The purpose of EU programmes is to implement the European Union\u2019s policies in various thematic areas through action, in partnership, between entities belonging to several EU countries (and also to third countries).<\/p>\n
Community programmes are normally defined in terms of objectives, eligibility, type of interventions and allocation of funds for a period of seven years, following a legislative process<\/a> involving all the institutions of the European Union. The definition of a Community programme (and consequently, the selection of project proposals eligible for funding) constitutes a political act of the European Union.<\/p>\n EU programmes require potential beneficiaries to make an effort from a transnational perspective: it is normally advisable to involve partners from several countries, demonstrate that the project is capable of producing an impact on the Union as a whole, and prepare proposals in a common language (usually English, which is also the language in which most of the information is sent to participants). This type of project is therefore not very suitable for proposals that are predominantly local in nature and impact, for which reference should be made to the sections on the Structural Funds.<\/p>\n Community programmes have a total allocation of more than 350 billion euros for the period 2021-2027 and cover an extremely wide range in terms of themes, categories of beneficiaries and modes of intervention. They are also referred to as “thematic programmes”, “sectoral programmes” or “directly managed European funds”.<\/p>\n Below is a summary list of the main programmes for the period 2021\u20132027.<\/p>\n We provide a separate page<\/b><\/a>with a list that includes more details and links to the individual programmes.<\/b><\/p>\n The programmes listed are described in detail in Chapter 4. As explained in Chapter 3, when choosing the most suitable programme for your project idea, you must consider not only the relevant thematic area, but also the type of action you intend to propose, the nature of the applicants, the characteristics and amount of funding, the timing of the publication of calls for proposals and the methods of project implementation.<\/p>\n Although these programmes are referred to as “directly managed”, many actors (some of which are separate from the European Commission) play an important role in the management of EU programmes. All these actors represent possible contacts and sources of information for participation in a project.<\/p>\n The specific links to the institutions and reference web pages of each individual EU programme are given in the specific fact sheets (Chapter 4) and in the dedicated summary table<\/a>.<\/p>\n The abundance of reference sources makes it relatively easy to find out about a Community programme or one of its calls, at least to understand whether or not it is within one’s reach.<\/p>\n In fact, EU programmes are often considered the “most difficult” category of European projects, as they normally require a proposal in English, the establishment of a transnational partnership and a certain degree of innovation in the proposal; these are necessary conditions to generate an appreciable impact at the European level.<\/p>\n But we must not forget that the complexity of EU programmes is commensurate with the capabilities of the actors they are aimed at: the complexity of a call aimed at European excellence in research is not comparable to the complexity of a call aimed at young people, students, teachers and youth workers.<\/p>\n It is therefore advisable not to underestimate the commitment required by this type of call, but neither to exclude them from the list of possible options for financing your project. In some cases, a Community programme can actually be the right choice to support the activity of even a small organisation, a group of young people or a small business. There are, in fact, Community calls that are open to and designed for these categories of beneficiaries (sometimes including individuals or groups not legally constituted).<\/p>\n The sources of information, national contact points (where available) and reference documents (regulations, work programmes, calls, guides for applicants and websites) should provide sufficient information to clarify whether or not the funding is within your reach and whether the commitment required is commensurate with the time and resources you can devote to it. For example, the description of the beneficiaries and eligible actions, which is always included in these documents, allows you to establish in the first instance the degree of correspondence with the “identikit” of your organisation.<\/p>\n In case of doubt, there is the possibility of joining as a partner with organisations that have already undertaken this journey. In fact, especially in the context of the more complex European programmes, it is preferable to start your experience as a partner rather than as a lead partner: this allows you to better match your commitment to your availability and exposes you less directly to the management difficulties of a call and a project.<\/p>\n To be able to do this, it is essential to stay in touch with other players in the sector and to continuously expand your network of contacts in Italy and Europe. For this reason, our Guide has always devoted some attention to the topic of finding partners<\/a>.<\/p>\n It is impossible to analyse all the key concepts applicable to European projects. A more comprehensive discussion of the technical principles is provided in Chapter 3<\/a>.<\/p>\n Below, we review some of the main general and management principles:<\/p>\n The information provided on Community programmes can be varied and take different forms. However, some sources are particularly typical and important. We analyse the main ones below, bearing in mind that some (especially the more specific ones) may not apply to all programmes, or may take slightly different forms.<\/p>\n Although not exhaustive, a categorisation of the main reference sources is very important to navigate the available information and to recognise the position and purpose of the document being analysed.<\/p>\n Since European programmes are a means of achieving the objectives of the EU institutions, it is advisable to maintain a certain awareness of the general framework in which your call for proposals is situated: following the ongoing debate in your sector (and beyond) allows you to focus your proposal on the most pressing issues, increasing its relevance and chances of success.<\/p>\n The methods of keeping up to date, the relevant sources and the depth of analysis change depending on the thematic area in which one is working, but it is possible to identify some sources and some interesting ideas for all sectors.<\/p>\n\n
Community programmes: who manages them and how can you find out more?<\/h3>\n
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EU programmes: are they “too difficult”?<\/h3>\n
EU programmes: some key principles.<\/h3>\n
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EU programmes: the reference sources.<\/h3>\n
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A global strategic vision.<\/h3>\n
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