Preparation and submission of proposals PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION

Preparation and submission of proposals PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION OF PROPOSAL www. transportlearning. net

Preparation and submission of proposals 3 PHASES Preparation & Submission Negotiations Project work www. transportlearning. net

Preparation and submission of proposals STRATEGIC DECISIONS Role: Co-ordination or Partner Write proposal alone or together with your partners www. transportlearning. net

Preparation and submission of proposals RISKS WHEN PARTICIPATING AS PARTNER STRATEGISCHE ENTSCHEIDUNGEN • Is the budget enough to carry out all the tasks foreseen for me? Koordination • Are there enoughoder travel Partner costs? • Is there any translation foreseen and does there exist budget for translation? • Do I get regular information on the progress of the project? • Do I have a voice in decisions within the project? • Do I have all rights of all results / products for exploitation? Proposal selbst oder • Co-ordinator submitts the money very late to the partners gemeinsam Schreiben • Communication between co-ordinator and partners is poor • Unexperienced co-ordinator www. transportlearning. net

Preparation and submission of proposals OPPORTUNITIES AT THE BEGIN • Text of the call fits very well to my own project idea • Cofinancing is already fixed. • Experienced partners / co-ordinator in the consortium • Resources exist (English knowledge, Excel, Layout, Communication etc. ) • Start of proposal preparation as early as possible www. transportlearning. net

Preparation and submission of proposals SET UP A CONSORTIUM Geographical aspekts: • Balance of geographical areas (this doesn‘t exclude 2 partners from the same country!) Content / Know How: • Which Know How do I need? (Management, Communication, Layout, • Which contents do I need? (depending from the call text) • Mix out of experienced partners and new comers Political aspekte: • Partners from new member countries should be included • the big 5 European countries should be partners (IT, UK, DE, ES, FR) • stakeholders / key actors should be included www. transportlearning. net

Preparation and submission of proposals CONSIDERATION CONCERNING BUDGET Ask EU about approx. possible total budget of the project Efforts for project management shouldn‘t exceed 7 – 9 % of the total budget. Expensive parts of the budget: • Translations • Travels, Meetings www. transportlearning. net

Preparation and submission of proposals RISKS STRATEGISCHE ENTSCHEIDUNGEN • Partner doesn‘t manage to get co-financing • Well known institutions (persons) participate in the consortium, but a newcomer Koordination oder Partner will work on the project. • Political changes during the life time of the project reduce support. • Long delays • No common understanding Proposal selbst oder concerning contents between partners and co-ordinator gemeinsam Schreiben • Partners aren‘t able to carry out their tasks • Consortium counts on contributions from outside of the project • Unflexible institutions www. transportlearning. net

Preparation and submission of proposals CRITERIA FOR SUCCESS: STEER - CHECKLIST • • • • Do we meet the formal / admin. requirements? Do we meet the demands of the call? Quality of the described activities Cost – Benefit anylsis Comprehensibility of contents / methodologies / approach / message European Dimension Are stakeholders and key actors involved? Are partners from new member countries involved? Do we take European Policies in consideration? Partnerships The financial maximum fundings won‘t be exceeded ? Practical Implementation yes – research no! Size of consortium (ø 6 – 9 partners) Consortium: well balanced mix of partners www. transportlearning. net

Preparation and submission of proposals CONTENTS OF CALL & WORK PROGRAMM Call Text • Vital instructions and requirements Work programme • Guidelines for each of the specific fields and key actions • Implementation arrangements • Evaluation criteria • Indicative timetable for implementation of the WP SOURCE. Waltraud Schmid (IEEA): Call 2005 - Essential steps and key issues modified www. transportlearning. net

Preparation and submission of proposals FIRST QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED • Investigate the state of the art. What has been done before? • What exactly do you propose to do ? • What will be different when your project has ended ? (When you have finished, how will we know that you have succeeded ? ) EXPLAIN THESE STEPS CLEARLY IN YOUR PROPOSAL ! SOURCE. Waltraud Schmid (IEEA): Call 2005 - Essential steps and key issues www. transportlearning. net

Preparation and submission of proposals DEFINING WORK PACKAGES • Each work package should produce clearly defined deliverables (be ambitious, but don’t exaggerate!) • Delegate responsibilities to partners – coordinators should not try to lead all work packages • EU added value from partners working together on common tasks. Not one work package per country • Work package texts should state very clearly what the partners will actually do ! • Separate work package for management, including regular consortium meetings and reporting • Schedule deliverables with progress, interim or final reports. Typical project duration 24 - 36 months SOURCE. Waltraud Schmid (IEEA): Call 2005 - Essential steps and key issues www. transportlearning. net

Preparation and submission of proposals SOME HINTS AND EXPERIENCES • It takes longer to write proposals than you think ! • Make it easy to read - evaluators must assess it in little more than about 2 hours • Follow the guidance on the application forms • Clearly show the roles of each partner • Show you will measure your performance during the project (performance indicators) • Schedule the work appropriately – not all work packages at the same time SOURCE. Waltraud Schmid (IEEA): Call 2005 - Essential steps and key issues www. transportlearning. net

Preparation and submission of proposals DISSEMINATAION / COMMUNICATION • Define target audience and establish dialogue with them from the beginning (not at the end) • Web site (separate, clearly identified, easily accessible) for information transfer, and take action to ensure that it is visited (until 2 years after project end) • Develop simple messages and communicate directly to each specific target audience • Reach out to new markets and actors at their own venues / events – local, national or EU. • Think about: Common dissemination work package with budget of 7000 -15000€, for EC requested work SOURCE. Waltraud Schmid (IEEA): Call 2005 - Essential steps and key issues www. transportlearning. net

Preparation and submission of proposals FIRST QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED • Investigate the state of the art. What has been done before? • What exactly do you propose to do ? • What will be different when your project has ended ? (When you have finished, how will we know that you have succeeded ? ) EXPLAIN THESE STEPS CLEARLY IN YOUR PROPOSAL ! SOURCE. Waltraud Schmid (IEEA): Call 2005 - Essential steps and key issues www. transportlearning. net

Preparation and submission of proposals TIME SCHEDULE WHEN PREPARING A PROPOSAL (1) Phase Steps 1. Call open - Read and understand call text - Take a look at documents for proposals - Get information 2. Rough concept / ideas - Short description of idea (1 page) 3. Decision: Coordation / Partner - Internal discusion and decision 4. Set up a Consortium 1 - 1 Consideration to set up a consortium - First contact - Submission of short description (1 page) - Submission of „statements of confidentiality and impartiality“ www. transportlearning. net

Preparation and submission of proposals TIME SCHEDULE WHEN PREPARING A PROPOSAL (2) Phase Steps 5. Admin. Forms + Information - Sbmission of admin. Forms to all partners, Who signed the statements 6. Set up a Consortium 2 - search and contact missing partners – see phase 4 7. Proposal writing 1 - Details concerning the contents (Objectives, Target groups, Work program, Expected results, Performance Indicators etc. ) 8. Quality Check 1 - external or via partners 9. 1. Considerations for budget - Rough calculation: are we in the frame? www. transportlearning. net

Preparation and submission of proposals TIME SCHEDULE WHEN PREPARING A PROPOSAL (3) Phase Steps 10. Proposal writing 2 - Added values, contribution to policies, management, consortium, summaries etc 11. Quality Check 2 - external or via partners 12. Electron. Submission Tool - Downloading of the tool - Get acquainted with the tool 13. Detailled budget - Final calculations 14. Finalising of the proposal - Layout and content /. financ. check 15. Proposal submission - electr. submission or. duplication and submission by regular mail / courier service www. transportlearning. net