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Applying to obtain European funds through projects: theory and practice In connection to the financial support the European Union provides through specific programmes to its member states, to pre-accession and accession countries, a question might arise: why to apply for a project financed by European Commission? Of course that the answer could be a long and elaborated one taking into account: - the social, economical and political context; - the institutional policies; - the work place and the responsibilities some one could have as manager, expert, specialist in its field of activity; - lack of local funds and the need of attracting external funds; But one of the most important reasons could be the reduced rate of assimilation of the funds that European Commission has allocated to Romania during the accession process and those which will be offered after integration, for all socio-economical domains, including education. The design of a transnational cooperation project has to be a team work, well substantiated, based on solid justification, done by the experts. Deciding to design a project it is always a very important step, which needs to rely on preparatory phase – which is both necessary and complex, a phase in which sources are investigated and accurate information is gathered. Financers welcome the project designers and promoters by putting at their disposal a complete set of official reference documents. Thus, each programmes (including those the present course focuses on) provide such summaries of legislation and pending proposals on the field, general framework of the programme, calls for proposals, guidelines, application forms. In the “adventure” of designing an international project, within preparatory phase several actions have to be taken: ● learning a foreign language or improving the language skills ; ● learning how to use a PC or improving the abilities of using it ; ● (self)-training related to community programmes ● acquiring specific information, structuring it, synthesizing it. A team that promotes a project should “own” few things about Europe... and about its ways of actions. In this regard, a key issue is to understand the relationship: Policies → Directorates-General → Specific Programmes The Programmes on which we will focus our attention during the present course are, as emphasized in the previous chapter as well, the following: Comenius ; Erasmus ; Leonardo da Vinci ; Grundtvig ;-Culture 2007 ;Youth ;PHARE ; ISPA ; SAPARD ; FEDR ; FSE ; FC ; FEADR ;FEP ; Let’s come back now to the ways of actions. In designing a project one has to make an efficient use of the support provided by European Commission. Do not forget that European Commission issues specific information and documents for each programme. As example of such supporting-documents we may list here: - EC Decisions and Directives ; - Call for Proposals; - Guidelines ; - application forms; - calendar and deadlines; - evaluation and selection procedure of the projects. In these documents, promoters can find out detailed information about: - the aim, priorities and objectives of the programme; - possible target group(s) and group(s) of beneficiaries; - project eligibility criteria; - types of projects (measures, actions); - limits of financing and budget of the programme; - deadlines; - responsible, contact persons, useful addresses, links… From the initial moment - when the decision of designing a project is taken, and till the last moment - when the project is closed and the reporting towards the financer(s) is done, the project management may be seen as a cycle divided in four periods: (1) Time 1: having the idea, forming the team, writing the (pre)-proposal, submitting it for evaluation and selection; (2) Time 2: approval of the project, signing the contract with the financer, starting to work; (3) Time 3: project’s development and implementation (eventually intermediate reporting) (4) Time 4: finalising the products, closing the project, final reporting towards the financer, launching the sustainability/continuation strategy. Endowed with all this information and having passed through the initial compulsory phases, it is the time to start designing THE PROJECT. Obviously, a good idea is necessary “to bring” the money, to obtain the financial support. But from the idea to the end of the project it is a long way…