EU FUNDING CONSULTANTS: WHAT DO THEY DO?

Winning EU Funding is an extremely competitive process. While an outstanding project is an absolute must, the skills to sell an idea to the funders and knowledge of the EU policy context are equally important, as well as managing and delivering a project when it has been financed.

EU Funding Consultants help clients seize new EU funding opportunities and turn innovative ideas into project proposals. This ranges from EU public grants and private loans identification, consortium recruitment, bid writing, selection of experts, negotiation with the granting authorities, budgeting, quality control and implementation of projects.

EU Funding Services provided may include:

• Mapping of EU Public Grants & Private Loans Opportunities
• Project Analysis & Assessment of Eligibility in Light of Available Funding
• Drafting Applications to EU Call for Proposals & Tenders
• Consortium Building & Management
• Project Implementation & Reporting
• Dissemination of Project Outcomes & External Communication
• Monitoring Results & Impact Evaluation
• Project Identity & Websites Set Up
• Influencing Decision Makers on Future Funding Priorities
• Investor Readiness Assessment & Commercial Potential of Project Results
• Investors Matchmaking (Corporate, Business Angels, Venture Capitalists)
• Preparation for Investment Pitches & Coaching Sessions to Improve Business Plans
• Risk Analysis (Market, Financial, Entrepreneurial) & Legal Due Diligence
• Advice on Intellectual Property Rights Management & CE Marking Process
• Definition of Exit Strategies & Exploitation Plans

 EU Funding Report

 The EU Funding Report is a comprehensive feasibility study to define to which extent Client’s project ideas are in line with the current EU grant programs and regulations. Based on this feasibility study, the customised EU Funding Report represents a strategic roadmap on EU funding applications for the Client organisation. This report analyses and puts into context for specific EU funding applications the following details:

• Client current projects, activities, and plans for the future;
• Client existing annual reports and strategic board direction;
• Client previous attempts to obtain EU funding;
• Client network of partners and collaborators;
• Client financial viability;
• Client innovation potential (for technologies, services, concepts etc.);
• Client project's link with EU and national policies in the sector;
• Client project's transferability and EU added value

 As a result of this analysis, strategic guidance is offered on EU funding applications in the short and medium term for the Client. This includes the following details:

• Which of existing projects or ideas are eligible for EU funding;
• Which calls for proposals or tenders Client could apply for and how much Client could obtain;
• Which partnership and co-financing amount is to be expected;
• What feedback the European Commission may give Client at a pre-evaluation stage;
• What timescale, activities workplan and staff costs may be involved.

This EU Funding Report aims to ultimately provide Client with an opportunity to improve awareness on the identification and access to available EU funding opportunities, which will be supported by guidance and advice on how to complete and submit EU funding applications. The likely outputs from this process is:

• Increased understanding and confidence in engaging with EU funding processes;
• Increased expertise and equipped skills to compete for EU funding;
• Increased participation in EU funding applications;
• Increased EU funding success rates.

 Exploitation and Dissemination of Project Results

The different EU grant authorities often stress that project partners must produce detailed exploitation and dissemination plans to make sure the practical use of the knowledge generated in the project and its industrial implementation. However, project partners often struggle to design significant exploitation plans, as this involves technical expertise going beyond their mandate and their scientific skills. Consultant may assist into transforming scientific project outputs into viable innovations and support them to successfully penetrate the market. This includes industrial production, demonstrations and commercialisation of the results generated in the project implementation.

Monitoring and Evaluation of Project Results

Evaluation activities can help EU funded projects to be more strategic about the targeted stakeholders, the overall objectives of the different EU programs and the impacts expected on the ground. These activities are designed to make the project implementation more effective in terms of the impacts generated so that partners are better equipped to embark into the next tasks of a project work plan.

The key aim of evaluation activities is to design and articulate the work plan of the project in manners that can be tested at regular intervals. The evaluation process should indicate cases of positive performance as well as areas for improvement. The process may also identify unforeseen risks and events which could affect the critical path of the project implementation. This allows the project to adjust and enhance the direction of its work plan, to maximise the quality of its deliverables and increase the potential for long-term impact.

Compensation

EU Funding Consultants usually implement a sharing risks and rewards strategy with Client. They accept to work on project proposals with excellent probabilities to receive EU grant funding. As a result, they work on the proposal drafting on a cooperation basis and bear a share of the risks and costs together with the Client. The reimbursement of their fees for the work in the proposal stage partly depends on the successful winning of the grant by our client.