Eurochambres ACADEMY 27 June 2002,
« « European Commission – European Commission – Funded Projects »Funded Projects »
Marco Lopriore, Director, Unioncamere Brussels
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Content
• Proposals versus tenders • Project experiences for CCI • Stumbling blocks • Information • Lobby• Return on investment
• Proposals versus tenders • Project experiences for CCI • Stumbling blocks • Information • Lobby• Return on investment
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Call for proposals versus tenders
• For EC: help applicant or punctual needs • For applicant: institutional versus commercial
goals• Cofinancing versus full financing• Inhouse human resources or outsourcing• Quality criterion or Price • High guidance versus no guidance
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• Consortium leader: proven management skills; international project experience
• Coordinator’s role: interface consortium-EC; contract signatory; financial administration
• Coordinator and partners: QA’ed reporting against schedule
• Suggestion: start small (partner) and grow (coordinator)
ca. 10-15% of total effort
• Consortium leader: proven management skills; international project experience
• Coordinator’s role: interface consortium-EC; contract signatory; financial administration
• Coordinator and partners: QA’ed reporting against schedule
• Suggestion: start small (partner) and grow (coordinator)
ca. 10-15% of total effort
Coordinate or be partner ?
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• Choose partners you know, have already work together (es. Ulixess Geie, EBR Geie), know they can deliver and trust
• Diversification of partners: consultants (PWC), Regions, Eurochambres, other CCI, etc
• As last resort you can search the Web (for IST programme: www.ideal-ist.net), take part in information days of the EC, ask the TAO, or build on your existing contacts and experiences
Partnership I
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• Benefits
- additional resources, especially R&D
- Access to other markets- Different perspectiveon
problem solving
• Potential poblems
- not in complete control- sharing of exploitation- different agenda to
yours- cooperation takes time
Partnership II
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Partnership III
• Cultural variencies• Religion (MEDA)• Age & Gender• Business versus Academic approaches
(R&D)• Use of languages• Eating, drinking, and ….
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• Reporting to the EC: quarterly management reports; semestrial progress reports with cost statements;
• Euro jargon
• Where’s the accountant?
• Original receipts?
• Reporting to the EC: quarterly management reports; semestrial progress reports with cost statements;
• Euro jargon
• Where’s the accountant?
• Original receipts?
Paperwork
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Documents most often missing from proposals:
• Annual reports describing applicants activities: 24%• Partners statutes: 22%• Evidence of how experts were selected: 14%• CV: 13%• Incomplete budget: 10%• Recent accounts: 5%• Signed statements from partners: 3%
Documents most often missing from proposals:
• Annual reports describing applicants activities: 24%• Partners statutes: 22%• Evidence of how experts were selected: 14%• CV: 13%• Incomplete budget: 10%• Recent accounts: 5%• Signed statements from partners: 3%
Stumbling blocks
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• Funding insufficient • considerable self investment • Always delayed payments !• prepare yourself to change the budget continuously
following discussions with partners, errors, adjustments, etc
• who can co-finance it. Ask which are the different sources (national, regional, CCI, private) and how can they contribute (cash, services, structures)?
• Funding insufficient • considerable self investment • Always delayed payments !• prepare yourself to change the budget continuously
following discussions with partners, errors, adjustments, etc
• who can co-finance it. Ask which are the different sources (national, regional, CCI, private) and how can they contribute (cash, services, structures)?
Financial
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Differences
• EC Project+ no equity- requires partners (+)- wider benefits to be
shown+ strict criteria- strict monitoring- not suitable for startups+ ROI may be longerPublic money
• Venture Capital
- usually involves equity
+ doesn’t require partners
- business plan more detailed
- criteria more flexible
+ suitable for startups
Private money
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TIPICAL CONTENT OF PROPOSAL
• Objectives& scope• Industrial relevance• European dimension• Workplan• Exploitation• Management• Proposers• Duration and
ressources
• Very important• Very important
• Will be negotiated• Critical
• Important• Will be negotiated
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Individual exercise :
why apply for EU funding ?
what are the strategic or institutional objectivesthat you want to pursue in applying for EU funds ?
what are the areas of excellence of your CCI ?
what are the needs of your territory ?
