While writing any project proposal the applicant for the project must take two components of the written project proposal into account. They are (1) Research (2) Writing. Writing for Project Proposals to the EU is no different.
- Research:
Ultimately, writing is a summary of information or the process of coming up with new content/ideas based on existing primary / secondary sources. Therefore, even before beginning the process of writing any project proposal an applicant must do in-depth research on various facets of the project, even if the information is in the eyes of the applicant insignificant for the donor or the needs of the project beneficiary. Applicants should remember that the donors in the EU financial institutions will not just provide money without knowing how the money provided by them will be utilized by the applicants. Therefore, they must take time to conduct thorough research on all aspects connected to their proposed project. Details such as the broad idea and scope of the proposed project, precise location of the project (if there will be a special subsidiary office to monitor the project please mention it to the donor), how the project will benefit the community, how much money is needed, what the money will be used for, monitoring use of funds are all information that a donor will look for. In the absence of such information, donors based out of EU intuitions may reject funding for the project altogether.
Also, applicants must note that the European Union doesn’t have one single financial institution to fund projects. Therefore, please visit the website of multiple EU financial institutions and try to find out whether your project ideas suits the needs of the respective financial institution in the EU. It is also advisable to visit the financial institution’s website so that the research and writing are tailored to the needs of the financial institution. For example, FET in the EU is involved in funding emerging technologies related projects. Sometimes such institutions may also have formed. In that case, applicants must fill up all the details sought for in the form and send them to the respective institutions.
- Writing:
When writing a project proposal applicants must ensure that all the information must be in an orderly fashion. Please ensure that there are proper titles under which points are explained. The applicants must ensure that the researched information must be incorporated during the writing process in a suitable fashion. Applicants must be able to sell their project idea within the opening paragraph of the written proposal to ensure that donors know the gist of the idea. The donors must know the source of information for them to trust that the funds will be used for the intended purpose and that the project is beneficial for the intended community. In addition, the applicant must remember that the donors will seek the details of the organizational structure and the organization so that they have an understanding of the entity that is receiving the money. This must be incorporated in the written proposal alongside other research material such as the broad idea and scope of the proposed project, the precise location of the project, and other details. Applicants must be specific when writing the proposal. Please avoid providing details that are irrelevant to the project and seeking funding for it. E.g. To help laborers build a water tank I will create a fund to pay the laborers. The issue with this sentence is that those laborers may not be a part of the organization.
Finally, applicants must remember that researched and written material is supposed to be presented to the donors to seek funding for the project from donors. Applicants must ensure that the following is not done. Writing:
– Vague and unfocused sentences in which donors have clarity on what the project is about
– Dense academic prose in which everything important is a conclusion. The conclusion should only be a summary of findings from the research and written material.
– Long sentences, small fonts, and crowded margins. Doing this means that it becomes an eyesore for the donors to focus on the written material.
Clarity, transparency, and a concise description of projects are what EU financial institutions expect from applicants. Please note that in the absence of these factors projects may be rejected by EU financial bodies.
For Information on how to write project proposals to EU financial institutions refer to:
- https://ied.eu/blog/6-steps-to-a-successful-eu-proposal/.
- https://www.med.uio.no/klinmed/forskning/sentre/seraf/aktuelt/aktuelle-saker/2017/presentasjoner-nfr2017/chilidis.pdf.
- http://rr-co.eu/horizon2020/writing-competitive-project-proposals/.
- http://www.ceriss.eu/files/proposal-writing_final_kiev_GWcom.pdf.
- https://www.umc.edu.dz/images/h2020%20BOOK.pdf.
Written By Aniruddh Rajendran
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