This course is aimed at equipping individuals in organisations of all types and sizes who have the responsibility for developing research and development – style proposals with the relevant skills and know-how to produce engaging, high quality, successful bids. It is relevant to people working in all sectors and to all kinds of proposals irrespective of funding source.

The course covers the various types of bids and proposals and the key similarities and differences between them and the various approaches needed to reflect these factors. The content of the training is structured to address all key issues central to a well-presented proposal. This includes planning, writing the bid, structure and writing style as well as partnership development, budgets and eligibility. Understanding the importance of review and checking, as well as the actual submission process and what happens to a proposal after submission are also described.

The course encourages an interactive approach and uses a mixture of lecture style-delivery, workshop activities and structured discussion. There is also ample opportunity for question and answer sessions. Extensive class exercises, making the training as practical as possible.

As a result of completing this course, participants will be better equipped to produce a winning proposal by:

1. Understanding the key elements of a well-constructed proposal;

2. Recognizing the differences between the various types of proposal and funding stream;

3. Mastering the approaches needed to deliver a proposal in a timely manner;

4. Comprehending the importance of the submission and evaluation processes used for your proposal;

5. Learning the best-practices from experts in the field of proposal development;

6. Networking with colleagues from all across Europe, sharing experiences and exchanging your know-how.

Participants of the two days training will learn: 

• Distinguishing between R&D and innovation 
• Product & service innovation
• Technological innovation
• Process innovation
• Exploring some other types of innovation: social innovation, innovation in creative industries, environmental innovation
• Differences and similarities between R&D and innovation project proposals
• The most important currently available funding streams for R&I projects at EU level and member state level 
• How to focus on the elements that matter
• How to deconstruct a call
• What is Justification
• How to develop the best “vision” statement
• How to use data to back-up your claims
• Writing techniques
• What is a business plan and why you need one
• The concept and process of “commercialization”
• How to take onto account the competition
• Who are the right partners and why they are needed
• What evaluators are looking for and how to exploit it
• Suitable assets and why they matter
• How to focus on a workplan
• How to explore alternatives
• Sensitivity analysis
• Identifying critical paths and avoiding bottlenecks
• What is risk and how to identify it
• Why we need risk mitigation
• How to improve your proposal

Day 1 concentrates on the crucial elements of a successful project proposal, i.e. demonstrating innovation, ensuring the “best fit” between project and funding stream, and tips/exercises on 3 of the most important sections of a proposal: project justification, project viability/sustainability and project assets. 

Day 2 concentrates on the “process” and works on project development and management tools and procedures. It concludes with a 3-hour workshop session which pulls everything together.

Course Agenda

Course’s Benefits & Outcomes: 

• Become familiar with the current EU rules 

• Be able to develop a strategy for developing bids within your organisation 

• Become an expert in identifying funding opportunities 

• Prepare accurate and engaging proposal documentation 

• Make the most out of the available funding instruments 

• Improve the success rate of your project proposals 

• Learn how to negotiate effectively research and development contracts 

• Deliver project documentation correctly 

• Increase absorption of your funds through simplifying application and reporting processes 

• Learn how to avoid and solve disputes 

• Avoid financial corrections and penalties 

• Optimally manage confidential information 

• Demonstrate your organisation has qualified staff members to handle EU funded projects 

• Increase your organisation’s competitiveness 

• Benefit from key insights 

• Learn from best practice examples of our experienced speakers 

• Benefit from practical workshops and exercises 

• Learn from best practice examples of our experienced speakers  

• Receive tangible and actionable advice on your individual questions 

• Network and exchange experience with peers and possible partners from across EU

Participation fee for the 2 days training:

Remote €1100 exl. VAT

Training package includes:

• Admission to the course

• Hard copies of training material

• European Academy’s delegate’s bag with supporting training material & memorabilia 

• Certification of “Research and Innovation Project Development for H2020” training completion

• Certificate of attendance

• Complimentary coffee & snack breaks

• Complimentary networking lunch breaks

The course is led by tutor with extensive experience in the development and delivery of EC funded projects under the Framework Programmes (FP6, FP7 and Horizon 2020), Erasmus Plus (Lifelong Learning) Programme and Structural Funds Programmes (ERDF; ESF; INTERREG and EAFRD) and the delivery of relevant training. The tutor also has an extensive experience of developing SME-based research and development proposals.

The training is structured with the scope to provide participants with a solid understanding of the EU projects environment from the very basics to the most advanced issues, and to acquaint them with all skills necessary to those developing, monitoring and evaluating funding proposals. The course’s training material is based on the success stories and the mistakes of hundreds of projects, enriched with little secrets and reinforced by a mix of learning methods, including lecture style presentations, open discussions, case studies, simulations and group work.

CHRISA PETRITSI

​The course is led by Chrisa Petritsi, professional development planner and evaluator with 33 years of experience in development planning at local, national and international level (providing management advisory services and operational/project support focusing on resource management and efficiency; in designing and evaluating regional and socio-economic development policy, in drafting technical reports, in working with businesses and other beneficiaries. Working experience with programme beneficiaries, Managing Authorities/Intermediaries, Local/Regional Development Agencies, IFS, etc.; services to programme beneficiaries included: Financial and technical feasibility studies, Preparation of business-plans, Preparation and management of business clusters, Applications for EU-funding and TA during project/grant implementation. 

​Chrisa has worked for the University of Illinois from 1985 to 1989 where she taught to Master’s level students project planning and various other subjects around it such as project evaluation.
From 1989 to 1997 Ms. Petritsi worked for various levels of Government in the USA (Village of Rantoul, State of Wisconsin, City of Savannah), where she participated in the design of projects and taught problem-solving tools and methods and Total Quality principles.
From 1997 to 1999 she worked for an international mining company where she taught management-related courses such as team building, and performance management.
From 1999 and onwards, Chrisa has been working as a consultant for EU-related programmes (public and private investments) either in programme/project development or in programme/project evaluation. 

Her EU-related thematic experience includes infrastructure projects (mostly transport, public buildings, urban utilities and waste management), environmental projects, entrepreneurship projects (mostly private investments and entrepreneurship services), and various others (civil society, employment, etc). She has worked in Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia – Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Romania, Cyprus, Serbia, Turkey, Greece, Italy, USA. 

Chrisa’s experience in training includes: «Training on Monitoring and Evaluation», «Developing EU Structural Fund Programme Complements», «Programme Indicators: Development & Quantification», «The Structural Funds & the EU Planning Process», “Statistics & Regional Development”, “Regional & Local Support to SMEs”, “Problem Solving for Local Governments” «Economic Analysis of Public Plans & Policies», «Analytic Methods in Urban Planning» 

The courses are delivered by PM² Trainers qualified and certified by the PM² Alliance with proven experience in the management and coordination of European projects. Find more information about the tutors in the page of each training below.