This course is aimed at equipping individuals in organisations of all types and sizes (Universities, NGOs, SMEs, Cities, etc) – who have the responsibility for developing project proposals – with the necessary skills and know-how in order to produce engaging, high quality, successful bids. While, the material taught is useful for any type of proposal irrespective of funding stream, the course does have a special focus on R&D / innovation-style proposals for Horizon Europe and especially proposals for the funding streams:

  • Global Challenges & Industrial Competitiveness, and
  • Innovative Europe

which concentrate 67% of the funds under Horizon Europe.

The course offers a complete insight to writing and submitting competitive proposals in response to Horizon Europe calls with tips, guidelines and practice sessions. The combination of examples and hands-on online exercises will introduce you to all aspects that you need to know from identifying the right call for your project idea, to developing a convincing project concept, a carefully planned implementation and risk management plan, a powerful impact statement, and a well-constructed dissemination and exploitation plan: in essence, everything required to submit a competitive proposal, plus guidelines on how to evaluate and score your own proposal before submitting it.

With the new programming period 2021 – 2027, the EU budget envisages even more important investment focus on Research and Innovation, with a strengthened budget under framework Horizon Europe and many innovation funding opportunities under both the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) and Next Generation EU (NGEU). We will discover together all these funding opportunities while exploring the different notions of innovation.

This is an “applied”/interactive course which concentrates on the most important elements evaluators look for in project proposals and systematically works with the participants to produce mastery of those elements. The course is structured in 3 days in order to avoid information overload and to allow participants the necessary time to absorb and process all new information before moving to a new topic. Each day closes either with a discussion session or a workshop session in order to enhance knowledge absorption.

Short Course Agenda:

Day 1

MATCHING PROJECTS TO FUNDING SOURCES

1 Overview of the Programming Period 2021-2027 funding opportunities

2 Types of funding streams under Innovation Policy 2021-2027 & the small details under each funding stream that matter

3 How to ensure the best fit between your project and an available funding stream/Call

4 Exploring the different notions of innovation

5 Questions/answers on funding streams and discussion

Day 2

ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF WINNING PROPOSALS

1 An overview of winning proposal essential features

2 Developing the best project justification

3 Demonstrating impact

4 Pulling together the right assets

5 Putting yourself in the role of the "evaluator"

6 Workshop/exercise session

Day 3

DEMONSTRATING GOOD PLANNING AND CONTROL OF THE IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS

1 Working-out the implementation plan

2 Dealing with risk

3 Developing a sound dissemination and exploitation plan

4 Workshop/exercise session

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