What makes someone a champion, especially in planning and writing successful proposals for funding in european programmes such as Horizon 2020, erasmus+, Creative Europe, Europe for Citizens

1. The 7 Habits of EU Funding
Champions
B.U.N.D.L.E.R.TM Formula

2. B. Build to Last!

3. B. Build to Last!
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Erasmus+ funded projects shall
support the
• mission of your organisaEon
• vision of your organisaEon
• CreaEon of forefront know-how
• Job growth and compeAAveness
• Increase the quality of life of EU
ciEzens
• i.e. don’t fall in the “Valley of
Death”

4. U. Upset the Status Quo!

5. U. Upset the Status Quo!
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• You know the SMART objecEves
• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable/AWainable
• RealisEc/Relevant
• Time (in)
• They are not complete, since SMART
objecEves are not InnvovaEve!
• Think outside the box and be innovaEve
• Endorse the “Medici Effect”
i.e. Create a “David” like Michelangelo in
educaEon, e.g. AMORES (www.amores-
project.eu)

6. N. Never Eat Alone!

7. N. Never Eat
Alone!
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Three meals in a weekday
• 2 meals with family, friends,
old colleagues
• 1 meal with new colleagues,
partners, clients, funders,
experts, mentors, project
managers, etc
• i.e. 260 meals in a year for
sharing ideas, connecEng,
geang feedback, establishing
partnerships
• What about coffee?
• AWend infoday events
Drop the rule “Ask and Shall
Receive” and adopt the moWo
“Give and Shall Receive”

8. D. Don’t Delay it, Delegate it!

9. D. Don’t Delay it,
Delegate it!
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Winning Proposals in Erasmus+
require teams with a
1. Proposal Leader
2. Proposal WriAng Team (in-
house team but also from the
partnership)
3. Secretary
4. Expert

10. D. Don’t Delay it,
Delegate it!
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A Proposal Leader is responsible for
• CoordinaAng the proposal wriEng
process
• “EaAng” with experts, funders,
potenEal partners and geang
feedback
• Engaging competent partners
• CoordinaAng the allocaEon of
budget and resources
• CooperaAng with the secretary for
the administraEve and submission
process
• Assessing the quality of proposal
secEons and contribuEons and
taking proper acEons for further
improvements
• CooperaAng with the expert for
the proposal review

11. D. Don’t Delay it,
Delegate it!
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The Proposal WriAng Team is responsible
for wriEng the proposal secEons based on
the C.R.I.T.E.R.I.A. formula/EvaluaEon
Criteria
• ConsorAum Quality
• Relevance of the Project
• InnovaAon
• Transeuropean Dimension
• Economic
• ReputaAon
• Impact
• Approach
Tip no. 1: Delegate different secEons to
individuals/partners according to their
experEse and competencies

12. D. Don’t Delay it,
Delegate it!
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“Secretary” is responsible for
1. CollecEng all administraEve
documents from partners if
applicable such as mandate
leWers, profiles, CVs, LeWers of
support, NDAs, admin forms
including PIC, etc
2. Submiang the whole
applicaEon in coordinaEon with
the proposal leader
3. Ensures that the focus of the
other members is in wriEng an
excellent proposal

13. D. Don’t Delay it,
Delegate it!
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“Expert” is responsible for
1. Assessing the proposal idea
2. The proposal summary and
3. The proposal final drai
Feedback given should always give
suggesEons for further
improvement. There is no proposal
that is perfect

14. L. Learn that Good is the
Enemy of Great

15. L. Learn that Good is the Enemy
of Great 1. Build a profound proposal
summary that engages
2. Network, network, network.
3. Realise that everything counts
but first impression counts more
4. Prepare an impressive
introducEon
5. Build the proposal according to
the selecEon award criteria
6. Engage an Expert as external
reviewer
7. Don’t make compromises!

16. L. Learn that Good is the Enemy
of Great Great proposals have very few
compromises, i.e.
• No compromises in the partnership
• No compromises in the quality of
each proposal secEon
• No compromises by avoiding
preparing a well structured
summary
• No compromises in geang
feedback by experts, funders,
partners, clients
• …

17. E. Endorse a Sharpen
Axe!

18. E. Endorse a Sharpen
Axe!
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Once upon a *me, a very strong woodcu5er
asked for a job in a *mber merchant and he
got it. The pay was really good and so was
the work condi*on. For those reasons, the
woodcu5er was determined to do his best.
His boss gave him an axe and showed him the
area where he supposed to work.
The first day, the woodcu5er brought 18
trees.
“Congratula*ons,” the boss said. “Go on that
way!”
Very mo*vated by the boss words, the
woodcu5er tried harder the next day, but he
could only bring 15 trees. The third day he
tried even harder, but he could only bring 10
trees. Day aNer day he was bringing less and
less trees.
“I must be losing my strength”, the
woodcu5er thought. He went to the boss and
apologized, saying that he could not
understand what was going on.
“When was the last *me you sharpened your
axe?” the boss asked.
“Sharpen? I had no *me to sharpen my axe. I
have been very busy trying to cut trees…”

19. E. Endorse a Sharpen
Axe!
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Thus, never say that I am a
teacher and
• I don’t do networking with
funders and experts or
• I don’t connect with potenEal
partners or
• I don’t need to write an
impressive summary or
• I don’t need to delegate
• …

20. R. Recognise Mistakes
as Learning
OpportuniAes!

21. R. Recognise Mistakes
as Learning
OpportuniAes!
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We are learning from our
mistakes, therefore,
• Learn from your
mistakes but most
importantly
• Learn from the
mistakes of others