Belgium: Grants (1) in the context of EU External Actions: How to obtain EU funding?

Your organisation wants to diversify its financial resources and have access to EU funding? You need to better understand how to draft a quality proposal in order to maximise your chances to obtain a grant? You are involved in the management of calls for proposals as a contracting authority or as technical assistant?

COURSE CONTENT AND OBJECTIVES

The European Commission is one of the most important development donors in the world. European Commission programmes are a potential source of funding for NGOs, but navigating the complex rules and budget lines, and deciding what will work is often difficult. Some EU funding programmes receive a lot of attention from NGOs while others remain unknown and unexploited by organisations, which do not duly master the EU funding mechanisms.

The first day of this course introduces participants to the various EU instruments and funding opportunities in order to increase your efficiency and chances of success.

The second part of the training focuses on the understanding of the intricacies of EU proposal drafting and the challenge of drafting a successful application under increasingly competitive calls.

At the end of the first day participants will:

• be able to identify and understand the relevant funding programmes and the related documents
• know how to adapt your project to the EU requirements.

The remaining of the training will show the special rules and techniques that help to optimise the application process and be successful.At the end of the module, participants will:

• understand how to adapt their own project to the guidelines of the call for proposals
• acquire techniques to draft an attractive and highly competitive concept note following the newly revised EU format;
• enhance their skills to draft a sound full proposal using as a basis the logframe and to develop the accompanying budget.
• better structure and present the content of their projects.

Although the training is tailored to European Commission funding procedures the proposal drafting skills acquired during the training are transferable to any other donor.

PARTICIPANTS

The course is designed for anyone involved in fundraising or proposal writing in a non-governmental or non-for-profit organisation. It can also be of interest for the staff members of the National Authorising Officer or country representatives, employees of the diverse national technical ministries and project members in the partner country as well as for the programme managers of consultancy firms involved in the management of calls for proposals.

TRAINING METHODOLOGY

Like our other courses, this course is given in a participatory and interactive way. The presentations will alternate with practical exercises based on real proposals. Much attention is paid to the practical experience of participants, who will have the opportunity to discuss with other participants and trainers about the challenges they face. In order to work with examples directly relevant to participants if desired participants can send their own proposals to the trainer in advance.

COURSE PROGRAMME

EU Funding Mechanisms

Day 1

• The European Commission and its development funding instruments: thematic and geographic instruments
• Funding opportunities for NGOs: how do I find out? Can I apply?
• The Call for proposals guidelines: how to read them? How to ensure that my project matches the EU requirements?
• How to use the PADOR system?

Drafting a successful proposal

Day 2

• How to adapt your project to the guidelines of the call
• How to draft a successful concept note

Day 3

How to draft a successful full proposal

• The logframe
• The narrative part
• The budget

FEES

Fees include a comprehensive manual with the slides, background- and case materials, a USB key and lunch each training day.

3 days training = 1.150 € (21% VAT excluded)

MDF Brussels

Brussels,Belgium

Phone: +32 (0)2 242 19 09

Mail: info@mdfbrussels.be

or via our registration form on our website www.mdfbrussels.be