How to write effective EU project proposals: Introduction to Full application preparation. Application Package for Applicants. Common mistakes. Natasa Gospodjinacki Kiev, 3-4 September 2015

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Seminar on Project Preparation
How to write effective EU project proposals:
Introduction to Full application preparation.
Application Package for Applicants. Common mistakes.
Natasa Gospodjinacki
Kiev, 3-4 September 2015

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Disclaimer
The findings, conclusions, and interpretations expressed are
those of the authors alone and should in no way be taken to
reflect the policies or opinions of the European Commission.
Legal rights and obligations of the grant beneficiary vis-à-vis
the Contracting Authority are contained in the contract,
including its General and Special conditions, as well as all
other annexes. Guidance presented is for information
purposes only.
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Let us establish the main tool:
• Parking Lot
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Objectives
In this course we will:
• Provide a general overview of application for a grant funded by
the European Union and will illustrate some common mistakes;
• Explore modality of Logical Framework approach and go
through necessary analysis of it;
• Highlight important parts of resource scheduling and
budgeting;
• Illustrate EuropeAid contractual and financial procedures;
• Show the link between LFA approach and Application Form
.
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What happens next:
• Prepare and submit a Full application;
• If FA is Rejected: Letter from the EU (you are entitled to ask for
explanations);
• If FA is Accepted: Eligibility checks: the documents that will be checked for
the eligibility are listed in the Guidelines;
• EU will undertake a contract procedure;
• Reserve list created.
Introduction
Your organisation is invited to submit a Full Application (FA),
congratulations!

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CfP EVALUATION
Step 1: Opening & administrative checks and Concept Note
evaluation (using CN evaluation grid from the Guidelines) -
DONE
Step 2: Evaluation of the Full Application (using FA
evaluation grid from the Guidelines);
Step 3: Verification of eligibility of applicant , co-
applicant and affiliated entities (sending required
supporting documents).
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Step 2: Evaluation of the Full Application
Section Max
Score
1. Financial and operational capacity 20
1.1 Do the applicants and, if applicable, affiliated entity(ies) have
sufficient experience of project management?
5
1.2 Do the applicant and, if applicable affiliated entity(ies) have
sufficient technical expertise? (notably knowledge of the issues to
be addressed.)
5
1.3 Do the applicant and, if applicable, affiliated entity(ies) have
sufficient management capacity? (including staff, equipment and
ability to handle the budget for the action)?
5
1.4 Does the applicant have stable and sufficient sources of finance? 5
2. Relevance of the action 30
Score transferred from the Concept Note evaluation
Make sure that your organisation (and partners) satisfies the legal status criteria and that it can
demonstrate a track record working in the sector. Does your organisation has sufficient resources to
implement the project and the appropriate management capacity and professional competence.
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Step 2: Evaluation of the Full Application
Section
Max
Score
3. Effectiveness and feasibility of the action 20
3.1 Are the activities proposed appropriate, practical, and consistent
with the objectives and expected results?
5
3.2 Is the action plan clear and feasible? 5
3.3 Does the proposal contain objectively verifiable indicators for
the outcome of the action? Is any evaluation foreseen?
5
3.4 Is the co-applicant(s)' and affiliated entity(ies) level of
involvement and participation in the action satisfactory?
5
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Step 2: Evaluation of the Full Application
Section
Max
Score
4. Sustainability of the action 15
4.1 Is the action likely to have a tangible impact on its target groups? 5
4.2 Is the proposal likely to have multiplier effects? (Including scope for
replication, extension of the outcome of the action and information
sharing.)
5
4.3 Are the expected results of the proposed action sustainable:
- financially (how will the activities be financed after the funding ends?)
- institutionally (will structures allowing the activities to continue be in
place at the end of the action? Will there be local “ownership” of the
results of the action?)
- at policy level (where applicable) (what will be the structural impact of
the action — e.g. will it lead to improved legislation, codes of conduct,
methods, etc?)
- environmentally (if applicable) (will the action have a
negative/positive environmental impact?)
5
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Step 2: Evaluation of the Full Application
If the total score for section 1 is less than 12 points, the application will be rejected. If
the score for at least one of subsections under section 1 is 1, application will also be
rejected.
Section
Max
Score
5. Budget and cost-effectiveness of the action 15
5.1 Are the activities appropriately reflected in the budget? 5
5.2 Is the ratio between the estimated costs and the expected
results satisfactory?
10
Maximum total score 100
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Step 3: Verification of Eligibility
There are three sets of eligibility criteria, before the application will be considered:
• eligibility of actors (applicants; co-applicants; affiliated entity(ies));
• eligibility of actions - actions for which an application may be made;
• eligibility of costs - costs which may be taken into consideration for the grant.
Applicants that have been provisionally selected for funding will be asked to provide
(Refer to Guidelines 2.4, list of supporting documents):
• Statues or articles of association, law documents;
• External audit report if grant is above 100.000 Euro;
• Copy of latest accounts;
• Legal Entity Sheet (original);
• Financial Identification Form (original).
USE PADOR !
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• GENERAL INFORMATION
• THE ACTION
Description of the Action (The evaluation committee will refer to information provided in the Concept Note as regards
objectives and the relevance of the action.) - Description, Methodology , Duration and indicative action plan for
implementing the action, Sustainability of the action
• Logical Framework
• BUDGET, amount requested from the Contracting Authority and other expected sources of funding,
Applicant’s experience ;Co-applicant(s)'s experience (if applicable), Affiliated entity(ies) experience (if
applicable)
• THE APPLICANT
Identity, Profile, Category, Sector(s), Target group(s), Capacity to manage and implement actions, Experience by
sector, Experience by geographical area, Cross-reference of experience by sector and by geographical area;
Resources (Financial data, Financing Source(s), Number of staff (full-time equivalent), List of the management
board/committee of your organisation) the same for CO-APPLICANT(S), AFFILIATED ENTITY(ies) participating in
the action, ASSOCIATES OF THE APPLICANT participating in the action
• Check list and statements (SignedMandateby Co-Applicant(s), SignedDeclarationby the Applicant)
• PADOR registration of applicant, co-applicant and for affiliated entities (if any) – (offline form, if applicable)
CfP GUIDELINES - Full Application
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What is a project?
 an idea that successfully passes the selection process having reached;
• the defined objectives;
• within the defined time;
• not exceeding the defined budget!
 temporary endeavor;
 creates a unique outcome or result at :
• pre-specified time using predetermined resources.
 The Task Manager from the CA and many other people have to be able to
account for the project!
 You have to prove that rules and regulations have been respected!
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Project management skills need to be applied
already at the application stage
„Project management is the application of
knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to manage project activities from
start to finish with a goal of meeting project requirements.”
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Project implementation: main phases
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Why projects fail?
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Why projects fail?
 The goal of the project is not defined properly;
 Lack of change management (changes to project are not controlled);
 Poor or non-existent planning - a solid plan is one of the key steps of the
effective project management;
 The project is not resourced as planned - resources were not available at
the time, or were not booked in advance;
 Lack of coordination of activities - the project is not led properly;
 The project reporting is inadequate or does not exist - quality criteria is not
defined or measured;
 Lack of ownership - It is not clear who is responsible for the project
outcome- the progress is not monitored and controlled properly.
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Why projects fail? -Key challenges
The team challenge
• diversity of institutions involved, but also diversity of people;
A group of professionals with different expertise, experience, age, status,
etc., who may work together for the first time must be transformed into a
performing team which is capable of delivering results under high pressure
of time).
The administrative challenge
• Rather rigid administrative requirements;
• Very detailed content, technical and financial planning at application
stage;
• Obligation to comply with the original project plan (on which the
funding agreement is based);
The impact challenge
• expected to have an impact not only on the project and its immediate
environment, but on the larger sector concerned;
What is project