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• Valorization and transfer at European level: proof of selection/best practice !
• Stap inside the Committee and decision making process
• Personalize to specific needs and to other « clients » (eg. Regions, etc)
• Spin-offs and further projects
• Valorization and transfer at European level: proof of selection/best practice !
• Stap inside the Committee and decision making process
• Personalize to specific needs and to other « clients » (eg. Regions, etc)
• Spin-offs and further projects
Why apply for EU funds ?
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• Immaterial gains larger than material « getting richer, but not in the financial sense… »
• Satisfaction• Useable product • Experience• Contacts/network• Friendships
• Immaterial gains larger than material « getting richer, but not in the financial sense… »
• Satisfaction• Useable product • Experience• Contacts/network• Friendships
But also …
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Information on calls
Preofficial information
• Meeting agenda (gain 1 month time in preparing)
• EC only to complement• Antenna in beneficiaries
countries (Ministries, EBIC, others, etc)
• Information days
Official information
• Official Journal (still valid)
• Web sites (SCR)• TED (since 1st March on
Internet but difficult)• Specialised publication
(beware of delays !!!)• EC only as complement
of information
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Usefull web sites on EU funding
• Chambers: http://www.unioncamere.it/fondieuropei/Consultazione/consulta.htm
• Non Chambers:http://www.welcomeurope.comhttp://europa.eu.int/comm/europeaid/index_en.htmhttp://www.cec.org.uk/work/funding.htmhttp://www.uni-mannheim.de/users/ddz/edz/eu_prog/indexe.html
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How to lobby for a project ?
Before the call
• Phase of preparation and reflection (Green Paper)
• Drafting of the programme• Discussion with EC !!!!!!• National contact points of
diffusion • Beneficiaries/Ministries• Embassies/Delegations
After the call
• Independent Evaluation Committee
• Monitoring Committee• Permanent
Representations of MS• National offices of CCI
in Brussels • Eurochambres
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EU-MED – They are not only in Brussels
Brussels Member States
L
European Commission
European ParliamentPermanent representatives
EU-MED Council of Ministers
GRDNL
F
A
P
EIRL
FIN
IUK
BS
DK
MED
CEg
MA
Isr
J
M
S
TT
L
P
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LOBBY AND EU FUNDS
• Strength of lobbies –ex: continental products (meat, wheat) cover 60% EGSF more than Mediterranean products (fruits,wine,olive oil).
• Location of office (Belgium )• Diffusion of consultancy services (NL and UK)• Links with beneficiaries (France and ACP)
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PHARE
Contracts in 1998: 304 MEuro
1. Germany 20%
2. Belgium 16%
3. UK 15%
And last ….
8. Italy 4%
Do not forget the
bigger picture !
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TACIS
Value of contracts in 2000: 387 MEURO
1. Germany 642. UK 343. France 214. Italy 175. The Netherlands 166. Belgium, Sweden, Azerbaijan 127. Ireland, Finland, Denmark 98. Ukrain, Greece 6
Do not forget the
bigger picture !
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CARDS –Balkan contracts in 2000
Number of contracts Value(Million Eur)
Germany 24 54
Italy 13 30
France 10 27
FRY 19 73
FYROM 10 52
Bosnia-H 13 9
Kosovo 1 5
Croatia 11 0,7
Montenegro 1 0,3
EC (Greece) 11 27
Total 202 448
Do not forget the
bigger picture !
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Return on investment
If you have a new idea, then ask yourself :
• which EU programme can fund it and which programme is the best suited
• Be aware that topics are horizontal and there are many possibilities of funding (eg. Tourism in all programmes from SF to IST!)
• Present not only 1 project but at least 10 to make better return on your investment !