How to Develop a Convincing Project Strategy for EU Funding: Dos and Donts for Local and Regional Actors

Introductory remarks
Based on the co-funding principle, EU aid and programmes constitute a rich well of resources for European municipalities and regions. There are hundreds of EU support actions now available to regional and local players.

In this sense, the funds’ pot is big, with room for the renewed cohesion policy instruments (ERDF, ESF, CF) and a budget exceeding 308,000 MEUR (much higher than the budget of the previous period), room for the instruments of the VII Framework Programme (53,000 MEUR), or those of other initiatives which are less known or new such as ENPI, CIP, LIFE programmes, or very specific, such as the new instruments JASPERS, JEREMIE and JESSICA that include funding from international financial institutions (e.g. European Investment Bank), and many others.

This is a wide range indeed, but one should not forget that there are transversal elements such as the Strategy for Growth and Jobs (the “Re-Newed Lisbon Strategy” to be succeeded by the emerging “EU 2020” in 2010). This strategy influences the access to aid, since for the period 2007-2013 its objectives should be reflected (“earmarking”) in the proposals requesting EU funding.

For all these reasons and given the value of the funds and the current scenario represented by the programming period 2007-2013, local and regional players should be well prepared to seize this opportunity. Each programme or initiative has its own objectives or specific characteristics, but as far as the “basic rules of the game” are concerned (e.g. submission of proposal or offers, project-cycle management, visibility principles and invoicing, etc.) elements converge and show a harmonised pattern.

Target groups and general objective
If you work in a regional or local public administration, authority or body or will be involved in or in charge of the design, development and implementation of projects subject to compliance with European fund resources, this practical seminar will be of great added value to you. The seminar will also be of particular interest to those persons, NGOs, associations, university departments and consultants that are planning – for the first time – to apply for such EU tenders and calls for proposals with their project ideas (“every region, municipality or body has something to offer”) and would therefore like to gain both insight and a sound knowledge and know-how to make their application and project performance a success.

Method and particular topics addressed
Through a variety of training methods (i.e. lectures and presentations, including concrete examples, discussions and an interactive group exercise preparing real cases subject to an evaluation panel) this seminar will address many issues and provide participants with practical advice and techniques as well as allow them to exchange experiences so as to enable them to produce a convincing proposal, to establish sustainable local and regional partnerships and strategies and align them to the Lisbon targets, to build capacities and communicate results, and hence to develop added-value projects for their territory. Thus it will allow local and regional participants to quickly grasp the most relevant guiding principles and rules when it comes to preparing a bid for EU funding and to increasing its absorption capacity.

A specific glossary of the main EU financing instruments screened from the local and regional actors’ perspective will be provided to each participant (seminar kit) a week before the seminar and their web-links provided. In addition, participants will be equipped with a sample of “project proposals” devised from previous seminars to illustrate how such dossiers may look like (Do’s) and where possible obstacles are encountered (Don’ts). Finally, this seminar will offer the participants a unique opportunity to network with peers with the same interest and from various nationalities and give them the potential to identify new partners for future projects.