1. How does EU funding work?
Nick Poole, CEO, Collections Trust

2. Contents
• The European Union
• Why does the European Commission fund?
• What does the European Commission fund?
• Previous European Funding Frameworks
• The next financing period (2014-20)
• A typical programme
• Where to start

3. Europe

4. A Short History of the EU
• Formed originally from the European Economic Community in 1958
• Formally became the European Union under the Maastricht Treaty in 1993
• A single market under a standardised system of laws
• Aims to ensure the ‘free movement of goods, services, people and capital’
• 27 Member States (UK joined the EEC in 1973)
• The eurozone comprises 17 of the 27 Member States
• Population: 503m people

5. Institutions of the EU
European Parliament
Directly-elected parliamentary institution of the
European Union, with 754 MEPs. Passes laws.
European Commission
Administrative centre of the European Union,
proposes legislation & implements decisions.
Council of the European Union
27 Ministers of State (one per Member State) who
meet to discuss and set policy – eg. Common
Agricultural Policy

6. Why does the EC fund?
• “The Commission makes direct financial contributions in the form of grants in
support of projects or organisations which further the interests of the EU or
contribute to the implementation of an EU programme or policy. Interested
parties can apply by responding to calls for proposals.”
• To support the ‘free movement of goods, services, people and capital’
• Increasingly, to support jobs, innovation and growth in Europe
• To promote collaboration and exchange between EU citizens
• To promote the competitiveness of the European single market against the US,
China and other emerging economies

7. What does the EC fund?
Agriculture, fisheries and foods Economy, finance and tax External relations and foreign affairs
Animal welfare Competition Common Foreign Security Policy
Aquaculture Economy Development and Cooperation
CAP Fight against fraud Enlargement
CFP Financial services External trade
Plant health Taxation and custom union Foreign policies
Rural development Humanitarian aid
Employment and social rights
Business Employment Justice, home affairs and citizens' rights
Climate action European Social Fund Citizenship
Competitiveness Social affairs and equal opportunities Fight against fraud
Enterprise and Industry Energy and natural resources Immigration
Free movement Justice
Internal market Climate action Security and Fundamental Rights
SMEs Energy
Intelligent Energy Europe Regions and local development
Culture, education and youth Trans-European networks Disaster assistance
Audiovisual and media Regional Development Fund
Culture Environment, consumers and health Regional policy
Education and training Consumers
Interpretation Environment Science and technology
Sport Health Audiovisual and Media
Youth Maritime policy Information Society
Sustainable development Research

8. What does the EC fund?
• Public or private organisations, chosen by the Commission on the basis of
competence and capacity
• Based on the principle of complimentary financing – the Commission does not
usually fund 100% of project costs (with some exceptions)
• Grants cannot be applied retroactively to things that have already happened
• Grants have to be applied to the purposes for which they are awarded, and
cannot yield a profit for the grantee
• Looking for impact and sustainability beyond the period of the grant
• Usually require involvement from institutions in multiple Member States

9. Why does the EC fund culture?
• “Europe’s cultural richness and diversity is closely linked to its role and
influence in the world.
The European Union is not just an economic process or a trading power, it is
already widely - and accurately - perceived as an unprecedented and
successful social and cultural project.
The EU is, and must aspire to become even more, an example of a "soft
power" founded on norms and values such as human dignity, solidarity,
tolerance, freedom of expression, respect for diversity and intercultural
dialogue, values which, provided they are upheld and promoted, can be of
inspiration for the world of tomorrow.”
European Commission Communication
on the European Agenda for Culture

10. Why does the EC fund culture?
• Culture cuts across a range of European policy priorities, including:
– Travel & tourism
– Research & innovation
– Education
– Youth
– Audiovisual & media
– Internal market (copyright)
• Perhaps equally important, culture is key to soft diplomacy – promoting the
uniqueness and values of European identity and providing a coherent narrative
to a complex administrative & geographical idea

11. Previous Funding frameworks
• 3 key sources of funding (mostly now fully allocated):
– 7th Research Framework Programme (€50bn between 2007-2013)
– Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (€3.6bn between
2007-2013 to promote the competitiveness of European enterprises)
– Structural Funds (€86bn between 2007-2013)
• European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)
• European Social Fund (ESF)
• Cohesion Fund
• A total investment of €140bn over 6 years

12. Next financing period
• Welcome to the Multiannual Financing Framework 2014-20
– Smart and Inclusive Growth (€491bn)
– Sustainable growth, natural resources (€383bn)
– Security & Citizenship (€18.5bn)
– Global Europe (€70bn)
– Administration (€62.6bn)
• A total budget allocation of just over €1trn over 6 years
• But…

