Eurochambres ACADEMY 27 June 2002, « European Commission – Funded Projects » Marco Lopriore, Director, Unioncamere Brussels.

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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EVALUATION

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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 !