The 7 Habits of EU Funding Champions B.U.N.D.L.E.R.TM Formula
B. Build to Last!
B. Build to Last!
Erasmus+ funded projects shall support the • mission of your organisaEon • vision of your organisaEon • CreaEon of forefront know-how • Job growth and compeAAveness • Increase the quality of life of EU ciEzens • i.e. don’t fall in the “Valley of Death”
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U. Upset the Status Quo!
U. Upset the Status Quo! • You know the SMART objecEves • Specific • Measurable • Achievable/AWainable • RealisEc/Relevant • Time (in) • They are not complete, since SMART objecEves are not InnvovaEve! • Think outside the box and be innovaEve • Endorse the “Medici Effect” i.e. Create a “David” like Michelangelo in educaEon, e.g. AMORES (www.amoresproject.eu) © FundingExpert.Academy
N. Never Eat Alone!
N. Never Eat Alone!
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Three meals in a weekday • 2 meals with family, friends, old colleagues • 1 meal with new colleagues, partners, clients, funders, experts, mentors, project managers, etc • i.e. 260 meals in a year for sharing ideas, connecEng, geang feedback, establishing partnerships • What about coffee? • AWend infoday events Drop the rule “Ask and Shall Receive” and adopt the moWo “Give and Shall Receive”
D. Don’t Delay it, Delegate it!
D. Don’t Delay it, Delegate it!
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Winning Proposals in Erasmus+ require teams with a 1. Proposal Leader 2. Proposal WriAng Team (inhouse team but also from the partnership) 3. Secretary 4. Expert
D. Don’t Delay it, Delegate it!
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A Proposal Leader is responsible for • CoordinaAng the proposal wriEng process • “EaAng” with experts, funders, potenEal partners and geang feedback • Engaging competent partners • CoordinaAng the allocaEon of budget and resources • CooperaAng with the secretary for the administraEve and submission process • Assessing the quality of proposal secEons and contribuEons and taking proper acEons for further improvements • CooperaAng with the expert for the proposal review
D. Don’t Delay it, Delegate it!
The Proposal WriAng Team is responsible for wriEng the proposal secEons based on the C.R.I.T.E.R.I.A. formula/EvaluaEon Criteria • ConsorAum Quality • Relevance of the Project • InnovaAon • Transeuropean Dimension • Economic • ReputaAon • Impact • Approach Tip no. 1: Delegate different secEons to individuals/partners according to their experEse and competencies
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D. Don’t Delay it, Delegate it!
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“Secretary” is responsible for 1. CollecEng all administraEve documents from partners if applicable such as mandate leWers, profiles, CVs, LeWers of support, NDAs, admin forms including PIC, etc 2. Submiang the whole applicaEon in coordinaEon with the proposal leader 3. Ensures that the focus of the other members is in wriEng an excellent proposal
D. Don’t Delay it, Delegate it!
“Expert” is responsible for 1. Assessing the proposal idea 2. The proposal summary and 3. The proposal final drai Feedback given should always give suggesEons for further improvement. There is no proposal that is perfect
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L. Learn that Good is the Enemy of Great
L. Learn that Good is the Enemy of Great 1. Build a profound proposal summary that engages 2. Network, network, network. 3. Realise that everything counts but first impression counts more 4. Prepare an impressive introducEon 5. Build the proposal according to the selecEon award criteria 6. Engage an Expert as external reviewer 7. Don’t make compromises!
L. Learn that Good is the Enemy of Great Great proposals have very few compromises, i.e. • No compromises in the partnership • No compromises in the quality of each proposal secEon • No compromises by avoiding preparing a well structured summary • No compromises in geang feedback by experts, funders, partners, clients • …
E. Endorse a Sharpen Axe!
E. Endorse a Sharpen Axe!
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Once upon a *me, a very strong woodcu5er asked for a job in a *mber merchant and he got it. The pay was really good and so was the work condi*on. For those reasons, the woodcu5er was determined to do his best. His boss gave him an axe and showed him the area where he supposed to work. The first day, the woodcu5er brought 18 trees. “Congratula*ons,” the boss said. “Go on that way!” Very mo*vated by the boss words, the woodcu5er tried harder the next day, but he could only bring 15 trees. The third day he tried even harder, but he could only bring 10 trees. Day aNer day he was bringing less and less trees. “I must be losing my strength”, the woodcu5er thought. He went to the boss and apologized, saying that he could not understand what was going on. “When was the last *me you sharpened your axe?” the boss asked. “Sharpen? I had no *me to sharpen my axe. I have been very busy trying to cut trees…”
E. Endorse a Sharpen Axe!
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Thus, never say that I am a teacher and • I don’t do networking with funders and experts or • I don’t connect with potenEal partners or • I don’t need to write an impressive summary or • I don’t need to delegate • …
R. Recognise Mistakes as Learning OpportuniAes!
R. Recognise Mistakes as Learning OpportuniAes!
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We are learning from our mistakes, therefore, • Learn from your mistakes but most importantly • Learn from the mistakes of others