DISSEMINATION OF EU PROJECTS RESULTS

The European Union and its funding bodies, agencies etc. put great emphasis on dissemination and exploitation of results. All projects basically demand dissemination and exploitation of results to lead to a sustainable use. However, only quite a few projects can really show full success with this task.

Available dissemination instruments may include the following

1. Informal internal meetings and roundtables
2. Formal meetings and roundtables with stakeholders and external experts
3. E-mail pools/groups
4. Press releases
5. Daily newspapers and magazines in general
6. Specific professional newspapers and magazines
7. TV
8. Radio
9. Project website
10. Internet forum/blogs/Youtube
11. Internet based networks (Facebook, Twitter)
12. Other project meetings
13. Flyers
14. Posters
15. Newsletters
16. Printing of documents (manuals, surveys)
17. DVD/CD Rom/USB
18. Promotion Clip
19. Face to face dissemination
20. Pilots/Testing
21. Network/Lobbying with relevant stakeholders
22. Thematic workshops, conferences, public events
23. Involvement of a dissemination expert as official project partner
24. Professional public relations manager/expert
25. Intellectual Property Rights
26. Dissemination platforms and networks
27. Sustainable implementation and usage of project products
28. Conference papers
29. Gadgets/giveaways (pens, calendar, note pads etc)
30. Advertisement

 Most favored by EU funding bodies

1. Website
2. Press release
3. E-mail Groups
4. Formal and informal meetings
5. Flyers and posters
6. Networking and lobbying

 Most favored by Project Groups

1. Website
2. Networking and informal meetings
3. Thematic workshops
4. Formal meetings
5. E-mail pools/groups

Conclusion

1. Dissemination and exploitation is a difficult task in EU Projects. It is a huge challenge for project groups and partners.
2. Improvement potential for dissemination activities. The satisfaction level for the current results in dissemination and exploitation is low and there is a huge potential for improvement.
3. Improvement potential for support activities in general. There is a huge demand from project organizations and experts but also from EU funding bodies for more support to manage the challenges of dissemination and exploitation in a new project.
4. Main demands for further support are: Training in the field of marketing, dissemination and exploitation, better guidelines and documents on that issue, more budget for these activities (may be a separate contract with the funding body covering the dissemination tasks with own budget), collections of good practices for orientation, certification of dissemination excellence, media directories etc.
5. Funding bodies generally favour structured and more formal ways of dissemination and exploitation such as magazines, newspapers, conferences, websites etc. whereas experts/organizations prefer personal forms with much social and human interaction such as informal meetings, networking and lobbying, face to face dissemination.
6. Websites are a must in project dissemination. Both funding bodies and project groups emphasize the need and impact of website.
7. Flyers are very much appreciated and used by project groups. However it is rated considerably low in importance and impact by the funding bodies.
8. Promotion clips are useless.
9. Networking and Lobbying. Best instrument to reach the project stakeholders under some pre-conditions: The organization/expert needs to be part of a network and needs to know the ‘rules’ and ‘ways’ of networking and lobbying.
10. Training in the field of dissemination: The following training topics can be identified
    • Website (content, development in general)
    • Dealing with press, print media
    • Calculation/Budgeting/Finances (Fundraising ?)
    • TV and other mass media
    • Web 2.0 for dissemination
    • Marketing principles
    • Communication and networking/lobbying
    • Dissemination products (flyers, posters, gadgets)