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How can you ensure the achievement of the project
objectives and therefore its success?
By complying with the commitments described in your approved project proposal, while at
the same time respecting all the requirements that are taking care of the project cornerstones.
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…but also with effective team work
Between stakeholders & within work units by:
• Understanding of different perspectives and needs;
• Respect for, and effective use of,
different knowledge and skills;
• Clarification of stakeholder
and team member responsibilities;
• Clear and timely communication and
decision making.
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BEFORE YOU START
Take Into Account…
• …that the evaluators are the first target group for your proposal
Bear in mind that the evaluators are the persons who will read and assess your
application. Although carefully selected, they have different backgrounds and may
not be specialists on the topic of your proposal.
So, put yourself in the evaluators’ shoes: despite the fact that everything in your
proposal may be obvious to you as an author, it is not necessarily so for the
evaluators, who will see only the information you provide!
Stay clear and simple. Communication technique is crucial for this as for any
other business.
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BEFORE YOU START (2)
• …that the evaluation will not be carried out under ‘luxury’ conditions
Evaluators have to work their way through a large number of proposals under strong
time pressure. They will hardly have the time to read your proposal more than once –
so make sure that this one reading is enough for them understand it!
• …that the evaluators have to make their choice among many
excellent proposals
A Call for Proposals and its evaluation is a competitive process. Due to a limited
amount of funding available, only the best 15 – 25% will be selected at the end. This
does not mean that the remaining 75% are poor proposals – they are just less good or
their topics are less attractive (e.g. smaller impact on society in qualitative and
quantitative terms). Therefore, you cannot afford any weaknesses in your
proposal: ALL parts of it must be of excellent quality!
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BEFORE YOU START - Grant Rules (3)
Non-cumulation: No single beneficiary may receive more
than one grant financed by the European Community or EDF
for a given action.
Non-retroactivity: Grants may, as a rule, only cover costs
incurred after the date on which the grant contract is signed.
Non-profit: Grants may not have the purpose or effect of
producing a profit for the beneficiary.
Co-financing: Grants may not as a rule finance the entire
cost of the action.
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24
• READ THE GUIDELINES AND ALL THE RELEVANT DOCUMENTS!!!
• Check the website of the EU Delegation periodically (e.g. if any
corrigendum)
• Register your organization, co-applicant and affiliated entities in PADOR
(on line)
• Prepare a project proposal which is really relevant to objectives/priorities
• Be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time- based)
• Establish strong partnerships (Applicant – Co-applicant – Affiliated entity -
Associates,…)
BEFORE YOU START – general (4)
Reporting
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BEFORE YOU START (5) –
Actors and types of involvement in the project
What is project Applicant
Co-Applicant
Affiliated entities
It presents the project, it is responsible for it, it coordinates
the project, it is direct beneficiary for funding, it must be
eligible and registered in PADOR
It coordinates one or more activities, it is member of the
management board, it receives funds, it must be eligible
and registered in PADOR
They are involved in the implementation of some activities,
their costs are eligible, they must be eligible and registered
in PADOR
Subcontractors They provide consultancy, expertise or other paid services
Associates
They contribute to the project without receiving money
(except for per diem – travel costs)
They benefit from the information, products and services
Other associates:
network, local
Target groups
Beneficiaries
provided by the project
They benefit from the project results
authorities,
media, etc.
Supporting actors
They lavish or mainstream information about the project
(decision and policy makers)