14. Next financing period
• A lot is still to be decided
• There are likely to be priorities around:
– Culture
– Research & innovation
– Knowledge transfer
– ICT
• The remaining calls under this financing period will appear January – March
2013
• Broad outline of future calls likely to be communicated mid/late 2013

15. A typical programme
• Each Department (Directorate) of the EC publishes an Annual Work
Programme by 31st March of each year
• Calls for Proposals against these Work Programmes are published on the Web
and via C-Series, the official Journal of the European Union
• A consortium is formed, and produces a proposal, usually led by one central
organisation
• Proposals are assessed by independent experts in closed session
• The lead for your consortium is invited to negotiate
• A contract is agreed with the Commission, along with any financial provisions

16. A typical programme
• Each Department (Directorate) of the EC publishes an Annual Work
Programme by 31st March of each year
• Calls for Proposals against these Work Programmes are published on the Web
and via C-Series, the official Journal of the European Union
• A consortium is formed, and produces a proposal, usually led by one central
organisation
• Proposals are assessed by independent experts in closed session
• The lead for your consortium is invited to negotiate
• A contract is agreed with the Commission, along with any financial provisions

17. Where to start…
• Your appetite for European working:
– How does your organisation feel about international collaboration?
– Are you already engaged within Europe?
– Is your management/leadership Eurosceptic?
– Are you already networked with colleagues in Europe?
• Securing funding from Europe is not hard, once you know what you’re doing.
Building competence and capacity requires an investment of time and effort. If
your organisation is anti-Europe, it is going to be a lot harder to make that
investment.

18. Where to start…
• Your Strategic Objectives:
– What are the strategic objectives of your museum?
– How do they map to EU priorities & agendas?
– Are you already conducting research?
– Is your focus on public programmes?
• Ad-hoc responses to EU funding opportunities rarely work as well as proposals
that build on an existing priority for your organisation. The Commission likes to
fund additionality – to enable things that might have happened anyway to
happen better.

19. Where to start…
• Your capacity:
– Do you have time to lead a consortium?
– Do you have capacity to participate in someone else’s?
– Can you afford the time to create project documents?
– Do you have a decent eye for detail?
– Can you afford to invest in travel and effort if your proposal doesn’t
succeed?
• Programmes vary significantly – some are light-touch, some are large-scale –
but all require the input of effort and expense without a guaranteed outcome.
You need the financial and strategic backing of your organisation to get
involved.

20. Where to start…
• Build your network!
• Lead times on Calls for Proposals are usually 4-6 months, which is very little
time to activate a consortium, build social capital and trust, create the
documentation, draft and re-draft and agree budget allocations.
• Proposals work best where they build on pre-existing networks and
relationships – they are fuelled by social capital, trust and energy.
• Networking with European counterparts is productive for your whole
organisation, and should be ongoing, rather than just ignited in response to a
CFP.

21. Where to start…
• Talk to us!
• Collections Trust leads on or participates in some €15m of European funded
programmes, we have an excellent reputation in Europe and an extensive
network of European partners. We’re looking out for partners from 2013
onward!
• The UK Cultural Contact Point at Visiting Arts has extensive experience of
advising and supporting cultural and creative institutions through planning and
submission of proposals – talk to Christoph & Mary!
• We’re both very happy to talk to you about your ideas and objectives and to
see how they might fit with the emerging financing framework.

22. How does EU funding work?
• EU funding works best where there is an alignment between your strategic
aims, an existing set of relationships and the European Commission’s policy
priorities
• The Commission issues a call for proposals and you respond to it, usually by
completing a form or forms (commonly via an online portal)
• There is no guaranteed way of securing EU funding, but the quickest way not
to is not to read the forms and do what they say
• You need to expect to find between 20-50% match-funding
• You need to pay close attention to eligible costs – most programmes focus on
staff and some capital costs, not on overhead or contracting

23. Take it further!
http://www.collectionslink.org.uk/programmes/european-projects - Collections
Link (information about current and proposed projects from Collections Trust)
http://www.culturefund.eu/ - The Cultural Contact Point for the Creative Europe
and Culture Programmes
http://ec.europe.eu – European Commission website, including information about
the Multiannual Financing Framework & forthcoming Calls for Proposals
http://ec.europa.eu/culture/index_en.htm - European Commission website on
the Culture Programme & the Culture Agenda for Europe
http://cordis.europa.eu/home_en.html - CORDIS information service on research
and innovation funding in Europe

24. Thanks for listening!
Nick Poole
CEO, Collections Trust
WC209 Natural History Museum
Cromwell Road
London
SW7 5BD
Tel: 0207 942 6080
Email: nick@collectionstrust.org.uk
twitter: @NickPoole1