balances; • coordinating organization keeps all financial items, notes, invoices and supporting documents.

22. c)Establish appropriate rules for financial management Solving future management challenges/ difficulties – solution in 2 steps for network management: • 1. “flexibile” step– minimum requirements Letter of intent (letter of support, statement of partnership) • 2. “formalize” step– partnership agreement Signing of the partnership agreement

23. LETTER OF INTENT Synthetic, authorize the coordinator to submit the project proposal. Contains: • Information about the legal status of the partner organization; • Authorization of coordinator to sign the contract with the European Commission; • Original signature of the legal representative of the partner organization.

24. Letter of Intent-example- Statement of partnership/ Partnership agreement /Declaraţie de parteneriat • To obtain a minimum agreement between <xxx> potential partners to develop a competitive project proposal to call for tenders for projects under the EC <xxx> Funding Program, each partner of the Partnership Declaration signatory agrees to the following: • Consortium aims: drafting and submission to funding the project, if successful, writing Partnership Agreement for Consortium Therefore, each partner is responsible for active participation in drafting the proposal: supply the necessary information, participation in project development and working meetings, allocation necessary resources, compliance planning and lead times

25. Letter of Intent-example- Statement of partnership/ Partnership agreement /Declaraţie de parteneriat– continuare 3. Privacy All information concerning the structure, establishment of the methodology and technical content of the proposal are confidential and can not be disclosed without the Consortium approval. None of new partner can not be contacted or informed about the technical details of the project without prior approval of all partners and after signing this Declaration. I am agree to start negotiations for gaining / joining as partner of XXX project, respecting the conditions mentioned in the Declaration of Partnership. Signed at - the institution represented by xxx

26. Partnership Agreement Agreement, governing the relationship between the contractor and each partner: • obligations of the contractor and his partners; • tasks assigned to partners; • financial contribution of partners; • end of the contract, the courts, law of the contract (the country of leading organization). TIPS: Sign Partnership Agreement while you expect the EC response.

27. How to organize a partenership: • Define the project and identify necessary skills; • Identify possible/ potential partners with appropriate expertise/ skills; • Suggest them a draft project and send them partner profile; Negotiate, changing points of views and select organizations motivated and which showed a real interest in the project; • Before submitting the proposal, formalize letter of intent; • Formalized the partnership.

28. 1. ANTICIPATE1.3. Achieving Community Expectations INSTITUTIONS AND POLICIES

29. 1. ANTICIPATE1.4. How the financial programs work Characteristics of programs - present: • tools of motivation for the European partners; • have many beneficiaries; • it covers various fields of activity; • cover (at least) throughout the EU; • adopted for many years (multiannual programs); • are managed directly by the CE.

30. 1. ANTICIPATE1.4. How to financial programmes work: Characteristics of programs – trends: • Delegation (by CE Delegations in other countries); • Decentralization of programs ( EU Member States: national agencies, ERF); • Inclusion of different programs within a larger program (one on DG); • Founding agencies to manage funding programs.

31. EXAMPLES Integrated Programs of Action for Lifelong Learning(2007-2013) Composed of 4 sectoral programs: • COMENIUS:pre-university education; • ERASMUS: university education; • LEONARDO DA VINCI: vocational education; • GRUNDTVIG: Lifelong Learning

32. EXEMPLEPROGRESS ( for Working force and solidarity) (2007-2013) • Section 1: Employment • Section 2: Protection and social inclusion • Section 3: Conditions at work • Section 4: Anti-discrimination and diversity • Section 5: Gender equality

33. EXEMPLECompetition and Inovation (2007-2013) • Entreprenorship and Inovation Programme • TIC Programme • Inteligent Energy Programme

34. How is a program organized: More actions: • In the middle of the program: Projects • Around program: Program evaluation, studies, thematic data collection Exceptions in some programs: Funding basic activities of the European Networks

35. Planning Program Cycle • Preparatory phase: pilot projects, preparatory actions  financing! • Programming phase: legal base (decision rules)  financing! • Implementation phase: the selection of projects  financing! • Re-programming phase: public consultation, pilot projects, preparatory actions  financing!

36. ... or Call for proposal Launch in a funding program • Published: - in OJEU, seria C http://europe.eu.int/eur-lex/en - web- site DG • CE funding opportunities with priority actions and eligible activities

37. Call for projectsCheck list • Beneficiaries • Actions • Budget • Calendar • Procedure • Sources of information

38. Call for projects Exercise Identify: • Beneficiaries • Actions • Budget • Calendar • Procedure • Sources of information

39. Calendar • Working program through annual grants (the DG and the financing program) • Pre-information announcement

40. How to Get European Funds? 2. FORMALIZE 2.1. Identification of relevant programs 2.2. Organizing and structuring the project 2.3. Budget design 2.4. Achieving the criteria for the selection of projects

41. 2. FORMALIZE 2.1 IDENTIFICATION OF RELEVANT PROGRAMS

42. IDENTIFICATION OF A FUNDRELEVANT DOCUMENT Documents relating to the program • Decision concerning the Program (legal basis) • New rules of financial • Working program through annual grants • Note/Addendum orCorrigendum • Application form and annexes Professional tools: • Eurofunding Catalogue and alerts lists, databases, www...

43. IDENTIFICATION OF A FUNDSTEPS • First check of the eligibility - funds - domains; - beneficiaries; - actions; - regions. • Second check of the eligibility: - eligibility; - goals and specific objectives; - types of actions funded. • Final check: - Funds available, timetable, actions.

44. What are my specific objectives? • What countries are involved or targeted? • What is the legal status of my organization and my partners? • What activities will I implement? • What budget do I need? • Program objectives • Geographical coverage • Organizations eligibility • Financing activities • Maximum and minimum amounts of funding My Project? In what Program?

45. Study Case Who may finance our project? Analyse according to stages of fund identification

46. Case Study • Combating discrimination • E-learning • ENEA • Leonardo da Vinci 2 – Pilot projects • Leonardo da Vinci 5 – Reference Material • MIE – Incentive Measures in the field of Employment • Socrates – Grundtvig 1 • European Year of Worker Mobility

47. 2.2. WORKING PLAN

48. WORK PLAN • split in Work Package (WP) or tasks • follows logical stages of the project WP helps to define in project of the: - deliverables - milestones

49. Organizing Project in Work Plans • Defining project objectives; • Combination of tasks / activities for these objectives (in parallel with effort estimated/ resources required); •  Identify deliverables for each task; • Defining groups of tasks; • Bringing groups of tasks in WP .

50. Every Work Package contains: WP Name: • objectives • tasks or activities • partners’ responsabilities • deliverables • milestones • outputs • estimating the time period and resources.