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BEFORE YOU START – Analysis (6a)
Make a thorough analysis of the background of your project
This analysis will lay the foundation for the action you propose.
• It must identify the essential problem areas, define target groups and
stakeholders, as well as links and complementarities with other initiatives in
such a way that the activities you plan to undertake and the solutions you propose
follow logically from the analysis.
If you start the preparation of your proposal with the Logical Framework, you will
automatically be performing this background analysis.
Identify clear objectives, methods, results
• Show that you have a clear idea of your project; that you know exactly what to
do, how to do it and why. Logical Framework Analysis will help you structure your
ideas and check their logic.
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BEFORE YOU START – Analysis (6b)
Develop a well-structured work plan
• Show in your work plan (for the implementation of your project) that you have
a realistic view of the sequence and timing of the activities to be
undertaken, the inputs required at each point and the results you expect to
achieve;
• Be honest about possible constraints and make appropriate provisions for
them in the work plan.
• Pay special attention to sequence of actions in cases where there is sub-
contracting involved. (PRAG or national procedures might take up to 6
months! Imagine what implications this might have on the implementation if
not planned for properly).
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BEFORE YOU START – Budget (7)
Calculate a realistic budget
• The budgeted project costs must be reasonable and realistic.
In many of the applications received, requested EC contribution were practically
on the upper grant limit, creating the impression that this figure was taken as the
starting point in formulating the project and then filled with activities to justify the
amount. It is unlikely that this approach will lead to an optimally designed project.
When you prepare the budget, it is more logical to start from realistic
considerations regarding the activities needed to successfully carry out the
action and then translate them into cost.
Avoid the impression that your budget was ‘artificially inflated’ in order to
obtain the maximum possible grant!
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BEFORE YOU START – Text (8a)
Have a clear text structure
• The text of your proposal must be clear, concise and easy to read.
• It should have precise headings and sub-headings. Use short paragraphs.
• The information should be limited to what is essential for describing your
proposed action and should show a logical sequence.
• Avoid redundancies and do not use acronyms without explanation.
• In case writing is done by different partners make sure that one person is
responsible for doing the last check of the completeness of the application and
its compliance with all the provisions of the Call for Proposals.
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BEFORE YOU START – Text (8b)
Use good quality language - ‘Short and sweet’ is a magic formula.
• It is implied that the use of good ‘standard’ English, or any other language if
procedure allows for this in the Call for Proposals, is an asset for your
application.
• A proposal must not be formulated in a sophisticated way, but it should be easy
to read and – more important – to understand.
• Apart from having to provide all relevant information in the best possible way,
you also need to charm the evaluators, as well as not to waste their time with
too many pages or force them to look up words in the dictionary.
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BEFORE YOU START – Title (9)
Find a good title for your project
• The title of your project should be concise and self-explanatory in view of the
proposed action;
• Title of the project must be short and clear (around 5-8 words), easy to
remember;
• Title should reflect objective of the project;
• Give the title after the project proposal is finished, unless it comes up while
writing the proposal.
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BEFORE YOU START – Rules (10)
Strictly follow the rules and provisions of the Call for Proposals
• In filling out the Application Form, strictly respect the rules as explained in the
Guidelines for Applicants.
• Do not leave out or add any chapters, or change their sequence.
• Respect the limitations to a certain number of pages that are indicated for
most of sections.
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BEFORE YOU START – Terminology (11)
Be clear about the roles of the different stakeholders and the EU terminology:
• Contracting Authority
– Centralised Management
– Decentralised Management
( EC or EUD / CFCU)
• Beneficiary Institutions
• Grant Beneficiary
• Target Group
• Final Beneficiary
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… what next?
Introduction to LFA, Stakeholder
analysis, Problem analysis, analysis of
strategy, Partnership
Intervention logic, indicators and
sources of verification, assumptions
and preconditions
Financial aspects – How to develop
activity based budget, Scheduling,
Procurement / sub-contracting.
Completing the Application form,
Financial and administrative
provisions
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